The relationship is shown between a concentration of urinary iodine and serum thyroglobulin in population studies carried out on a general population that was randomly selected from the registry of the General Health Insurance Company (individuals aged 6-98 years, 1751 males, 2420 females). The individuals were divided into subgroups with a urinary iodine concentration of <50, 50-99, 100-199, 200-299 and ≥300 μg/l. The mean and median of thyroglobulin were calculated in these subgroups. Tg concentrations were dependent on gender (males<females), age (thyroglobulin increased with age) and statistically significant negative relationship was observed between thyroglobulin and urinary iodine in individuals with urinary iodine <300 μg/l and the age under 65 years. Upper nonparametric tolerance limits of thyroglobulin in relation to iodine intake were calculated in subgroup of normal individuals (n=1858, thyroglobulin, urinary iodine, thyrotropin and free thyroxine were within the normal reference range). Upper limits were dependent on gender and age. The total value of upper limits is 44 μg/l; for individuals aged 6-17 years it is 39.1 μg/l; 18-65 years = 51.4 μg/l and 66-98 years = 60.6 μg/l. In general, thyroglobulin serum concentrations higher than 40 μg/l should be an indicator for determining urinary iodine., R. Bílek, J. Čeřovská, V. Zamrazil., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The system of IGF-I and its binding proteins may be involved in the pathogenesis of vascular damage in Type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between this system and the microvascular reactivity in Type 1 diabetes as measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Twenty-two Type 1 diabetic patients (13 women and 9 men) with microangiopathy and fifteen healthy subjects (8 women and 7 men) were examined clinically, underwent laser-Doppler flowmetry and intima-media thickness measurements. Fasting serum levels of IGF-I, free IGF-I, IGFBPs and lipids were examined. The microvascular reactivity was impaired in Type 1 diabetic patients. Maximal perfusion during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORHmax) and during thermal hyperemia (THmax) was significantly decreased in Type 1 diabetes (p<0.01). Percentage perfusion increase in both tests (PORH and TH) was lower in Type 1 diabetes mellitus (p<0.01) and the reaction after heating was slower in diabetic patients (THmax/t) (p<0.01). We did not find any significant dependence of microvascular reactivity on the parameters of IGF-I or its binding proteins. We conclude that the microvascular reactivity is impaired in Type 1 diabetes mellitus, but this impairment is not clearly dependent on the activity of the IGF-I system. It is probably only a complementary pathogenic factor., M. Kršek, M. Prázný, J. Škrha, V. Justová, Z. Lacinová, T. Haas., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Objectives. The present study investigated the relative importance of multiple aspects of personal resiliency for the development of externalising and internalising adjustment problems in adolescence. Subjects and setting. The sample comprised 805 adolescents (45.2% boys and 54.8% girls) from seven high schools in Kraljevo, Serbia. The mean age of the adolescents was 16.71 (SD = 1.05; range 15-18 years). The participants filled out questionnaires concerning their personal resiliency and adjustment problems during school hours. Hypotheses. It was hypothesised that sense of mastery and sense of relatedness would be negatively associated with adjustment problems, whereas emotional reactivity would be positively related to externalising and internalising problems. Statistical analyses. Descriptive statistics and correlational and regression analyses were used. Results. The findings indicated that lower levels of sense of mastery and sense of relatedness and higher levels of emotional reactivity were related to antisocial behaviour, anger control problems, emotional distress and negative sense of self. Personal resiliency accounted for a significant amount of the variance (21-37%) in all types of adjustment problems. Further analyses revealed unique relationships between separate qualities of personal resilience and each type of adjustment problem. Study limitations. The present study is limited to one cultural setting and age group. The results were based on cross-sectional and self-reported data., Cíle. Studie zkoumá relativní důležitost aspektů osobní resilience pro vývoj externalizování a internalizování při vyrovnávání se s problémy v adolescenci. Soubor. Soubor zahrnoval 805 adolescentů (45,2 % chlapců a 54,8 % děvčat) ze sedmi středních škol v Kraljevu v Srbsku. Průměrný věk adolescentů byl 16,71 (směrodatná odchylka 1,05, rozpětí 15 až 18 let). Účastníci vyplnili dotazníky zjišťující jejich osobní resilienci a vyrovnávání se s problémy během školních hodin. Hypotézy. Autoři předpokládali, že úroveň dovedností a úroveň vztahů budou negativně asociovány s vyrovnáváním se s problémy, zatímco emoční reaktivita bude v pozitivním vztahu k externalizování a internalizování problémů. Statistická analýza. Byly použity metody deskriptivní statistiky a korelační a regresní analýza. Výsledky. Nižší úroveň dovedností a nižší úroveň vztahů a vyšší úroveň emoční reaktivity jsou ve vztahu k antisociálnímu chování, problémy se zvládáním hněvu, emočním distresem a negativním sebepojetím. Osobní resilience vysvětlila značnou část variance (21-37 %) ve všech typech problémů. Další analýzy ukázaly jedinečné vztahy mezi jednotlivými složkami osobní resilience a všemi typy problémů. Omezení studie. Studie je omezena danou kulturou a věkovou skupinou. Výsledky jsou založeny na transverzální metodě a datech ze subjektivních výpovědí., Vesna Žunić-Pavlović [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
