Speech and language pathologists (SLP) use vocabulary tests as one of several means of investigating and evaluating suspected speech and language disorders. A test widely used when assessing receptive vocabulary is Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) IV. Several different Swedish translations of PPVT-IV exists today, most of which have not yet been studied. Since earlier studies have confirmed that Swedish translations of PPVT lack a steadily increasing level of difficulty, Swedish SLPs are uncertain as to how applicable the test is on a Swedish population. In this study, a Swedish translation of PPVT-IV was revised with the purpose of constructing a steadily increasing level of difficulty. The study comprised 172 monolingual children from grade 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, tested by the authors of this thesis. The participants were recruited from ten schools in Uppsala. For 21 of the 228 PPVT-IV items, two different translations were tested to enable adjustment of the level of difficulty afterwards. Based on the results of the participants, a revised translation was developed with a more steadily increasing level of difficulty. Further adaptations are still needed before standardised norms can be developed for a Swedish population. The results for every grade displayed an average score above the American age standards. Participants from grade 1 performed one year above, participants from grade 3, 5 and 7 all performed two years above, and participants from grade 9 performed six to eight years above the American age standards for the corresponding age. / Logopeder använder ordförrådstest som ett av flera instrument för att utreda och bedöma misstänkta språkliga svårigheter. Ett test som ofta används vid bedömning av det receptiva ordförrådet är Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) IV. På svenska finns idag flera olika översättningar av PPVT-IV vars användbarhet ej undersökts. Tidigare studier har visat att svenska översättningar av PPVT har brister i form av en ojämnt stigande svårighetsgrad och logopeder är därför osäkra på hur användbart testet är. I föreliggande studie reviderades en svensk översättning av PPVT-IV med syfte att konstruera en jämnt stigande svårighetsgrad. Studien omfattade 172 enspråkiga elever från årskurs 1, 3, 5, 7 och 9 testade av författarna till föreliggande uppsats. Deltagarna rekryterades från tio skolor i Uppsala. För 21 av de 228 uppgifterna i PPVT-IV testades två ord per uppgift för att möjliggöra justering av testets svårighetsgrad i efterhand. Utifrån deltagarnas resultat utarbetades en översättning som ger testet en mer jämnt stigande svårighetsgrad. Ytterligare revideringar behöver dock göras för att jämna ut svårighetsgraden ännu mer innan det är aktuellt att ta fram normer för en svensktalande population. I jämförelse med den amerikanska standardiseringen presterade de svenska deltagarna från samtliga årskurser i genomsnitt betydligt högre än motsvarande åldrar i den amerikanska populationen. Deltagarna från årskurs 1 presterade ca ett år högre, deltagarna från årskurs 3, 5 och 7 presterade ca två år högre och deltagarna från årskurs 9 presterade ca sex till åtta år högre än motsvarande åldrar inom den amerikanska standardiseringen.

