This thesis is divided into two parts. The first one is focused on tracer tests carried out in several karst conduits in the Moravian Karst. Several conduits were tracer repeatedly during different discharges. Flow velocity, flow cross section area, longitudinal dispersivity and Peclet number were plotted against discharge for each studied conduit. Based on this comparison of parameters I deduced characteristics of karst conduits for example presence of phreatic channel or vadose channel or multiple channels. I also focused on comparison of my results with publications dealing with the same subject elsewhere in the world. Second part of the thesis is based on measurements of water stage, dischargeand temperature by pressure transducers at inlet and outlet points of karst conduit logged in 10 minutes interval. The goal was to find a relation between the velocity of hydraulic response propagation and discharge. Unfortunately, results show no correlation because there are probably more parameters influencing the velocity such as ratio of vadose/phreatic segments which may change rapidly during flood events.

El cáncer colorrectal (CCR) permanece hoy día como una de las neoplasias con mayor incidencia y mortalidad en España. Su etiología es multifactorial, influyendo alteraciones genéticas y/o epigenéticas por un lado y factores ambientales que incluyen a la dieta y ciertos hábitos tóxicos por otro. El diagnóstico de confirmación se lleva a cabo mediante el análisis anatomopatológico de una muestra tumoral obtenida a través de una colonoscopia, mientras que para el tratamiento curativo se dispone de la opción quirúrgica asociando o no quimioterapia y/o radioterapia, en función de la localización y estadiaje tumoral. La carcinogénesis colorrectal se inicia en las células epiteliales colónicas, experimentando cambios que derivan desde una mucosa sana en la formación de pólipos. Muchas de estas neoformaciones benignas evolucionarán hacia la formación de un adenocarcinoma en caso de no ser extirpadas. Esta secuencia de acontecimientos, la denominada secuencia adenoma-carcinoma, se desarrolla a lo largo de varios años en la mayor parte de los casos. A día de hoy, se conocen 3 vías diferentes de carcinogénesis por las que tiene lugar esta secuencia adenoma-carcinoma: la vía de la inestabilidad cromosómica, la vía de inestabilidad de microsatélites y la vía serrada. Cada una posee alteraciones genéticas/epigenéticas diferentes, aunque en algunos casos se comparten. Visualizando en conjunto estas vías, existen cuatro marcadores al menos que han demostrado ejercer una influencia en la evolución tumoral: BRAF, KRAS, metilación aberrante (CIMP) e inestabilidad de microsatélites. En la presente tesis se pretende investigar si alteraciones a estos niveles puedan implicar pronósticos diferentes y respuesta a la quimioterapia. El artículo 1 divide el CCR en 5 subtipos, según combinaciones genético-moleculares en los 4 marcadores comentados que concuerden con las vías carcinogénicas conocidas. En una muestra de casi 900 pacientes, se evaluó si dichas combinaciones conferían un pronóstico y una respuesta a quimioterapia estándar diferentes. Así, el subtipo 2, perteneciente a un subgrupo de pacientes con CCR de la vía serrada con mutación en BRAF y fenotipo metilador, exhibían la tasa de supervivencia más baja al final del seguimiento. Por el contrario, los pacientes con CCR del subtipo 5, familiares con inestabilidad de microsatélites, presentaban la más alta. El subtipo 3, y principalmente el subtipo 4, es decir, los más frecuentes, mostraron una respuesta favorable a la quimioterapia. En el resto de subtipos dicho efecto no pudo ser valorado con fiabilidad por un tamaño muestral deficiente al tratarse de CCR con combinaciones genético/moleculares menos frecuentes. No obstante, a la luz de los resultados obtenidos parece pertinente dividir el CCR en subtipos con el fin de lograr un mejor manejo de estos pacientes. El artículo 2 pretende evaluar la utilidad del marcador TFAP2E para predecir una falta de respuesta a la quimioterapia, en caso de hallarse metilado, en pacientes con CCR. Se incluyeron pacientes de una cohorte observacional y de un ensayo clínico, en total casi 800 pacientes. Los resultados mostraron que, en estadío metastásico, la presencia de metilación en TFAP2E no se correlacionaba con una mejor ni peor respuesta al tratamiento quimioterápico, mostrando una supervivencia global similar frente a los pacientes con CCR sin metilación. En estadíos II y III, la cohorte observacional no mostró diferencias en términos de supervivencia libre de enfermedad al comparar pacientes con tumores metilados y no metilados en TFAP2E, tampoco al analizar ambos estadíos por separado. Únicamente se objetivó en la cohorte clínica una peor supervivencia en pacientes con CCR estadío II y metilación en dicho gen. En resumen, ambos artículos muestran que las alteraciones genéticas correspondientes a mutaciones en BRAF y KRAS, la inestabilidad de microsatélites y la metilación de ciertos genes pueden ser de gran utilidad a la hora predecir la evolución natural de un paciente con CCR y su respuesta a fármacos. De este modo, queda patente el potencial papel que determinados biomarcadores puede ejercer a la hora de tomar decisiones en el manejo de estos pacientes.

