Earth's long-term climate has been profoundly influenced by the episodic assembly and breakup of supercontinents at intervals of ca. 500 m.y. This reflects the cycle's impact on global sea level and atmospheric CO2 (and other greenhouse gases), the levels of which have fluctuated in response to variations in input from volcanism and removal (as carbonate) by the chemical weathering of silicate minerals. Supercontinent amalgamation tends to coincide with climatic cooling due to drawdown of atmospheric CO2 through enhanced weathering of the orogens of supercontinent assembly and a thermally uplifted supercontinent. Conversely, breakup tends to coincide with increased atmospheric CO2 and global warming as the dispersing continental fragments cool and subside, and weathering decreases as sea level rises. Supercontinents may also influence global climate through their causal connection to mantle plumes and large igneous provinces (LIPs) linked to their breakup. LIPs may amplify the warming trend of breakup by releasing greenhouse gases or may cause cooling and glaciation through sulfate aerosol release and drawdown of CO2 through the chemical weathering of LIP basalts. Hence, Earth's long-term climatic trends likely reflect the cycle's influence on sea level, as evidenced by Pangea, whereas its influence on LIP volcanism may have orchestrated between Earth's various climatic states.

• Klíčová slova
• atmospheric CO2, climate, large igneous provinces, sea level, supercontinent cycle,
• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• oxid uhličitý analýza   MeSH
• podnebí * MeSH
• silikáty MeSH
• sírany MeSH
• skleníkové plyny * MeSH
• uhličitany MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• oxid uhličitý MeSH
• silikáty MeSH
• sírany MeSH
• skleníkové plyny * MeSH
• uhličitany MeSH

Esophageal symptoms can arise from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as well as other mucosal and motor processes, structural disease, and functional esophageal syndromes. GERD is the most common esophageal disorder, but diagnosis may not be straightforward when symptoms persist despite empiric acid suppressive therapy and when mucosal erosions are not seen on endoscopy (as for nonerosive reflux disease, NERD). Esophageal physiological tests (ambulatory pH or pH-impedance monitoring and manometry) can be of value in defining abnormal reflux burden and reflux-symptom association. NERD diagnosed on the basis of abnormal reflux burden on ambulatory reflux monitoring is associated with similar symptom response from antireflux therapy for erosive esophagitis. Acid suppression is the mainstay of therapy, and antireflux surgery has a definitive role in the management of persisting symptoms attributed to NERD, especially when the esophagogastric junction is compromised. Adjunctive approaches and complementary therapy may be of additional value in management. In this review, we describe the evaluation, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of NERD.

• Klíčová slova
• ambulatory reflux monitoring, antireflux surgery, esophageal manometry, nonerosive reflux disease, proton pump inhibitors,
• MeSH
• ezofágoskopie metody   MeSH
• gastroezofageální junkce * metabolismus   patofyziologie   MeSH
• gastroezofageální reflux * diagnóza   metabolismus   patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• manometrie metody   MeSH
• monitorování jícnového pH metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder associated with abnormalities in peristalsis and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation. The etiology of the disease remains elusive. It is often misdiagnosed initially as gastroesophageal reflux disease. Patients with achalasia often complain of dysphagia to solids and liquids but may focus on regurgitation as the primary symptom, leading to the early misdiagnosis. Chest pain, weight loss, and occasional vomiting may be additional symptoms encountered in those with achalasia. The disease may be suspected on the basis of clinical presentation, but diagnosis depends on classic findings using high-resolution manometry, showing either failed or simultaneous contractions with associated normal or high LES pressures with no or incomplete relaxation with swallows. There are no cures for achalasia, and, in most patients, treatments have to be repeated over time. Definitive treatment options in achalasia include pneumatic dilation, surgical myotomy, and the new technique of per-oral endoscopic myotomy. Botulinum toxin (Botox) or other medical therapies are often reserved for those who cannot have definitive therapies owing to comorbid conditions.

• Klíčová slova
• POEM, botulinum toxin, pneumatic dilation, surgical myotomy,
• MeSH
• achalázie jícnu diagnóza   patofyziologie   terapie   MeSH
• bolesti na hrudi komplikace   diagnóza   terapie   MeSH
• botulotoxiny terapeutické užití   MeSH
• ezofágoskopie metody   MeSH
• gastroezofageální reflux diagnóza   patofyziologie   terapie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• management nemoci * MeSH
• manometrie metody   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• botulotoxiny MeSH