Le règne d’Henri IV est incontestablement l’un des plus importants de l’histoire de France, et les ouvrages qui ont été consacrés à ce monarque sont innombrables. De plus, la musique a également retenu un grand intérêt parmi les chercheurs, et des études précédentes ont apporté des éléments édifiants concernant plusieurs aspects de la vie musicale durant ce règne, notamment sur les compositeurs en contact avec sa cour (comme Pierre Guédron et Eustache Du Caurroy) et sur les genres les plus populaires à cette époque (les chansons, les airs de cours, et les ballets). Or, une étude historique de la musique à la cour d’Henri IV, comparable à celles qui ont été faites par Christelle Cazaux et Isabelle Handy pour les autres cours françaises du XVIe siècle, restait à faire. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de préciser la place de la musique lors de la célébration des événements politiques et l’identité des musiciens qui travaillaient à la cour d’Henri IV. Elle est présentée en trois parties principales. La première partie est consacrée à l’étude des aspects qui ont contribué au développement de la musique pendant ce règne, dont la place de cet art dans la formation aristocratique et les goûts musicaux personnels de la famille royale. La deuxième partie se concentre sur le fonctionnement des différents corps musicaux de la cour (la Chapelle, la Chambre et l’Écurie). Enfin, une dernière partie évalue le rôle tenu par la musique dans les événements de cour sous Henri IV, comme les mariages, les obsèques et les entrées royales, et elle intègre également un examen de la place de la musique dans les fêtes politiques et dans les entrées des grands personnages en France à cette époque. / The reign of Henry IV is undoubtedly one of the most important in the history of France, and countless works have been devoted to the study of this monarch. In addition, music from this period has also attracted the interest of scholars, and previous studies have shed light on several aspects of musical life during this reign, notably on the composers connected to Henry’s court (like Pierre Guédron and Eustache Du Caurroy) as well as on the most popular genres from this time (chansons, airs de cour and ballets). Nevertheless, a historical study of music at Henry IV’s court, comparable to those already completed by Christelle Cazaux and Isabelle Handy on the courts of other French monarchs during the sixteenth century, remained to be undertaken.The aim of this doctorate is thus to clarify both the place of music during the celebration of political events and the identity of musicians who worked at Henry IV’s court. It is divided into three main sections. The first focuses on aspects which contributed to the development of music during this reign, including the place of music within noble training and the personal musical inclinations of the royal family. The second concentrates on the function of the different musical groups at court (the Chapel, the Chamber and the Stables). Finally, the last section examines the role of music in court events under Henry IV, such as marriages, funeral ceremonies and royal entries, and this section also encompasses a discussion of music’s place in political events and in the entries of important dignitaries in France at this time.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia due defective or deficient response to insulin secretion. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM) is therefore associated with a general activation of the innate immune system, in which there is a chronic, cytokine-mediated state of low-grade inflammation. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) is a cell-surface protease that bind with Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and both enzymes act in the lymphocytes proliferation and citokyne production. Vitis vinifera is a plant that has been studied due its pharmacology effects including the hypoglycemic properties. