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OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the lasting effects of stress experienced by pregnant women during World War II (WWII) on body and head measurements of their adult daughters. METHODS: The research sample consists of 336 female university students born in Poland between 1925 and 1951. The data include body measurements and socioeconomic information (parental occupation and number of siblings) acquired from questionnaires collected between the 1950s and 1970s. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Analysis of Variance were used to analyze differences in body measurements between groups of women born before and during the war, as well as the possible influences of socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: The mean measurements of body height, symphysion height, and waist circumference were lower in women conceived and born during the war compared to those born in the pre-war period. In contrast, the mean measurements of biacromial (shoulder) width, trunk length, and three head dimensions were higher in women conceived and born during the war. Additionally, the number of siblings appeared to be a significant factor that may have influenced the body measurements of women in both groups. For instance, a higher number of living siblings, particularly sisters, was associated with reduced body dimensions, such as body height and waist circumference, while a greater number of deceased siblings was linked to an increase in certain body dimensions. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that war-related prenatal conditions may have influenced the postnatal growth and development of women conceived and born during the war. Notably, the direction of these changes varied, which indicates that the growth response to the war-related conditions was a complex adaptation, reflecting both positive and negative changes in different body parts, rather than a uniform pattern of growth suppression.
- MeSH
- 2. světová válka * MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- psychický stres MeSH
- socioekonomické faktory MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Polsko MeSH
BACKGROUNDS: SWI/SNF complexes represent a family of multi-subunit chromatin remodelers that are affected by alterations in >20% of human tumors. While mutations of SWI/SNF genes are relatively uncommon in prostate cancer (PCa), the literature suggests that deregulation of various subunits plays a role in prostate tumorigenesis. To assess SWI/SNF functions in a clinical context, we studied the mutually exclusive, paralogue accessory subunits SMARCD1, SMARCD2, and SMARCD3 that are included in every known complex and are sought to confer specificity. METHODS: Performing immunohistochemistry (IHC), the protein levels of the SMARCD family members were measured using a tissue microarray (TMA) comprising malignant samples and matching healthy tissue of non-metastatic PCa patients (n = 168). Moreover, IHC was performed in castration-resistant tumors (n = 9) and lymph node metastases (n = 22). To assess their potential role as molecular biomarkers, SMARCD1 and SMARCD3 protein levels were correlated with clinical parameters such as T stage, Gleason score, biochemical recurrence, and progression-free survival. RESULTS: SMARCD1 protein levels in non-metastatic primary tumors, lymph node metastases, and castration-resistant samples were significantly higher than in benign tissues. Likewise, SMARCD3 protein expression was elevated in tumor tissue and especially lymph node metastases compared to benign samples. While SMARCD1 levels in primary tumors did not exhibit significant associations with any of the tested clinical parameters, SMARCD3 exhibited an inverse correlation with pre-operative PSA levels. Moreover, low SMARCD3 expression was associated with progression to metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: In congruence with previous literature, our results implicate that both SMARCD1 and SMARCD3 may exhibit relevant functions in the context of prostate tumorigenesis. Moreover, our approach suggests a potential role of SMARCD3 as a novel prognostic marker in clinically non-metastatic PCa.
- MeSH
- chromozomální proteiny, nehistonové * genetika metabolismus MeSH
- imunohistochemie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- lokální recidiva nádoru patologie metabolismus genetika MeSH
- lymfatické metastázy MeSH
- nádorové biomarkery * genetika metabolismus MeSH
- nádory prostaty rezistentní na kastraci patologie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- nádory prostaty * patologie metabolismus genetika MeSH
- prognóza MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- stupeň nádoru MeSH
- transkripční faktory genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Background: Ethical decision making is a complex process in health and nursing care. Whenever nurses make ethical decisions, they also have to consider what benefits the patient. Some studies have shown that nurses' ethical perceptions and sensitivities directly affect quality of health care. Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of internal medicine nurses' ethical perceptions and sensitivities on the quality of care. Methods: The sample of this analytical cross-sectional study consisted of two hundred nurses (n = 200) from internal medicine clinics of a university hospital (in Turkey). Data collection tools used to collect the data were a Nurse Information Form, the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24), the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (MSQ), and the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS). Data were analyzed with percentages, the Mann-Whitney U test, and correlation analysis. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between the total score of the CBI-24 (r = -0.152, p < 0.005) and the total score of the MSQ. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was found between all subscale and total scores of the BDI-24 and all subscale and total scores of the HECS. There was no statistically significant correlation between HECS and MSQ (p > 0.05).