Exciting new developments-pharmacologic, endoscopic, and surgical-have arisen for the treatment of many esophageal diseases. Refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease presents a therapeutic challenge, and several new options have been proposed to overcome an insufficient effectiveness of proton pump inhibitors. In patients with distal esophageal spasm, drugs and endoscopic treatments are the current mainstays of the therapeutic approach. Treatment with proton pump inhibitors (or antireflux surgery) should be considered in patients with Barrett's esophagus, since a recent meta-analysis demonstrated a 71% reduction in risk of neoplastic progression. Endoscopic resection combined with radiofrequency ablation is the standard of care in patients with early esophageal adenocarcinoma. Mucosal squamous cancer may also be treated endoscopically, preferably with endoscopic submucosal dissection. Patients with upper esophageal cancer often refrain from surgery. Robot-assisted, thoracolaparoscopic, minimally invasive esophagectomy may be an appropriate option for these patients, as the robot facilitates a good overview of the upper mediastinum. Induction chemoradiotherapy is currently considered as standard treatment for patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma, while the role of neoadjuvant therapy for adenocarcinoma remains controversial. A system for defining and recording perioperative complications associated with esophagectomy has been recently developed and may help to find predictors of mortality and morbidity.

• Klíčová slova
• Barrett's esophagus, distal esophageal spasm, esophageal carcinoma, esophagectomy, gastroesophageal reflux disease,
• MeSH
• Barrettův syndrom diagnóza   terapie   MeSH
• ezofagektomie metody   trendy   MeSH
• ezofágoskopie metody   trendy   MeSH
• gastroezofageální reflux diagnóza   terapie   MeSH
• inhibitory protonové pumpy terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory jícnu diagnóza   terapie   MeSH
• nemoci jícnu diagnóza   terapie   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• inhibitory protonové pumpy MeSH

Resting in an upright position during daytime decreases downbeat nystagmus (DBN). When measured in brightness only, that is, without intermitting exposure to darkness, it does not make a significant difference whether patients have previously rested in brightness or in darkness. In real-world scenarios, people are often exposed to brightness and darkness intermittently. The aim of this study was to analyze whether resting in brightness or resting in darkness was associated with a lower post-resting DBN after intermitting exposures to brightness and darkness. Eight patients were recorded with three-dimensional video-oculography in brightness and darkness conditions, each following two 2-h resting intervals under either brightness or darkness resting conditions. The dependent variable was DBN intensity, measured in mean slow phase velocity. A repeated measures ANOVA with the factors measurement condition (brightness vs. darkness), resting condition (brightness vs. darkness), and time (after first vs. second resting interval) showed a significant effect for the factor resting condition, where previous resting in darkness was associated with a significantly lower DBN relative to previous resting in brightness (P < 0.01). The clinical relevance is to advise patients with DBN to rest in darkness.

• Klíčová slova
• downbeat nystagmus, oscillopsia, resting, symptom relief, video-oculographic measurement (VOG),
• MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• odpočinek * MeSH
• patologický nystagmus patologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• pohyby očí fyziologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• tma * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• pozorovací studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The following discussion of upper esophageal sphincter dysfunction includes commentaries on the role of the cricopharyngeus muscle in reflux disease; the etiology and treatment of Zenker diverticulum; the use of videofluoroscopy in patients with dysphagia, suspicion of aspiration, or globus; the role of pH-impedance monitoring in globus evaluation; and treatment for reflux-associated globus.

• Klíčová slova
• GERD, UES, Zenker diverticulum, cricopharyngeus, impedance-pH, videofluoroscopy,
• MeSH
• fluoroskopie MeSH
• gastroezofageální junkce diagnostické zobrazování   patofyziologie   MeSH
• horní jícnový svěrač diagnostické zobrazování   patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• poruchy polykání diagnostické zobrazování   patofyziologie   MeSH
• Zenkerův divertikl diagnostické zobrazování   patofyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a major anti-inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system. Allelic polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene promoter may contribute to the regulation of autoantibody production. To examine the association between both individuals IL-10 single nucleotide polymorphisms and the production of autoantibodies and the radiographic progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a total of 144 RA patients were recruited into the study. We found significant differences in genotype distribution of the -1082G/A polymorphism between IgG, IgA, and IgM rheumatoid factor(RF)-positive/negative RA patients. We also found significant differences in allelic frequencies of the -3575T/A, -819C/T, and -592A/C polymorphisms between anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP)-positive/negative RA patients. The haplotype TGAATA was found to be less frequent within anti-CCP-positive RA patients. Results obtained in this study provide evidence of an association between polymorphisms in IL-10 gene promoter and the production of autoantibodies in RA patients.

