Search

The activity-aided teaching using e-learning program was assessed in students’ training in Agrochemistry subject in the first year of bachelor degree study at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The e-learning program integrated with active methods had greater efficiency in the students’ education than in classical, formal teaching. The study was achieved on two groups of students; control group (with classical teaching) and tested group (with activated teaching). Students were distributed into groups randomly and the input knowledge in chemistry followed the Gaussian distribution. Basic students’ knowledge on general chemistry was very low on the average and did not correspond with the curricular programs for secondary schools established in the Czech Republic. Activated methods of Agrochemistry teaching consisted mainly from motivation, regularly repetition connected with homework and from usage of e-learning program for self-study. The teaching effectiveness was proved by students’ score from three particular tests and by effective progression and by relative progression. The score from particular tests was related to the score from the entrance test. There were two coefficients of the students’ progression defined properly, and are applicable for a numerical or percentage value. Students from the tested group achieved statistically significantly (α = 0.05) higher scores (186 points) than students in the control group (136 points) in all three particular tests. Evaluation according to effective progression and relative progression proved the higher progress in the tested group compare to the control group. The evaluation of teaching efficiency can be proved by effective as well relative progression. The effective progression was 55 % in tested group and 26 % in control group. Higher significance of tested students’ progression was shown on relative progression; 64 % in tested students and 19 % in control students. The e-learning teaching integrated with active methods can be recommended for higher education.

Background: COVID-19 is a viral disease notorious for frequent worldwide outbreaks. It is difficult to control, thereby resulting in overload of the healthcare system. A possible solution to prevent overcrowding is rapid triage of patients, which makes it possible to focus care on the high-risk patients and minimize the impact of crowding on patient prognosis., Methods: The triage algorithm assessed self-sufficiency, oximetry, systolic blood pressure, and the Glasgow coma scale. Compliance with the triage protocol was defined as fulfillment of all protocol steps, including assignment of the correct level of care. Triage was considered successful if there was no change in the scope of care (e.g., unscheduled hospital admission, transfer to different level of care) or if there was unexpected death within 48 hours., Results: A total of 929 patients were enrolled in the study. Triage criteria were fulfilled in 825 (88.8%) patients. Within 48 hours, unscheduled hospital admission, transfer to different level of care, or unexpected death occurred in 56 (6.0%), 6 (0.6%), and 5 (0.5%) patients, respectively. The risk of unscheduled hospital admission or transfer to different level of care was significantly increased if triage criteria were not fulfilled [13.1% vs. 76.1%, RR 5.8 (3.8-8.3), p < 0.001; 0.5% vs. 5.2%, RR 11.4 (2.3-57.7), p = 0.036, respectively]., Conclusion: The proposed algorithm for triage of patients with proven COVID-19 is a simple, fast, and reliable tool for rapid sorting for outpatient treatment, hospitalization on a standard ward, or assignment to an intensive care unit., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Point-of-care ultrasound examinations performed by physicians of different specialties are a rapidly growing phenomenon, which has led to a worldwide effort to create a standardised approach to ultrasound examination training. The implementation of emergency echocardiography by noncardiologists is mainly aimed at the standardisation of the procedure, a structured training system, and an agreement on competencies. This article summarises the current training programmes for nonechocardiographers at the University Hospital in Hradec Králové. In cooperation with cardiologists specialised in cardiac ultrasound (ECHO), an extended acute echo protocol dedicated to emergency department physicians was developed and validated in daily practice. According to our retrospective evaluation, after one year of clinical practice, we can confirm that point-of-care ultrasound examinations performed using the standardised limited echo protocol are safe and accurate. The observed concordance with comprehensive ECHO was 78%. This trial is registered with NCT05306730., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Petr Grenar et al.)

