Concentrations of numerous hormones decrease with age. Some authors imply that a syndrome of partial endocrine deficiency may occur in the aging men. Among many lifestyle factors that influence hormonal status is physical activity. Especially interesting are relations between physical activity and the androgenic/estrogenic status of men. The aim of this study was to evaluate age-related changes of serum androgens, estradiol and SHBG in men presenting different levels of physical activity. Hormonal parameters were measured in a cohort of 387 healthy Caucasian men (aged from 24 to 72 years) from one administrative region of Poland. Their level of physical activity was determined by means of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). We have found that contrary to SHBG concentration, total testosterone, free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, calculated free testosterone and estradiol were negatively associated with age in the investigated subjects. Apart from estradiol, physical activity did not influence concentrations of the studied parameters. In younger (24-48 years), physically active males estradiol was significantly higher than in subjects characterized by a low level of physical activity. The situation was opposite in older males (48-72 years). In this age group low level of physical activity was associated with lower concentration of estradiol. Undertaking physical effort increased the decline of estradiol level with age., M. Slowinska-Lisowska, P. Jozkow, M. Medras., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The associativity of n-dimensional copulas in the sense of Post is studied. These copulas are shown to be just n-ary extensions of associative 2-dimensional copulas with special constraints, thus they solve an open problem of R. Mesiar posed during the International Conference FSTA 2010 in Liptovský Ján, Slovakia.
We used the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi reared in its host Acyrthosiphon pisum to examine if male sexual attractive responses can be conditioned to an odour (vanilla) that is not present in the natural environment. We used prior mating experience (exposure to females) as a non-conditioning stimulus and vanilla odour as a conditioning stimulus. The behavioural responses were tested in a glass Y-olfactometer just after eclosion (i.e., initial response) and after a training experience (i.e., trained response). During the 10-min training period individual males were allowed to copulate with a virgin female with or without vanilla odour present, or were exposed only to vanilla odour. Wing fanning was a recurrent behaviour which denoted increased sexual attraction to a volatile stimulus. Total time and time doing wing fanning in each olfactometer arm were determined. Vanilla odour, which initially did not elicit sexual-related behaviours, triggered strong sexual attractive responses when males were trained to females plus vanilla odour. Neither copulation only nor vanilla odour only treatments elicited such behaviours in trained males. The results are discussed in terms of parasitoid learning ability and its ecological consequences.
The upper dial-plate of the astronomical clock is an astrolabe controlled by a clockwork mechanism. It represents a stereographic projection of the celestial sphere from its North Pole onto the tangent plane passing through the South Pole. We give a survey of several astronomical mistakes that appeared on this dial throughout centuries., V letošním roce je orloji na Staroměstském náměstí v Praze právě 600 let. Před rokem 1979 byla na jeho astronomickém ciferníku nesprávně zakreslena kruhová oblast astronomické noci. V tomto článku se zmíníme o dalších významných kružnicích, jejichž rozměry a umístění na orloji by se daly ještě zlepšit., Michal Křížek, Pavel Křížek, Jakub Šolc., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The 2011 Nobel prize in physics was awarded to Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt and Adam Reiss "for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae". It was expected that sooner or later the astronomy trio wil get this distinction because the authors and their teams have indeed achieved an epoch-making discovery. Writing the key papers in 1998 and 1999 required a good deal of courage