INTRODUCTION: Human and animal skin is colonized by a complex microbial population. An imbalance of these microorganisms is often associated with dermatological diseases. METHODS: The aim of this work was to describe the skin bacterial microbiota composition of healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory skin lesions. Genomic DNA was sequenced using primers that target the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Superficial skin swabs were collected from eight body areas of six healthy dogs (n = 48) and directly from inflammatory altered canine skin (n = 16). RESULTS: The skin of healthy dogs was predominantly colonized by phylum Bacillota (34.4 ± 27.2%), followed by Actinomycetota (32.2 ± 20.3%), Pseudomonadota (16.4 ± 12.2%), and Bacteroidota (8.7 ± 11.6%). At the level of genera, Streptococcus spp. (19.4 ± 26.1%) was the most abundant genus across all samples collected from healthy skin, followed by Curtobacterium (5.4 ± 12.1%), Bacteroides (5.2 ± 11.1%) and Corynebacterium_1 (4.3 ± 13.2%). More specifically, Streptococcus spp. was the most abundant on the chin (49.0 ± 35.5%), nose (37.9 ± 32.1%), perianal region (21.1 ± 28.2%), abdomen (11.0 ± 12.8%), dorsal back (12.4 ± 10.3%) and interdigital area (5.5 ± 2.2%). Curtobacterium spp. was predominant on inner pinna (17.8 ± 24.8%) and axilla (6.7 ± 10.8%). Alpha diversity analysis (Shannon index) showed maximum on interdigital area but minimum on a chin (p-value: 0.0416). Beta diversity analysis showed clustering across samples from the individual skin sites but also across samples collected from individual dogs. Staphylococcus spp. was the most abundant genus in 12/16 samples collected from inflammatory skin. In addition, a lower bacterial diversity was observed in samples from skin lesions compared to samples from healthy canine skin. DISCUSSION: The results confirm the fact that the microbiome of healthy skin is very diverse. Compared to other studies, streptococci predominated on healthy canine skin. Shannon index showed only minor differences in diversity between different parts of canine skin. Results of beta-diversity showed the fact that the main force driving the skin microbiota composition is the individual, followed by the skin site. On the area of skin lesions, dysbiosis was observed with a significant predominance of staphylococci.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Background/Objectives: Elevated body temperature is a well-established biomarker of infection, increased disease risk, and adverse health outcomes. However, the relationship between resting body temperature and long-term survival in older individuals is complex. Emerging evidence suggests that higher basal body temperature is associated with reduced survival and accelerated aging in non-obese older adults. This study aimed to compare body temperatures across different age groups in hospitalized older adults. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from 367 physically healthy residents of a mental health center. Longitudinal data from 142 individuals (68 men and 74 women), aged 45 to 70 years and monitored continuously over 25 years, were compared with cross-sectional data from 225 individuals (113 men and 112 women) who underwent periodic clinical examinations with temperature measurements. The cross-sectional sample was stratified into four survival categories. Resting oral temperatures were measured under clinical conditions to ensure protocol consistency. Age-related changes in both sexes were evaluated using standard regression analysis, Student's t-tests, ANOVA, and Generalized Linear Models. Results: Longitudinal analysis revealed an increase in body temperature with age among women, while cross-sectional analysis showed that long-lived residents generally had lower body temperatures compared to their shorter-lived counterparts. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that lower lifetime steady-state body temperature is associated with greater longevity in physically healthy older adults. However, further research is needed to determine whether the lower body temperature observed in long-lived individuals is linked to specific health advantages, such as enhanced immune function, absence of detrimental factors or diseases, or a reduced metabolic rate potentially influenced by caloric restriction.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between subjective and objective measures of stress and load in elite male handball players at both the group and individual levels. METHODS: In this 45-week prospective cohort study, 189 elite male handball players weekly reported their perceived stress and load across training, competition, academic, and work domains. Blood samples were collected five times during the 2022/23 season to measure cortisol and the free testosterone to cortisol ratio (FTCR). We derived a "load" variable as the sum of training, competition, academic and work hours and calculated acute, chronic, and acute-to-chronic ratio variables for both load and stress. Associations between subjective and objective measures were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: Weak to moderate positive associations were found between load and perceived stress (r = 0.19 to 0.46, p < 0.001), and between perceived stress and cortisol (r = 0.10, p = 0.023). Weak negative associations were found between perceived stress and FTCR (r = -0.18 to -0.20, p < 0.001) and between load and FTCR (r = -0.13, p = 0.003). A total of 86% of athletes had positive associations between stress and load (47% weak, 34% moderate, 5% high); 78% between stress and cortisol (27% weak, 22% moderate, 29% high); and 63% demonstrated negative associations between FTCR and load (18% weak, 32% moderate, 13% high). