No description available.

No description available.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is characterized by a bulge in the abdominal aorta. AAA development is mostly asymptomatic, but such a bulge may suddenly rupture, which is associated with a high mortality rate. Unfortunately, there is no medication that can prevent AAA from expanding or rupturing. Therefore, patients with detected AAA are monitored until treatment indication, such as maximum AAA diameter of 55 mm or expansion rate of 1 cm/year. Models of AAA development may help to understand the disease progression and to inform decision-making on a patient-specific basis. AAA growth and remodeling (G&amp;R) models are rather complex, and before the challenge is undertaken, sound clinical validation is required. In Paper A, an existing thick-walled model of growth and remodeling of one layer of an AAA slice has been extended to a two-layered model, which better reflects the layered structure of the vessel wall. A parameter study was performed to investigate the influence of mechanical properties and G&amp;R parameters of such a model on the aneurysm growth. In Paper B, the model from Paper A was extended to an organ level model of AAA growth. Furthermore, the model was incorporated into a Fluid-Solid-Growth (FSG) framework. A patient-specific geometry of the abdominal aorta is used to illustrate the model capabilities. In Paper C, the evolution of the patient-specific biomechanical characteristics of the AAA was investigated. Four patients with five to eight Computed Tomography-Angiography (CT-A) scans at different time points were analyzed. Several non-trivial statistical correlations were found between the analyzed parameters. In Paper D, the effect of different growth kinematics on AAA growth was investigated. The transverse isotropic in-thickness growth was the most suitable AAA growth assumption, while fully isotropic growth and transverse isotropic in-plane growth produced unrealistic results. In addition, modeling of the tissue volume change improved the wall thickness prediction, but still overestimated thinning of the wall during aneurysm expansion. / Bukaortaaneurysm (AAA) kännetecknas av en utbuktning hos aortaväggen i buken. Tillväxt av en AAA är oftast asymtomatisk, men en sådan utbuktning kan plö̈tsligt brista, vilket har hög dödlighet. Tyvärr finns det inga mediciner som kan förhindra AAA från att expandera eller brista. Patienter med upptä̈ckt AAA hålls därför under uppsikt tills operationskrav är uppnådda, såsom maximal AAA-diameter på 55 mm eller expansionstakt på 1 cm/år. Modeller för AAA-tillväxt kan bidra till att öka förståelsen för sjukdomsförloppet och till att förbättra beslutsunderlaget på en patientspecifik basis. AAA modeller för tillväxt och strukturförändring (G&amp;R) är ganska komplicerade och innan man tar sig an denna utmaning krävs de god klinisk validering. I Artikel A har en befintlig tjockväggig modell för tillväxt av ett skikt av en AAA-skiva utö̈kats till en två-skiktsmodell. Denna modell återspeglar bättre den skiktade strukturen hos kärlväggen. Genom en parameterstudie undersö̈ktes påverkan av mekaniska egenskaper och G&amp;R-parametrar hos en sådan modell för AAA-tillväxt. I Artikel B utvidgades modellen från Artikel A till en organnivå-modell för AAA-tillväxt. Vidare inkorporerades modellen i ett “Fluid–Solid–Growth” (FSG) ramverk. En patientspecifik geometri hos bukaortan användes för att illustrera möjligheterna med modellen. I Artikel C undersöktes utvecklingen av patientspecifika biomekaniska egenskaper hos AAA. Fyra patienter som skannats fem till åtta gånger med “Computed Tomography-Angiography” (CT-A) vid olika tillfällen analyserades. Flera icke triviala statistiska samband konstaterades mellan de analyserade parametrarna. I Artikel D undersöktes effekten av olika tillväxt-kinematik för AAA tillväxt. En modell med transversellt-isotrop-i-tjockleken-tillväxt var den bäst lämpade för AAA tillväxt, medans antagandet om fullt-isotrop-tillväxt och transversellt-isotrop-i-planet-tillväxt producerade orimliga resultat. Dessutom gav modellering av vävnadsvolymsförändring ett förbättrat väggtjockleks resultat men en fortsatt överskattning av väggförtunningen under AAA-expansionen. / <p>QC 20161201</p>