from the authors, who literally risked their scientific reputation. The presented article highlights the deep roots of the discovery from the history of astronomy hence culminating to the XXth century., V říjnu 2011 oznámila komise pro udělování Nobelových cen, že Nobelovu cenu za fyziku získávají v r. 2011 tři astronomové (Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt a Adam G. Reiss) za objev zrychlujícího se rozpínání vesmíru pomocí pozorování vzdálených supernov. V tomto případě se udělení ceny za zmíněné výzkumy vcelku očekávalo; šlo vlastně jen o to, kdy se tak stane. Jde totiž o vskutku epochální astronomický objev, i když napsat příslušné publikace v letech 1998 a 1999 vyžadovalo od autorů značnou odvahu - docela přitom riskovali svou vědeckou pověst. V článku poukazují na hluboké kořeny objevu v astronomické historii zejména od počátku 20. století., Jiří Grygar., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Cíl studie: Asymetrický dimethylarginin (ADMA) je endogenní inhibitor syntázy oxidu dusnatého a je považován za rizikový faktor aterosklerózy. Úloha ADMA v predikci přežití u hemodialyzovaných (HD) nemocných není objasněná. Rozhodli jsme se porovnat ADMA jako prognostický faktor s vybranými rizikovými faktory celkové mortality v této skupině pacientů. Typ studie: Observační, prospektivní studie. Název a sídlo pracoviště: Ústav klinické biochemie a hematologie a 1. interní klinika, Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Lékařská fakulta v Plzni; Dialyzační středisko B. Braun Avitum v Plzni, Česká republika. Materiál a metody: Analyzovali jsme sérové hladiny ADMA pomocí ELISA metody, C-reaktivní protein (CRP) ultrasenzitivní metodou, homocystein (hcy), albumin (alb), troponin I (cTnI) a natriuretický peptid B (BNP) u 202 chronicky hemodialyzovaných nemocných (77 žen, 125 mužů; medián věku [interkvartilové rozpětí] = 68 [60–74] let. V čase statistické analýzy bylo v naší studijní populaci zaznamenáno 44 úmrtí (medián času sledování byl 17,1 [10,4–17,3] měsíců. Testovali jsme každý měřený parametr jako prediktor přežití v Coxově modelu poměrného hazardu (s adjustací na věk, pohlaví a délku dialyzační léčby). Výsledky: Relativní rizika (RR) celkové mortality s 95% konfidenčními intervaly (CI) pro všechny měřené parametry byla následující [data jsou uvedena v následujícím pořadí: hodnota cut-off; RR (CI)]: ADMA 1,14–1,3 μmol/l; 2,44 (1,24– 4,79), hcy 34,1–41,8 μmol/l; 1,81 (0,89–3,68), CRP > 21,8 mg/l; 2,28 (1,17–4,43), alb < 35,4 g/l; 3,29 (1,63–6,63), cTnI > 0,04 μg/l; 2,18 (1,14-4,17) a BNP > 1485 ng/l; 1,23 (0,62–2,45). Závěr: Ze všech měřených parametrů pouze ADMA, alb, CRP a cTnI statisticky významně predikovaly celkovou mortalitu u hemodialyzovaných nemocných. Nicméně ADMA se neukázal jako hodnotný klinický marker v predikci přežití u hemodialyzovaných nemocných., Objective: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and is considered as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. The role of ADMA in survival prediction of hemodialysis (HD) patients is not clear. We decided to compare ADMA as a prognostic factor with selected risk factors for overall mortality in this group of patients. Design: Observational, prospective study. Settings: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Hematology and 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty Hospital in Pilsen; Dialysis Centre B. Braun Avitum in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Material and Methods: We analyzed ADMA levels by ELISA method, C-reactive protein (CRP) measured by ultrasensitive method, homocysteine (hcy), albumin (alb), troponin I (cTnI) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in serum of 202 chronically HD patients (77 females, 125 males; median age [interquartile range] = 68 [60–74] years). At the time of statistic analysis, there were 44 deaths in our study population (median [interquartile range] follow-time was 17.1 [10.4–17.3] months). We tested each measured parameter as a predictor of patients’ survival in a Cox proportional hazard model (adjusted for age, sex and duration of HD treatment). Results: Relative risks (RR) of overall mortality with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all measured parameters were [data are presented as follows: cut-off point; RR (CI)]: ADMA 1.14 to 1.3 μmol/l; 2.44 (1.24–4.79), hcy 34.1 to 41.8 μmol/l; 1.81 (0.89–3.68), CRP > 21.8 mg/l; 2.28 (1.17–4.43), alb < 35.4 g/l; 3.29 (1.63–6.63), cTnI > 0.04 μg/l; 2.18 (1.14–4.17) and BNP > 1485 ng/l; 1.23 (0.62–2.45). Conclusion: From all measured variables ADMA, alb, CRP and cTnI statistically significantly predicted overall mortality in HD patients. Nevertheless, ADMA doesn’t seem to have a clinical value in survival prediction of HD patients., Roman Cibulka, D. Rajdl, R. Široká, and Lit. 11