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate some inflammatory biomarkers, the ADA and DPP-IV activities in type 2 DM and investigate the effects of aqueous grape seed extract from Vitis vinifera (cv. Merlot) (GSE) in the ADA and DPP-IV activities in lymphocytes submitted to different glucose concentrations, in vitro. In the manuscript I, in lymphocytes, we observed a decrease in CD26 expression, an increase in ADA and n-acetil-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities in type 2 DM patients when compared to controls, while the gamma-glutamyl tranferase (GGT) and DPP-IV activities did not show differences between the groups. Moreover, the NAG activity demonstrated a positive correlation with ADA activity and a negative, with CD26 expression. GGT activity was positively correlated with waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), in type 2 DM. In the manuscript II, we observed we observed an increase in ADA activity when lymphocytes were exposure to the high concentration (100mM) of glucose and GSE prevented this increase in ADA activity. In serum, in the manuscript I, we showed an increase in ADA activity and in C reactive protein (CRP) levels in type 2 DM. Furthermore, the levels of CRP in diabetics were positively correlated with waist circumference and BMI. The GGT and DPP-IV activities did not show alterations between the groups, but in type 2 DM the DPP-IV activity was positively correlated with glicated hemoglobin. We concluded that, glucose might stimulated the ADA activity in the same time that it cause decrease in CD26 expression, in lymphocytes. Moreover, GSE prevents the ADA activation in presence of glucose possible due its hypoglycemic properties. / O diabetes melito (DM) é uma desordem metabólica caracterizada por hiperglicemia em virtude de resposta defeituosa ou deficiente à secreção de insulina. O DM tipo 2 (DM 2) está associado com a ativação do sistema imune, no qual há uma inflamação de baixo grau mediada por citocinas. A dipeptidil peptidase IV (DPP-IV, CD26) é uma protease multifuncional e na superfície celular ela encontra-se ligada a adenosina deaminase (ADA). Ambas estão envolvidas na proliferação de linfócitos e na produção de citocinas inflamatórias. A Vitis vinifera é uma planta que tem sido estudada devido suas propriedades farmacológicas, dentre essas, por apresentar efeitos hipoglicêmiantes. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar biomarcadores inflamatórios, a atividade da ADA e da DPP-IV em pacientes com DM 2, e verificar o efeito do extrato aquoso de sementes de Vitis vinifera (cv. Merlot) sobre a atividade da ADA e da DPP-IV em linfócitos expostos a diferentes concentrações de glicose, in vitro. Em linfócitos, no manuscrito I observamos uma diminuição na expressão do CD26, um aumento na atividade da ADA e da n-acetil-β-d-glicosaminidase (NAG) em pacientes com DM 2 em relação aos controles, enquanto que a atividade da gamaglutamil transferase (GGT) e da DPP-IV não se alterou. Também, a atividade da NAG linfocitária em pacientes com DM 2 mostrou-se positivamente relacionada com a atividade da ADA e negativamente com a expressão do CD26 e a atividade da GGT mostrou-se positivamente relacionada à circunferência abdominal e ao IMC. Já no manuscrito II, observamos um aumento na atividade da ADA quando os linfócitos forma expostos a 100mM de glicose e este aumento foi atenuado quando, expostos a glicose e extrato aquoso de sementes de Vitis vinifera. Em soro, no manuscrito I, observamos um aumento na atividade da ADA e também nos níveis de proteína C reativa (PCR) em pacientes com DM 2. Além disso, os níveis de PCR em diabéticos mostraram-se positivamente correlacionados com a circunferência abdominal e o índice de massa corporal (IMC) desses pacientes. A atividade da GGT e da DPP-IV não mostraram diferenças entre os grupos. No entanto, a atividade da DPP-IV sérica mostrou-se correlacionada com os níveis de hemoglobina glicada nos pacientes com DM 2. Conclui-se que, a glicose possa estimular a atividade da ADA ao mesmo tempo em que provoca uma redução da expressão do CD26 em linfócitos. Além disso, o extrato aquoso de sementes de Vitis vinifera é capaz de impedir a ativação da atividade da ADA em presença de glicose possivelmente devido suas propriedades hipoglicemiantes.

Les pili de type IV (PT4), certainement les organelles les plus répandues des bactéries à Gram-négatif, sont des machineries à multiples fonctions qui jouent un rôle crucial dans la pathogenèse de nombreux pathogènes humains, notamment notre modèle Neisseria meningitidis. L’assemblage des PT4 nécessite une machinerie complexe incluant au moins vingt protéines localisées dans la membrane interne, le périplasme et la membrane externe. Certaines de ces protéines ne sont pas nécessaires pour la biosynthèse des PT4, mais supportent les fonctions qui leur sont associées. Ces protéines, appelées pilines mineures, sont au nombre de trois. Par l’analyse phénotypique des mutants dans les gènes codant pour les pilines mineures, le rôle de chacune a pu être déterminée. Ainsi la piline mineure ComP est nécessaire pour la compétence pour la transformation d’ADN, PilV est requise pour la