Several 1,2,4-triazoles are widely used as systemic fungicides in agriculture because they inhibit fungal 14ɑ-demethylase. However, they can also act on many non-target plant enzymes, thereby affecting phytohormonal balance, free amino acid content, and adaptation to stress. In this study, tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. 'Cherrola') were exposed to penconazole, tebuconazole, or their combination, either by foliar spraying or soil drenching, every week, as an ecotoxicological model. All triazole-exposed plants showed a higher content (1.7-8.8 ×) of total free amino acids than the control, especially free glutamine and asparagine were increased most likely in relation to the increase in active cytokinin metabolites 15 days after the first application. Conversely, the Trp content decreased in comparison with control (0.2-0.7 ×), suggesting depletion by auxin biosynthesis. Both triazole application methods slightly affected the antioxidant system (antioxidant enzyme activity, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic content) in tomato leaves. These results indicated that the tomato plants adapted to triazoles over time. Therefore, increasing the abscisic and chlorogenic acid content in triazole-exposed plants may promote resistance to abiotic stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Triazoles inhibit lanosterol 14α-demethylase and block ergosterol biosynthesis in fungal pathogens. However, they also interact with other cytochrome P450 enzymes and influence non-target metabolic pathways. Disturbingly, triazoles may interact with essential elements. The interaction of penconazole (Pen), cyproconazole (Cyp) and tebuconazole (Teb) with Zn 2+ results in the formation of deprotonated ligands in their complexes or in the creation of complexes with Cl - as a counterion or doubly charged complexes. Triazoles, as well as their equimolar cocktails with Zn 2+ (10 -6  mol/L), decreased the activities of the non-target enzymes CYP19A1 and CYP3A4. Pen most decreased CYP19A1 activity and was best bound to its active centre to block the catalytic cycle in computational analysis. For CYP3A4, Teb was found to be the most effective inhibitor by both, activity assay and interaction with the active centre. Teb/Cyp/Zn 2+ and Teb/Pen/Cyp/Zn 2+ cocktails also decreased the CYP19A1 activity, which was in correlation with the formation of numerous triazole-Zn 2+ complexes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Triazole fungicides can threaten plants as abiotic stressors but can also positively affect plant defense by inducing priming. Thus, plant yield is also both protected and endangered by triazoles that may influence several metabolic pathways during maturation processes, such as the biosynthesis of saccharides or secondary metabolites. Here, Solanum lycopersicum L. plants were exposed to foliar and soil applications of penconazole, tebuconazole, or their combination, and their resulting effect on tomato fruits was followed. The exposure to the equimolar mixture of both triazoles influenced the representation of free proteinogenic amino acids, especially Gln, Glu, Gly, Ile, Lys, Ser and Pro, saccharide content, and led to a significant increase in the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids as well as positive stimulation of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system. Among the identified secondary metabolites, the most abundant was naringenin, followed by chlorogenic acid in tomato peel. In turn, all triazole-treated groups showed a significantly lower content of rosmarinic acid in comparison with the control. Foliar application of penconazole affected the fruit more than other single triazole applications, showing a significant decrease in antioxidant capacity, the total content of secondary metabolites, and the activities of total membrane-bound peroxidases and ascorbate peroxidase.

Emergency echocardiography is a reproducible method providing clinically significant information during the process of primary assessment of the acute cardiovascular diseases. The main aim of the course is implementation of the emergency echocardiography by non-cardiologist is the standardization of the procedure, structured training system and agreement on the competences. The article summaries the current training for non-echocardiographers in University Hospital Hradec Králové.

Background: The aim of the study was to compare healing (assessed by optical coherence tomography [OCT]) of biolimus A9 (BES) and everolimus drug-eluting stents (EES) at 9-month follow-up in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Nine-month clinical and angiographic data were also compared in both groups as well as clinical data at 5 years of follow-up., Methods: A total of 201 patients with STEMI were enrolled in the study and randomized either to pPCI with BES or EES implantation. All patients were scheduled for 9 months of angiographic and OCT follow-up., Results: The rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was comparable at 9 months in both groups (5% in BES vs. 6% in the EES group; p = 0.87). Angiographic data were also comparable between both groups. The main finding at 9-month OCT analysis was the greatly reduced extent of mean neointimal area at the cost of a higher proportion of uncovered struts in the BES group (1.3 mm² vs. 0.9 mm²; p = 0.0001 and 15.9% vs. 7.0%; p = 0.0001, respectively). At 5 years of clinical follow-up the rate of MACE was comparable between both groups (16.8% vs. 14.0%, p = 0.74)., Conclusions: The study demonstrates a very low rate of MACE and good 9-month stent strut coverage of second-generation BES and EES in patients with STEMI. BES showed greatly reduced extent of mean neointimal hyperplasia area at the cost of a higher proportion of uncovered struts when compared to EES. The rate of MACE was low and comparable in both groups at 5 years.

This case report of a patient with a traumatic head injury provides an example of a systemic toxic reaction to a local anesthetic. Clinical signs of a systemic toxic reaction and hemorrhagic shock may initially be similar: tachycardia, hypotension and unconsciousness. The purpose is thus to remind that even the treatment of a minor injury can develop into a life-threatening condition. When a skin wound is treated using suture under local or regional anesthesia, the annual incidence rate of systemic toxic reactions is 1:3,000 and that of death is 1:30,000.

