2957 research outputs found
Sort by
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Resistance Genes in Streptococcus uberis Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in the Czech Republic
Full text linkStreptococcus uberis is one of the most important causative agents of mastitis and is a common reason for the use of antimicrobials in dairy cows. In this study, we assessed the antimicrobial susceptibility of 667 S. uberis isolates originating from 216 Czech dairy farms collected between 2019 and 2023 using the broth microdilution method. We tested 140 of the isolates for the presence of antimicrobial genes using whole-genome sequencing and evaluated their relationship with phenotypic resistance. Streptococcus uberis isolates showed high levels of resistance to tetracycline (59%), followed by streptomycin (38%) and clindamycin (29%). Although all of the isolates were susceptible to beta-lactams, a relatively high percentage of intermediately susceptible isolates was recorded for ampicillin (44%) and penicillin (18%). The isolates were mainly resistant to tetracycline alone (31.3%); the second most frequent occurrence of the phenotypic profile was simultaneous resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin, and clindamycin (16.6%). The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes did not always match the phenotypic results; in total, 36.8% of isolates that possessed the ant(6)-Ia gene did not show phenotypic resistance to streptomycin. To a lesser extent, silent genes were also detected in clindamycin and tetracycline. This study confirmed the high susceptibility of S. uberis to penicillins used as first-line antimicrobials for S. uberis mastitis treatment.O
Possibilities for transforming grapevine training systems and pruning according to the Simonit & Sirch method
No full textMetodika popisuje morfologii a fyziologii révy, včetně důležitých, ale méně známých pojmů, které pomáhají vinařům lépe porozumět struktuře dřeva. Dále se věnuje teorii precizního řezu podle metody Simonit & Sirch, přičemž se zabývá správným vedením révy a nejčastějšími nedostatky v managementu vinic. Následující část popisuje možnosti transformace vinic na udržitelnější tvary s využitím této metody a faktory ovlivňující její integraci do podmínek v ČR. Nakonec jsou rozebrány ekonomické aspekty implementace metodiky, včetně porovnání nákladů manuálních a mechanizovaných postupů.This methodology provides an in-depth description of the morphological structure and physiological processes within the grapevine plant, emphasizing how this knowledge can be applied to develop a compact and functional internal structure. It introduces essential terms and processes that must be understood and implemented to address modern vineyard challenges and integrate viticulturists with best practices. Furthermore, the methodology offers a higher-level perspective on traditional viticultural techniques. By mastering these principles, viticulturists can gain a deeper understanding of critical processes in the grapevine's wood structure, which they may not have previously encountered or may have viewed from an alternative perspective.Published Versio
ReSurveyEurope: A database of resurveyed vegetation plots in Europe
Full text linkAims: We introduce ReSurveyEurope - a new data source of resurveyed vegetation plots in Europe, compiled by a collaborative network of vegetation scientists. We describe the scope of this initiative, provide an overview of currently available data, governance, data contribution rules, and accessibility. In addition, we outline further steps, including potential research questions. Results: ReSurveyEurope includes resurveyed vegetation plots from all habitats. Version 1.0 of ReSurveyEurope contains 283,135 observations (i.e., individual surveys of each plot) from 79,190 plots sampled in 449 independent resurvey projects. Of these, 62,139 (78%) are permanent plots, that is, marked in situ, or located with GPS, which allow for high spatial accuracy in resurvey. The remaining 17,051 (22%) plots are from studies in which plots from the initial survey could not be exactly relocated. Four data sets, which together account for 28,470 (36%) plots, provide only presence/absence information on plant species, while the remaining 50,720 (64%) plots contain abundance information (e.g., percentage cover or cover-abundance classes such as variants of the Braun-Blanquet scale). The oldest plots were sampled in 1911 in the Swiss Alps, while most plots were sampled between 1950 and 2020. Conclusions: ReSurveyEurope is a new resource to address a wide range of research questions on fine-scale changes in European vegetation. The initiative is devoted to an inclusive and transparent governance and data usage approach, based on slightly adapted rules of the well-established European Vegetation Archive (EVA). ReSurveyEurope data are ready for use, and proposals for analyses of the data set can be submitted at any time to the coordinators. Still, further data contributions are highly welcome.OA-hybri
Weak influence of natural vegetation in urban green spaces compared to agricultural ecosystems on House Martin populations: Insights from nationwide citizen science data in the Czech Republic
