Visual features of the wing colour, with special reference to the intensity of UV reflectance of the Green-veined White (Pieris napi) were investigated. Several studies revealed that only females of Pieris napi possess UV reflectance on dorsal wing surface. Based on UV sensitive photography, we analysed correlation between environmental conditions (productivity and climate) and 3 patches on forewing of 347 specimens of P. napi from Palaearctic region. Males significantly differ in level of intensity of UV reflectance from females. UV intensity in females is 25% higher in comparison with males. This phenomenon is explained by different deposition of wing pterins. Further, environment significantly affects UV intensity on the forewings of females, but not males. Moreover, we accomplished the analysis of fluctuating asymmetry. First we subjected the environmental variables to PCA. In females, the first PCA axis (temperature seasonality, temperature annual range and longitude) significantly correlated with UV intensity. In males, the second PCA axis (latitude and altitude) was significantly correlated with FA. Additionally, we performed Two-Block Partial Least- Squares (PLS) analysis to assess co-variation between intraspecific shape...

Evolution and Adaptability of Complex Applications Abstract In these days the applications become more complex that causes maintenance problems while evolving these applications. A change in one part of the applica- tion can significantly affect other parts of the application. The next aspect can be related systems which communicate with this application. They must be up- dated to satisfy their correct functionality. These problems can concern multiple domains, e.g., UML diagrams, XML schema diagrams, relational schemas, APIs, etc. We focus on this problem from the perspective of the MDA, which uses the platform independent model (PIM) for a general view of the problem and the platform specific model (PSM) for particular domains. Moreover, these models can be interconnected and related to each other. We propose novel PSM models from various widely used domains, operations over these models and algorithms for model transformations. Thanks to the MDA principle, it is possible to combine presented models and model a complex application. All models and related algorithms we present were experimentally implemented and tested in the DaemonX framework on real-world data for their verification. 1

Thermoregulation plays an important role in organisms' lives during foraging, escaping from predators, sexual selection or overwintering. Moreover, pressure on efficient thermoregulation could affect species on an evolutionary level and was recently hypothesized to maintain imperfect mimicry in hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae). We set these two aims: 1) to study relationships between thermoregulation, mimicry accuracy and resembled model, 2) to closely study effect of developmental temperature in an intermediately accurate honeybee mimic, Eristalis tenax. In the first part of the project, we examined temperature excess of 566 specimens in 47 species of hoverflies in the field. We did not find significant effect of mimicry accuracy on temperature excess in our data. However, we found a strong sexual dimorphism. Females had lower temperature excess, which was very resilient to internal and external factors, whereas males had higher temperature excess, influenced by activity at time of capture (flying > sitting) and resembled model (bumblebee-mimics > honeybee- mimics > wasp-mimics > solitary bee-mimics). We suggest, that males are pushed to higher temperature excess by sexual selection within lekking. In the second part of the project, we reared E. tenax in three different temperatures in laboratory...

The use of candidate genes has become a widespread approach in the study of behavioral adaptations. Gene function is often maintained in very distant evolutionary lines. This approach allows us to extend knowledge about non-model species. I studied the influence of selection on candidate behavioral adaptation genes associated mainly with biorhythms. I was interested in comparing genetic variability between closely related species of songbirds from tropical and temperate zones. These environments differ mainly in the conditions stability. Tropical species live in very stable conditions with generally low seasonality, unlike temperate species. Timing of events of cirkanual cycle of temperate birds is essential because of the alternating of conditions of the environment. I therefore assumed a reduction in genetic variability in migrating temperate zone species compared to tropical species due to stabilizing selection. The study is based on analyzes of microsatellite loci in the exon region. I involved analysis of neutral microsatellites as a control for possible genetic variability reduction coming from different reasons than selection. Neutral microsatellites are expected to not be influenced by selection. In tropical species I found reduced genetic variability of neutral microsatellites. That might...

Next to the traditional medical concept of depression, there is an expert opinion suggesting that depression is a functional adaptation to adversity. In the theoretical part of the thesis, we present the adaptive hypothesis of depression, the Analytical-Rumination Hypothesis (ARH). According to ARH, depression has evolved as an adaptive response to the complex problems. Depressive symptoms, such as anhedonia, social isolation, and psychomotor retardation, may help individuals to undisturbedly analyze their personal problems in a process called analytical rumination. The limited ability to focus on an external problem, e.g. on neuropsychological tests, is a by-product of analytical rumination. The aim of the dissertation thesis is to test the ARH. In the practical part, we present five studies using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, cross-sectional and longitudinal design, and samples with different statuses (clinical and non-clinical). The results of Study 1 confirm that depression is a response to a complex problem. Using a qualitative methodology, Study 2 examined the form of rumination and detected the presence of adaptive rumination in depressed individuals (causal analysis, analysis of the aspects of the problem and problem-solving analysis). The results of cross-sectional Study 3...