Background: Unexpected accidental intoxication by uncommon industrial substances is a rare, but challenging and perilous event. To our best knowledge, this is the first reported case of 3,4',5,6'-tetra-tert-butylbiphenyl-2,3'-diol intoxication., Case Report: A 20-year-old man was referred to the Department of Emergency Medicine after seven days of nausea and vomiting triggered by drinking mead. Very high doses of 3,4',5,6'-tetra-tert-butylbiphenyl-2,3'-diol were detected in mead, blood, and urine samples. To prove the intoxication, gas chromatography - ion trap was performed. Symptoms of intoxication persisted for two weeks without significant organ damage. The case report illustrates the need for a multistep approach, focused mainly on the analysis of possible sources of intoxication., Competing Interests: We confirm that there is no known conflict of interests associated with this publication. The manuscript contains no copyrighted material.

Triazole fungicides (TAFs) are frequently used fungicides for various antifungal treatments of crops. Tre treatment is provided foliarly. However, some significant amount of TAFs may remain on/in fruits. We have developed a methodology for the determination of penconazole, tebuconazole and cyproconazole in tomato fruit peel. The extraction of TAFs was provided with chloroform (acidified with 0.1% acetic acid). In the electrokinetic chromatography, the mixed micellar pseudo-stationary phase was composed of anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (15 mM) and randomly highly sulphated gamma-cyclodextrin (17.5 mg/mL). The background electrolyte consisted of 100 mM phosphoric acid and 100 mM Tris in the mixed hydro-organic solvent water/methanol (80/20 v/v), apparent pH 4.8. Complete separation of penconazole, tebuconazole, and two diastereomers of cyproconazole with resolutions higher than 5.1 were achieved within a relatively short time of less than 17 min in the bare fused silica capillary of 425/500 mm total/effective lengths and 50/375 μm I.D./O.D. at separation voltage -15 kV (cathode at injection capillary end) and at constant capillary cassette temperature of 22°C. The TAFs were detected by a UV-spectrophotometric diode array detector set at 200 nm. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 71-92 and 214-278 μg/kg of peel, respectively. Analyses of the peel extracts revealed that even 10 days after the last treatment, TAF concentrations were higher than the recommended maximum residue limits in both application ways, as individual as well as in the TAF binary or ternary mixtures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no financial/commercial conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Triazolic fungicides are widely applied in crop production to protect plants against fungal pathogens. However, they may influence the biochemical processes in plants and other non-target species. This paper is aimed at the effect of triazoles (namely tebuconazole, cyproconazole, and penconazole) single/mixed applications on the phenolics production in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit peel, amount of chlorophyll a and b in tomato leaves as well as on basic plant growth parameters. For this purpose, cherry tomatoes were planted in the pot experiment and foliarly-treated weekly, with the same total triazoles dose of 3.52 μmol per plant (in mixtures of 1.71 or 1.17 μmol of each in two or three components, respectively). The treatments increased the weight of fruits in the 1st harvest about 43%, however, this effect was not observed in the next harvest. Increased oxidative stress in the triazoles presence was observed, based on the elevated production of antioxidant phenolics in the 1st harvest. Most alarming is the decrease of the weight of thin stems and foliage and the concentration of chlorophyll a (b) in leaves in all triazoles-treated variants. The non-target impacts on plant biochemical processes (related to the phenolics or chlorophylls production and functionality) were confirmed., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A part of the fungicides used in foliar treatment penetrates into the soil. This study describes changes in the bioavailability of (essential) elements in soil, fructification, the amount of green biomass and the production of phenolic compounds related solely to the presence of triazoles (penconazole and cyproconazole) in soil, injected as a single compound or their mixture. The triazoles presence has substantially affected the bioavailability of Fe, Cu and Zn in soil. The amount of green biomass has significantly decreased, whereas the chlorophylls a and b have not been affected. As a potential mark of plant stress, the fruits of the treated variants are significantly bigger. The content of phenolics in tomato peel (e.g. quercetin, quercitrin, hesperidin, naringin, and chlorogenic, salicylic and p-coumaric acid) has been