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Blood is a complex nutrient-rich mixture. No wonder that haematophagy has been adopted as a feeding strategy by many invertebrates, including many parasitic helminths. In general, processing of haemoglobin (and other blood proteins) in blood-feeding helminths relies on an evolutionary conserved network of cysteine and aspartic peptidases (e.g., cathepsins L, B and D). However, some helminth taxa have been neglected from this point of view - very little information has been available about the occurrence of these enzymes in haematophagous monogeneans. Therefore, the presented thesis focuses on the molecular and biochemical characteristics of peptidases that maybe potentially involved in blood processing by the monogenean Eudiplozoon nipponicum (Heteronchoinea, Diplozoidae), an ectoparasite inhabiting gills of common carp. We show that the most abundant haemoglobinolytic endopeptidase activities in soluble protein extracts and excretory/secretory products of E. nipponicum belong to the cysteine and aspartic classes, with cathepsin L-like activity predominating over cathepsin B-like activity and supplemented with cathepsin D-like activity (paper 1). Additionally, we found that E. nipponicum adults express a variety of cathepsins L with different structural characteristics and probably different...

Changes in lifestyle can be significantly reflected in growth and development. Adaptations to reduced levels of physical activity, together with non-corresponding nutritional intakes, can result in body build and body composition changes at an early age. The present cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the secular trend of modifications of body composition and body mass index (BMI) in Czech preschoolers over the last two to three decades. Boys and girls (386 boys and 372 girls) aged 4 to 6 years in 2014&ndash, 2019 were measured. Outcome data were compared with the reference sample of preschoolers from 1990: 911 boys and 896 girls. Body height, BMI, and percentage of body fat, muscle, and bone mass were evaluated. Height and BMI have not changed. Body fat increased in both genders (p &lt, 0.01), and contrarily, a significant reduction of muscle and skeletal mass was revealed (p &lt, 0.001). Significant changes in body composition and unchanged BMI indicate the development of latent obesity during the last few decades. Due to latent obesity in a recent cohort, the differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity markers according to BMI and fat percentage were tested. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher by 7.2% in boys, and by 6.5% in girls, as compared to children evaluated according to only their BMI results. Secular changes in preschoolers&rsquo, physical builds over the last 25 years are not reflected in body height and BMI, but in body composition. Insufficient development of active, lean body mass proportionally compensated by increased fat mass was also indicated.

Normal-weight obesity appears to be an extended diagnosis/syndrome associated with insufficient physical fitness levels and inadequate eating habits at least from school years. However, its relation to long term health parameters in pre-school children remains unknown, even though pre-school age is crucial for the determining healthy lifelong habits. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the differences in physical fitness level and basic eating habits between normal-weight obese, normal-weight non-obese, and overweight and obese preschoolers. The research sample consisted of 188 preschoolers aged 4.0–6.9 years (Mage = 5.52 ± 0.8 year), normal-weight obese = 25, normal-weight non-obese = 143, overweight and obese = 20. Body composition was measured using bio-impedance InBody230. Six tests assessed the physical fitness level: sit-ups, standing long jump, shuttle running 4 × 5 meters, throwing with a tennis ball, multistage fitness tests, sit and reach. A four-item eating habits questionnaire for parents focusing on breakfast regularity, consumption of sweet foods and drinks, selection of food and attitude towards eating was used. A non-parametric analysis of variance and Fisher’s exact test along with suitable effect sizes were used for data processing of physical fitness tests and the basic eating habits questionnaire, respectively. Normal-weight obese children performed significantly worse (from p = 0.03 to p &lt, 0.001, ES ω2-G = low to medium) in muscular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness and running agility compared to normal-weight non-obese counterparts and did not significantly differ in the majority of physical fitness performance tests from overweight and obese peers. In basic eating habits, normal-weight obese boys preferred significantly more sweet foods and drinks (p = 0.003 ES = 0.35, large), while normal-weight obese girls had significantly more negative attitude towards eating (p = 0.002 ES = 0.33, large) in comparison to their normal-weight non-obese peers. Normal-weight obesity seems to develop from early childhood and is associated with low physical fitness and deficits in eating habits which might inhibit the natural necessity for physically active life from pre-school age or sooner.

The aim of this work was to determine the concentrations of rubidium, cesium, lithium, strontium and supplemental elements of copper, iron, manganese and zinc in samples of edible mushrooms and to compare the measured concentrations with the studies mentioned in the literary research. In addition to the results of the studies, the literary research contains brief informations about mushrooms, individual elements, the used method and the monitored location. For the purposed of the practical part, 19 samples of nine edible mushrooms species were collected from the vicinity of a lead smelter in the village of Podlesí near Příbram. The samples were the first processed by microwave digestion and then analyzed by AAS (atomic absorption spectrometry). The whole practical part of the thesis was carried out in the laboratory of the Departemnt of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The analysis results were recorded in tables, statistically and graphically processed an evaluated in the discussion. From the analysis we found the species of mushoom with the most cumulate metals ability is a toadstool rosacea. Among the analyzed samples we found the highest concentration of strontium (22,5 mg/kg), lithium (0,6 mg/kg), iron (223,0 mg/kg) and manganese (69,7 mg/kg). On the other hand, the least cumulative species was boletus brown with the lowest concentrations of copper (10,1 mg/kg), iron (29,5 mg/kg) and manganese (5,2 mg/kg) being determined. The less cumulative species was also boletus edulis, which was found to have at least strontium (2,2 mg/kg) and lithium (0,3 mg/kg). It is worth mentioning the larch bolete, in which we have determined the greatest concentration of rubidium (364 mg/kg) and cesium (11,7 mg/kg), but the least of zinc (68,7 mg/kg). Likewise, a parasol mushroom absorps copper to a large extent (255 mg/kg), but on the contrary it contained the least cesium (0,5 mg/kg) and rubidium (11,8 mg/kg).

Spray application of 5azacytidine on established plant seedlings was tested for its demethylating efficiency. It represents a novel method for plant experimental demethylation with a potentially lower negative impact on plant development compared to the traditional application of the demethylating agent through germination of seeds in its solution. Further, the 5azacytidine spray application was used in practice to erase the epigenetic memory in offspring of Taraxacum brevicorniculatum plants from different competitive conditions. The impact of parental competition on the juvenile phenotype was estimated by measuring growth related traits, while the experimental demethylation allowed for evaluating the significance of DNA methylation marks in bioticaly induced transgenerational effects in T. brevirorniculatum.