Vlachová, Š. Loyalty to the destination. Diploma thesis. Brno: Mendel University, 2018. The thesis deals with loyalty to the Moravian Karst region and its surroundings. In the first part of the work a literary research was made using Czech and foreign secondary sources. In the second part of the thesis a questionnaire survey was conducted, to which 408 respondents answered. Based on the results of this survey, visitors' satisfaction with the destination and their loyalty to it was examined. With the help of regression analysis and IPA analysis, the factors that most affect the satisfaction and loyalty of visitors were identified and recommendations for destination management were formulated based on this information.

Final thesis called Influence of wastewater treatment plant on water quality in caves systems in Moravian karst. In the first part is legislation list of requirements on wastewater treatment plant, description ongoing intensification on basin Jedovnický brook. In the second part are results from consumptions and comparing with similiar thesis, legislation requirements and norm. In the practical part was analyzed: temperature, oxygen, electrolytic conductivity, redox potential, hydrogen exponent, biochemical oxygen consumption, chemical oxygen consumption, nitrates

The thesis is focused on ecosystem services provided by Protected Landscape Areas (LPA). The aim is to evaluate the willigness to pay for ecosystem services, which are provided by nature. The review deals with the concept of ecosystem services and their classification, evaluation and other context. Furthermore, there are characterized key concepts as principle of willingness to pay and contingent valuation method. Practical part of this thesis contains information about methodology and analysis of the socioeconomic profile of the respondent and the main part is focused on the evaluation of the questionnaire which was realized in the LPA Moravian Karst.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a serious oncological disease, which ranks among cancers with the worst prognosis and a three-year life expectancy of 10%. Ex-vivo organoid cultures derived from cancer tissue are popular and reliable research models, which reflect the morphology and histology of the original tissue. Genetic background leading to development PDAC confer typical alterations in genes KRAS, TP53, SMAD4 a CDKN2A. The aim of this thesis was to determine mutations present in organoid cultures derived from human PDAC. We used online genomic databases to estimate specific mutations typical for PDAC. Based on that research we designed protocols for the detection of PDAC genetic alterations and optimized those methods using cultured cells. We applied the approach on primary ex- vivo organoids derived from surgical cancer specimens and detected mutations in KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, or deletion of exons in CDKN2A. Alternatively, we proposed improvements for the analysis of genetic background in PDAC. The data obtained within this thesis will be used for the stratification of metabolomics and biochemical analyses further in the project.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第18824号 / 理博第4082号 / 新制||理||1587(附属図書館) / 31775 / 京都大学大学院理学研究科化学専攻 / (主査)教授 杉山 弘, 教授 三木 邦夫, 教授 秋山 芳展 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第21337号 / 医博第4395号 / 新制||医||1031(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 武藤 学, 教授 富樫 かおり, 教授 川口 義弥 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第24882号 / 医博第5016号 / 新制||医||1068(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 遊佐 宏介, 教授 小林 恭, 教授 小川 誠司 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Pancreatic cancer is nearly asymptomatic, which can result in extensive grow and even metastasis to other organs before detection. When diagnosed at a late stage, the survival rate is 3%. Early detection is therefore the key to treating pancreatic cancer. Diabetes was identified as a risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer, but the mechanism remains unknown. In this project, the objective was to delineate a link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer by examining their shared protein signaling pathways. In a previous study, hyper-activation of AKT1 resulted in a pre-diabetic phenotype and also increased upregulation of downstream phosphorylated mTOR and phosphorylated p70S6 kinase. More recently, mice with mutations that hyper-activated AKT1 and KRAS showed a significantly higher blood glucose level compared to littermate matched wild-type, mutant AKT1, or mutant KRAS mice. Interestingly, mice with a combination of mutations that hyper-activated AKT1 and KRAS also showed faster development of pancreatic cancer compared to these other groups of littermate mice. Toward determining a molecular basis for the crosstalk between AKT1 and KRAS, pancreas and liver tissues were collected from all four groups of mice including wild-type, mutant AKT1, mutant KRAS, and mice with dual AKT1/KRAS hyper-activation. One strategy was to examine expression and/or phosphorylation of downstream protein signaling crosstalk by analysis of p70S6K using Western Blots. Erk 1/2 proteins were also tested as downstream proteins of KRAS to provide a molecular view of the individual and cooperative roles of AKT1 and KRAS in the mouse models. A potential feedback mechanism to affect insulin receptor signaling in the pancreas was examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). A significant decrease in insulin receptor phosphorylation, possibly contributing to insulin resistance, was found when mice had mutant hyper-activated KRAS. Contrary to the original expectations, mice with combined mutations of AKT1 and KRAS may contribute to the accentuated diabetic phenotype by targeting two different points in the AKT and KRAS protein signaling pathways. The information can help understand the relationship between glucose metabolism, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer development. By thoroughly studying the interactions between targets in the AKT1/KRAS signaling pathways, key molecular events that induce metabolic changes and potentially early biomarkers may lead to an improved understanding of risk and/or detection of pancreatic cancer.