The prevalence of allergy is increasing and it is becoming a serious problem not on- ly in medicine, but also in social and economic terms. The most effective way to minimize the development of allergic diseases is preventive measures. In recent years, many studies have attempted to confirm or rebut the hypothesis that early administration of probiotic bacteria to newborns and pregnant women before birth could have preventive effects on the development of allergy. In the Czech Republic, the probiotic strain Escherichia coli O83:K24:H31 (EC O83), being registered with the State Health Institute for Drug Control under the name Colinfant Newborn, has long been used to prevent allergies and paediatri- cians have long been known and used it against various diarrhoea. The aim of this work was to elucidate the effect of EC O83 on CBMC (cord blood mononuclear cells) and to compare the ability of CBMC of healthy mothers (children with a relatively low risk of developing allergic disease) and allergic mothers (children at high risk of developing allergies) to form cytokines in response to EC O83 stimulation. Phytohemagglutinin was used as a positive control, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 was used as a reference probiotic strain, which is much more known abroad than EC O83. Cytokine production was detected by...

The mode of reproduction can greatly influence the demography and the evolutionary success of the taxon. In the case of autonomous asexual formation seeds are apomictic taxa fully independent of pollinators and compatible partners. For sexual taxa with strict autoincompatibility it is the opposite, i.e. sexual taxa need pollinators and compatible partners for birth of offspring. Therefore, in marginal population and for more extreme situation with lower pollinating activity will have apomictic taxa a higher level of reproductive assurance than sexual taxa vascular plants. This hypothesis was tested in natural populations of apomictic and sexual taxa. In the diploma thesis we therefore investigate the method mode of reproduction and reproductive assurance of 52 taxa of the genus Hieracium s. str. (family Asteraceae) in Europe. Of these, 12 were diploid sexually diploid taxa and 42 polyploid apomictic reproductive taxa. From these taxa we harvested seeds from fully developed capitulum and we determined the potential (total number of seeds in the capitulum) and the realized (the percentage of well-developed seeds at the capitulum). The ploidy of the offspring (the embryos and the seedling) and method origins of seeds we examined using flow cytometry. The results show that the plants of diploid species...

The aim of this diploma thesis was to subject selected cyanobacterial strains to adaptive evolution and subsequently investigate the properties of the resulting adapted strains, especially their changes related to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) accumulation. The theoretical part of the work describes in more detail the issue of cyanobacteria, PHA and their interconnection in the field of evolutionary engineering. Cyanobacterial strains Synechocystis sp 6803 and. Synechocystis salina CCALA 192 were used for evolutionary experiments. Selection pressures of hydrogen peroxide and copper. were applied to selected representatives. The resulting cultures and their ability to accumulate PHA were subsequently assessed by gas chromatography. Both of these selection pressures proved to be unsuitable, as strong growth inhibition was observed after their application to cultures, which did not allow the application of evolutionary engineering methods. In the second half of the experimental part, the provided adapted strains to 6% NaCl were monitored. Adaptation has been shown to have a positive effect on microorganisms, as they have a higher biomass content, better stress resistance and a slight increase in PHA accumulation.

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are rare multisystem metabolic diseases and their number has rapidly grown in recent years. The clinical manifestation includes very broad spectrum of symptoms. In most of all cases CDG are caused by mutations in genes encoding the enzymes of glycosylation pathway. Based on the type of defect, CDG are divided into the following groups: disorders of N-glycosylation or O-glycosylation of proteins, defects in modification of proteins by GPI anchor, disorders of lipid glycosylation and defects that impact multiple glycosylation pathways. The aim of the thesis was to find new biochemical analyses suitable for diagnostics and characterization of CDG patients. The experimental conditions were optimized for selected markers (Sambucus Nigra (SNA) lectin, proaerolysin (FLAER), antibodies to proteins CD55 and CD59) and the staining was applied to cultivated skin fibroblasts from controls and patients diagnosed with CDG by whole-exome sequencing (ATP6AP1-CDG, PIGN-CDG, SLC10A7-CDG, PISD deficiency). The experiments were performed using flow cytometry (FACS) and fluorescent microscopy (FM). The detection of sialylation by SNA lectin and analysis of the mitochondrial membrane potential changes by a fluorescent labelled probe JC-1 with FCCP simulation of mitochondrial...

Goal of this thesis is to verify functions of hydraulic manifolds from new supplier, measure characteristics of pressure loss relative to flow rate and for proportional blocks also characteristics of flow rate relative to control voltage at constant inlet pressure. Verification will be carried out with proportional manifolds and on/off manifolds with different failure functions.