déformation de la membrane plasmique de la cellule hôte et PilX est essentielle pour l’adhésion des bactéries sur les cellules épithéliales et endothéliales, la formation d’agrégats bactériens et la déformation de la membrane plasmique de la cellule hôte. De nombreuses similarités avec la piline majoritaire laissent penser que les pilines mineures s’insèrent dans la fibre des PT4 pour exercer leurs fonctions, bien que ceci n’a jamais été démontré. Si on connait bien les fonctions des pilines mineures, leur mode d’action n’est toujours pas compris. L’objectif global de ce travail de thèse a été de comprendre comment une fibre protéique peut assurer une diversité de fonctions aussi importante. Pour y parvenir, l’étude du mode d’action des pilines mineures a été entreprise. Contrairement à ce qui prévalait dans le modèle dominant, les pilines mineures PilV et PilX exercent leur fonction à partir de l’espace périplasmique pour moduler la quantité de pili exprimés en surface. En effet, les mutants pilV et pilX présentent respectivement des défauts de piliation de l’ordre de 39% et de 63% par rapport à la souche sauvage. Ces défauts expliquent cependant les phénotypes des mutants. En effet, l’ensemble des fonctions dépendantes des PT4 nécessite une forte quantité de PT4, soit au moins 40% pour l’agrégation et l’adhésion et 70% pour le déclenchement de la réponse cellulaire. Ces résultats révèlent que les pilines mineures sont impliquées dans la biogenèse des PT4 plutôt que dans le support biochimique direct de leurs propriétés. Le défaut de piliation de ces mutants est restauré par l’absence de rétraction, indiquant que les pilines mineures PilV et PilX jouent un rôle dans la stabilité des PT4. Nous avons également montré que la piline mineure ComP est nécessaire pour la piliation et qu’elle présente une fonction redondante avec la piline mineure PilV. Afin de comprendre comment les pilines mineures PilV et PilX exercent leur rôle sur la quantité de pili exprimés en surface, nous avons réalisé une étude structure/fonction de ces deux protéines. Nous avons observé une absence de piliation, en bloquant les pilines PilV et PilX dans la membrane interne, indiquant une interaction directe avec la machinerie des PT4 probablement via la piline majeure PilE. Nous avons également montré qu’il existe une interaction entre les pilines mineures et PilE au niveau de la membrane interne et en amont de l’assemblage des pili. Ces résultats, obtenus par une technique de pontage disulfure, ont cependant besoin d’être confirmés par des contrôles supplémentaires. Par une stratégie de mutagenèse, nous avons enfin mis en évidence que la région D de PilV et les boucles α/β et β2/β3 de PilX sont nécessaires à leur fonctionnement. Ces travaux ont permis de montrer que la quantité de pili exprimés par la bactérie est un facteur déterminant pour définir les propriétés des PT4. Les pilines mineures agissent au niveau du périplasme pour promouvoir la biosynthèse des pili, ce qui met en avant le rôle direct de la piline majeure PilE dans les fonctions associées aux PT4. / Type IV Pili (TFP) are widespread filamentous organelles extending from the surface of many Gram-negative bacteria that mediate multiple functions and play a key role in the pathogenesis of several important human pathogens, including our model, Neisseria meningitidis. The assembly of TFP requires a complex machinery composed by at least twenty proteins that are localized in the inner membrane, the outer membrane and the periplasm. Three of these proteins, called minor pilins, are not required for the biosynthesis of the TFP, but support their functions. Based on the phenotypes associated with the mutants, their role on TFP functions has been determined. The minor pilin Comp is required for natural competence for DNA transformation, PilV is required for the deformation of the host cell plasma membrane and PilX is essential for the adhesion of bacteria to epithelial and endothelial cells, the bacterial aggregation and the deformation of the host cell plasma membrane. Many similarities with the major pilin PilE suggests that minor pilin are inserted into the fiber of TFP to exert their functions, although it has never been demonstrated. How these proteins carry out their functions mechanistically is not elucidated. The general objective of this thesis was to understand how a single fiber can provide such a variety of functions. To achieve this, the study of the mode of action of minor pilins was undertaken. Contrarily to what has been previously proposed, the PilV and PilX minor pilins seem