quantified. The biggest changes (increase/decrease) have been observed in the contents of p-coumaric and chlorogenic acid, quercetin and quercitrin., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Triazoles are used as antifungal agents, they mostly inhibit two enzymes: 14α-demethylase and aromatase. These enzymes are utilised also in other species and therefore the affection in non-target species in the environment is expected as well. Besides, triazoles are often being applied in a mixture and they can also interact with other substances present. This study clarifies how three selected representative triazoles (tebuconazole, penconazole and cyproconazole) interact with each other (group effect) and in mixtures (cocktail effect) with copper, essential/toxic for all organisms. Within the experiments on electrospray and collision-induced dissociations (both ESI-MS), it has been found that the fragments correspond to typical triazole metabolites. For their formation, the presence of copper ions is crucial. The inhibitory effect of Cu cocktails on aromatase enzymatic activity has been studied. The presence of Cu ions together with triazole(s) significantly increases the inhibitory effect on aromatase activity. The highest inhibitory effect (more than 60%) on aromatase activity is produced by cocktails containing penconazole and Cu ions, namely by penconazole/Cu and penconazole/tebuconazole/Cu. The reactivity of triazoles in groups is not significantly affected by the interactions among them. Additionally, the role of triazoles in copper Fenton reaction regulation has been observed and described. These changes may be attributed to the formation and stabilization of the complexes with the central Cu ion, with usually one, two or three triazolic ligands, depending on the mixture. The study demonstrates that the interaction of triazoles and Cu ions is a complex process; their impact on metabolism seems to be rather extensive and must be evaluated in the context of biochemical reactions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no competing interests associated with the manuscript., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: For the risk assessment of penconazole in the environment and the evaluation of the possible consequences of its use, it is important to determine how its reactivity and degradation are influenced by metals commonly found in nature, such as copper and zinc., Methods: Changes in the reactivity of penconazole in the presence of zinc/copper ions were studied using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and density functional theory calculations., Results: Many penconazole complexes with copper and zinc ions were created; a comparison of the elements showed that a few complexes were formed analogously (doubly charged complexes with four penconazole molecules, singly charged complexes with chlorine as a counterion and singly charged complexes with deprotonated penconazole as a counterion). The metal complexes with different structures indicated different reactivity of penconazole with copper and zinc., Conclusions: The experimental and computational approaches have revealed different changes in the structure of penconazole. In the Zn(II) complex, penconazole deprotonated to stabilise the bond to Zn(II). In the Cu(II) complex, it loses one chlorine atom, creates an additional ring between the triazole ring and the phenyl ring, and/or creates a double bond in the short aliphatic chain., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) is used to assess stent tissue coverage and malapposition in stent evaluation trials. We developed the OCT Image Visualization and Analysis Toolkit for Stent (OCTivat-Stent), for highly automated analysis of IVOCT pullbacks. Algorithms automatically detected the guidewire, lumen boundary, and stent struts; determined the presence of tissue coverage for each strut; and estimated the stent contour for comparison of stent and lumen area. Strut-level tissue thickness, tissue coverage area, and malapposition area were automatically quantified. The software was used to analyze 292 stent pullbacks. The concordance-correlation-coefficients of automatically measured stent and lumen areas and independent manual measurements were 0.97 and 0.99, respectively. Eleven percent of struts were missed by the software and some artifacts were miscalled as struts giving 1% false-positive strut detection. Eighty-two percent of uncovered struts and 99% of covered struts were labeled correctly, as compared to manual analysis. Using the highly automated software, analysis was harmonized, leading to a reduction of inter-observer variability by 30%. With software assistance, analysis time for a full stent analysis was reduced to less than 30 minutes. Application of this software to stent evaluation trials should enable faster, more reliable analysis with improved statistical power for comparing designs.

