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.
Galleria mellonella larvae spin protective tubes, which they use until they finish feeding, when they spin cocoons. A feeding choice experiment showed that some of the silk produced by feeding larvae was consumed in addition to the standard diet (STD). To determine the effect of feeding on silk, last instar larvae were fed for 24 h on foods based on STD but modified by replacing the dry milk component (10% of the diet) with equal amounts of different kinds of silk. While each control larva consumed 21 ± 0.5 mg of the STD and produced 4.5 ± 0.1 mg of silk, larvae that ate the food that contained larval silk consumed 10 ± 0.4 mg of food and produced 6.1 ± 0.1 mg silk; the percentage ratio of silk produced to diet consumed was 21% and 61%, respectively. A more pronounced reduction in food consumption occurred when larvae were supplied with Galleria "cocoon" silk or the sericin fraction of such silk, and only 3.8 mg/larva was ingested of the diet containing Bombyx mori cocoon silk or its sericin fraction. Silk production expressed in terms of percentage of diet consumed was always higher than that recorded for larvae fed STD. We conclude that G. mellonella larvae recycle part of the silk that they produce during feeding. Presence of silk in the diet reduces food intake but increases the ratio of silk production to diet consumption. Sericin fraction of the cocoon silk seems to deter feeding., Haq Abdul Shaik, Archana Mishra, František Sehnal., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The cytoskeleton plays a key role in cellular proliferation, cellshape maintenance and internal cellular organization. Cells are highly sensitive to changes in microgravity, which can induce alterations in the distribution of the cytoskeletal and cell proliferation. This study aimed to assess the effects of simulated microgravity (SMG) on the proliferation and expression of major cell cycle-related regulators and cytoskeletal proteins in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs). A WST-1 assay showed that the proliferation of SMG-exposed hucMSCs was lower than a control group. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that the percentage of SMG-exposed hucMSCs in the G0/G1 phase was higher than the control group. A western blot analysis revealed there was a downregulation of cyclin A1 and A2 expression in SMG-exposed hucMSCs as well. The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4) and 6 (cdk6) were also observed to be reduced in the SMG-exposed hucMSCs. The total nuclear intensity of SMG-exposed hucMSCs was also lower than the control group. However, there were no differences in the nuclear area or nuclear-shape value of hucMSCs from the SMG and control groups. A western blot and quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that SMG-exposed hucMSCs experienced a downregulation of β-actin and α-tubulin compared to the control group. SMG generated the reorganization of microtubules and microfilaments in hucMSCs. Our study supports the idea that the downregulation of major cell cycle-related proteins and cytoskeletal proteins results in the remodeling of the cytoskeleton and the proliferation of hucMSCs., Ho Nguyen Quynh Chi, Hoang Nghia Son, Doan Chinh Chung, Le Dinh Huan, Tran Hong Diem, Le Thanh Long., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In agricultural land use, organic residues such as compost, digestate, and sewage sludge are discussed as costeffective soil conditioner that may improve the water holding capacity and crop available soil moisture. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of application of digestates with different compositions in maize, sugar beet and winter wheat, compost of shrub debris and sewage sludge on shrinkage behaviour and contact angle of till-derived loamy topsoil of a Haplic Luvisol under agricultural use. Novelty is the simultaneous determination of contact angle and shrinkage of soils amended with digestates composed of different composition in maize, sugar beet and winter wheat, compost of shrub debris and sewage sludge. The results suggest that the application of organic residues impacts the air capacity, while the contact angles remained in the subcritical range between > 0° and < 90°. The relationship between CA values and moisture ratios, ϑ, during proportional shrinkage was positive and linear (r2 of 0.98) and negative during residual- and zero-shrinkage (r2 of 0.93).
Pulmonary hypertension is a group of disorders characterized by elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance. To test our hypothesis that combining two drugs useful in experimental pulmonary hypertension, statins and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), is more effective than either agent alone, we induced pulmonary hypertension in adult male rats by exposing them to hypoxia (10 %O2) for 3 weeks. We treated them with simvastatin (60 mg/l) and DHEA-S (100 mg/l) in drinking water, either alone or in combination. Both simvastatin and DHEA-S reduced mPAP (froma mean±s.d. of 34.4±4.4 to 27.6±5.9 and 26.7±4.8 mmHg, respectively), yet their combination was not more effective (26.7±7.9 mmHg). Differences in the degree of oxidative stress (indicated by malondialdehydeplasma concentration), the rate of superoxide production (electron paramagnetic resonance), or blood nitric oxide levels (chemiluminescence) did not explain the lack of additivity of the effect of DHEA-S and simvastatin on pulmonary hypertension. We propose that the main mechanism of both drugs on pulmonary hypertension could be their inhibitory effect on 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, which could explain their lack of additivity.