to exert their functions from the periplasmic space to modulate the amount of surface exposed pili. Indeed, pilV and pilX strains show piliation defects of 39 % and 63 % respectively compared to the wild type. Besides, we have shown that TFP functions require a large amount of TFP, at least 40 % for the aggregation and adhesion and 70% to induce the reorganization of the plasma membrane. Thus these modest decreases in the amount of pili explain the phenotypes of these mutants. These results indicate that the minor pilins are involved in the biogenesis of TFP rather than in the direct support of their biochemical properties. Moreover, the piliation defect of these mutants is restored in the absence of retraction, indicating that the PilV and PilX minor pilins play a role in the stability of TFP. To understand how PilV and PilX minor pilins modulate surface exposed pili level, we performed a structure/ function analysis of these two proteins. Blocking the PilV and PilX minor pilins in the inner membrane abolishes piliation, indicating a direct interaction with the machinery of TFP, probably via the major pilin PilE. We have also shown that an interaction between the minor pilins and the major pilin occurs in the inner membrane and upstream of the pilus assembly. However, these results, obtained by biochemical techniques, need to be confirmed by additional controls. By a mutagenesis strategy, we finally demonstrated that the D region of PilV and the α/β and β2/β3 loops of PilX are necessary for their functions. This study has shown that a relatively modest decrease in the amount of pili displayed on the bacterial surface leads to a strong effect on the functions carried by TFP. Minor pilins act in the periplasm to promote the biosynthesis of pili, which highlights the direct role of the major pilin in the TFP-dependent functions.

The goal of the diploma thesis is to map the relationship between two intelligence tests for children based on comparison of selected verbal subtests used on pre-school children. The thesis deals with the verification of the so-called Flynn effect in relation to the different age of S-B IV. test and IDS test. The theoretical section describes the intelligence as a concept, individual approaches to its research and diagnostics, including specifics of working with children in this age group. Different tests of intelligence designed for children are presented with more attention paid to the tests used in the research. The theoretical part also deals with the development period of pre-school children, speech and issues with an obsolescence of the tests. In the empirical section of the thesis, the data from 30 children that have undergone the tests are processed using correlation and regression analyses. Conclusions based on the statistical analyses are developed further in an empirical section while the study revealed the following surprising findings. A significant relationship between the S-B IV. test and IDS test has not been found and there was no confirmation of the Flynn effect hypothesis. The discussion section focuses on the reflection of the research conclusions including the limitations of...

Secretion is the passage of macromolecules across cellular membranes. In bacteria, secretion is essential for virulence and survival. Gram-negative bacteria use specialized envelope-spanning multiprotein complexes to secrete macromolecules called type IV secretion system (T4SS). T4SSs mediate the secretion of monomeric proteins, multisubunit protein toxins and nucleoprotein complexes. Also, they contribute to the horizontal spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes. Consequently, they are potential targets for antivirulence drugs. Gram- negative bacteria have two membranes that the secretion complex spans. As a result, the T4SS consists of proteins inserted in the membranes and of soluble proteins that face into or out of the bacterial cell. The details of channel assembly and structure are not known, although recent advances have revealed the structure of the core secretion channel. VirB8 is an inner membrane protein of the complex that interacts with many other T4SS subunits and works as nucleation factor for T4SS channel assembly. Biophysical studies and NMR experiments in particular were conducted to characterize the structural aspects of VirB8 interactions. Dynamic regions of VirB8 during monomer-to-dimer transition were identified by NMR spectroscopy. X-ray crystal and NMR analyses revealed structural differences at the helical regions (α-1 and α-4) of wild-type VirB8 and its