Resveratrol is antioxidant naturally occurring in wine grapes. It is thought to have a preventive biological activity against number of diseases. However, it has been recently shown that in the presence of metal ions, such as Cu 2+ , resveratrol forms oxidative radicals. Cu 2+ is usually present in wine due to former usage of bluestone in vineyards. Fungicide tebuconazole has substituted bluestone and is presently one of the most widely used agrochemicals in wine industry; wine thus may contain traces of tebuconazole. Here, we study the ternary system of resveratrol, Cu 2+ , and tebuconazole experimentally and theoretically (using mass spectrometry, antioxidant capacity assay and quantum-chemical calculations) to model the redox behaviour of resveratrol in wine. We show that tebuconazole prevents formation of oxidative resveratrol radicals (induced by Cu 2+ reaction with resveratrol) via preferential Cu 2+ capture and protection of the binding sites of resveratrol. This positive effect of tebuconazole has not been observed before., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To assess the possible merits of optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI)., Methods and Results: 201 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomized either to pPCI alone (angio-guided group, n=96) or to pPCI with OCT guidance (OCT-guided group, n=105) and also either to biolimus A9 or to everolimus-eluting stent implantation. All patients were scheduled for nine months of follow-up angiography and OCT study. OCT guidance led to post-pPCI optimization in 29% of cases (59% malapposition and 41% dissections). No complications were found related to the OCT study. OCT analysis at nine months showed significantly less in-segment area of stenosis (6% [-11, 19] versus 18% [3, 33]; p=0.0002) in favor of the OCT-guided group. The rate major adverse cardiovascular events were comparable at nine months in both groups (3% in the OCT group versus 2% in the angio-guided group; p=0.87)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the safety of OCT guidance during pPCI. The use of OCT optimized stent deployment in 1/3 of patients in this clinical scenario and significantly reduced in-segment area of stenosis at nine months of follow-up. Whether such improvements in OCT endpoints will have a positive impact on late clinical outcomes, they demand both a larger and longer-term follow-up study., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: The frequently used pesticide cyproconazole (Cyp) interacts with the essential elements commonly present in soil which play important roles in various enzymatic processes. These interactions predetermine the Cyp degradation pathways. We suggest a simple experimental and theoretical approach for the prediction of pesticide behavior., Methods: Cu/Cyp complexes are explored because of the typical Cu(II) reduction in complexes. Its level and the stability of the Cu-ligand bond depend on the type and the number of the surrounding ligands. Zn/Cyp complexes were compared as it is not expected that Zn(II) will reduce. The complexations were studied by means of electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry and MS/MS collision-induced dissociations with comparative and explicative density functional theory calculations., Results: The Cyp ligand allows both Cu(II) reduction as well as, in specific cases, it protects the higher Cu oxidation state. The reduction is observed in the complexes with solely neutral Cyp where the number of ligands is below 3; a higher number protects the Cu(II) state. The metal atom binds to Cyp via N2 of the triazole ring as well as via π-electrons of the benzene ring; additional stabilization brings an interaction with the deprotonated OH group., Conclusions: The character of Cyp interactions with doubly charged metals (Cu(II), Zn(II)) clarified the creation of Cyp metabolites. The phenyl and triazole rings are bound to the metal cation and enable access for the isopropyl ring to be cleaved leaving the common metabolite (CAS Number: 58905-19-4)., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess long-term prognostic value of high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) in patients after acute myocardial infarction (MI) and its association with possible risk factors., Methods: This prospective, case-control study was an observation of 198 patients who had acute MI. Response to aspirin and clopidogrel was assessed using impedance aggregometry. Patients were divided into groups of adequate response, dual poor responsiveness (DPR), poor responsiveness to aspirin (PRA), and poor responsiveness to clopidogrel (PRC). Simultaneously, potential risk factors of HTPR development were recorded. After 5 years, MI recurrence and overall mortality were assessed., Results: HTPR was more frequent in New York Heart Association Class III and IV patients, and in patients with left ventricle systolic dysfunction. Five-year mortality rate was higher in all groups of patients with HTPR compared to patients with sufficient response to antiplatelet treatment: in PRA patients, 38.1% vs. 19.2%, p<0.01; in PRC patients, 45.2% vs. 17.3%, p<0.001; and in DPR patients, 50.0% vs. 19.9%, p<0.05. Risk of repeat MI also increased (hazard ratio [HR] 4.0, p<0.05 for DPR group; HR 4.37, p<0.01 for PRA group; and HR 3.25, p<0.05 for PRC group)., Conclusion: PRA, PRC, and DPR are independent predictors of increased 5-year mortality and risk of repeat non-fatal MI. The study has demonstrated that HTPR is frequently observed in patients with severe heart failure and left ventricle systolic dysfunction.