Full text linkThe House Martin (Delichon urbicum) is a common farmland bird species in the European landscape, yet its population numbers are currently in decline. However, it is not yet sufficiently explained why this long-term decline occurs. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we investigated how land cover composition affects the abundance of House Martins on the landscape scale by using nationwide citizen science data. Utilizing a generalised linear mixed-effect model (GLMM), we evaluated 12,094 records from the Czech Republic spanning 2009-2017. Our analysis underscores the significance of land cover type in shaping House Martin abundance. More specifically, our results indicate that within agricultural land covers "naturally managed arable lands" exhibited significant positive effect, while forests, orchards, and vineyards were deemed less favourable for House Martin populations. Within urban land covers, we found a clear distinction in the impact on House Martin populations, with a positive effect observed in urban infrastructure, development areas, and post-industrial sites (i.e., UrbanAreas), while an indifferent impact was noted within urban green spaces and landscaped areas (i.e., GreenUrban). Notably, our findings suggest that the simple spatial, age, and species structure typical of forests in Europe, and similarly, the uniform structure of parks and gardens, may be responsible for the decline in the abundance of the House Martin. We advocate for the preservation or enhancement of urban greenery, expansion of natural vegetation in rural areas and adoption of ecological management practices in orchards and vineyards to mitigate further declines in House Martin populations.O
Benchmarking Study of Existing Possibilities for the Development of Social Farming in the Czech Republic
Full text linkThe paper in the form of short communication deals with the phenomenon of social farming. This is a form of involvement of disadvantaged people in the integration process through agricultural activities. Based on the results of documentary analysis and benchmarking method, we presented experiences from the other European countries. In the Czech Republic, the concept is not widespread, not anchored in legislation and not supported by the public administration. Our proposals were aimed at using existing legislative possibilities, not at proposals that require changes to legal standards or the focus of financial support in the form of subsidies. We propose to use certain tools, namely a social business model or cooperation between a social service provider and a farmer. Furthermore, it is a suitable form of business for public beneficial entities, namely associations and especially institutes. We see suitability in the way of tax optimization.O
Assessing the Provision of Ecosystem Services Using Forest Site Classification as a Basis for the Forest Bioeconomy in the Czech Republic
Full text linkThe ecosystem services (ESs) of forests are the benefits that people derive from forest ecosystems. Their precise recognition is important for differentiating and determining the optimal principles of multifunctional forest management. The aim of this study is to identify some important ESs based on a site classification system at the lowest level-i.e., forest stands, at the forest owner level-as a tool for differentiated management. ESs were assessed within the Czech Republic and are expressed in units in accordance with the very sophisticated Forest Site Classification System. (1) Biomass production: The vertical differentiation of ecological conditions given by vegetation tiers, which reflect the influence of altitude, exposure, and climate, provides a basic overview of biomass production; the highest value is in the fourth vegetation tier, i.e., the Fageta abietis community. Forest stands are able to reach a stock of up to 900-1200 m3.haMINUS SIGN 1. The lowest production is found in the eighth vegetation tier, i.e., the Piceeta community, with a wood volume of 150-280 m3.haMINUS SIGN 1. (2) Soil conservation function: Geological bedrock, soil characteristics, and the geomorphological shape of the terrain determine which habitats serve a soil conservation function according to forest type sets. (3) The hydricity of the site, depending on the soil type, determines the hydric-water protection function of forest stands. Currently, protective forests occupy 53,629 ha in the Czech Republic; however, two subcategories of protective forests-exceptionally unfavorable locations and natural alpine spruce communities below the forest line-potentially account for 87,578 ha and 15,277 ha, respectively. Forests with an increased soil protection function-a subcategory of special-purpose forests-occupy 133,699 ha. The potential area of soil protection forests could be up to 188,997 ha. Water resource protection zones of the first degree-another subcategory of special-purpose forests-occupy 8092 ha, and there is potentially 289,973 ha of forests serving a water protection function (specifically, a water management function) in the Czech Republic. A separate subcategory of water protection with a bank protection function accounts for 80,529 ha. A completely new approach is presented for practical use by forest owners: based on the characteristics of the habitat, they can obtain information about the fulfillment of the habitat's ecosystem services and, thus, have basic information for the determination of forest categories and the principles of differentiated management.O
Researching the issue of teaching materials and textbooks in vocational technical education