monomeric variant VirB8M102R. Fragment screening identified small molecules binding to the wild-type and monomeric variant. In silico docking analyses suggested that the surface groove in the VirB8 structure is important for effective binding of the small molecules. NMR experiments and biochemical assays demonstrated that the β-sheet domain (β1 in particular) is the binding interface of VirB8 for the interaction with VirB10. The identified interface has functional importance for T4SS-mediated conjugation. In addition, I used NMR spectroscopy to identify changes in the structure of VirB8 upon interaction with VirB5. Altogether, structural and biochemical studies on periplasmic and full length VirB8 enabled us to characterize the sequence of interactions between VirB8 and other VirB proteins during T4SS complex assembly and function. The results of this research may lead to an innovative strategy for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs. / La sécrétion est le passage de macromolécules à travers les membranes cellulaires. Chez les bactéries, la sécrétion est essentielle pour la virulence et la survie. Les bactéries à Gramnégatif utilisent le système de sécrétion de type IV (SST4) pour la sécrétion de toxines et de nucléoprotéines. Les SST4 contribuent notamment à la propagation des gènes de résistance aux antibiotiques. Pour cette raison, les composants du SST4 sont des cibles potentielles pour le développement de médicaments antivirulence. Le SST4 est un complexe protéique qui s’étend entre la double membrane de la bactérie à Gram-négatif. Les protéines qui le composent sont insérées dans les membranes cellulaires ou solubles. Bien que la structure du pore central du SST4 ait été résolue récemment, les détails de l'assemblage et la structure de ce complexe ne sont pas connus. VirB8 est une protéine de la membrane interne qui interagit avec de nombreuses autres sous-unités du SST4. Il s’agit d’un acteur central de l'assemblage du SST4. Des études biophysiques, et notamment des expériences de RMN ont ainsi été réalisées pour caractériser les aspects structuraux des interactions avec VirB8. Des regions dynamiques dans la structure de VirB8 ont été identifiées par spectroscopie RMN lors de la transition entre la forme monomérique et dimérique. Les analyses de cristallographie et de RMN ont révélé des différences structurales dans les régions hélicoïdales (α1 et α4) de VirB8 wild-type et du variant monomérique VirB8M102R. Le criblage de fragments a permis d’identifier de petites molécules capables de se lier à VirB8 ainsi qu’au variant monomérique. Les analyses d’arrimage moléculaire in silico suggèrent que la rainure de surface dans la structure VirB8 est importante pour laliaison de ces petites molécules. Les expériences de RMN et les essais biochimiques révèlent que le feuillet β (β1 en particulier) constitue l'interface d’interaction entre VirB8 et VirB10. Cette interface d’interaction est d’ailleurs importante pour la conjugaison du SST4. De plus, j'ai identifié des changements dans la structure de VirB8 lors de l'interaction avec VirB5. Les études sur la protéine VirB8 nous ont permis de caractériser la séquence d'événements entre VirB8 et d'autres protéines VirB, régulant l'assemblage et la fonction du SST4.

This thesis describes the artwork of Max Bucaille (1906-1996), an obscure French artist who, as a professor of mathematics, had become famous mainly for his surrealistic collages. I am aiming to clarify the relationship of Bucaille to the Czech environment and the Czech artists. I am also focusing mainly on his imprisonment during WWII in prison camp Stalag IV C located in current Czech Republic; his activity in a group of Revolutionary Surrealists between 1947 and 1948, which also included members of Czech Group Ra; and his exhibitions in Czechoslovakia in the 1960's. His work had been introduced to our country thanks to the affiliation of Brno based surrealist group Lacoste along with the international group C.I.A.F.M.A. (Centre international d'actualité fantastique et magique) which was founded in 1958 in Brussels, Bucaille was also among the founders of this group. Considering the focus of this work it is also necessary to mention and to outline the situation of post war surrealism in the Czech countries. There are also comments regarding post war searches for Czech artists which were halted by the political event of February 1948, which completely ended free artwork as well as foreign connections. Then there is a description of the liberalization that happened toward the end of the 1950's...