We introduce a new magnetic resonance (MR) method based on a pixel-by-pixel image processing to examine relationships between metabolic and structural processes in the pathologic hippocampus. The method was tested for lateralization of the epileptogenic zone in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Twenty patients with drug-resistant TLE and fifteen healthy controls were examined at 3T. The measurement protocol contained T2-weighted MR images, spectroscopic imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and T2 relaxometry. Correlations between quantitative MR parameters were calculated on a pixelby- pixel basis using the CORIMA program which enables automated pixel identification in the normal tissue according to control data. All MR parameters changed in the anteroposterior direction in the hippocampus and correlation patterns and their slopes differed between patients and controls. Combinations of T2 relaxation times with metabolite values represent the best biomarkers of the epileptogenic zone. Correlations with mean diffusivity did not provide sufficiently accurate results due to diffusion image distortions. Quantitative MR analysis noninvasively provides a detailed description of hippocampal pathology and may represent complementary tool to the standard clinical protocol. However, the automated processing should be carefully monitored in order to avoid possible errors caused by MR artifacts., D. Wagnerová, V. herynek, M. Dezortová, P. Marusič, P. Kršek, J. Zámečník, F. Jírů, A. Škoch, M. Hájek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The article is devoted to an evaluation of the traditional Polish psychology. However the conceptual apparatus of the traditional Polish psychology was based on the Central European theory of intentionality, the development of Polish psychology led to the theory of psychophysical psychological functions (the theory of „actions and products”). The author’s conclusion is that the conceptual apparatus of the theory of „actions and products” may be useful in current philosophical and psychological theories of mind and cognitive processes., Jerzy Bobryk., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The reproductive behaviour of a ladybeetle, Coccinella septempunctata was studied in detail. Males became sexually mature within 8.8 ± 0.3 days at 27°C, while females took 11.2 ± 0.4 days. Males exhibited courtship display in five steps: approach, watch, examine, mount and copulatory attempt. A prominent rejection display was shown by certain females who had not matured sexually, had recently mated or were about to oviposit. Males appeared to recognize females through chemical and some visual cues, such as size and body shape, with the chemical cues possibly playing a more significant role. Multiple matings took place within the same day. There was a gradual decrease with time in reproductive parametres, such as the duration of copulation, the number of copulatory bouts and the latent period from first to subsequent matings on the same day. The interval between mating bouts slightly increased from first to subsequent matings. The sexual status of males and females affected the duration of copulation, which was greatest in the case of unmated males and virgin females. Multiple matings increased the oviposition period, fecundity and percent hatching of eggs.
In the near future, hydrogen will become an important fuel which may be able to resolve local problems connected with air quality. Hydrogen-propelled transport means are being developed and are already used in the automobile industry. Since the combustion of hydrogen does not produce any emissions of carbon oxides but only water, hydrogen is considered as a key fuel of the future. Hydrogen is abundantly present all over space and can be obtained from a number of resources, be they renewable or non-renewable. Global production has so far been dominated by hydrogen production from fossil fuels, with the most significant contemporary technologies being the reforming of hydrocarbons, pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis. Plasma cracking is still in the developmental stage. The preferred method of hydrogen production on an industrial scale is steam reforming of natural gas for its low operational and production costs. When the operational costs of steam reforming and partial oxidation are compared, partial oxidation seems to be a more acceptable process, but the subsequent shift makes this process more expensive. Pyrolysis processes have acceptable investment costs and besides the production of hydrogen also satisfactory yields of oils. Two-stage co-pyrolysis is suitable considering its acquisition of a high amount of hydrogen from mixed charges. It is apparent that the co-pyrolysis of organic materials with coals is a process for hydrogen production capable of competing. It can therefore play a significant role in the future., Olga Bičáková and Pavel Straka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
To understand the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia in Prague hereditary hypercholesterolemic (PHHC) rat, we analyzed the response of hepatic transcriptome to dietary cholesterol in PHHC and control Wistar rats. Male PHHC and Wistar rats were fed chow (C), 5 % fat (palm kernel oil) (CF) or 1 % cholesterol + 5 % fat (CHOL) diet for three weeks. Hepatic transcriptome was analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip arrays. No differences were found in the effect of both control diets (C and CF) on lipid metabolism and gene expression of 6500 genes. Therefore, these data were pooled for further analysis. Dietary cholesterol induced accumulation of cholesterol and triacylglycerols in the liver in both strains and hypercholesterolemia in PHHC rats. However, there were no differences in response of hepatic transcriptome to CHOL diet. On the other hand, several genes were found to be differently expressed between both strains independently of the diet. Two of those genes, Apof and Aldh1a7, were studied in more detail, and their role in pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia in PHHC rats could not been corroborated. In conclusion, the hypercholesterolemia in PHHC rats is due to physiological response of hepatic transcriptome to dietary cholesterol in different genetic background., M. Vlachová, M. Heczková, M. Jirsa, R. Poledne, J. Kovář., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The objective of this study was to investigate the response of Na+/K+-ATPase of human erythrocytes to green laser irradiation. Effects of green laser light of fluences 9.5-63.3 J.cm-2 and merocyanine 540-mediated laser light treatment were studied. Isolated erythrocyte membranes (protein concentration of 1 mg/ml) were irradiated by Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 30 mW) and then incubated in a medium with 2 mM ATP for 30 min. Activity of ATPase was determined colorimetrically by measuring the colored reaction product of liberated inorganic phosphate and malachite green at 640 nm. Contribution of Na+/K+-ATPase to overall phosphate production was determined using ouabain. A positive effect of green laser light on Na+/K+-ATPase activity was observed. The dependence of enzymatically liberated inorganic phosphate on light fluence showed a linear correlation (R2=0.96, P=0.0005) for all fluences applied (9.5-63.3 J.cm-2). On the other hand, MC 540-mediated phototreatment caused a suppression of enzyme activity.