Brachial Plexus is formed by the union of the anterior rami of cervical 5, 6, 7, 8 and thoracic 1 nerves. These nerves unite and divide to form the key nerves innervating the upper limb. Variations in the course of these nerves are clinically important to anesthetists, neurologists and orthopedicians. We report bilateral variations in the arterial and neural structures in the upper limb of a 65 year old cadaver. The muscles of the arm on one side were innervated by the median nerve with absence ofmusculocutaneous. While on the other side the musculocutaneous nerve contributed to the formation of the median nerve. There was a presence of high bifurcation of brachial artery on both sides. Knowledge of such variations in the innervations of muscles and the arterial supply of the limbs are important to remember before performing any reconstructive procedures or interventions on the limb. and V. Tomar, S. Wadhwa
Cíl studie: Asymetrický dimethylarginin (ADMA) působí jako endogenní inhibitor syntázy oxidu dusnatého a je považován za nový kardiovaskulární rizikový faktor. Plazmatická koncentrace ADMA je zvýšená u nemocných léčených hemodialýzou (HD) a může u nich přispívat k endotelové dysfunkci. V literatuře bylo publikováno, že metabolismus ADMA je úzce spojen s metabolismem homocysteinu. Cílem naší studie bylo otestovat vztah ADMA a dalších kardiovaskulárních rizikových faktorů u HD nemocných. Typ studie: Observační. Pracoviště: Ústav klinické biochemie a hematologie a 1. interní klinika LF UK a FN v Plzni, Česká republika. Materiál a metody: Stanovili jsme hladiny ADMA metodou ELISA, celkový cholesterol a HDL-cholesterol, apolipoproteiny AI (apoA) a B (apoB), triglyceridy (TG), oxidované LDL částice (oxLDL), C-reaktivní protein (CRP) měřením ultrasenzitivní metodou, lipoprotein (a), látky reagující s kyselinou thiobarbiturovou (TBARS) a homocystein (Hcy) v plazmě u 176 dlouhodobě HD nemocných (70 žen, 106 mužů; průměrný věk ± SD = 66,4 ± 10,63 roků). Plazmatické hladiny ADMA jsme stanovili navíc u 73 zdravých mužů (průměrný věk ± SD = 48,15 ± 5,78 roků), kteří tvořili kontrolní skupinu. Pro porovnání koncentrace ADMA mezi těmito dvěma skupinami byl použit Wilcoxonův nepárový test. Vztahy mezi proměnnými ve skupině HD nemocných byly vyhodnoceny použitím korelačního koeficientu podle Spearmana. Nezávislost ADMA byla hodnocena mnohočetnou regresní analýzou. Výsledky: Průměrná koncentrace ADMA u skupiny HD nemocných byla statisticky významně vyšší než u kontrolní skupiny (1,13 ± 0,22; medián = 1,14 μmol/l vs 0,75 ± 0,15; median = 0,72 μmol/l; CI = 0,33 – 0,44; p < 0,001). Významné korelace byly nalezeny mezi BMI a oxLDL (r = 0,33; p < 0,001), apoA a CRP (r = -0,28; p < 0,001); apoB a oxLDL (r = 0,75; p < 0,001) a mezi TG a oxLDL (r = 0,45; p < 0,001). Žádný vztah nebyl nalezen mezi ADMA a Hcy (r = -0,07; p = 0,39). Mnohočetná regrese prokázala, že hladina ADMA je nezávislá na BMI, věku, i na všech ostatních měřených parametrech. Závěr: Hladina ADMA je nezávislá na všech ostatních kardiovaskulárních rizikových faktorech včetně homocysteinu u HD nemocných., Objective: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and is regarded as a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease. ADMA concentrations are increased in blood of haemodialysis (HD) patients and may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in them. It was published that the metabolic pathways of ADMA are connected to the metabolic cycle of homocysteine. The aim of our study was to test a relation of ADMA to other cardiovascular risk factors in HD patients. Design: Observational study. Settings: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Haematology and 1st Department of Internal Medicine of Charles University Medical Faculty and Faculty