OCL1 (Outer Cell Layer 1) est le membre fondateur, chez le maïs, de la famille multigénique regroupant les facteurs de transcription HD-ZIP IV. La plupart de ces gènes s’exprime préférentiellement dans l’épiderme, et chez Arabidopsis l’étude de mutants a montré que certains HD-ZIP IV étaient essentiels pour la différenciation de cette couche cellulaire. Lors de ma thèse je me suis intéressée à la régulation du gène OCL1 par un petit ARN non codant. En effet, la conservation au sein des 3’UTR de plusieurs gènes HD-ZIP IV d’un motif de 21 nucléotides (nt) suggérait l’existence d’un tel mécanisme. J’ai mis en évidence que ce motif de 21 nt était conservé des Bryophytes aux Angiospermes et qu’il était toujours couplé à un second motif conservé d’une taille de 19 nt avec lequel il peut s’apparier pour former une structure secondaire de type tige-boucle. J’ai démontré l’existence d’un petit ARN ayant une séquence (quasi) complémentaire au site de 21 nt. La biogenèse de ce petit ARN de 24 nt que nous avons nommé small1, dépend de RDR2/ MOP1, DCL3 et Pol IV/ RMR6, composants normalement requis pour le mécanisme de RdDM. A l’aide d’un système GFP sensor, j’ai cependant mis en évidence que small1 régulait l’expression de son gène cible par inhibition de la traduction et non par RdDM. Ces expériences ont par ailleurs démontré qu’OCL1 n’est pas régulé uniquement par small1, mais également via un second mécanisme dans lequel pourrait intervenir la structure secondaire de type tige-boucle. Enfin, j’ai montré que small1 possède une extrémité 5’modifiée, expliquant ainsi son absence des banques de données et définissant aussi une nouvelle classe de petits ARN chez les plantes. / Small non-coding RNAs are versatile riboregulators that control gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level, governing many facets of plant development and stress responses. We previously suggested the possible regulation of OCL1 (Outer Cell Layer1) by a small RNA based on the intriguing presence of two conserved motives of 19 and 21nt in its 3’UTR. ZmOCL1 is a founding member of the HD-ZIP IV gene family encoding plant specific transcription factors mainly involved in epidermis differentiation and specialization. Here we present evidence for the existence of a 24 nt small RNA complementary to ZmOCL1 3’UTR which accumulates preferentially in maize reproductive organs but also in Arabidopsis flowers and inflorescences. The biogenesis of this 24 nt small RNA (that we named small1) depends on MOP1/RDR2 and RMR6/POLIV and DCL3, components normally required for RNA-dependent DNA-methylation. Unexpectedly GFP-sensor experiments showed that small1 may regulate its target at the post-transcriptional level, mainly through translational inhibition. These experiments further highlighted the importance of additional 3’UTR sequences required for efficient target repression, possibly implicating a secondary stem-loop structure. Finally, we showed that small1 is modified at its 5’ end, which not only explains its absence from the current databases but also defines a novel class of plant small RNAs.

This study is concerned with the artistic use of classical rhetorical figures in Shakespeare's I Henry IV.After the Introduction, Chapter II examines the history of rhetoric, focusing on the use of the rhetorical figures in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Medieval Europe. Chapter III investigates rhetorical principles and uses of the rhetorical figures during the English Renaissance and examines the probable influence of rhetoric and the figures on William Shakespeare. Chapter IV discusses themes, characterization, structure, and language in I Henry IV and presents the contribution of the rhetorical figures to the drama's action and characterization. Chapter V considers the contribution of the figures to the major themes of I Henry IV and concludes that the figures, when used with other artistic elements, enhance meaning.

Banking crisis and following sovereign debt crisis are the cause of some changes on the financial market. This thesis is mainly focused on the debt crisis and its impact on financial sector stability. Roots, consequences and probable solutions of the debt crisis are also examined. Among analysed solutions were included proposals for financial transaction tax, stability bonds and regulation under new concept of CRD IV, bail-in and federalization of the eurozone. Analysed are also ratings, fiscal policy and optimality of the euro currency areas and its impact on stability of financial institutions. According to results, some proposals could be contrary to each other if implemented in its present form. Or it can increase moral hazard of financial institutions. Another consequence is establishment of new regulations. On the other hand, positive is that financial institutions have endured the sovereign debt crisis.