Marie Budíková

TRENDS OF MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

Changes in maximum and minimum daily temperatures (TMAX and TMIN, respectively) in nine selected regions of central Europe and in Bulgaria during 1951–1990 are investigated. Average series for central Europe are compiled and analyzed by linear trend analysis and the kernel smoothing. The increase in the annual TMAX in central Europe was, during 1951–1990, slightly lower than that of TMIN (0ċ52°C and 0ċ60°C, respectively). This results in a small decrease in the daily temperature range (DTR) by −0ċ08°C. With the exception of the spring TMIN other linear trends are insignificant. The observed insignificant trends in DTR in the central European region are related to small cloudiness changes. Long-term fluctuations of annual TMAX, TMIN, and DTR for eight selected series during the twentieth century are also investigated.

An urban bias in air temperature fluctuations at the Klementinum, Prague, The Czech Republic

The intensification of an urban heat island, and its influence on the seasonal and annual air temperature measurements of the Prague-Klementinum station, is studied through a comparison with rural stations. Urban warming in the period from 1922 to 1995 was most conspicuous in winter and in spring (0.06C 10 yr1), and the smallest and least significant in summer (0.01C 10 yr1). Since the 1960s, a stagnation in the development of the urban heat island has appeared. The degree of urban warming prior to 1922 can only be roughly determined because of the lack of a suitable set of homogeneous reference stations. The results of this study are compared with other studies analogous in character.

Treatment of uterine sarcoma

Purpose: Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are employed in the treatment of uterine sarcoma. We claim to evaluate the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of uterine sarcoma. Patients and methods: We report a retrospective study of 49 patients with uterine sarcoma treated from 1990–1999 at Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute in Brno. All 49 patients had surgery, 19 (38.7%) had adjuvant radiotherapy and 25 (51%) had chemotherapy. Using the FIGO classification: 71.4% had stage I, 6.1% stage II, 16.3%, stage III and 6.1% stage IVa disease. 42.9% of tumors were mixed Müllerian tumors, 34.7% leiomyosarcomas and 22.4% endometrial stromal sarcomas. 12 cases (24.5%) had a local recurrence, 7 (14.3%) had hematogenous dissemination. There was an increased disease free interval (DFI) for patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (p=0.005). The DFI was favourably influenced by the stage of the disease. Of 12 patients with a local recurrence only one had postoperative radiotherapy. Radiotherapy had an impact on overall survival (OS). The five-year OS probability was 51.6% without radiotherapy and 88.9% with radiotherapy (p=0.0066). Conclusion: We conclude that postoperative radiotherapy in our series of patients diagnosed with uterine sarcoma has an impact on locoregional and disease-free progression intervals (LRFI, DFI) and overall survival (OS). The most important prognostic factor is the extend of the disease (stage). Stage I patients have a significantly better survival.

Fluctuation of maximum and minimum air temperatures in the Czech and the Slovak Republics

Abstract According to the data averaged for eleven representative non-urban stations in the Czech Republic and fourteen stations in the Slovak Republic in the period 1961–1992, the mean air temperatures, mean daily maxima and mean daily minima exhibited a positive trend in winter (statistically significant), in spring, in summer and in the year, and a negative trend in autumn. Insignificant were changes in the mean daily temperature range within the limits of −0.16 and 0.15°C/10 yr, while a significant positive trend was exhibited by the typical mountain station at Mt. Lomnický Stit (2635 m). At stations in Prague, affected by the urban heat island, an intensification of positive trends was reflected. Long-term changes of the above temperature characteristics were documented using Prague-Klementinum as an example a typical urban station and Hurbanovo as a locally anthropogenically unaffected station. Changes in mean maxima (with the exception of winter) and of the daily temperature range are closely connected with the cloud cover, while its correlation coefficients with mean minima are not significant. In the case of Hurbanovo there appears a close connection of changes in daily temperature range to relative humidity (with the exception of winter).

Seroprevalence of antibodies of Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from southern Italy

The consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans and neosporosis that may cause clinical illness in horses. Here we determined seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908 and species of Neospora Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 in horses from Italy. Blood samples were collected from 643 apparently healthy horses from 60 farms of 51 municipalities in southern Italy. The presence of antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT); a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. The same sera were also tested for antibodies against Neospora spp. by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA); samples with ≥ 30% inhibition were considered positive. Antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected in 19 (3.0%) and 15 (2.3%) horses by IFAT, respectively, without statistical difference between gender, age and breeds (p-value ≥ 0.05). Antibodies against species of Neospora were detected in 70 (10.9%) horses by cELISA with statistical difference in gender (6.0-18.5%, p-value ≥ 0.05) and breeds (0-19.4%, p-value ≥ 0.05). Although T. gondii infection rates were low, the risk of human infection should not be dismissed, particularly in Italy where consumption of raw or undercooked horse meat has a long tradition.