• MeSH
• autoprotilátky krev   MeSH
• cyklické peptidy imunologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• frekvence genu MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• interleukin-10 genetika   MeSH
• jednonukleotidový polymorfismus * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• odds ratio MeSH
• progrese nemoci MeSH
• promotorové oblasti (genetika) genetika   MeSH
• revmatoidní artritida genetika   imunologie   patologie   MeSH
• rozdělení chí kvadrát MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• autoprotilátky MeSH
• cyclic citrullinated peptide MeSH Prohlížeč
• cyklické peptidy MeSH
• interleukin-10 MeSH

We studied the morphology of the A549 cell line (human lung carcinoma cells) before and after photodynamic therapy (PDT) by atomic force microscopy. PDT was induced by an efficient light-emitting diode source with total light dose of 15 J cm(-2) in the presence of the sensitizer zinc-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrine. In the presence of molecular oxygen, light activation of the photosensitizer, which accumulates in cancer cells, leads to the local production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This is one of several reasons leading to cell death, and in some cases we could observe signs of apoptosis. We detected the kinetics of ROS production to be dependent on the presence of green tea extract.

• MeSH
• apoptóza účinky léků   MeSH
• čaj chemie   MeSH
• fotochemoterapie metody   MeSH
• fotosenzibilizující látky farmakologie   MeSH
• kyslík metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metaloporfyriny farmakologie   MeSH
• mikroskopie atomárních sil metody   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory plic metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus   MeSH
• rostlinné extrakty farmakologie   MeSH
• světlo MeSH
• viabilita buněk účinky léků   MeSH
• vztah mezi dávkou a účinkem léčiva MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• čaj MeSH
• fotosenzibilizující látky MeSH
• kyslík MeSH
• metaloporfyriny MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku MeSH
• rostlinné extrakty MeSH
• zinc-tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin MeSH Prohlížeč

We review recent advances in classifications of circulation patterns as a specific research area within synoptic climatology. The review starts with a general description of goals of classification and the historical development in the field. We put circulation classifications into a broader context within climatology and systematize the varied methodologies and approaches. We characterize three basic groups of classifications: subjective (also called manual), mixed (hybrid), and objective (computer-assisted, automated). The roles of cluster analysis and principal component analysis in the classification process are clarified. Several recent methodological developments in circulation classifications are identified and briefly described: the introduction of nonlinear methods, objectivization of subjective catalogs, efforts to optimize classifications, the need for intercomparisons of classifications, and the progress toward an optimum, if possible unified, classification method. Among the recent tendencies in the applications of circulation classifications, we mention a more extensive use in climate studies, both of past, present, and future climates, innovative applications in the ensemble forecasting, increasing variety of synoptic-climatological investigations, and steps above from the troposphere. After introducing the international activity within the field of circulation classifications, the COST733 Action, we briefly describe outputs of the inventory of classifications in Europe, which was carried out within the Action. Approaches to the evaluation of classifications and their mutual comparisons are also reviewed. A considerable part of the review is devoted to three examples of applications of circulation classifications: in historical climatology, in analyses of recent climate variations, and in analyses of outputs from global climate models.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The stress response in anterior pituitary (AP) is mediated by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) acting through CRH-R1 and -R2, however, the function of CRH-R2 in AP is still not fully elucidated. We used 1-h long restraint (IMO) as well as restraint combined with water immersion (IMO+C). Using real-time PCR we quantified mRNA expression of CRH-R1, CRH-R2alpha-soluble and -insoluble, and cAMP response element binding (CREB), with reference gene GAPDH. In control AP, CRH-R1 mRNA was up to 20-fold higher than levels of CRH-R2alpha-soluble or CRH-R2alpha-insoluble mRNA. IMO reduced CRH-R1 mRNA to 47% and 63% of control levels 1 and 2 h after the onset of stressor, respectively, while IMO+C did not produce significant changes. Our data demonstrated that these stressors did not change CRH-R2alpha mRNA, unlike the very significant response of CRH-R1 to IMO.

• MeSH
• adenohypofýza fyziologie   MeSH
• fyzické omezení MeSH
• hormon uvolňující kortikotropin metabolismus   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• messenger RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• ponoření MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• protein - isoformy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protein vázající element responzivní pro cyklický AMP genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• psychický stres * MeSH
• receptory hormonu uvolňujícího kortikotropin genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• CRF receptor type 1 MeSH Prohlížeč
• CRF receptor type 2 MeSH Prohlížeč
• hormon uvolňující kortikotropin MeSH
• messenger RNA MeSH
• protein - isoformy MeSH
• protein vázající element responzivní pro cyklický AMP MeSH
• receptory hormonu uvolňujícího kortikotropin MeSH