The main subject of this master‘s thesis is an innovative approach to design of an ag- ricultural tractor with technical, esthetic, ergonomic and economic demands. The aim is to create a distinctive design and shape of tractor unbound from conventional solutions. The concept takes account of the farm–machine relationship, the alterna- tive powertrain, and friendliness to the environment.

The scope of thesis was the optimization of methods for the study of yeast and their metabolites using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Red yeasts are characterized by overproduction of carotenoids and lipids, which are used in food, pharmaceutical and feed industries. Currently, intensive research is being carried on to find appropriate microbiological alternatives for synthesis of these substances. Present thesis is focused on selected yeast genera: Rhodotorula, Sporobolomyces, Cystofilobasidium and strain Phaffia rhodozyma. Yeasts were cultivated on different nutrient media, in which glucose was used as a nutritional source, and also on glycerol and whey as waste material. In two strains - Cystofilobasidium macerans and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa growth characteristics were determined on a synthetic glucose production medium. All studied strains were able to use waste substrates as a source of nutrients. Some of the strains displayed increased production of carotenoids, and, additionally, in some cases also relatively high production of lipids. In classical cultivation in lipid and glucose medium supplemented with vitamins the best production characteristics displayed Rhodotorula glutinisstrain. In glycerol medium the highest amount of carotenoids and lipidic substances produced Sporobolomyces shibatanus strain. Strain Sporobolomyces roseus showed the best production characteristics on whey as the main source of carbon. The results show use of whey and glycerol seems like appropriate option for potential carbon source to cultivate carotenogenic yeasts and production of carotenoids and selected lipidic substances as products with higher added value. Further optimization of nutrient medium on the given substrates is needed for higher production of selected metabolites. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry have proved to be suitable options for determination of the observed metabolites in the cells, their amount and viability.

This work is dealing with application of advanced fluorescence techniques for gaining knowledge about culture development during fermentation of red yeasts. Flow cytometry was used for auto-fluorescence measurement a carotenoids quantitation. It was resolved that while carotenoids are stored mainly in membranes the technique was feasible. If red yeast starts to accumulate carotenoids into lipid bodies mainly throughout the course of stationary phase, then the method starts to fail. Flow cytometric method using cell size measurement and light scatter for lipid quantitation was proved as applicable, too. However, it works only if cells are not starved. Individual calibration for each species is needed for elimination inter-species variations of intracellular structures. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy was also used for studying of red yeast. Inherent ability to resolve different fluorescent species of the same molecule, which arise due to different molecular environment, helps with quantitation of cellular lipidic structures changes through the course of fermentation. Increase in the levels of carotenoids and/or rigidity of membranes was found as mechanism of protection during metabolic shifts, when intracellular content is vulnerable to damage.

This work focuses on optimization and application of voltammetric methods for determination of 5-nitroquinoline in model samples of drinking and river water using carbon film electrode (CFE). The advantages of carbon film electrode are primarily its wide potential window in both cathodic and anodic regions and also low environmental stress compared to mercury electrodes. In this contribution, CV and AdSV were used to observe electrochemical processes. For determination of 5-nitroquinoline DPV and FIA were used. Solid phase extraction was investigated as a method for preliminary separation and preconcentration for DPV. Determination of 5-nitroquinoline at CFE is based on cathodic reduction of nitrogroup. This work demonstrates the application of carbon film electrode for determination of 5-nitroquinoline in submicromolar concentrations in model samples of water.

Presented thesis evaluates the risk of ongoing hybridization (antropohybridization) in highly endangered Prunus fruticosa in the Czech Republic and selected adjacent countries. Absolute genome size analysis (estimated by flow cytometry) combined with both numeric and geometric morphometrics were used for evaluation of hybridization. Prunus fruticosa frequently hybridize with naturalized Prunus cerasus (emerging tetraploid hybrid Prunus ×eminens) and native Prunus avium (forming triploid hybrid Prunus ×mohacsyana). Discrimination between P. ×eminens and P. ×mohacsyana is difficult, when using leaf morphology characters only, so the occurrence of triploid hybrids was strongly underestimated in the Czech Republic (only tetraploid hybrids were reported). Both hybrids are surely differentiated using flow cytometry analysis (based on different ploidy level). The majority of analyzed populations is formed by either individuals of pure P. fruticosa or one of the mentioned hybrids. Only four populations were mixed. Continuous variability in absolute genome size was found in two of them, which may indicate hybrid swarm forming (incl. primary hybrids and backcrosses). Our findings can be considered only as indirect evidence for introgression, which needs to be confirmed by molecular markers (for example...