Background: Cardiotoxicity is a well-known and potentially serious complication of anticancer therapy. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy represents the greatest risk. Early detection of cardiotoxicity is crucial for applying preventive and supportive therapeutic strategies., Methods and Results: Various methods have been recommended for monitoring of cardiotoxicity. In our conditions, echocardiography and electrocardiography are routinely used. However, this approach shows low sensitivity for the early prediction of cardiomyopathy when the possibilities of appropriate management could still improve the patient's outcome. Recently, biomarkers of cardiac injury have been investigated in the assessment of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. Cardiospecific biomarkers, such as cardiac troponins, show high diagnostic efficacy in the early subclinical phase of the disease before the clinical onset of cardiomyopathy. Increase in their concentrations correlates with disease severity. As for natriuretic peptides, some studies, including ours, have shown promising results. Definitive evidence of their diagnostic and prognostic role in this context is still lacking and natriuretic peptides have not been routinely used for monitoring of cardiotoxicity in clinical practice. Other perspective biomarkers of cardiotoxicity in oncology are under study, especially heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) and glycogen phosphorylase BB (GPBB). Our studies using GPBB have provided encouraging results. However, the available data are limited and their practical use in this context cannot be recommended until their clinical efficacy is clearly defined., Conclusions: This review covers the current status of biomarkers for the early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. The authors present in brief, their own experience with multiple biomarkers in the detection of cardiotoxicity.

The article summarizes outcomes of a biomass study conducted in a young speckled alder plantation on a cold mountain site. At this location, the previously existing old forest was clear felled because of damage from air pollution, and present-day surface humus is in need of restoration. The intention of this study was to quantify the biomass and nutrients accumulated by alders and their components and assess whether the initial fertilization resulted in increased biomass production and nutrient accumulation in the biomass. Besides the control, two fertilized treatments were installed. In the surface treatment (SUT), the amendment was applied as a base dressing in small circles around trees. In the planting-hole treatment (PHT), the amendment was incorporated into soil inside the planting holes. Five growth seasons after planting and fertilization, six alders from each treatment were harvested including roots. Their biomass was quantified and analyzed for macroelements. The greatest pool of dry mass (DM) was branches in the control and stem wood in the fertilized treatments. The greatest pools of macroelements were leaves and branches. The most pronounced effects of fertilization were recorded in the DM and consequently in the absolute quantities of nutrients. The DM of an average tree in the control, SUT, and PHT was 85, 226, and 231 g, respectively. The absolute contents of nutrients per tree in the fertilized treatments showed the following increases, as compared with the control: (N) 2.5-2.6 times; (P) 1.6-2.4 times; (K) 1.8-2.1 times; and (Mg) 1.8-2.0 times, respectively. Speckled alder responded positively to fertilization.

Objectives: To assess the relation between initial ECG findings, presence of risk factors, coronary angiography findings, and clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS)., Design: Data from a total of 5572 acute myocardial infarction patients admitted to the four tertiary hospitals during a period of 3 years were analyzed. CS on admission was present in 358 patients (6.4%). They were divided into four groups based on the admission ECG: ST-segment elevation (STEMI), ST-segment depression (STDMI), bundle branch block (BBBMI), and other ECG acute myocardial infarction., Results: CS developed most frequently among BBBMI patients (in 12.1% of all BBBMIs, p < 0.001 vs. STEMI), followed by STEMI (6.7%), STDMI (4.4%), and other ECG acute myocardial infarction (2.3%). The risk of CS development was similar in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) (13.3%) and right bundle branch block (RBBB) (11.2%). The one-year mortality was highest among RBBBMI patients (66.7%, p < 0.001), followed by LBBBMI (48.6%), other ECG (47.1%), STEMI (41.7%), and STDMI patients (38.1%)., Conclusions: RBBB on admission ECG is associated with the highest risk of CS development, frequent left main coronary artery affection, and unsuccessful revascularization. It is also an independent predictor of one-year mortality.

Objectives: The aim of the presented study was to assess plasma glycogen phosphorylase BB (GPBB) concentrations in acute leukemia patients treated with anthracycline containing chemotherapy., Background: Anthracyclines represent the highest risk for development of cardiotoxicity. GPBB belongs to proposed biomarkers of cardiac injury with a very limited experience in this context., Methods: Totally, 24 adult patients with acute leukemia were enrolled. Plasma GPBB concentrations were measured by ELISA at diagnosis (before chemotherapy), after first chemotherapy with anthracyclines and 6 months after the completion of treatment. The cut-off value for GPBB positivity was 10.00 µg/L as recommended by the manufacturer., Results: Before chemotherapy, the mean plasma GPBB concentration was 5.25±3.81 µg/L, increased above the cut-off in 1 patient (4.2 %). After the first chemotherapy, the mean GPBB was 6.61±5.54 µg/L, positive in 7 (29.2 %) patients. Six months after treatment, the mean GPBB was 10.06±11.41 µg/L, positive in 8 (33.3 %) patients. Six months after treatment, we found a significant correlation between elevation in GPBB and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography (r=0.621; p<0.0001). The differences in plasma GPBB between healthy blood donors and patients treated for acute leukemia were statistically significant (p<0.01 in all cases)., Conclusion: Our results suggested that GPBB could become a potential biomarker for detection of acute and chronic cardiotoxicity associated with anthracycline containing chemotherapy. The predictive value for development of treatment-related cardiomyopathy in future is not clear and will be evaluated during the follow-up. Further studies are needed to define the potential role of GPBB and other biomarkers in the assessment of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (Ref. 21). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.