Les virus sont les entités biologiques les plus abondantes dans les océans (&#8764;1031 particules). Ils colonisent tous les écosystèmes de la planète y compris les environnements extrêmement acides, chauds et salins, environnements où les archées sont les organismes dominants. Les virus infectant les Crenarchées hyperthermophiles présentent des morphologies exceptionnelles et aussi une très faible proportion de gènes possédant des homologues avec de fonction connue. Parmi ces virus, le virus ATV (Acidianus two-Tailed virus), infecte les archées hyperthermophiles du genre Acidianus. ATV a la propriété unique de présenter un important développement structural complètement indépendante de son hôte, à l'extérieur de celui-Ci. Les virions d'ATV développent de longues queues à chaque extrêmité de sa capside, mais seulement à des températures proches de celles de l'habitat de son hôte, 85°C. Le sujet de ma thèse a porté sur l'étude structurale de protéines du virion d'ATV. J'ai résolu la structure cristalline de la protéine ATV-273, qui possède un nouveau fold &#945;/&#946;. J'ai aussi déterminé la forme de l'enveloppe de cette protéine par SAXS. J'ai montré qu'il est possible de placer deux dimères d'ATV-273, observés dans la structure cristalline, dans cette enveloppe. Ce résultat est aussi en accord avec l'état d'oligomérisation en solution déterminé par chromatographie d'exclusion stérique couplée à la diffusion de la lumière. La fonction de cette protéine reste cependant inconnue. / Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in the oceans (&#8764;1031 particles) and remarkably, viruses populate every ecosystem on the planet including the extreme acidic, thermal, and saline environments where archaeal organisms dominate. The viruses infecting hyperthermophilic Crenarchaea revealed exceptional morphologies and also a very low proportion of genes with recognizable functions and homologues. Among these viruses we find ATV (Acidianus two-Tailed virus). ATV is a virus infecting hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Acidianus, which has the unique property of undergoing a major morphological development outside and independently of the host cell. Virions develop long tails at each pointed end of the initial lemon-Shaped particle, at temperatures close to those of the host natural habitat, 85 °C. The subject of my thesis has focused on the virion proteins of ATV. I have solved the crystal structure of ATV-273 that revealed a new &#945;/&#946; fold. I have also obtained a SAXS envelope where it is possible to fit two crystal dimers, in agreement with the oligomerization state in solution as determined by size-Exclusion chromatography coupled to multi angle light scattering. The function of this protein, however, could be not determined. Moreover, a negative staining electron microscopy model was obtained for the AAA+ ATPase ATV-618, which belongs to the MoxR familiy and presents sequence high similarity with the AAA-ATase RavA from Escherichia coli K12. I have shown that this thermostable AAA-ATPase enzyme assumes a hexameric ring organisation in the presence of ATP.

No description available.

Zootherapy is a method based on a positive interaction between animals and humans. The contact with animals has proved good in the treatment of attention and communication disorders, in ill people, in psychiatric patients, the elderly, the sensory, mentally or physically disabled people, but also in healthy individuals. The methods used are Animal Assisted Activities (AAA), Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal Assisted Education (AAE). Zootherapy in educational institutions has a positive impact on social relationships and learning, developing vocabulary, memory, emotions, it helps enhance self-reliance and it also has effect on physical condition of a child. The objective of this study was to survey the ways of zootherapy utilization in educational institutions in the České Budějovice region. The method of quantitative research was used to achieve the aims. Data were collected by the technique of participating observation, semi-standardized interview, documents analysis and photo-documentation. By the pilot research 9 facilities were chosen. The results have shown that the most frequently used animals are dogs and horses. Most often, zootherapy is carried out by attending the AAA program. The AAE method is not much used, although educational institutions that are involved. Zootherapy is predominantly practiced in people with disabilities. The most professionally developed technique is canistherapy. Zootherapy is provided on a regular basis. Funding is supported by grants, projects, subsidies, sponsors, parents. Educational institutions personnel have little knowledge of zootherapy. Legislature is executed mainly by a contract between the facility and the providing organization. The research outcomes suggest the following hypotheses: H 1: ``The only zootherapy provider in educational institutions within the České Budějovice region are the o.s. Hafík, o.s. Koníček and o.s. Arpida.`` H 2: ``Educational institutions in the České Budějovice region do not have conditions for the resident form of zootherapy.{\crqq} The thesis may serve as a resource for professionals, zootherapists, but also for the general public. All the information is arranged into the register of ways of using zootherapy in educational institutions.