No full textČlánek je zaměřen na dosud nedostatečně zkoumanou problematiku výukových materiálů a učebnic v odborném technickém vzdělávání na středních školách v České republice. První část je věnována důležitým teoretickým východiskům řešené problematiky. V další části je pozornost věnována výzkumu výukových materiálů a učebnic v odborném technickém vzdělávání na středních školách v České republice.The article is focused on the hitherto insufficiently researched issue of teaching materials and textbooks in vocational technical education at secondary schools in the Czech Republic. The first part is devoted to important theoretical background of the problem. In the next part, attention is paid to the research of teaching materials and textbooks in vocational technical education at secondary schools in the Czech Republic.Published Versio
CpX Hunter web tool allows high-throughput identification of CpG, CpA, CpT, and CpC islands: A case study in Drosophila genome
Full text linkWith continuous advances in DNA sequencing methods, accessibility to high-quality genomic information for all living organisms is ever increasing. However, to interpret this information effectively and formulate hypotheses, users often require higher level programming skills. Therefore, the generation of web-based tools is becoming increasingly popular. CpG island regions in genomes are often found in gene promoters and are prone to DNA methylation; with their methylation status determining if a gene is expressed. Notably, understanding the biological impact of CpX modifications on genomic regulation is becoming increasingly important as these modifications have been associated with diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. However, there is currently no easy-to-use scalable tool to detect and quantify CpX islands in full genomes. We have developed a Java-based web server for CpX island analyses that benefits from the DNA Analyzer Web server environment and overcomes several limitations. For a pilot demonstration study, we selected a well-described model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Subsequent analysis of obtained CpX islands revealed several interesting and previously undescribed phenomena. One of them is the fact, that nearly half of long CpG islands were located on chromosome X, and that long CpA and CpT islands were significantly overrepresented at the subcentromeric regions of autosomes (chr2 and chr3) and also on chromosome Y. Wide genome overlays of predicted CpX islands revealed their co-occurrence with various (epi)genomics features comprising cytosine methylations, accessible chromatin, transposable elements, or binding of transcription factors and other proteins. CpX Hunter is freely available as a web tool at: https://bioinformatics.ibp.cz/#/analyse/cpgO
Synthesis and characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles combined with geraniol and their synergistic antibacterial activity
Full text linkBackground The emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria has become a global threat, encouraging the adoption of efficient and effective alternatives to conventional antibiotics and promoting their use as replacements. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been reported to exhibit antibacterial properties. In this study, we synthesized and characterized TiO2 NPs in anatase and rutile forms with surface modification by geraniol (GER). Results The crystallinity and morphology of modified TiO2 NPs were analyzed by UV/Vis spectrophotometry, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with elemental mapping (EDS). The antimicrobial activity of TiO2 NPs with geraniol was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of modified NPs ranged from 0.25 to 1.0 mg/ml against all bacterial strains, and the live dead assay and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) supported the antibacterial properties of TiO2 NPs with GER. Moreover, TiO2 NPs with GER also showed a significant decrease in the biofilm thickness of MRSA. Conclusions Our results suggest that TiO2 NPs with GER offer a promising alternative to antibiotics, particularly for controlling antibiotic-resistant strains. The surface modification of TiO2 NPs by geraniol resulted in enhanced antibacterial properties against multiple bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant MRSA. The potential applications of modified TiO2 NPs in the biomedical and environmental fields warrant further investigation.O
A newly discovered species of the genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861, subgenus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 from Doi Phu Kha National Park, Thailand (Scorpiones, Scorpiopidae)
Full text linkA new scorpion species, Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) doiphukha sp. nov., belonging to the family Scorpiopidae Kraepelin, 1905, is described based on 12 specimens of both sexes (three adults and nine immatures) collected in Doi Phu Kha National Park, Nan Province, Thailand. The new species presents key features exhibited by scorpions of the subgenus Euscorpiops and can be characterized notably by a large size, a sexual dimorphism strongly marked with male pedipalps elongated, a distinct trichobothrial pattern and other morphological features. This new taxon represents the 115th species among the currently recognized species for the genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861, and the 44th species described for the subgenus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980. It is likely an endemic element of Thailand's scorpion fauna, raising the number of known Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) species in the country to 13. Ecological and distributional aspects of the new species are discussed and compared with closely related Scorpiops species, highlighting its distinctiveness within the genus.O