Výzkumy dlouhodobě poukazují na celou řadu zdravotních nerovností a rozdílů v kvalitě života lidí, jejichž hlavním rozlišujícím znakem je jejich sexuální orientace, sexuální sebe-identifikace či obecně sexualita. Tato rozmanitost ovšem bývá jen zřídka běžně zařazována mezi demografické otázky, a tak se aktuálně potýkáme nejen s nedostupností důležitých dat, ale také s celou řadou nejasností, které s "měřením sexuality" v rámci výzkumných šetření souvisí. Tento článek si klade čtyři vzájemně propojené cíle. Nejprve přispět k diskusi, která by typic-kou nepřítomnost položek zjišťujících sexualitu respondentů v rámci relevantních studií identifikovala jako významnou bariéru omezující dostupnost informací o zdraví neheterosexuálních lidí. Následně vyjasnit klíčové terminologické problémy, které se pojí zejména s neustále se vyvíjející sexuálně-identitní terminologií. Dále se zaměřuje na diskusi metodologických, ale také kontextuálních úskalí, která se dotýkají problematiky dotazování v oblasti sexuality a přispívají k různým typům výběrových zkreslení. V závěrečné části je diskutována populární otázka "reprezentativity" dostupných výsledků výzkumných šetření a s využitím aktuálních českých a zahraničních reprezentativních šetření zodpovězena otázka, zda stále platí, že neheterosexuální lidé tvoří 4 % populace., Research has long pointed to a number of health inequalities and differences in the quality of life of people, whose main distinguishing feature is their sexual orientation, sexual self-identification, or sexuality in general. However, this diversity is rarely included among demographic questions, so we currently face not only the unavailability of essential data but also many ambiguities associated with the "measurement of sexuality" in research. This article has four interconnected primary goals. First, to contribute to the discussion, which may identify the absence of items determining the sexuality of respondents in relevant studies as a significant barrier limiting the availability of information about the health of non-heterosexual people. Further, it clarifies key terminological issues, which are mainly related to the continually evolving sexual-identity terminology. Third, it focuses on the discussion of methodological but also contextual pitfalls, which touch on the issue of measuring in the field of sexuality and con-tribute to various types of selection bias. In the final part, the question of "representativeness" of available research results is discussed and using current Czech and foreign representative surveys, the question of whether it is still true that non-heterosexual people make up 4% of the population is addressed., Michal Pitoňák., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Methylphenidate is commonly used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The cardiovascular safety of methylphenidate has been a subject of debate with some studies indicating that methylphenidate increases the likelihood of experiencing a myocardial infarction. However, it is unknown whether methylphenidate worsens the extent of injury during an ischemic insult. The purpose of this study was to determine whether short term exposure to methylphenidate increases the extent of myocardial injury during an ischemic insult. Male and female rats received methylphenidate (5 mg/kg/day) or saline for 10 days by oral gavage. Hearts were subjected to 20 min of ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion on a Langendorff isolated heart apparatus on day 11. Cardiac contractile function was monitored via an intraventricular balloon and myocardial injury was assessed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Methylphenidate significantly increased locomotor activity in male and female rats, confirming absorption of this psychostimulant into the central nervous system. Male hearts had significantly larger infarcts than female hearts, but methylphenidate had no impact on infarct size or postischemic recovery of contractile function in hearts of either sex. These data indicate that methylphenidate does not increase the extent of injury induced by an ischemic insult., Sarah L. Seeley, Manoranjan S. D’Souza, Thorne S. Stoops, Boyd R. Rorabaugh., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Glucagon-like-peptide 2 (GLP-2) is an endogenous enteroendocrine physiological trophic peptide. Glepaglutide is a novel long-acting GLP-2 analog under development for the treatment of patients with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). The objective of this work was to compare the small intestinal trophic effects in both genders following short (1 week) versus long-term (26-39 weeks) GLP-2 treatment in Wistar rats and Beagle dogs. Following both short- and long-term treatment with glepaglutide, a significant dose-dependent intestinotrophic effect was seen in both genders and species. At all doses increased length and weight of the small intestine as well as macroscopic thickening and villous hypertrophy were noted in all segments of the small intestine, without any differences between genders. The findings were still present following a 6-week recovery period, indicating long-acting intestinotrophic effects of glepaglutide. These studies demonstrate that a long-acting GLP-2 analog (glepaglutide) has a fast onset and long duration of intestinotrophic action with similar profile in both genders and species (rat and dog).