Hospital, Pilsen, Czech Republic. Material and Methods: We analysed ADMA levels by ELISA method, total and HDL cholesterols, apolipoproteins AI (apoA) and B (apoB), triglycerides (TG), oxidized LDL (oxLDL), C-reactive protein measured by ultrasensitive method (CRP), lipoprotein (a), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and homocysteine (Hcy) in plasma of 176 chronically HD patients (70 females, 106 males; mean age ± SD = 66.4 ± 10.63 years). ADMA levels were determined also in 73 healthy men (mean age ± SD = 48.15 ± 5.78). Comparison of ADMA concentration between the two studied groups was performed by the Wilcoxon unpaired test. Relations among variables in the group of HD patients were evaluated using the Spearman correlation. Independence of ADMA was assessed by multiple regression analysis. Results: Average ADMA concentration in HD patients was significantly higher than control values (1.13 ± 0.22, median = 1.14 μmol/l vs. 0.75 ± 0.15, median = 0.72 μmol/l; CI = 0.33 to 0.44, p < 0.001). Interesting correlations were found between BMI and oxLDL (r = 0.33, p < 0.001), apoA and CRP (r = -0.28, p < 0.001), apoB and oxLDL (r = 0.75, p < 0.001) and finally TG and oxLDL (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). No correlation was found between ADMA and Hcy (r = -0.07, p = 0.39). Multiple regression analysis revealed that ADMA is independent from BMI, age and all other measured parameters. Conclusion: ADMA is independent of all other measured cardiovascular risk factors including homocysteine in HD patients., Roman Cibulka, R. Široká, D. Rajdl, and Lit. 20
Level of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is elevated and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and stem cells (SC) are decreased in patients undergoing renal transplantation (Tx) and may contribute to cardiovascular complications. We tested the hypothesis that ADMA, EPC and SC can be influenced with regular physical exercise early after Tx. Blood samples of ADMA, EPC, SC, adipocytokines and metabolic parameters were randomly obtained from 50 transplant patients before and 6 months after exercise program (Group I). Fifty age, sex HLA typing, duration of dialysis and immunosupression regimen-matched non exercising transplant were examined as controls (Group II). After 6 months, in Group I ADMA decreased (3.50±0.45 vs 2.11±0.35 μmol/l, P<0.01) and was lower comparing to Grou II (P<0.01), SC and EPC also decreased (2816±600 vs 2071±480 cells/ml resp. 194±87 to 125±67 cells/ml, P<0.02). Next changes in Group I: adiponectin (P<0.01), leptin (P<0.01), resistin (P<0.02). Visfatin, blood lipids, HbA1c, insulin and blood pressure were also influenced by training program (P<0.05)., V. Teplan, I. Králová Lesná, J. Piťha, A. Mahrová, J. Racek, I. Valkovský, A. Sekerková, M. Štollová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A recently discussed cardiovascular risk factor, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), is known to act as an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. The aim of this study was to establish 1) the relationship between ADMA and ultrasonographically or biochemically determined endothelial dysfunction in children, and 2) the effect of folate supplementation on these parameters. The study cohort included 32 children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), 30 with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and 30 age-matched healthy children as the control group. Furthermore, twenty-eight randomly selected FH and DM1 children were re-examined after 3-months supplementation with folic acid. Baseline levels of ADMA and oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLDL) were significantly higher in FH group than in DM1 and healthy children. Children in DM1 group had significantly lower concentration of homocysteine, but ADMA levels were normal. Folic acid supplementation significantly lowered homocysteine and hsCRP levels in both FH and DM1 group; however, ADMA and oxLDL concentrations remained unaltered. In conclusion, ADMA and oxLDL appear to be associated with endothelial dysfunction in children with FH. Administration of folic acid did not influence these markers in both FH and DM1 children., P. Jehlička ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury