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Climate-smart forestry (CSF) consists of an extensive framework of actions directed to mitigating and adapting to global climate change impacts on the resilience and productivity of forest ecosystems. This study investigates the impact of the pan-European 2018 drought on carbon exchange dynamics in typical highland and mountain forests in the Czech Republic, including two coniferous stands (Norway spruce at Bily KHz and Rajec) and one deciduous stand (European beech at Stitna). Our results show that the annual net ecosystem C[O.sub.2] uptake at Rajec decreased by 50% during the drought year in comparison to a reference year with normal climatic conditions. The Bily Kriz stand is less affected by drought, as the local microclimate ensures sufficient water supply. The European beech forest at Stitna is most resilient against drought and its negative impacts--there we detect no differences in carbon exchange dynamics between the drought year and the reference year. We consider the matching of tree species to site conditions as crucial in the context of CSF, specifically regarding the stand response to water limitation and water supply and demand. Successively replacing spruce with beech trees in areas with high water demand but limited water supply, like Rajec, will support the goals of CSF. Key words: carbon use efficiency, light use efficiency, eddy covariance, European beech, net ecosystem carbon exchange, Norway spruce. La foresterie intelligente face au climat (FIC) est constituee d'un cadre detaille d'actions visant a attenuer les impacts du changement climatique sur la resilience et la productivite des ecosystemes forestiers et a s'y adapter. Cette etude porte sur l'impact de la secheresse paneuropeenne de 2018 sur la dynamique des echanges de carbone dans les forets typiques des hautes terres et de montagne en Republique tcheque, incluant deux peuplements resineux (epicea commun a Bily Kriz et Rajec) et un peuplement feuillu (hetre commun a Stitna). Nos resultats montrent que l'absorption annuelle nette de C[O.sub.2] par l'ecosysteme a Rajec a diminue de 50 % l'annee de la secheresse comparativement a une annee de reference avec des conditions climatiques normales. Le site de Bily Kriz a ete moins touche par la secheresse etant donne que le microclimat local a assure un apport en eau suffisant. La foret de hetre commun situee Stitna est tres resiliente face a la secheresse et ses impacts negatifs : dans ce cas nous ne detectons aucune difference dans la dynamique des echanges de carbone entre l'annee de la secheresse et l'annee de reference. Nous considerons que l'appariement des especes d'arbres avec les conditions du site est crucial dans le contexte de la FIC, particulierement en ce qui a trait a la reaction du peuplement a un deficit hydrique ainsi qu'a l'approvisionnement et la demande en eau. Le remplacement successif de l'epicea par le hetre dans les regions qui ont une forte demande en eau mais des reserves limitees, comme Rajec, va soutenir les objectifs de la FIC. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : efficacite de l'utilisation du carbone, efficacite de l'utilisation de la lumiere, covariance des turbulences, hetre commun, echange net de carbone de l'ecosysteme, epicea commun., Introduction It is generally accepted that forests and the forestry sector as a whole may be termed very important 'players' in the mitigation of and (or) adaptation to global climate [...]