Electrospray ionization was used as a technique for the characterization of the interactions between cadmium(II) ions and malic acid (1) in aqueous solution. Particular attention was paid to the nature of the species formed, which generally correspond to complexes of CdX(+) cations with neutral malic acid, where X either is the counterion of the metal salt used as a precursor (i.e. X=Cl, I) or corresponds to singly deprotonated malic acid. In pure water solutions, also highly coordinated complexes [Cd(1-H)(1)(2)](+) and [CdCl(1)(2)](+) were detected, whereas the most abundant complexes detected in a sample of soil solution were: [Cd(1-H)(1)](+) and [CdCl(1)](+). With respect to possible application in environmental analysis, the effects of (i) metal salts present in solution, (ii) modest mineralization, and (iii) the matrices of real soil solutions were probed. While the presence of other metals leads to additional complexes, the characteristic species containing both cadmium(II) and malic acid can still be detected with good sensitivity., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The current guidelines recommend reperfusion therapy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with ST-segment elevation or left bundle branch block (LBBB). Surprisingly, the right bundle branch block (RBBB) is not listed as an indication for reperfusion therapy. This study analysed patients with AMI presenting with RBBB [with or without left anterior hemiblock (LAH) or left posterior hemiblock (LPH)] and compared them with those presenting with LBBB or with other electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns. The aim was to describe angiographic patterns and primary angioplasty use in AMI patients with RBBB., Methods and Results: A cohort of 6742 patients with AMI admitted to eight participating hospitals was analysed. Baseline clinical characteristics, ECG patterns, coronary angiographic, and echocardiographic data were correlated with the reperfusion therapies used and with in-hospital outcomes. Right bundle branch block was present in 6.3% of AMI patients: 2.8% had RBBB alone, 3.2% had RBBB + LAH, and 0.3% had RBBB + LPH. TIMI flow 0 in the infarct-related artery was present in 51.7% of RBBB patients vs. 39.4% of LBBB patients (P = 0.023). Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 80.1% of RBBB patients vs. 68.3% of LBBB patients (P< 0.001). In-hospital mortality of RBBB patients was similar to LBBB (14.3 vs. 13.1%, P = 0.661). Patients with new or presumably new blocks had the highest (LBBB 15.8% and RBBB 15.4%) incidence of cardiogenic shock from all ECG subgroups. Percutaneous coronary intervention was done more frequently (84.8%) in patients with new or presumably new RBBB when compared with other patients with blocks (old RBBB 66.0%, old LBBB 62.3%, new or presumably new LBBB 73.0%). In-hospital mortality was highest (18.8%) among patients presenting with new or presumably new RBBB, followed by new or presumably new LBBB (13.2%), old LBBB (10.1%), and old RBBB (6.4%). Among 35 patients with acute left main coronary artery occlusion, 26% presented with RBBB (mostly with LAH) on the admission ECG., Conclusion: Acute myocardial infarction with RBBB is frequently caused by the complete occlusion of the infarct-related artery and is more frequently treated with primary PCI when compared with AMI + LBBB. In-hospital mortality of patients with AMI and RBBB is highest from all ECG presentations of AMI. Restoration of coronary flow by primary PCI may lead to resolution of the conduction delay on the discharge ECG. Right bundle branch block should strongly be considered for listing in future guidelines as a standard indication for reperfusion therapy, in the same way as LBBB.

