Infertility affects approximately 48 million couples globally. Despite the enormous progress of the methods of reproductive medicine that has been made since the first test-tube baby was born in 1978, the implantation rate of day-3 embryos is only around 15-20 % and 30 % of day-5 embryos. Numerous strategies aim to improve implantation rates and prevent repeated implantation failure. However, there is no specific general recommendation leading to satisfying results. One of the many risk factors relevant in this regard is the uterine immunological make-up, mainly the uterine Natural Killer (uNK) cells. They orchestrate the overall immune response during implantation by influencing trophoblast invasion and vascular remodeling and throughout pregnancy, uNK cells are also the main immune cells at the maternal–fetal interface. Previously, uNK count has been correlated with various fertility issues including idiopathic recurrent miscarriage. The present study used endometrial samples collected from 256 patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF), habitual abortion (HA) and idiopathic sterility. Samples were collected between day 19 and 21 of the menstrual cycle mainly by Pipelle endometrial sampling. The samples were fixed in formalin for 24 hours and further processed for immunohistochemistry using anti-CD56 to visualize this antigen marker of uNK cells. Immunohistochemical counting was performed to assess the low, normal, or elevated count of uNK cells. According to the one-way ANOVA test, the age of our patients did not have any influence on the count of uNK cells. With Spearman correlation analysis, we found statistically significant correlation (p-value 0.05) of -0.133 between prior miscarriage and lower uNK cell count. Using the same analysis we found statistically significant correlation (correlation 0.233 with p-value 0.01) between number of uNK cells and activation status. Patients with higher uNK cells were more frequenty diagnosed with endometriosis (p-value 0.05, correlation 0.130). Patients with an immunological factor of sterility (defined by a clinical immunologist) had a lower chance of gravidity (-0.203 with p-value 0.01). Based on our results, we can confirm that there is a correlation between RIF, HA, idiopathic sterility, endometriosis, and immunological factor of sterility (uNK cell count). The true predictive value with regard to fertility outcomes needs to be addressed in future research.
Cultivated fruits can serve as an important winter food resource for medium-sized carnivores in rural areas that experience heavy snowfall. However, studies on the food analysis of medium-sized carnivores in heavy snowfall areas, particularly on the use of cultivated fruits, are limited. We evaluated the use of cultivated fruits by medium-sized carnivores during winter in a heavy snowfall area by comparing their feeding habits in rural and forest landscapes. We conducted faecal analysis of Japanese martens (Martes melampus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in rural and forest landscapes in north-eastern Japan during periods of snow cover. Based on a faecal analysis in the rural landscape, both Japanese martens and red foxes consumed mammals, birds, fruits, and other plant material. In the forest landscape, mammals and insects were consumed by Japanese martens and mammals, fruits, and other plant material were consumed by red foxes. Our results showed that cultivated fruits, such as persimmons and apples, were a major food source in snowy environments, suggesting a wider range of available resources and overlapping feeding habits. It has been suggested that red foxes in forest landscapes move long distances (several kilometres) to consume cultivated fruits. This study suggests that cultivated fruits may also indirectly feed wildlife, even in areas with heavy snowfall.
Casuistry is one of the most widespread methods of moral reasoning in contemporary bioethics. It is often found in opposition to the dominant theory of principlism. While theoretically, ethical principlism has been elaborated quite often in the Czech bioethical and medical-ethical literature, the theoretical definition of the casuistic method does not appear. This article, therefore briefly presents the theoretical foundations of the so-called casuist method. The historical context of the casuistry method, its advantages, and disadvantages are presented. In particular, it was compared with so-called deductivist approaches and principlism, which appear in contemporary bioethics as basic competing approaches. and Kazuistika či kazuistická metoda (casuistry) je jednou z nejrozšířenějších metod morálního rozvažování v současné bioetice. Bývá často považována za protiklad k dominantní teorii principialismu. Zatímco teoreticky byl etický principialismus v české bioetické a medicínsko-etické literatuře poměrně často rozpracován, teoretické vymezení metody kazuistické se spíše neobjevuje. Tento článek proto krátce představuje teoretické základy tzv. kazuistická metody. Jsou představeny historické souvislosti kazuistické metody, její výhody a nevýhody. Zejména byla porovnávána s tzv. deduktivistickými přístupy a principialismem, které se objevují v současné bioetice jako základní konkurenční přístupy.
The aim of this review is to summarize main aspects of the book Eutanázie: definice, historie, legislativa, etika. and Tento příspěvek je recenzí publikace Eutanázie: definice, historie, legislativa, etika, která vyšla v roce 2019.
