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Highlighting the gaps in hazard and risk assessment of unregulated Endocrine Active Substances in surface waters: retinoids as a European case study
Get PDFRegulatory hazard and risk assessment of endocrine-active substances currently specifies four modes of action: interference with sex hormone (oestrogen, androgen) pathways, steroidogenesis, and thyroid hormone signalling. This does not encompass the full complexity of the endocrine system and its extended interfaces with environmental pollutants that can potentially disrupt the carefully maintained balance. Here we take the retinoid signalling pathway as a European case study for both, under- and unregulated endocrine pathways and outline the different levels of interference, discuss their adversity, and indicate crosstalk to other signalling pathways. Retinoid compounds already exist in drinking water sources, occur naturally in cyanobacterial blooms and/or enter surface waters via wastewater discharge, where they pose a potential hazard to the environment and human health - a situation that can be expected to worsen due to water shortages induced by climate-change and population growth. We briefly review relevant aspects of current endocrine disruptor (ED) testing for regulatory purposes and then expand upon the needs for inclusion of disruption of retinoid signalling in (ED) regulatory safety assessment contributing to adverse health outcomes that include cognitive function and neurological disease. An overview of developmental effects of retinoid signalling disruption across species highlights critical processes and potential crosstalk with other signalling pathways. A focused weight of evidence-based evaluation of the biologically plausible associations between neurological disorders and altered retinoid signalling highlights the evidence gaps. We show that monitoring only a limited number of anthropogenic priority chemicals in water is insufficient to address the environmental risks of retinoid signalling disruption. To comprehensively assess impacts on the endpoints, processes, and pathways of the endocrine system that are most vulnerable to chemical interference we need further investigation of the true mixture composition in environmental matrices. On a weight of evidence-basis this information can then be integrated into a reliable, inclusive, quantitative approach that ultimately accommodates all the critical pathways. By focusing on the retinoid signalling pathway, we intend to improve the scope and relevance of an integrated approach for the risk assessment of endocrine disruptors
Análisis de errores en la interlengua de aprendices de ELE universitarios checos y eslovacos
No full textLa presente tesis tiene como objetivo estudiar los errores que aparecen en la interlengua escrita de un grupo de estudiantes universitarios de español cuyas lenguas maternas son el checo y el eslovaco. A partir del análisis se puede encontrar un patrón entre los errores cometidos y la influencia de la lengua materna de los estudiantes del Grado de Lengua y Literatura españolas de la Universidad Masaryk de Brno, República Checa.Dizertační práce studuje vlastnosti přechodného jazykového systému českých a slovenských studentů, kteří se učí španělštinu na Filozofické fakultě Masarykovy univerzity v Brně. Hlavním cílem tohoto výzkumu je provést rozbor chyb v psaném projevu, abychom se dozvěděli, zda existuje vzor mezi chybami a jaký je jejich vývoj během průběhu bakalářského studia Španělského jazyka a literatury.This doctoral thesis studies the written interlanguage in Spanish of a group of Czech and Slovak university students, focusing on the analysis of their errors. The main purpose of this study is to find a pattern in these errors and to understand their evolution from the beginning to the end of the three-year bachelor’s program of Spanish Language and Literature at Masaryk University of Brno, in the Czech Republic
Microbiome Composition and Function in Aquatic Vertebrates: Small Organisms Making Big Impacts on Aquatic Animal Health
Get PDFAquatic ecosystems are under increasing stress from global anthropogenic and natural changes, including climate change, eutrophication, ocean acidification, and pollution. In this critical review, we synthesize research on the microbiota of aquatic vertebrates and discuss the impact of emerging stressors on aquatic microbial communities using two case studies, that of toxic cyanobacteria and microplastics. Most studies to date are focused on host-associated microbiomes of individual organisms, however, few studies take an integrative approach to examine aquatic vertebrate microbiomes by considering both host-associated and free-living microbiota within an ecosystem. We highlight what is known about microbiota in aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on the interface between water, fish, and marine mammals. Though microbiomes in water vary with geography, temperature, depth, and other factors, core microbial functions such as primary