This Master’s thesis deals with the analysis of long-term corporate financing. Described is financing through the capital market securities – by shares and bonds as well as bank loan. The first part compares the theoretical possibilities of external financing, the second part is focused on the analyse of IPO and analysis of IPO which was realized in Czech republic by listed companies.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is a disease that mainly affects elderly men, and ruptured AAA (rAAA) is associated with a mortality of &gt; 80%. AAA seldom gives any symptoms prior to rupture. The aims of this thesis were to investigate different aspects of how to affect mortality from rAAA. In Study I, we identified 849 patients treated for rAAA during 1987-2004, and studied the 30-day survival after surgery, depending on whether they came directly to the treating hospital (one-stop) or were transferred via another hospital (two-stop). A two-stop referral pattern resulted in a 27% lower population-based survival rate for patients 65-74 years of age. However, the consequences would be small even if a one-stop referral pattern could be generally accomplished, due to the huge over-all mortality related to rAAA, hence an argument to find and treat AAA before rupture, e.g. by screening. In Study II, we examined the AAA-prevalence and the risk factors for AAA among 70-year-old men. The screening-detected AAA-prevalence was 2.3%, thus less than half the predicted. The most important risk factor was smoking. In Study III, we compared the screening-detected AAA-prevalence, the attendance rate, and the rate of opportunistic detection of AAA, between almost 8000 65- and 6000 70-year-old men. There was no difference in the screening-detected prevalence; probably due to the fact that almost 40% of the AAAs among the 70-year-old were already known prior to screening, compared to roughly 25% in the 65-year-old. The attendance rate was higher among the 65-year-old men, 85.7% compared 84.0% in the 70-year-old. Thus, there is no benefit of screening for AAA among 70- instead of 65-year-old men. In Study IV, a cost-effectiveness analysis, we found that screening for AAA still appears to be cost-effective, despite profound changes in disease pattern and AAA-management. In conclusion, we found that mortality from rAAA is not affected in any substantial way by different referral patterns and hence centralisation of services for AAA/rAAA is not a solution. A better alternative is to prevent rupture through early detection by screening. Screening 65-year-old men for AAA still appears to be cost-effective, despite profound changes in disease pattern and AAA-management during the last decade. Screening 70- instead of 65-year-old men will not increase the efficacy of screening.

Au cours de la maturation des gamètes mâles a lieu un événement unique : les structures classiques qui ordonnent l'ADN sont complètement bouleversées et remplacées par une nouvelle, de composition et d'agencement différents, qui permet au noyau du spermatozoïde final une compaction qui n'est retrouvée nulle part ailleurs. Les signaux épigénétiques ainsi que les événements qui se déroulent alors au niveau moléculaire ne sont pas encore bien élucidés. C'est dans l'optique d'une meilleure compréhension de ce phénomène que la protéine Atad2 a été identifiée et caractérisée. Ce facteur, qui possède un bromodomaine ainsi qu'un domaine AAA, est retrouvé sous deux formes chez la souris. La plus courte, strictement testiculaire, est capable de se lier à la chromatine acétylée. De plus, comme les autres membres de la famille des AAAATPases, Atad2 est capable de se multimériser. Cette multimérisation régule son affinité à la chromatine. Des études plus poussées ont montré un rôle dans l'activité transcriptionnelle ainsi que dans la stabilité des structures basales d'ordonnancement de l'information génétique, les nucléosomes. De plus, chez l'humain, Atad2 a été retrouvé exprimé de façon aberrante dans certaines tumeurs. L'élucidation du rôle de cette protéine dans les cellules germinales et somatiques apportera ainsi des informations sur le changement complet de la nature chromatinienne au cours de la spermatogenèse, et peut-être permettra peut-être une meilleure appréhension de l'activité génomique ayant lieux dans les cellules tumorales.

Crossing of stent graft limbs during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is often used to assist cannulation and prevent graft kinking when the aortic bifurcation is widely splayed. Little has been reported about the implications of cross-limb EVAR, especially in comparison to conventional EVAR. Using computational fluid dynamics, this work numerically examines the hemodynamic differences between these two out-of-plane stent graft configurations against a planar configuration commonly found in literature. Predicted values of displacement force, wall shear stress, and oscillatory shear index were similar between the out-of-plane configurations. The planar configuration predicted similar wall shear stress values, but significantly lower displacement forces than the out-of-plane configurations. These results suggest that the hemodynamic safety of cross-limb EVAR is comparable to conventional EVAR. However, a study of clinical outcomes may reveal reduced thrombosis incidence and long-term structural implications for the stent graft in cross-limb EVAR.