Aims. The attachment formed in early childhood affects an individual’s mental and physical health. The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Slovak version of the ECR-R questionnaire designed to detect attachment in adulthood, to create a shorter version, and to examine the sociodemographic differences in anxiety and avoidance among Slovak respondents. Sample, settings, and methods. In a cross-sectional study with a representative sample of the adult Slovak population (N=1018, age 46.24, SD 16.56, 48.7% men), data were collected using the Slovak translation of the ECR-R questionnaire. The Slovak version of the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) was used to assess the convergence validity. Results. The data of the psychometric analysis of the shortened version of the Close Relationship Questionnaire, the ECR-R-SK-14, indicate its better suitability for measuring relationship in adulthood compared to the ECR-R-16 version. Convergent validity was confirmed. Sociodemographic differences in individual groups of the Slovak population, which were expanded to include subjectively perceived loneliness in the last year of life, were described. Summary. The ECR-R questionnaire and its shorter version, the ECR-R-SK-14, are suitable tools for measuring relationships in adulthood, whether scientific or clinical. Limitations. The complete version of the ECR-R questionnaire can be difficult for some respondents to understand due to a large number of reversely formulated questions. and Ciele. Vzťahová väzba utvárajúca sa v ranom detstve ovplyvňuje duševné aj fyzické zdravie jedinca. Cieľom štúdie bolo posúdiť psychometrické vlastnosti slovenskej verzie dotazníka ECR-R na zisťovanie blízkych vzťahov v dospelosti, vytvoriť skrátenú verziu a preskúmať sociodemografické rozdiely v úzkostnosti a vyhýbavosti u slovenských respondentov. Vzorka, rámec a metódy. V prierezovej štúdii s reprezentatívnou vzorkou dospelej slovenskej populácie (N = 1018, vek priemer 46,24, SD 16,56, 48,7 % mužov) boli zozbierané údaje pomocou slovenského prekladu dotazníka ECR-R. Na posúdenie konvergentnej validity bola použitá slovenská verzia Relationship Questionare (RQ). Výsledky. Zo záverov psychometrickej analýzy skrátenej verzie dotazníka prežívania blízkych vzťahov ECR-R-SK-14 vyplýva jeho väčšia vhodnosť na meranie vzťahovej väzby v dospelosti oproti verzii ECR-R-16. Konvergentná validita sa potvrdila. Autori popísali sociodemografické rozdiely v jednotlivých skupinách slovenskej populácie, ktoré rozšírili o položku subjektívne vnímanej osamelosti v poslednom roku života. Zhrnutie. Dotazník ECR-R a jeho skrátená verzia ECR-R-SK-14 sú vhodnými nástrojmi na meranie vzťahovej väzby v dospelosti či už vo vedeckej alebo klinickej sfére. Limity: Dotazník ECR-R môže byť pre niektorých respondentov náročný na pochopenie, vzhľadom na veľké množstvo reverzne formulovaných otázok.
Objectives. Due to the rise of depressive symptomatology especially among vulnerable populations such as young adults during the COVID-19 outbreak, a reliable measuring tool is needed. Because of the lack of such studies, the authors decided to validate the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8) among Czech university students capturing the beginning of lockdown experience. Statistical analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and structural equation modelling with diagonally weighted least squares estimation using lavaan was employed. Different hypotheses about the dimensionality of the CES-D 8 scale were tested. The authors assessed the measurement equivalence of the CES-D 8 scale according to gender using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The effect of socio-demographic and COVID-19 issues variables on depression was examined. Results. One dimensional model with correlated errors showed sufficient validity and therefore, the best fit. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results revealed that the factor structure is invariant across gender. Women and those who reported financial distress and academic stress showed a higher level of depressive symptomatology. On the other hand, relationships proved to have a protective effect. Limitations. The sample came from an online survey, respondents were self-selected. There was a gender imbalance in the sample that cannot be explained by a higher number of women in the Czech university environment. Conclusions. The CES-D 8 proved to be a useful instrument for measuring depressed mood that opens further possibilities for depression research in the university environment and during pandemic situations. and Cíle. Vzhledem k nárůstu depresivní sympto-matologie během pandemie covid-19 zejména u zranitelných skupin, jako jsou mladí dospělí, narostla potřebnost spolehlivého nástroje na mě-ření depresivity. Z důvodu chybějící validizace se autoři rozhodli ověřit osmipoložkovou škálu Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8) u českých vysokoškolských studentů v době samého počátku pandemie.Statistické analýzy. Byla provedena konfir-mační faktorová analýza za použití struktur-ního modelování metodou DWLS (diagonally weighted least squares) pomocí balíku laavan. Byly testovány různé hypotézy o dimenziona-litě škály CES-D 8. Pomocí MCFA (multigroup confirmatory factor analysis) autoři posuzovali ekvivalenci měření škály CES-D 8 podle po-hlaví. Byl zkoumán vliv sociodemografických proměnných a proměnných týkajících se pro-blematiky covid-19 na depresivní symptoma-tologii.Výsledky. Jednodimenzionální model s korelo-vanými reziduálními rozptyly u dvou položek prokázal dostatečnou validitu a nejlépe odpoví-dal datům. Výsledky MCFA ukázaly, že faktoro-vá struktura zvoleného modelu byla invariantní vzhledem k pohlaví. Ženy a osoby, které byly ve finanční nouzi nebo prožívaly zvýšený stres ze studia, vykazovaly vyšší úroveň depresivní symptomatologie. Naopak partnerský vztah se ukázal mít protektivní efekt.Limity práce. Vzorek pochází z online průzku-mu, respondenti byli vybráni samovýběrem. Nadreprezentaci žen-studentek v datech nelze zdůvodnit vyšším podílem žen na českých uni-verzitách.Závěr. CES-D 8 se ukázal být užitečným nástro-jem pro měření depresivity, jenž otevírá další možnosti pro výzkum deprese v univerzitním prostředí a během pandemických situací.