Male dimorphism in insects is often accompanied by alternative mating tactics, which may, together with morphological traits, determine fitness of the different male morphs. Fitness consequences of male head horn size, male-male competition and male nest-staying behaviour were experimentally assessed in Copris acutidens, in which major and minor males can co-occur in nests. Possible differences in their reproductive behaviour and breeding success were assayed in a breeding experiment, in which females were paired with one major male, one minor male, or a pair of major and minor males. The advantage of major males staying in a nest along with a rival male is that major males are reproductively more successful than minor males in this species. The weight of dung transported into nests was significantly less in rearing containers containing two males than in those with a single male of either morph, although it did not differ between major and minor males when kept alone. The results indicate that the presence of a rival male negatively affects male provisioning due to interference from rival males. In contrast, in the present study, an increased incidence of male nest-staying behaviour was recorded in the two- male and one minor male treatment than in the one major male treatment. These results indicate that because of the risk of sperm competition, major males stay longer in nests if a rival male is present. Furthermore, minor males (which are subject to a higher risk of sperm competition) stay longer than major males in nests without a rival male. In other words, the present study revealed an alternative behaviour during the post-copulatory stage associated with horn dimorphism and the presence or absence of a rival male., Mayumi Akamine., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The ongoing process of climate change will result in higher temperatures during winter and therefore might increase the survival of overwintering invertebrates. However, the process may also lead to a reduction in snow cover and expose overwintering invertebrates to lower temperatures, which could result in higher mortality. During a field experiment, I investigated the effects of a reduction in snow cover on the survival of the ant Temnothorax crassispinus, which overwinters in nests located on the ground. Ant colonies differed in the survival rate of the workers in the experimental (from which snow cover was removed) and control group. In the control group, the survival rate was unrelated to colony size. However, in the experimental group, from which snow was removed after each heavy snowfall, worker survival was lower in small colonies. Such colony size related mortality may affect the fusion of colonies before winter. and Sławomir Mitrus.
Cílem této pilotní studie bylo vytvořit a validizovat českou verzi sedmipoložkové Škály nepřipoutanosti k Já (NTS-CZ) a prověřit její psychometrické vlastnosti. NTS byla nejprve s využitím postupu zpětného překladu přeložena do češtiny a následně byla administrována prostřednictvím webového rozhraní. 782 respondentů (165 mužů, 617 žen) vyplnilo NTS-CZ, krátkou verzi Dotazníku pěti aspektů všímavosti (FFMQ-15-CZ) a Sussexsko-Oxfordskou škálu soucitu k sobě (SOCS-S-CZ). Konfirmační faktorová analýza potvrdila jednofaktorovou strukturu NTS-CZ (SRMR = 0,037, RMSEA = 0,082, CFI = 0,972, TLI = 0,950). Hodnota Cronbachova koeficientu alfa NTS-CZ byla α = 0,85. Podle očekávání byly zjištěny vysoké pozitivní korelace NTS-CZ s dotazníky měřícími všímavost a soucit k sobě. Výsledky podporují další využití NTS-CZ v psychologickém výzkumu. and The purpose of this pilot study was to develop and validate the Czech Version of the 7-item Nonattachment to Self Scale (NTS-CZ) and to examine its psychometric properties. The NTS was translated into Czech with a back-translation procedure and then administered through an online survey. 782 participants (165 men, 617 women) completed the NTS-CZ, the 15-item version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-15-CZ), and the Sussex-Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale (SOCS-S-CZ). The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the one-factor structure of the NTS-CZ (SRMR = 0.037, RMSEA = 0.082, CFI = 0.972, TLI = 0.950). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the NTS-CZ was α = 0.85. As expected, the NTSCZ demonstrated high positive correlations with mindfulness and self-compassion questionnaires. The results support further use of the NTS-CZ in psychological research.
Cílem této studie je ověřit psychometrické vlastnosti české adaptace zkrácené osmipoložkové Škály vytrvalosti (Grit-S) na základě analýzy položek, reliability ve smyslu vnitřní konzistence, obsahové a souběžné validity. Výzkumný soubor čítal 338 respondentů, z nichž bylo 209 (61,8 %) ženského a 129 (38,2 %) mužského pohlaví ve věkovém rozpětí 15-76 let (M = 28,39; sd = 10,5). Výsledky svědčí o uspokojivé reliabilitě i validitě škály. Zároveň byl nalezen signifikantní pozitivní vztah skóru této škály s věkem. Výsledky jsou konfrontovány s psychometrickými vlastnostmi originální škály a diskutovány ve světle zahraničních výsledků. Česká adaptace Grit-S je součástí tohoto příspěvku. and The aim of this study is to test the psychometric properties of Czech adaptation of 8-item Short Grit Scale based on item analysis, internal consistency, content and convergent validity. The sample of 338 respondents included 209 (61.8 %) female and 129 (38.2 %) male participants between 15 and 76 years of age (M = 28.39; sd = 10.5). The results suggest satisfactory reliability and validity. Comparative analyses of demographic factors (age and gender) revealed a significant positive relationship between age and grit. The results are compared with the psychometric properties of the original scale and related studies. The Czech version of Grit-S is attached.