Publications by authors named "Zuzana Urbanova"

Despite covering <5% of Earth's terrestrial area, peatlands are crucial for global carbon storage and are hot spots of methane cycling. This study examined the dynamics of aerobic and anaerobic methane oxidation in two undisturbed peatlands: a fen and a spruce swamp forest. Using microcosm incubations, we investigated the effect of ammonium addition, at a level similar to current N pollution processes, on aerobic methane oxidation.

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Peatlands store a large proportion of global soil carbon in the form of peat because decomposition of plant organic matter is slow. In Sphagnum-dominated peatlands, dissolved organic matter (DOM) is traditionally considered an important inhibitor of hydrolytic enzymes due to the polyphenolic polymers it contains. Interestingly, the acidic character of the polymers in such DOM has never been tested for its enzyme-inhibitory properties.

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Article Synopsis
  • Peatlands play a crucial role in global carbon and nitrogen cycles, holding 15 to 30% of the world's soil carbon stock, but their varying chemistry complicates global carbon inventories.
  • A study analyzed 436 peat cores from 24 countries, finding significant differences in carbon, nitrogen, and organic matter content between different peatland categories, mainly influenced by pH levels.
  • The results indicate predictable differences in carbon and organic matter concentrations across peatland types, which can help enhance future assessments of global peatland carbon and nitrogen stocks.
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Peatlands are long-term sinks of atmospheric carbon (C) largely due to water-saturated soil conditions, decay-resistant plant litter, and the presence of biochemical compounds such as soluble phenolics. As phenolics are known inhibitors of microbial enzymes in soils, the concept of the 'enzymic latch' on peat C was introduced, assuming that phenolics accumulate in peat water due to protection from degradation by oxidative enzymes as a result of anoxia. However, their inhibitory role in peat has not been unambiguously confirmed.

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Deferasirox (DFX) is an oral iron chelator used to reduce iron overload (IO) caused by frequent blood cell transfusions in anemic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. To study the molecular mechanisms by which DFX improves outcome in MDS, we analyzed the global gene expression in untreated MDS patients and those who were given DFX treatment. The gene expression profiles of bone marrow CD34 cells were assessed by whole-genome microarrays.

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Article Synopsis
  • Peatland vegetation, including mosses, graminoids, and ericoid shrubs, influences soil microbial communities, which vary by microhabitat types like Sphagnum, cotton-grass, and blueberry.
  • * The study used advanced sequencing techniques to show that fungal communities are highly specific to their microhabitats, while prokaryotic communities are affected by soil pH and nitrogen levels.
  • * Seasonal changes impact microbial composition, but microhabitat differences are more significant in determining the diversity and function of methane-cycling communities, highlighting the ecological complexity of peatlands.
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Background: We aimed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mutations in DNA repair genes and their possible association with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Methods: Targeted enrichment resequencing of 84 DNA repair genes was initially performed on a screening cohort of MDS patients. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used for genotyping selected SNPs in the validation cohort of patients.

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This article summarised opinion of the European Society for Atherosclerosis on the causal relationship between low density lipoprotein (LDL) and the development of atherosclerosis. The fact that there is a clear causal relationship between the LDL concentration and the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASKVO) is evidenced by congenital lipid metabolism disorders and results of prospective epidemiological studies, Mendelian randomized trials, and randomized controlled trials. It is documented that the effect of LDL exposure on ASKVO development is cumulative; the additive effect of other risk factors is also discussed.

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Hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) is one of the most common metabolic disorder in childhood. We assume that 20 % of children have a disorder of the lipid metabolism. Some HLP are very common in the population, and moderate, and some are very rare, but are very severe.

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First line drug for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia are statins, which reduce LDL-cholesterol up to 50 %; such reduction is sufficient for most patients to achieve the target values. The exceptions are patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and patients with statin intolerance. To achieve target LDL-cholesterol in these two groups of patients will be possible with new drugs - PCSK9 inhibitors, which decrease LDL-cholesterol by an additional 50-60 %.

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Currently, the familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) rises the interest. The reason is that this genetic disorder is targeted by newly emerged and highly effective hypolipidemic agents, PCSK-9 inhibitors, lomitapid and mipomersen. Present paper discusses 2 patient study groups, before 50 years and nowadays.

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Objectives: The study was aimed to determine risk factors of atherosclerosis after one month lifestyle intervention in overweight/obese children and also FTO and MC4R gene variants associated with obesity.

Design And Methods: 350 non-diabetic Czech children (age 13.7 ± 2.

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It is not well understood how the ecological status and microbial community composition of spruce swamp forests (SSF) relate to those found in bogs and fens. To clarify this, we investigated biogeochemical parameters and microbial community composition in a bog, a fen and two SSF using high throughput barcoded sequencing of the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) variable region V4. The results demonstrated that the microbial community of SSF is positioned between those of bogs and fens, and this was confirmed by in silico predicted metabolic potentials.

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Objective: Limited evidence is available about the early cardiac manifestation of Fabry disease (FD) in children. We aimed to evaluate cardiac involvement in children with FD by analysing serial structural and electrocardiographic changes.

Methods: The data were acquired from 22 children with FD [11 males; median age 9.

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