Background and aims: Recent studies suggest that empagliflozin reduces total and cardiovascular mortality in both diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Although the exact mechanism is unclear, it is understood to positively affect myocardial energetics, including the metabolism of ketone bodies, lipids, and fatty acids. In this study, we compared empagliflozin effects on lipid metabolism in the heart and liver in a prediabetic rat model with severe dyslipidemia. Materials and methods: Wistar rats served as the control group, while hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (HHTg) rats were used as a nonobese, prediabetic model. Rats were treated with or without empagliflozin at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) for 8 weeks. Results: In HHTg rats, empagliflozin decreased body weight and adiposity, improved glucose tolerance, and decreased serum triacylglycerols (TAGs) (p < 0.001). Empagliflozin decreased the activity and gene expression of the lipogenic enzyme SCD-1 (p < 0.001) in the myocardium, which may have led to a decrease in the ectopic accumulation of TAGs and lipotoxic diacylglycerols and lysophosphatidylcholines (p < 0.001). Changes in the myocardial phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine ratio (p < 0.01) and in the fatty acid profile of myocardial phospholipids may have contributed to the antifibrotic effects of empagliflozin. The anti-inflammatory effects of empagliflozin were evidenced by an increased IL-10/TNFa ratio (p < 0.001), a marked decrease in arachidonic acid metabolites (20-HETE, p < 0.001), and an increase in PUFA metabolites (14,15-EETs, p < 0.001) in the myocardium. However, empagliflozin did not significantly affect either the concentration or utilization of ketone bodies. In the liver, empagliflozin decreased lipogenesis and the accumulation of TAGs and lipotoxic intermediates. Its effect on arachidonic acid metabolites and alterations in n-3 PUFA metabolism was less pronounced than in the myocardium. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that empagliflozin treatment in the heart and liver reduced the accumulation of neutral lipids and lipotoxic intermediates and altered the metabolism of n-3 PUFA. In the heart, empagliflozin altered arachidonic acid metabolism, which is likely associated with the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects of the drug. We assume that these alterations in lipid metabolism contribute to the cardioprotective effects of empagliflozin in prediabetic states with severe dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the issue of the place and role of environmental insurance in the security concept of the industrial enterprise. The priority importance of liability insurance against the risk of "environmental pollution" in economic entities is outlined. Emphasis is placed on the positioning of environmental insurance among the mechanisms for increasing environmental security in the context of corporate risk management. The results of the marketing research among operating companies in the Bulgarian insurance market are presented and give an idea of the state, problems and guidelines for the development of insurance for environmental risks in our country. The analysed marketing information is supplemented by the results of similar research among companies in the chemical industry as consumers of environmental insurance in order to cover the two elements - supply and demand - in the market of environmental insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the cardioprotective mechanism induced by long-term adaptation to chronic intermittent hypoxia. Adult male Wistar rats were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia of 7,000 m for 8 h/day, 5 days/wk; the total number of exposures was 24-32. A control group was kept under normoxic conditions. Western blot analysis of PKC isoforms-[delta] and -[epsilon] was performed in the cytosol and three particulate fractions of left ventricular myocardium. Infarct size was determined in open-chest animals subjected to 20-min coronary artery occlusion and 3-h reperfusion. The PKC inhibitors chelerythrine (1 or 5 mg/kg) or rottlerin (selective for PKC-[delta] isoform 0.3 mg/kg) were administered intravenously as a single bolus 15 rain before ischemia. Chronic hypoxia had no effect on the expression and distribution of PKC-[epsilon]. The relative amount of PKC-[delta] increased in the cytosol and nuclear-cytoskeletal, mitochondrial, and microsomal fractions of chronically hypoxic myocardium by 100%, 212%, 237%, and 146%, respectively, compared with corresponding normoxic values. Chronic hypoxia decreased the size of myocardial infarction (normalized to the area at risk) by about one-third on the average (P < 0.05). Both doses of chelerythrine tended to reduce infarction in controls, and only the high dose completely abolished the improvement of ischemic tolerance in hypoxic hearts (P < 0.05). Rottlerin attenuated the infarct size-limiting effect of chronic hypoxia (P < 0.05), and it had no effect in controls. These results suggest that chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced cardioprotection in rats is partially mediated by PKC-[delta]; the contribution of other isoforms remains to be determined. ischemia-reperfusion: infarct size; protein kinase C

The Multiple Objective Optimization Problem (MOOP) is examined. In MOOP, concave functions are maximized over a feasible set represented as a union of compact convex sets. Such a problem can be solved by considering two auxiliary scalar optimization problems which use reference points. The first problem contains only continuous variables, has higher dimensionality but is convex. The second problem is a mixed integer programming problem. Nondominated points are determined by the solutions of both scalar problems.

The combination of plant-derived compounds with anti-diabetic agents to manage hepatic steatosis closely associated with diabetes mellitus may be a new therapeutic approach. Silymarin, a complex of bioactive substances extracted from Silybum marianum, evinces an antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activity. In this study, we investigated whether metformin (300 mg/kg/day for four weeks) supplemented with micronized silymarin (600 mg/kg/day) would be effective in mitigating fatty liver disturbances in a pre-diabetic model with dyslipidemia. Compared with metformin monotherapy, the metformin–silymarin combination reduced the content of neutral lipids (TAGs) and lipotoxic intermediates (DAGs). Hepatic gene expression of enzymes and transcription factors involved in lipogenesis (Scd-1, Srebp1, Pparγ, and Nr1h) and fatty acid oxidation (Pparα) were positively affected, with hepatic lipid accumulation reducing as a result. Combination therapy also positively influenced arachidonic acid metabolism, including its metabolites (14,15-EET and 20-HETE), mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress. Changes in the gene expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes, particularly Cyp4A, can improve hepatic lipid metabolism and moderate inflammation. All these effects play a significant role in ameliorating insulin resistance, a principal background of liver steatosis closely linked to T2DM. The additive effect of silymarin in metformin therapy can mitigate fatty liver development in the pre-diabetic state and before the onset of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]