Mild hyperhomocysteinemia has been established as a new independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance is associated with a high risk of coronary heart disease. Our objective was to determine if any relationship exists between the metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects and total serum homocysteine levels. Sixty-six healthy volunteers (33 males and 33 females) were selected from the population of Pilsen. Insulin resistance was measured by the Insulin Suppression Test using Octreotide. Steady-state plasma glucose concentrations at the end of the test period provided a quantitative measure of insulin resistance. Serum homocysteine level was estimated by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Serum folate and vitamin B12 were estimated using commercial kits on an Abbott IMx analyzer. All other laboratory tests were performed by standard methods in a routine biochemical laboratory. Subjects with the highest tertile of steady-state plasma glucose showed a significantly higher body mass index, blood pressure, fasting plasma triglyceride levels, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and lower HDL-cholesterol, i.e. an insulin resistance pattern. These subjects had significantly lower serum homocysteine levels compared with non-insulin resistant subjects. The negative association of insulin resistance and serum homocysteine was unexpected. The contribution of plasma folate levels to serum homocysteine levels and serum creatinine was significantly negative and positive, respectively., H. Rosolová, J. Šimon, O. Mayer Jr., J. Racek, T. Dierzé, D. W. Jacobsen., and Obsahuje bibliografii
It is important to determine and clarify the variability of mammary carcinogenesis induction in animal experimental studies particularly in connection with chemoprevention projects. The circannual seasonal rhythms of hormone levels or various parameters within the immune system may involve factors participating in mammary gland carcinogenesis. In our study, 19 experiments were conducted and all of them lasted for about 25 weeks after chemical carcinogen administration (DMBA or NMU) under standard laboratory conditions. Females of two rat strains - a medium susceptible Sprague-Dawley strain and a very low susceptible Wistar:Han were used. We observed not only the effect of seasonal changes but also the effect of age after single or repeated carcinogen administration. The seasonal dependence of mammary carcinogenesis with higher tumor incidence during long days in comparison with winter short days has been demonstrated in Sprague-Dawley rats. In experiments on the Wistar:Han strain, certain features of seasonal character were recorded, although the very low susceptibility of this strain to mammary carcinogenesis might have influenced the results. A limited period of carcinogen administration in early puberty around postnatal days 43-46 (higher susceptibility), when compared to the period after postnatal day 50, is the factor significantly increasing incidence and frequency of mammary carcinogenesis in the Sprague-Dawley strain. Our results indicate the need to consider the effect of season and age of animals at the time of carcinogen administration on rat mammary carcinogenesis induction. However, the application of the results obtained in one strain of experimental animals may only lead to misleading conclusions., P. Kubatka, E. Ahlersová, I. Ahlers, B. Bojková, K. Kalická, E. Adámeková, M. Marková, M. Chamilová, M. Čermáková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Visual cognitive responses (P300) to moving stimuli were tested in 36 subjects with the aim to find the normal range of P300 parameters. Concomitantly, the circadian intra-individual variability of the P300 was studied in a subgroup of 6 subjects. Visual stimuli consisted of either coherent (frequent stimulus) or non-coherent motion (random stimulus). The oddball paradigm was applied for recording cognitive responses. P300 to rare stimuli had an average latency of 447.3±46.6 ms and amplitude of 12.9±6.0 mV. The average reaction time was in the range from 322 to 611 ms and there was no correlation between the reaction time and P300 latency. We did not find any significant circadian changes of the P300 parameters in the 6 subjects tested four times during the same day. Cognitive (event-related) responses (P300) displayed distinctly greater inter-individual variability (S.D. of 50 ms) when compared with pattern-reversal and motion-onset VEPs (S.D. of 6.0 ms and 14 ms, respectively). For this reason, the clinical use of P300 elicited by this kind of visual stimuli seems to be rather restricted and the evaluation of its intra-individual changes is preferable., Z. Kubová, J. Kremláček, J. Szanyi, J. Chlubnová, M. Kuba., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) intragenic polymorphisms FokI, BsmI, ApaI and TaqI and bone mineral density (BMD) or biochemical markers of bone remodeling were investigated in 114 Czech postmenopausal women, on the average 62.5±8.9 years of age. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the VDR gene were assessed by PCR amplification and digestion with restriction enzymes FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI recognizing polymorphic sites in the VDR locus. Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine and at the hip by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA, g/cm2). After adjusting for age and the body mass index (BMI), subjects with the ff genotype had 9.4 % lower BMD at the hip than those with the Ff genotype (p=0.0459, Tukey´s test). FF individuals had an intermediate BMD at the hip. A similar pattern of lower lumbar spine BMD was also found in ff individuals, but it did not reach statistical significance. There was no relationship between BsmI, ApaI and TaqI VDR polymorphisms and BMD at any skeletal site. Subjects with Aa (ApaI) genotypes had higher levels of propeptide of type I collagen (PICP) than homozygous AA (p=0.0459, Tukey´s test). In FokI, BsmI and TaqI restriction sites the biochemical markers of bone remodeling did not differ by genotype. In addition, no significant difference was observed in VDR genotypic distribution between osteoporotic women and non-osteoporotic controls in the study group. To conclude, the FokI genotype of the vitamin D receptor gene is related to bone mass at the hip in Czech postmenopausal women, whereas the importance of remaining VDR genotypes was not evident., K. Zajíčková, I. Žofková, R. Bahbouh, A. Křepelová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Studie shrnuje, porovnává a kriticky zhodnocuje koncepty, modely a teorie zabývající se vtahováním dětí do rodičovských konfliktů. Zabývá se modely, které vzešly z praxe systemických terapeutů, jako např. triangulace, perverzní koalice nebo aliance. Dále se věnuje konceptům, které vznikly v rámci studia rozvodových konfliktů jako je syndrom zavrženého rodiče a odcizený rodič. Cílem této studie je představit komplexní, jasný a ucelený popis, který by charakterizoval principy vtahování dětí do konfliktů jak v úplných, tak rozvedených rodinách., The review summarizes, compares, and critically evaluates theoretical constructs, which deal with the inclusion of children into the interparental conflict. The authors review constructs based on the work of systemic therapist, such as triangulation, alliance, perverse coalition, and alliance, and psychosomatization. Either, they review theories based on studies of divorced families, such as parental alienation syndrome, and parental alienation. The goal of this study is to introduce enough complex, clear, and comprehensive description, which embrace the principles of inclusion of children into interparental conflicts, both in non-divorced and divorced families., Olga Trampotová, Lenka Lacinová., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Studie Klause Dögeho obsahuje analytické poznámky ke kompozici hudebního skladatele Bohuslava Martinů, věnovanému památce vyhlazení Lidic., In his Memorial to Lidice (composed in the summer of 1943) Martinů pays tribute to the complete extinction of the Czech village Lidice and its inhabitants by the Nazis. In the composition he uses – as he has never done before in this way – many traditional idioms and quotation-like elements in order to express all the sadness, fright and pain of his subject., Klaus Döge., Rubrika: Studie, and Německé resumé na s. 18, anglický abstrakt 5.
a1_Cíl. Autoři v článku shrnují nejrozšířenější postupy testování neuropsychologického konstruktu figurální fluence a představují základní východiska pro tvorbu Olomouckého testu figurální fluence. Soubor a design studie. Celkem bylo Olomouckým testem figurální fluence vyšetřeno 215 osob. U osob starších 60 let byl proveden screening syndromu demence metodami ACECZ a MMSE. Studie zahrnula tři soubory: 146 dobrovolníků neklinické populace bez známek kognitivního deficitu, 39 osob s rizikem kognitivního deficitu (pozitivní screening syndromu demence prostřednictvím MMSE a ACE-CZ) a 30 pacientů s prokázaným syndromem demence. Tyto soubory byly porovnány s ohledem na základní parametry Olomouckého testu figurální fluence., a2_Statistická analýza a výsledky. Chronologický věk u neklinické populace koreluje statisticky signifikantně negativně s celkovým výkonem v testu a s počtem perseverací, a statisticky významně pozitivně s počtem let vzdělávání. Mezi výkonem žen a mužů nebyl zjištěn statisticky významný rozdíl. Index celkového výkonu statisticky významně odlišuje výkon neklinické populace od populace rizikové a klinické. U osob starších 60 let existuje statisticky významná pozitivní korelace mezi celkovým výkonem v testu a screeningovými testy na syndrom demence. Dílčí proměnné autoři diskutují s ohledem na potřeby klinické praxe. Limity studie. Mezi limity studie patří nenáhodný výběr motivované populace dobrovolníků a nevyrovnané zastoupení osob ve věkovém rozpětí 31–50 let vzhledem k počtu osob v dalších věkových skupinách., b1_Objectives. The authors try to summarize the most influential possibilities for testing the neuropsychological construct of figural fluency. Sample and setting. 215 persons were assessed by Olomouc test of figural fluency. Persons older than 60 years were screened for syndrome of dementia by methods ACE-CZ and MMSE. In the study, three samples were used: 146 volunteers of nonclinical population without evidence of cognitive deficit, 39 of those at risk of cognitive deficit (positive screening for sy. dementia through the MMSE and ACE-CZ) and 30 patients with proven sy. dementia. These samples were compared with respect to the basic parameters of the Olomouc figural fluency test., b2_Statistical analysis and results. It was found that chronological age in non-clinical population is statistically significantly negatively correlated with the overall performance of the test and the number of perseveration, and significantly positively with the number of years of education. Performance of women and men is not statistically different. Index of overall performance statistically significantly differentiates performance of non-clinical population and both clinical populations. Among persons aged over 60 years statistically significant positive correlation of overall performance in the test and screening tests for dementia syndrome was found. Partial variables are discussed syndrome the needs of clinical practice. Study limitations. Among limits of the study non-randomized selection of research population and unequal distribution of participants in the age range 31-50 years due to the number of persons in other age groups can be mentioned., Martin Lečbych., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
a1_Ciele. Cieľom štúdie bolo analyzovať vzťah medzi percipovaným stresom a životnou zmysluplnosťou na súboroch mladších a starších dospelých a analyzovať možný moderačný efekt osobnostných čŕt v tomto vzťahu. Výskumný súbor. Výskumný súbor zahŕňal dva podsúbory: 303 mladých dospelých s vekovým priemerom 21,56 roka, kde bolo zastúpených 47 % mužov, a 190 starších dospelých s vekovým priemerom 63,91 roka so zastúpením 27 % mužov. Metódy. Na meranie percipovaného stresu bola použitá Škála percipovaného stresu (Cohen et al., 1983). Životná zmysluplnosť bola meraná Škálou životnej zmysluplnosti (Halama, 2002a, 2008) a päť veľkých osobnostných čŕt dotazníkom NEO-FFI, ktorého pôvodní autori sú Costa a McCrae (1992) a autormi slovenskej verzie Ruisel a Halama (2007). Štatistická analýza. Použitá štatistika zahŕňala t-testy pre dva nezávislé súbory na porovnanie rozdielov, Pearsonove korelačné koeficienty na identifikovanie vzťahov medzi premennými a viacnásobnú hierarchickú regresnú analýzu pre identifikáciu moderačného efektu., a2_ Výsledky. Porovnanie podsúborov ukázalo, že starší dospelí skórujú vyššie v prívetivosti aj v svedomitosti a nižšie v percipovanom strese, extraverzii a otvorenosti. Korelačná analýza ukázala v oboch podskupinách stredne vysoké korelácie medzi zmysluplnosťou a percipovaným stresom. Čo sa týka piatich osobnostných faktorov, zmysluplnosť v oboch podskupinách korelovala stredne vysoko s neurotizmom, extraverziou a svedomitosťou. Moderačná analýza u mladých dospelých odhalila ako moderátory vzťahu medzi percipovaným stresom a zmysluplnosťou črty extraverzia a prívetivosť. U starších dospelých to bol neurotizmus. Obmedzenia výskumu. Obmedzenia výskumu sú nelongitudinálny dizajn a dominancia žien v podsúbore starších dospelých., b1_Objectives. The goal of the study was to analyse the relationship between perceived stress and life meaningfulness in two samples: young adults and the elderly, and to analyse moderation role of the personality traits in this relationship. Sample and setting. The research sample included two subsamples: 303 young adults with mean age 21,56 years and 47% of males, and the 190 elderly with mean age 63,91 years and 27% of males. Methods. To measure perceived stress, Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983) was used. Level of meaning in life was measured by Life Meaningfulness Scale (Halama, 2002a, 2008) and big five personality traits by NEO Five Factor Inventory originally authored by Costa and McCrae (1992) and Slovak version by Ruisel and Halama (2007). Statistical analysis. The statistics used in the study included t-tests for comparisons score across two samples, Pearson correlations for identification of the relationships between measured variables and multiple hierarchical regression analysis for moderation analysis., b2_Results. The comparison analysis showed that the elderly scored higher in agreeableness and conscientiousness, and lower in perceived stress, extraversion and openness. Correlational analysis shows medium correlation between meaningfulness in life and perceived stress in both subsamples. Concerning the big five traits, meaningfulness correlated in both subsamples modestly with neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness. Moderation analysis in young adults revealed that extraversion and agreeableness acted as moderators of the relationship between stress and meaningfulness. In the subsample of the elderly, neuroticism was identified as moderator. Study limitation. The limitations of the study are its non-longitudinal design and the predominance of females in the sample of the elderly., Peter Halama, Katarína Kettner, Lenka Lesayová., and obsahuje seznam literatury