Algae form a diverse group of simple photosynthetic eukaryotes of polyphyletic origin. Algae with a primary plastid (Archaeplastida) acquired it by ingesting cyanobacterium, a prokaryote; algae with a complex plastid acquired their plastid by ingesting another eukaryote with a primary or already complex plastid. Algae with a complex plastid are chimeras containing genes derived from the host genome, as well as genes derived from the genome of the endosymbiont, and also genetic material derived from genomes of their previous stable or transient endosymbionts. One of the groups with plastid derived from green algae are euglenophytes. This thesis deals with the genomes of three organisms that represent individual actors in the endosymbiotic process in euglenophytes. These are a heterotrophic host from the class Euglenida, a phototrophic endosymbiont from the class of green algae Prasinophyceae and the resulting phototrophic euglenid from the group Euglenophyceae. Knowledge of their genomes should illuminate the course of endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) in the formation of algae with a complex plastid. We annotated the plastid genome of a phototrophic euglenid Eutreptiella gymnastica and published it as the third plastome of Euglenophytes after the iconic and economically important Euglena gracilis...

Enzymes are naturally occurring catalysts with a broad spectrum of catalysed chemical reactions, and they therefore represent environmentally-friendly and economically costeffective tools in many industrial processes, bioremediation, biomedical and pharmacological applications. Among such biocatalysts belong haloalkane dehalogenases (HLDs), which catalyse the cleavage of the carbon-halogen bond of halogenated compounds, resulting in corresponding products – alcohols, halide ions and protons. Howe-ver, catalytic properties of naturally occurring HLDs very often do not fulfill reqirements of industrial applications which limits their practical potential. Methods of directed evolution and ratoional design are therefore often used to generate genetic diversity and cosntruct novel protein varaits with deired function. In this work, a protein engineering strategy was applied to improve catalytic parameters of haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA31 towards anthropogenic pollutant 1,2,3-trichloropropane.Formula clause:Please postpone publication of materials, methods, results and conclusions of this thesis for a period of 3 years. These results are part of a project that has not yet been published.

Silene latifolia and Silene dioica are closely related dioecious plant species where sex is determined by the presence of sex chromosomes, X and Y. The sex chromosomes of S. latifolia and S. dioica are younger (10-20 million years) than in mammals (about 200 million years). These two species are thus important models for the study of early stages of sex chromosomes evolution. In this work a group of genes linked to sex chromosomes (Sl3, Sl7, DD44) was analyzed. These genes were de-novo isolated from S. dioica by screening of the BAC library. The expression of these genes in different tissues was compared using Real-Time PCR and HRM in S. latifolia and S. dioica. Using the low-copy FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) method, a physical map for individual genes was created. This map is the most detailed physical map created for closely related Silene species.

Peroxisomes and mitochondria play a key role in oxygen metabolism. It was widely accepted that the evolutionary adaptation of eukaryotes to anaerobiosis is reflected by the metabolic reduction of mitochondria, and concomitant loss of peroxisomes. The anaerobic protists Mastigamoeba balamuthi (Mb), Pelomyxa schiedti (Ps), and Entamoeba histolytica (Eh) contradict this paradigm. They possess anaerobic types of mitochondria (hydrogenosomes, mitosomes) but also host "anaerobic peroxisomes". Mb/Ps peroxisomes contain a common set of 13 peroxins (Pexs) that retain the core members of each functional category including components of both PTS1 and PTS2 machinery for matrix protein import. However, Eh peroxisomes harbour a reduced set of 7 known Pexs and lacks several components that are highly conserved among most eukaryotic lineages, including components of PTS2 machinery (Pex7), the RING complex (Pex2/10/12), docking complex (Pex13), and peroxisomal membrane protein import receptor (Pex3). Concerning the functional annotation, no clear biochemical context has been found in these anaerobic peroxisomes. They are diverse in enzymatic contents and are involved in various metabolic reactions, while catalase and typical peroxisomal enzymes of fatty acid beta-oxidation are absent. Mb peroxisomes appear to be involved in...

The dissertation thesis deals with Evolution optimization of control algorithms. The first part of the thesis describes the principles and partial methods of evolution optimization methods especially those used in two-level transplant evolution method. Later the grammatical evolution method is described, which modified algorithm became impulse for creation of transplant evolution method. The transplant evolution method and its two-level modification are new evolutionary algorithms proposed in this work, which were used for optimization of structure and parameters of general controllers control algorithms. The transplant evolution algorithm and its extended two-level modification are described in detail in next chapters. The proper settings of evolutionary algorithms are important for minimization the time of optimization and for finds results approaching the global optimum. For proper setting the parameters of differential evolution was created meta-evolution algorithm that is described in chapter named meta-evolution. The basic concepts of control, chosen methods of system identification and controller parameters settings are described in next part. This part describes algorithms of digital controllers and some specific methods uses in digital control. The demonstrations of control algorithm optimizations of various types of controllers are showed in experimental part. The optimized algorithms of general controllers are compared with various types of PSD controllers which were set by various algebraic methods or differential evolution for various models of systems. In the conclusion of this work is stated a recommendation for further development of evolutionary optimization of controllers are focusing on parallel and distributed computing.