Arterial compliance (C) is a complex parameter influencing ventricular-arterial coupling depending on structural (arterial wall remodeling) and functional (blood pressure, smooth muscles tone) changes. Based on Windkessel model, C can be calculated as the ratio of a time constant Tau characterizing diastolic blood pressure decay and total peripheral resistance (TPR). The aim of this study was to assess changes of C in the context of systolic arterial pressure (SAP) perturbations during four physiological states (supine rest, head-up tilt, supine recovery, mental arithmetic). In order to compare pressure independent changes of C a new index of C120 was proposed predicting C value at 120 mm Hg of SAP. Eighty-one healthy young subjects (48 f, average age 18.6 years) were examined. Hemodynamic parameters were measured beat-to-beat using volume-clamp photoplethysmographic method and impedance cardiography. We observed that C was strongly related to SAP values on the beat-to-beat time scale. Interestingly, C120 decreased significantly during stress phases. In conclusion, potential changes of SAP should be considered when measuring C. Arterial compliance changes in the opposite direction to TPR pointing towards influence of vascular tone changes on its value.
Despite the increasing interest in applying composts as soil amendments worldwide, there is a lack of knowledge on short-term effects of compost amendments on soil structural and hydraulic properties. Our goal was to study the effect of compost and vermicompost-based soil amendments on soil structure, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability and plant water use efficiency compared to that of mineral fertilizers and food-waste digestate and examine if these effects are evident within a short time after application. We set up a pot experiment with spring wheat using a sandy and a loamy soil receiving either mineral fertilizer (MF); dewatered digestate from anaerobic digestion of food waste (DG), vermicomposted digestate (VC_DG); sewage sludge-based compost (C_SS) and sewage sludge-based vermicompost (VC_SS). We then monitored and calculated the soil water balance components (irrigation, outflow, evaporation, transpiration, and soil water content). At harvest, we measured shoot biomass, soil texture, bulk density, water retention characteristics and aggregate stability. The irrigation use efficiency (IE) and the plant water use efficiency (WUE) were calculated for each treatment by dividing the transpiration and the dry shoot biomass with the amount of water used for irrigation, respectively. For the sandy soil, we used X-Ray computed tomography to visualise the pore system after applying organic amendments and to derive metrics of the pore-network such as its fractal dimension, imaged macroporosity and critical pore diameter. X-Ray tomography indicated that composting and vermicomposting resulted in more complex and diverse porous system and increased soil macroporosity. The increased fractal dimensions also indicated that compost and vermicompost can contribute to structure formation and stabilization within a short time after their application. Despite the small application rate and short incubation time, the application of organic amendments to the two different soil types resulted in improved soil water holding capacity and water use efficiency. Composting and vermicomposting appeared to have the best effect at reducing the irrigation demand and evaporation losses and increasing the water use efficiency of the plant, likely through their effect on soil structure and the pore-size distribution.
Prior to the onset of the pandemic, evidence on the conversion of regular rental housing into permanent holiday homes has fuelled concerns that Airbnb and other short-term rentals contribute to the shortage of affordable homes and to the displacement of regular residents in cities with high housing demand. When the pandemic set in, the media was quick to speculate that holiday homes would be returned to the regular rental market. This paper provides some theoretical reflections on the factors that are driving and impeding such a development and presents preliminary results from an ongoing research project that empirically tracesthe impacts of COVID-19 on the rental housing market based on an analysis of real estate listings in four large Austrian cities. We argue that a current shift to the regular rental market is likely, but that the medium- and long-term development is uncertain. Empirically, we demonstrate that such a shift has occurred in all four cities considered. We do not find evidence, however, that the increased rental housing supply has dampened rent levels.
Both prenatal and postnatal excessive consumption of dietary sucrose or fructose was shown to be detrimental to health and contributing to pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Our knowledge of genetic determinants of individual sensitivity to sucrose-driven metabolic effects is limited. In this study, we have tested the hypothesis that a variation of metabolic syndromerelated gene, Zbtb16 (Zinc Finger and BTB Domain Containing 16 will affect the reaction to high-sucrose diet (HSD) content in “matched” nutritional exposition settings, i.e. maternal HSD with re-exposition to HSD in adulthood vs. standard diet. We compared metabolic profiles of adult males of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and a single-gene, minimal congenic strain SHR-Zbtb16 fed either standard diet or exposed to HSD prenatally throughout gestation and nursing and again at the age of 6 months for the period of 14 days. HSD exposition led to increased adiposity in both strains and decrease of glucose tolerance and cholesterol (Ch) concentrations in majority of lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) particle classes and in very large and large high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in SHR-Zbtb16 male offspring. There was a similar pattern of HSD-induced increase of triacylglycerols in chylomicrons and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) of both strains, though the increase of (triacylglycerol) TAG content was clearly more pronounced in SHR. We observed significant STRAIN*DIET interactions for the smallest LDL particles as their TAG content decreased in SHR-Zbtb16 and did not change in SHR in response to HSD. In summary, we provide evidence of nutrigenetic interaction between Zbtb16 and HSD in context of pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome.