Survey of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in meat juice of wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) in several districts of the Czech Republic

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE The aims of the study were: 1) to detect antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii from wild boar meat; 1) establish seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the wild boar population; 3) establish risk factors concerned in higher possible seroprevalence; 4) to estimate the usefulness of meat juice for detection of T. gondii antibodies in wild boar. MATERIAL AND METHODS Diaphragm meat juice samples from 656 wild boar (Sus scrofa) were collected during the hunting seasons between September 2008 - October 2010 from 9 districts of the Czech Republic. The samples were stratified per age category into 2 groups: piglets (n = 279) and yearlings together with adults (n = 377). The in-house ELISA test was used for the detection of antibodies against T. gondii from the meat juice samples. RESULTS Antibodies against T. gondii were detected by in-house ELISA in 260 of 656 wild boars (40%) with 26% prevalence in piglets (72/279) and 50% prevalence in yearlings and adults (188/377). The district total seroprevalences ranged between 32% - 59%, with a significantly higher prevalence in the district of Havlíčkův Brod (59%). Statistically significant differences (p-value < 0.05) were found between 2 age categories, and between 9 districts, with a significant variability in the district of Havlíčkův Brod. Seroprevalence correlated positively with farm density, but without any statistical significance. CONCLUSION The obtained results indicate that consumption of raw or undercooked meat from wild boars can carry an important risk of toxoplasma infection. Post mortem detection of antibodies in meat juice samples using ELISA is a useful alternative to blood serum examination. In addition, a diaphragm sample has been well-proven as a matrix sample for the contemporaneous diagnostics of trichinellosis and toxoplasmosis.

Method of estimating solar UV radiation in high-latitude locations based on satellite ozone retrieval with an improved algorithm

The effects of the cloudiness and satellite-based ozone measurements on erythemally effective ultraviolet (EUV) radiation were examined using a non-linear regression model. Instead of the widely used ozone transmissivity exponential function, we proposed a new approach based on a quantum transmission model using hyperbolic attenuation of the EUV radiation. The radiation data were collected at the Czech Johann Gregor Mendel Station, James Ross Island, Antarctica (63° 48′ S, 57° 53′ W), between 14 March 2007 and 3 March 2009. The total ozone content and effective surface reflectivity at 360 nm were obtained from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on board the EOS-Aura spacecraft for the geographical coordinates of the J. G. Mendel Station. The model predicted 98.6% variability of the EUV radiation. The residuals between the measured and predicted EUV radiation intensities were evaluated separately for the ranges of solar elevation angle, total ozone content and surface reflectivity. The results of this study were compared to previous findings where the influence of ground-based and satellite-based ozone measurements and model usefulness was discussed.

Estimation of solar UV radiation in maritime Antarctica using a nonlinear model including cloud effects

A new approach to the estimation of erythemally effective ultraviolet (EUV) radiation for all sky conditions that occur in maritime Antarctica is reported. The spatial variability of the total ozone content (TOC) and attenuation of the EUV radiation in the atmosphere are taken into consideration. The proposed nonlinear regression model of EUV radiation is described by a hyperbolic transmission function. The first results and the model validation for Vernadsky Station (formerly the British Faraday Station) during the period 2002–2005 show very good agreement with the measured values (R 2 = 99.2). The developed model was evaluated using daily doses of EUV radiation with respect to solar elevation angle and cloudiness. The mean average prediction error (MAPE) for cloudy (4.1–7.0 oktas) and overcast skies (7.1–8.0 oktas) varied between 4.0% and 4.3%, while for partly cloudy days (0–4.0 oktas) with high variability of cloud types during a day, MAPE reached 5.9%.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of infections with Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in hunting dogs from Campania region, southern Italy

Hunting dogs have probably a higher level of exposure to Neospora caninum Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 and Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908 than other canine populations for their different lifestyle. The aim of our survey was to determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum and T. gondii in hunting dogs from southern Italy and assess risk factors related to these protozoan infections. Blood samples were collected from 398 hunting dogs (19 different breeds, aged from 5 month to 14 years). The sera were screened by indirect fluorescence antibody test; a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. Antibodies to N. caninum and T. gondii were detected in 59 (15%) dogs with titres from 50 to 3 200 and in 94 (24%) dogs with titres from 50 to 1 600, respectively, with co-infection in 25 (6%) dogs. Statistical difference (p ≤ 0.05) was found only for infection with T. gondii between two age groups: ≥ 2-4 years (16%) and ≥ 4-7 years (33%); other observed characteristics were without statistical significance. Our results suggest that the hunting dogs could play an important role in the transmission cycle of N. caninum between wild animals and livestock. This is the first detection of antibodies to T. gondii in hunting dogs in Italy.

The impact of PET/CT scanning on the size of target volumes, radiation exposure of organs at risk, TCP and NTCP, in the radiotherapy planning of non-small cell lung cancer.

AIM To compare radiotherapy plans made according to CT and PET/CT and to investigate the impact of changes in target volumes on tumour control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and the impact of PET/CT on the staging and treatment strategy. BACKGROUND Contemporary studies have proven that PET/CT attains higher sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of lung cancer and also leads to higher accuracy than CT alone in the process of target volume delineation in NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between October 2009 and March 2012, 31 patients with locally advanced NSCLC, who had been referred to radical radiotherapy were involved in our study. They all underwent planning PET/CT examination. Then we carried out two separate delineations of target volumes and two radiotherapy plans and we compared the following parameters of those plans: staging, treatment purpose, the size of GTV and PTV and the exposure of organs at risk (OAR). TCP and NTCP were also compared. RESULTS PET/CT information led to a significant decrease in the sizes of target volumes, which had the impact on the radiation exposure of OARs. The reduction of target volume sizes was not reflected in the significant increase of the TCP value. We found that there is a very strong direct linear relationship between all evaluated dosimetric parameters and NTCP values of all evaluated OARs. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that the use of planning PET/CT in the radiotherapy planning of NSCLC has a crucial impact on the precise determination of target volumes, more precise staging of the disease and thus also on possible changes of treatment strategy.