This article provides an updated overview of the structural and functional changes in normotensive glaucoma and its variations from hypertensive glaucoma. The authors point out the less familiar facts in which both diagnostic groups differ.

Background. Hypertensive glaucoma (HTG) causes damage to the retinal ganglion cells and eventually to the entire visual pathway due to high intraocular pressure (IOP). However, increased IOP will also affect the vessel density (VD) of the posterior pole of the eye and the related retinal ganglion nerve fibres (RNFL). In normotensive glaucoma (NTG), the retinal ganglion cells are relatively intact. The pathology is at the level of ganglion fibres. The unanswered question is what has altered ganglion cell fibres at the level of the retina and optic nerve head in NTG? Aim. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and vessel density (VD) at the same altitudinal half of the retina and the sum of sensitivities of the contralateral half of the visual field of the same eye in hypertensive and normotensive glaucoma (NTG). Methods. Our group included 20 patients with HTG and 20 patients with NTG. The Pearson's correlation coefficient r was used for evaluation of the relationship of the peripapillary RNFL and VD, visual field (using the fast threshold glaucoma program) as the sum of sensitivities in apostilbs (asb) to the extent of 0-22 degrees. The results of sensitivity were compared with the RNFL and VD of the contralateral altitudinal half of the retina in the same eye. Results. In the HTG group there was a moderate relationship between RNFL and VD (both hemifields), but no relationship between RNFL and VF. VD SH and VF IH showed weak correlation and VD IH and VF SH showed no correlation. In patients with NTG, we found a strong correlation between RNFL and VD (both hemifields), between VD SH and VF IH a moderate correlation, between VD IH and VF SH also a moderate correlation and a weak correlation between RNFL and VF. Conclusion. By comparing the RNFL and VD at the same altitudinal halves of the retina, we found a moderate correlation in HTG and a strong correlation in NTG. We found no or a weak correlation between VD and VF in HTG. In NTG the relationship between VD and VF showed a strong correlation. These findings reveal the differences in the diagnostic groups.

TICHÁ ZUZANA, MACH PAVEL, ŽÁKOVÁ MARKÉTA, VÍTĚZOVÁ MONIKA: Avoidance behaviour testing of Eisenia andrei in biodegradable plastic environment. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 2013, LXI, No. 5, pp. 1423-1429 Avoidance behaviour test with the earthworms (ISO 17512-1:2008) is a rapid screening test for the evaluation of soil and the infl uence of pollutants and chemicals on the behaviour of earthworms. The purpose of the testing is to determine the avoidance behaviour of earthworm (in this case Eisenia andrei was used) which can be used as an organism for the composting and occur naturally in soil environment. The methodology was modifi ed according to the needs of the avoidance behaviour testing of earthworms in biodegradable plastic environment. It is a biodegradable thermoplastic material Mater-Bi, which is produced from corn starch. Californian earthworm (Eisenia andrei) was chosen as a test organism. The two-chamber test was used in testing. 10 earthworms were used, which were exposed to a number of concentrations of the test substance, which was mixed into the compost environment. It was recorded both a positive result, avoidance reaction, as well as a negative result, non-avoidance reaction and also there was a case, where individuals prefer both substrates equally. Organisms showed no escape reaction and were fairly evenly distributed in both halves of the test vessel, it can be assessed that organisms prefer both substrates equally. In testing, the mortality was zero, none of the individuals died, at the conclusion of the test there were not found any dead individuals. Avoidance higher than 80 % didn't occur; it cannot be said that the substrate is toxic or degraded.avoidance behaviour, Eisenia andrei, biodegradable plastic Avoidance behaviour test belongs to relatively new test in soil ecotoxicology, which was fi rst introduced over 10 years ago. Avoidance can potentially indicate sub-lethal stress in a short period of time, testing is easily done in a soil matrix, and an avoidance test has the potential for specialized applications for soil testing. Avoidance behaviour proved in most cases is a more sensitive indicator of chemical contamination than acute tests. (Yeardly et al., 1996).

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the direction of view of the eye on the postoperative near visual acuity of patients with monofocal intraocular lens. A total of 121 eyes in which we performed conventional cataract surgery with implantation of a monofocal lens were included in the study group. The postoperative examination of near visual acuity was performed at two different positions of the eye at a constant distance from the reading table, with the assumption of improving visual acuity when looking perpendicularly to the plane of the floor. The mutual relation of the postoperative parameters central keratometry (K c ), keratometry in the visual axis (K VA ) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) for the single axial length ranges was determined using the correlation coefficients. In the case of vertical position of the eye (visual axis of the eye perpendicular to the floor), the uncorrected visual acuity following implantation of the monofocal lens was higher or equal compared to the horizontal position of the eye (visual axis of the eye parallel to the floor). The mean visual acuity at the horizontal position of the eye was 0.508 according to Jaeger's tables (P<0.001); at the vertical position, the mean value was 0.555 (P<0.001). Within the entire group, a weak association at best was observed between the postoperative parameters (K c , K VA and ACD) and subsequent near visual acuity. Different dependence was found after categorising the group according to the axial length of the eye. In conclusion, the near visual acuity in eyes with an implanted monofocal lens for emmetropy to distance reached higher values at the vertical vs. horizontal position of the eyes. However, neither of the observed parameters (K C , K VA or ACD) can be unambiguously determined as decisive for the assumption of the described feature.

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