The paper presents validation of a mathematical model describing the friction factor by comparing the predicted and measured results in a broad range of solid concentrations and mean particle diameters. Three different types of solids, surrounded by water as a carrier liquid, namely Canasphere, PVC, and Sand were used with solids density from 1045 to 2650 kg/m3, and in the range of solid concentrations by volume from 0.10 to 0.45. All solid particles were narrowly sized with mean particle diameters between 1.5 and 3.4 mm. It is presented that the model predicts the friction factor fairly well. The paper demonstrates that solid particle diameter plays a crucial role for the friction factor in a vertical slurry flow with coarse solid particles. The mathematical model is discussed in reference to damping of turbulence in such flows. As the friction factor is below the friction for water it is concluded that it is possible that the effect of damping of turbulence is included in the KB function, which depends on the Reynolds number.
Objectives. Research on populism has pro-gressed over the last decade and several scales have been proposed to measure populist at-titudes. None of these has been validated in the context of Slovakia, where populists are a long-term part of both coalition and opposition. This study aimed to verify the psychometric properties of four populist attitudes scales that are frequently used and verified in international research, on a Slovak sample. Participants and setting. Data of 832 respond-ents collected using an online panel in Novem-ber 2021 were analyzed using the R software. The research sample was representative accord-ing to the distribution of gender, age, education, and regions in Slovakia. Statistical analysis. The original scales were tested using an exploratory dataset (N = 416). The modified scales were verified using a con-firmatory dataset (N = 416). Results.The results showed that the original scales did not fit the data. However, after several modifications, the two scales were validated on the Slovak sample. The scales were invariant across the gender, age, and educational groups. Limits. A possible shortcoming of the validated populist attitudes scales is the instability in pre-dicting electoral behavior, which is discussed in connection with the results of other studies, and the Slovak political and cultural context. and Ciele. Výskum populizmu posledné desaťročie napreduje, čoho znakom je navrhnutie niekoľ-kých škál na meranie populistických postojov. Žiadna z nich nebola overená v podmienkach Slovenska, kde sú populisti dlhodobo súčasťou koalície aj opozície. Cieľom tejto štúdie bolo overiť psychometrické vlastnosti štyroch škál populistických postojov, ktoré sa často používa-jú a overujú v medzinárodných výskumoch, na slovenskej vzorke. Participanti a postup výskumu. Dáta 832 res-pondentov, získané pomocou online panelu v novembri 2021, boli analyzované pomocou softvéru R. Výskumná vzorka bola reprezen-tatívna z hľadiska distribúcie pohlavia, veku, úrovne vzdelania a príslušnosti k regiónom Slo-venska. Štatistická analýza. Pôvodné škály boli testova-né pomocou exploračného súboru dát (N = 416). Modifikované škály boli overené pomocou kon-firmačného súboru dát (N = 416). Výsledky. Výsledky ukázali, že pôvodné škály nezodpovedajú dátam. Po niekoľkých úpravách však boli dve škály validované na slovenskej vzorke. Škály boli invariantné pre pohlavie, vek a dosiahnuté vzdelanie. Limity. Možným nedostatkom validovaných škál populistických postojov je nestabilita pri predikcii volebného správania, ktorá je disku-tovaná v kontexte výsledkov iných štúdií a tiež v politickom a kultúrnom kontexte Slovenska.