This study presents a new analytical approach for the determination of heavy metals complexed to low-molecular-weight-organic acids in soil solutions, which combines the sensitivity of differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) with the molecular insight gained by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The combination of these analytical methods allows the investigation of such complexes in complex matrixes. On the voltammograms of the soil solutions, in addition to the expected complexes of oxalic acid with cadmium and lead, respectively, also peaks belonging to mixed complexes of cadmium, lead, and oxalic acid (OAH(2)) were observed. In order to verify the possible formation of complexes with OAH(2), aqueous solutions of OAH(2) with traces of Cd(II) were investigated as model systems. Signals corresponding to several distinct molecular complexes between cadmium and oxalic acid were detected in the model solutions using negative-ion ESI-MS, which follow the general formula [Cd(n)(X,Y)((2n+1))](-), where n is the number of cadmium atoms, X=Cl(-), and Y=OAH(-). Some of these complexes were also identified in the ESI mass spectra taken from the soil solutions., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is used to probe the complex formation between tebuconazole (1) and copper(II) salts, which both are commonly used fungicides in agriculture. Experiments with model solutions containing 1 and CuCl(2) reveal the initial formation of the copper(II) species [(1)CuCl](+) and [(1)(2)CuCl](+) which undergo reduction to the corresponding copper(I) ions [(1)Cu](+) and [(1)(2)Cu](+) under more drastic ionization conditions in the ESI source. In additional experiments, copper/tebuconazole complexes were also detected in samples made from soil solutions of various origin and different amount of mineralization. The direct sampling of such solutions via ESI-MS is thus potentially useful for understanding of the interactions between copper(II) salts and tebuconazole in environmental samples., (Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Aim: Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is the most frequently used agent for hematopoietic cell (HC) graft cryopreservation. This study aimed to monitor blood pressure and heart rate (HR) during HC graft infusion and assess the impact of cryopreservation with DMSO., Methods: 153 HC graft infusions in 153 consecutive hematological patients (mean age 49.1 -/+ 12.6 years; 80 males) were evaluated. Cryopreservation with DMSO was used in 133 grafts (DMSO group). Twenty grafts were infused directly without cryopreservation (control group). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and HR were measured immediately before and after HC graft infusion., Results: SBP and DBP increased significantly after graft infusions cryopreserved with DMSO ( p<0.0001 for SBP; p<0.01 for DBP). Increases (> 10mmHg) in SBP were seen in 42 (31.6%) patients; in DBP in 31 (23.3%) patients. Changes in HR were non-significant in DMSO group. Increases in BP and HR correlated with increasing DMSO dose (p<0.01; p<0.05, respectively). Changes in SBP, DBP and HR were non-significant in control group., Conclusion: HC graft infusions cryopreserved with DMSO could cause statistically significant increases in SBP and DBP, without changes in HR. These changes were mostly transient and asymptomatic, not requiring therapeutic intervention. However, they might cause complications, especially in patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease, who should be monitored closely during HC transplantation.

Aim: Monitoring of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity with electrocardiography (ECG) and comparing ECG changes with findings on echocardiography (ECHO)., Methods: A total of 26 adult acute leukemia patients (mean age 46.2 -/+ 12.4 years, 15 males) treated with 2-6 cycles of anthracycline-based chemotherapy (CT) were studied. Cardiac evaluation was performed at the baseline (before CT), after first CT, after last CT (cumulative anthracycline dose 464.3 -/+ 117.5 mg/m2) and circa 6 months after CT. Time ECG parameters, QRS voltage, presence of repolarization changes, arrhythmias and other abnormalities were evaluated., Results: During treatment and follow-up, we found a statistical significant QTc interval prolongation - 414.7 -/+ 16.0 ms (before CT), 419.6 -/+ 21.6 ms (after first CT), 428.0 -/+ 16.2 ms (after last CT) and 430.1 -/+ 18.4 ms (6 months after CT). Significant QTc interval prolongation (> 450 ms) occurred in 3 patients after first CT, in 4 patients after last CT and in 5 patients within 6 months after CT. Significant total QRS voltage lowering in the limb leads (> 1.0 mV versus before CT) occurred in 3 patients after first CT, in 5 patients after last CT and in 6 patients within 6 months after CT. We found a statistically significant correlation between decreased QRS voltage, QTc interval prolongation and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction on ECHO. Repolarization changes associated with oncology treatment were present in 9 patients within 6 months after CT., Conclusion: Anthracycline treatment is associated with changes in electrical activity of the myocardium. Prolonged QTc interval represents a risk for development of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Decreased QRS voltage and prolonged QTc interval after anthracycline treatment could correlate with LV dysfunction on ECHO. Further studies will be needed to prove whether these ECG changes could serve as an accessible and non-invasive screening method indicating LV dysfunction after anthracycline treatment.