production, nitrogen cycling, and nutrient metabolism are often conserved across aquatic environments. We outline knowledge on the composition and function of tissue-specific microbiomes in fish and marine mammals and discuss the environmental factors influencing their structure. The microbiota of aquatic mammals and fish are highly unique to species and a delicate balance between respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal microbiota exists within the host. In aquatic vertebrates, water conditions and ecological niche are driving factors behind microbial composition and function. We also generate a comprehensive catalog of marine mammal and fish microbial genera, revealing commonalities in composition and function among aquatic species, and discuss the potential use of microbiomes as indicators of health and ecological status of aquatic ecosystems. We also discuss the importance of a focus on the functional relevance of microbial communities in relation to organism physiology and their ability to overcome stressors related to global change. Understanding the dynamic relationship between aquatic microbiota and the animals they colonize is critical for monitoring water quality and population health
«Uže buduči sedym, němalo let istratil v trudach» : kak Andrej Kurbskij obučalsja latinskomu jazyku
No full textV ramkach dannoj stati avtor rassmatrivajet vopros izučenija latinskogo jazyka knjazem Andrejem Kurbskim po ego sobstvennym zamečanijam i vospominanijam. Těma perevodčeskoj dějatěl'nosti knjazja Kurbskogo javljaetsja často obsuždajemym voprosom ně tol'ko sredi russkich istorikov, no i sredi ich zarubežnych kolleg. Preždě čem Andrej Kurbskij smog načat' zanimat'sja perevodami, jemu nado bylo usvoit' latinskij jazyk. Etot process, po našemu mněniju, dostoin samostojatěl'nogo issledovanija, t. k. do etogo istoriki i translatologi bol'še obraščali vnimanije na rezul'tat etoj dějatěl'nosti, t. je. na sami perevody, čem na momenty obučenija jazyku. V osnove issledovanija ležat zamečanija Kurbskogo, ostavlennye im v predislovijach i ličnoj perepiske, kotorye pozvoljajut vzgljanut' na situaciju glazami knjazja. Avtor stavit pered soboj cel' izučit' period, svjazannyj s obučenijem Kurbskogo, a takže vyjasnit', imeli li mesto opreděljonnye těnděncii v ramkach dannogo processa.In this article, the author discusses the topic of how Prince Andrey Kurbsky learnt the Latin language, based on his comments and memoirs. The subject of Andrey Kurbsky’s translation activities is a frequently discussed issue not only among Russian historians but also among their foreign colleagues. Before Andrey Kurbsky could start translating books, he needed to learn Latin. In our opinion, this process is worthy of independent research, because before that historians and linguists paid attention to the result of this activity, i.e., to the translations themselves than to the moments of learning the Latin language. The study is based on Kurbsky’s remarks left in his forewords and personal correspondence, which allows us to look at the situation through the eyes of the prince. The author aims to research the period associated with learning Latin, as well as to find out whether there have been certain trends in this process
Stories of teachers’ identity: Between personal and professional experience
Get PDFTeacher identity is one of the key factors influencing the form and quality of educational processes. The aim of our literature review is an analysis of research on teachers' narrative identity in primary and secondary education. We used the Web of Science database and selected studies from 2010–2020 in English. The analysis shows that the area of teacher identity can be viewed from the points of personal and professional identity and their interplay. The data about teacher identity were collected mostly as narratives showing teachers' experience of their profession and their selves. Professional identity is investigated in terms of diversity in classroom discourse, curriculum, and professional development. Research on a teachers' personal identity focuses primarily on gender, parenting, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, political orientation, and national identity. The study illustrates an interplay of professional and personal identity.Teacher identity is one of the key factors influencing the form and quality of educational processes. The aim of our literature review is an analysis of research on teachers' narrative identity in primary and secondary education. We used the Web of Science database and selected studies from 2010–2020 in English. The analysis shows that the area of teacher identity can be viewed from the points of personal and professional identity and their interplay. The data about teacher identity were collected mostly as narratives showing teachers' experience of their profession and their selves. Professional identity is investigated in terms of diversity in classroom discourse, curriculum, and professional development. Research on a teachers' personal identity focuses primarily on gender, parenting, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, political orientation, and national identity. The study illustrates an interplay of professional and personal identity