Sibling competition leading to physiological stress and elevated allostatic load is driven by asymmetrical development and limited resources. To investigate these predictions, we studied broods of the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, from a nest-box population in Armenio, Central Greece. For each nestling reared in nest-boxes, we noted the age (in days) since hatching, measured the wing chord length and body mass. We also clipped the central right rectrix for ptilochronology for subsequent analysis in the laboratory. We measured 206 nestlings from 61 broods (range 2-5 nestlings). In the case of nestlings < 18 days old (n = 198, 96.1% of all) we also measured the length of feathers. As a measure of body condition, we used the residuals of the linear regression for the relationship between wing chord length and body mass, while the growth bar width of feathers was used as a second, independent index of body size and allostatic load. A GLMM and information-theory criterion showed that both measures of body condition decreased incrementally from the first sibling to the most subordinate in the brood. Body condition of subordinate siblings was influenced by the number of siblings in the nest; i.e. the larger the brood size the greater the discrepancy in body condition between siblings. At the same time, we did not find any influence of sex on either measure of fitness. Thus, our results indirectly support the hypothesis that sibling competition may cause physiological developmental stress which is reflected in decreased body condition and increased allostatic load for younger nestlings.
The aim of the article is to examine side effects of increased dietary intake of amino acids, which are commonly used as a dietary supplement. In addition to toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity, attention is focused on renal and gastrointestinal tract functions, ammonia production, and consequences of a competition with other amino acids for a carrier at the cell membranes and enzymes responsible for their degradation. In alphabetic order are examined arginine, β-alanine, branchedchain amino acids, carnosine, citrulline, creatine, glutamine, histidine, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, leucine, and tryptophan. In the article is shown that enhanced intake of most amino acid supplements may not be risk-free and can cause a number of detrimental side effects. Further research is necessary to elucidate effects of high doses and long-term consumption of amino acid supplements on immune system, brain function, muscle protein balance, synthesis of toxic metabolites, and tumor growth and examine their suitability under certain circumstances. These include elderly, childhood, pregnancy, nursing a baby, and medical condition, such as diabetes and liver disease. Studies are also needed to examine adaptive response to a long-term intake of any substance and consequences of discontinuation of supplementation.
Information and communication technology are promising channels in delivering the mindful-ness-based intervention. A common problem in these interventions is the lack of study of treat-ment adherence. The current article summarizes the state of measuring and reporting adherence, the rate of adherence, and possible predictors of adherence in the form of a systematic review following the PRISMA statement. A database search of PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, and PsychINFO identified 3104 poten-tially relevant articles published up to the end of December 2019. The review focuses only on the SARS-CoV-2 pre-pandemic time because the accelerated development of the eHealth Mind-fulness-based interventions and a vast amount of newly published interventions in the follow-ing years was expected. A total of 69 studies met all the eligibility criteria. Out of these studies, 61% reported some measure of adherence and 36% reported the adherence rate. The adherence rate in clinical populations ranged from 41% to 92%; in non-clinical populations, it ranged from 1% to 85%. Predictors of adherence were inves-tigated in 48% of the studies; however, the ma-jority of assessed variables had mixed findings about predicting adherence. There was a huge variety in the definitions and measurements of adherence. A standardized system of measuring and reporting adherence and further investiga-tion of its predictors is needed. and Informační a komunikační technologie předsta-vují nové a slibné kanály, jak lze k uživatelům doručit intervence založené na Mindfulness pří-stupu. Běžným problémem v této oblasti apliko-vaného výzkumu je nedostatek evidence o adhe-renci ke zmíněným programům. Aktuální článek ve formě systematické review podle PRISMA protokolu shrnuje informace o tom, jaká je ad-herence k intervencím ve studiích zabývajících se eHealth Mindfulness programy, jak je adhe-rence měřena a co jsou její možné prediktory. V databázích PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus a PsychINFO bylo do konce roku 2019 identifikováno 3104 potenciálně relevantních článků. Vzhledem k očekávanému nárůstu im-plementace eHealth programů na podporu du-ševního zdraví pro zdravou i klinickou populaci v důsledku pandemie SARS-CoV-2, se stávající review zabývala jen studiemi před začátkem pandemie. 69 z nich splnilo všechna vstupní kri-téria pro systematickou review. 61 % studií ve svých výsledcích prezentovalo různé parametry adherence, 36 % pak prezentovalo základní tzv. adherence rate. Míra adherence v klinických populacích se pohybovala od 41 % do 92 %; v neklinických populacích se pohybovala od 1 % do 85 %. Prediktory adherence byly zkoumány ve 48 % studií, většina hodnocených proměn-ných však přinesla značně heterogenní výsled-ky. Velká heterogenita byla pozorována také v samotné definici adherence a ve způsobech a nástrojích jejího měření. Aktuální systematická review jednoznačně dokládá potřebu standardi-zovaného systému měření adherence a dalšího výzkumu v oblasti jejích prediktorů.