Objectives. The main goal of the study was to analyse in detail specific family indicators and their relation to selected indicator of life satisfaction in a representative sample of Czech children. Sample and setting. A total number of 4 351 children aged 11, 13 and 15 years out of 88 randomly selected schools in Czech Republic formed the study population. The data was acquired in the framework of the WHO study “The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Cross National Study” (HBSC) in June 2010 by means of standardized questionnaires. Research questions. Is formal structure of family or the quality of communication more important for children's life satisfaction? Statistical analysis. Statistical analysis included descriptive analyses, the x2 test of independence in contingency tables, Fisher’s exact test, two samples T-test, one and two way analysis of variance using the NCSS 2007 program. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of family on life satisfaction of children and prevalence odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were calculated as measure of association. Results. Life satisfaction was high for majority of children, it reached two thirds of possible maximum at both of the followed scales (Cantril index, Huebner scale) for the whole sample. Life satisfaction was significantly associated (p<0,001) with age, gender, formal structure of family and quality of communication in family. Children from complete families with easy or very easy communication with both parents had the highest values at both of the followed life satisfaction scales. Study limitations. Limitations of the study result from the cross-sectional design and data based on self-reports. Both life satisfaction and family were analysed on the basis of selected question categories., L. Hodačová, E. Čermáková, J. Šmejkalová, E. Hlaváčková, M. Kalman., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
a1_Cíle. Lokální souběžná kriteriální validizace šesti škál Hoganova osobnostního inventáře (HPI), které měří ty osobnostní charakteristiky, které jsou u lidí spojeny s vyšší, nebo naopak nižší pravděpodobností výskytu kontraproduktivního pracovního chování (KPCH). Výzkumný soubor. Kombinace příležitostného a náhodného výběru n = 74 zaměstnanců, tzv. retailerů ze soukromé bankovní instituce na Slovensku; 37 těchto zaměstnanců podle hodnocení zaměstnavatele vykazovalo prvky KPCH a 37 zaměstnanců tento typ chování nevykazovalo. Hypotéza. Skupiny zaměstnanců vykazujících a nevykazujících prvky KPCH se budou systematicky lišit v testových skórech na škálách HPI měřících ty osobnostní charakteristiky, které souvisí s mírou výskytu KPCH. Statistická analýza. K analýze dat byl primárně použit bayesovský odhad rozdílu mezi skupinami (BEST) a bayesovská jednoduchá logistická regrese. Provedeny byly rovněž klasické varianty těchto testů spolu s bodově-biseriální korelační analýzou. Výsledky. U pěti ze šesti sledovaných škál existují v testových skórech v očekávaném směru věrohodné nenulové rozdíly mezi osobami vykazujícími a nevykazujícími prvky KPCH. Napříč těmito škálami se absolutní hodnota síly efektu d v rámci 95% HDI pohybuje od 0,012 do 1,22. Při nárůstu testového skóru na sledovaných škálách o jednu směrodatnou odchylku se snížení, resp. zvýšení šance na výskyt KPCH v rámci 95% HDI pohybuje od -72 % do -3 %, resp. od 11 % do 189 %. Pět ze šesti škál statisticky významně (p < 0,05) koreluje s výskytem KPCH v rozmezí absolutních hodnot rpb od 0,241do 0,360. Omezení studie. Vzhledem k menší velikosti výzkumného souboru je odhad pozorovaných efektů relativně nepřesný., a2_Způsob zjišťování kritéria KPCH mohl snížit míru jeho spolehlivosti. Kritérium KPCH je navíc poměrně široce vymezeno. Způsob výběru výzkumného souboru spolu s nedostupností některých základních demografických údajů o probandech účastnících se výzkumu snižují možnost generalizace výsledků studie i na jiné populace osob., b1_Objectives. Local concurrent criterion validity study of six selected Hogan Personality Inventory’s (HPI) scales that measure those personality characteristics which are associated with higher or lower probability of counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Sample and setting. Combination of convenience and random sample of n = 74 employees (retailers) from one private banking company in Slovakia. 37 employees showed and 37 employees did not show CWB according to evidence available to employer. Hypotheses. Groups of employees showing/notshowing CWB will systematically differ in their test scores on HPI scales measuring personality characteristics associated with the incidence of CWB. Statistical analysis. Bayesian estimation of differences between groups (BEST) and Bayesian simple logistic regression were used as primary statistical tools for data analysis. More traditional NHST alternatives to Bayesian methods were also conducted together with point-biserial correlation analysis. Results.In the case of five out of six selected HPI scales there are credible non-zero differences in test scores between employees not/showing CWB and these differences are in expected direction. Across these scales the absolute value of effect size d within 95% HDI is in the range from .012 to 1.22. With test scores increased by one standard deviation the odds of showing CWB decrease by -72% to -3% or increase by 11% to 189 % within 95% HDI across six selected scales. In the case of five out of six scales there is statistically significant (p < .05) correlation with incidence of CWB with absolute values of point-biserial correlation coefficient ranging from .241 to .360. Study limitation. Given the smaller sample of subjects the estimation of observed effects is relatively imprecise. Method of CWB detection could reduce reliability of CWB criterion., b2_CWB criterion is also fairly widely defined. Used sampling procedure together with inaccessibility of information about some basic demographic characteristics of tested subjects reduces the possibility to generalize findings from the study to other populations., Luděk Stehlík., and Obsahuje seznam literatury