Czech version of the Outcome Rating Scale : Selected psychometric properties
Get PDFObjectives. The Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) is an ultra-brief self-report scale designed to measure change during psychotherapy. The goal of this study was to test (a) the factor structure of the ORS, (b) the measurement invariance between a clinical and a non-clinical sample, between pre-therapy and post-therapy assessment (within the clinical sample), and between online and paper-and-pencil forms of administration (within the non-clinical sample), (c) concurrent validity with other outcome measures, and (d) sensitivity to therapeutic change. Sample and settings. N = 256 patients, N = 210 non-clinical respondents, and N = 89 students participated in the study. Patients responded to the ORS before and after psychotherapy. Statistical analysis. The factor structure and measurement invariance were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Concurrent validity and test-retest reliability were assessed using correlational analysis. Sensitivity to change was assessed using the Reliable Change Index and pre-post effect size. Results. The unidimensional structure was supported. The best-fitting model was a partially tau-equivalent model with the first and the fourth items’ loadings fixed to the same value. While only metric invariance was demonstrated between the clinical and non-clinical samples, the ORS demonstrated scalar invariance between pre- and post-therapy assessment and strict invariance between the paper-and-pencil and online forms of administration. Internal consistency, as well as concurrent validity, were satisfactory. The sensitivity to the therapeutic change was adequate. Furthermore, internal consistency and sensitivity to change were increased if the score was computed as a weighted sum of items. Study limitation. The samples were not representative
FireProt(DB): database of manually curated protein stability data
Get PDFThe majority of naturally occurring proteins have evolved to function under mild conditions inside the living organisms. One of the critical obstacles for the use of proteins in biotechnological applications is their insufficient stability at elevated temperatures or in the presence of salts. Since experimental screening for stabilizing mutations is typically laborious and expensive, in silico predictors are often used for narrowing down the mutational landscape. The recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence further facilitate the development of such computational tools. However, the accuracy of these predictors strongly depends on the quality and amount of data used for training and testing, which have often been reported as the current bottleneck of the approach. To address this problem, we present a novel database of experimental thermostability data for single-point mutants FireProt(DB). The database combines the published datasets, data extracted manually from the recent literature, and the data collected in our laboratory. Its user interface is designed to facilitate both types of the expected use: (i) the interactive explorations of individual entries on the level of a protein or mutation and (ii) the construction of highly customized and machine learning-friendly datasets using advanced searching and filtering. The database is freely available at https://loschmidt.chemi.muni.cz/fireprotdb
Emoční práce a emoční regulace v rodičovství
Get PDFTato studie představuje koncept emoční práce, teoretická východiska jeho vymezení a souvislostí s emoční regulací a uvádí jej nově do kontextu rodičovství. Emoční práce byla původně popsána sociology v pracovním prostředí při výkonu povolání, jehož náplň vyžaduje vědomé ovlivňování projevovaných emocí v interakci se zákazníkem nebo klientem. Propojení emoční práce s psychologickými teoriemi emoční regulace umožnilo lépe uchopit a zkoumat mechanismy, skrze něž může emoční práce vést k vyhoření či stresu. Rodiče jsou v současnosti vystaveni velkému množství informací o „správné“ výchově dětí, což společně s jejich vlastní reprezentací dobrého rodiče, dále vlivem blízkého, ale i širšího okolí na ně klade vysoké nároky právě v oblasti prožívání a vyjadřování emocí v interakci s dětmi. Role rodiče se v dnešní době v určitých aspektech více přibližuje tomu, co lze chápat jako povolání, jehož náročnost na práci s emocemi může souviset s negativními dopady v oblasti psychického zdraví. Koncept emoční práce lze pokládat za vhodný pro bližší porozumění tomu, co rodič v každodenních situacích s dítětem zažívá, jak s emocemi záměrně zachází. Perspektiva emoční práce tak může přinést důležité informace o emocích v rodičovství a o dopadech záměrné práce s nimi na psychické fungování rodičů i nad rámec vysvětlení, které poskytuje užití konceptu emoční regulace. Studie také představila i měřící nástroje používané k zachycení emoční práce a jejích jednotlivých dimenzí. Pro budoucí výzkum emoční práce v kontextu rodičovství je nutnou podmínkou vytvoření validního a reliabilního nástroje, který, a to nejen v českém prostředí, dosud chybí.This study introduces the concept of emotional labour, the theoretical underpinnings of its delineation and connections to emotion regulation and brings it into the context of parenthood. Emotional labour was originally described by sociologists in the context of a work environment which requires one to consciously influence one’s emotions when interacting with a customer or a client. The connection of emotional labour with psychological theories of emotion regulation allowed for a better understanding and grasp the mechanisms through which emotional labour can lead to “burning out” or stress. Currently, parents are exposed to a great amount of information about how to “correctly” parent their children, which together with their own idea of a good parent, the influence of their family and close friends as well as other people, creates high demands precisely in the area of experiencing and expressing emotions in their interactions with their children. Today, the parent role approaches that of the job in several aspects. Its demands for emotional labour can be linked to negative impacts on mental health. The concept of emotional labour can be considered to be appropriate for a better understanding of what a parent experiences with the child in mundane situations and how parents handle the emotions. The perspective of emotional labour can therefore bring important information about emotions in parenthood and about the influence of intentionally working with these emotions on the mental functioning of parents even beyond the explanatory confines of emotion regulation. This study also introduces measurement instruments used to capture emotional labour and its dimensions. For future research of emotional labour in parenthood, creating a valid and reliable instrument, which has so far been lacking both in the Czech and international contexts, is a necessity
Errores en el uso del artículo con aprendices de español checos y eslovacos
Get PDFEl objetivo de este artículo es analizar los errores que cometen en español los aprendices checos y eslovacos con el uso del artículo. La investigación se lleva a cabo para afrontar con mayor efectividad la enseñanza de este determinante en las clases de español, así como la corrección de los errores, a partir de los resultados del análisis. Para ello, se ha analizado un corpus de 393 muestras de interlengua escrita recopiladas durante 3 cursos académicos siguiendo la metodología del análisis de errores, con el fin de descubrir cuáles son las principales dificultades. Los resultados del análisis permiten establecer una tipología de los errores más frecuentes, que son la omisión del artículo determinado, el uso erróneo del artículo determinado con nombres escuetos y la elección errónea del artículo determinado por el indeterminado.The aim of this paper is to analyze the errors made by Czech and Slovak learners when they use the article in Spanish. The research is being conducted to approach more effectively how to teach the article in Spanish and how to correct mistakes according to the results of this study. Within the methodology of error analysis, a corpus of 393 texts compiled during 3 academic years has been analyzed to find out which are the main difficulties. The results have helped to set a typology of the most common mistakes, such as the omission of definite article, the unnecessary use of the definite article and the wrong choice of definite article over indefinite
Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life and the Role of Gender : A Heuristic Model
Get PDFArticles Being socially connected is a universal human need, but a substantial number of older men and women are or become excluded from these connections in later life. Exclusion from social relations (ESR) is unwanted as it undermines people's ability to lead a healthy, active, and independent life. Policies to reduce this form of exclusion have been limited in effectiveness, due in part to a broader lack of knowledge about the dynamics of social exclusion in older ages and the intersection of social exclusion with gender constructions. To advance our understanding of ESR in later life, we develop a heuristic model based on theories and previous empirical studies. Considering the gendered constructing forces of ESR in older age that can potentially lead to loneliness and reduced health and wellbeing, the model identifies individual drivers, such as biopsychosocial conditions, personal standards and life- -course transitions, and macro-level drivers, such as norms and welfare state provisions. This model can serve as a conceptual platform for further theoretical development and empirical study on the gendered construction of ESR in later life. While our focus is on drivers of ESR and its outcomes, potential reversed effects are also discussed