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the complexity between subjective and objective measures of stress and load in athletes. Understanding the link between these measures may help coaches and sports scientists streamline athlete monitoring. In cases where moderate to strong associations exist, subjective measures might serve as a reliable substitute for objective ones, making the monitoring process more time- and cost-efficient.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Candida haemulonii complex (Candida haemulonii [I], Candida duobushaemulonii [II], and Candida haemulonii var. vulnera [III]) has become relevant in recent times, not so much because of a high incidence in human clinical sample cultures but because of its remarkable antifungal resistance. The objective of this study was to evaluate several methods for the identification of this uncommon species of Candida. Ten isolates of C. haemulonii were identified by biochemical and proteomic methods, and their antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by both commercial and reference methods. MALDI-TOF MS (Vitek MS and Vitek MS PRIME) and Vitek2 correctly identified these genera but API method did not. There was a good correlation between the commercial methods and the reference methods for the AST. In conclusion Vitek MS, Vitek MS PRIME, and Vitek2 systems, but not API32C, are reliable for identification of C. haemulonii complex. Furthermore, MALDI-TOF MS systems could identify to the subspecies level. Commercial methods for antifungal susceptibility testing are valid for the study of this species and confirm amphotericin B and to azole resistance.
Synovial fluid (SF)-derived monocyte-macrophage (MON-Mφ)-lineage cells in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) remain poorly understood. We analyzed SF samples from 420 patients with KOA with effusion. The MON-Mφ cells accounted for 47.4% (median; range 7.1%-94.4%) of CD45+ cells and consisted of four subpopulations that correlated with the distribution and activation of other immune cells. The most abundant subpopulation was that of inactive CD11b+CD14-CD16- myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs; cDC2), which exhibited low cytokine production, low T lymphocyte stimulation, and high migratory ability. Other major subpopulations included CD11b+CD14+CD16- monocyte-like cells and CD11b+CD14+CD16+ macrophages, which share a similar transcriptomic profile. A subpopulation of CD11b-CD14-CD16- mDCs (cDC1) was less common. A higher proportion of CD11b+CD14-CD16- mDCs was linked to early-stage KOA and mild joint pain. Dendritic cells were rarely present in KOA synovium. This study revealed the considerable complexity of SF-derived MON-Mφ subpopulations and highlighted the role of inactive mDCs in KOA.
- MeSH
- artróza kolenních kloubů * patologie metabolismus imunologie MeSH
- buněčný rodokmen MeSH
- dendritické buňky * metabolismus imunologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- makrofágy * metabolismus imunologie MeSH
- monocyty * metabolismus imunologie MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- synoviální tekutina * metabolismus imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Cyanobacterial harmful blooms (CyanoHABs) pose a global ecological problem, and their lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are among the bioactive compounds they release. Previous studies on CyanoHAB-LPS from single cyanobacterial species have shown varying bioactivities in different in vitro cell models. In this study, we isolated LPS from 19 CyanoHAB samples collected at 18 water bodies in the Czech Republic over two consecutive seasons. The proportions of cyanobacteria, Gram-negative bacteria (G-), and other bacteria in the biomass were determined by qPCR, while the cyanobacterial genera were identified using light microscopy. In vitro models of keratinocytes (HaCaT), the intestinal epithelium (co-culture of differentiated Caco-2 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells - PBMC), and PBMC alone were treated with isolated LPS at concentrations of 50, 100, and 1 μg/ml, respectively. The endotoxin activities of these concentrations were within the range measured in the aquatic environment. Approximately 85-90% of the samples displayed biological activity. However, the potency of individual LPS effects and response patterns varied across the different in vitro models. Furthermore, the observed activities did not exhibit a clear correlation with the taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton community, the relative share of microbial groups in the biomass, endotoxin activity of the LPS, or LPS migration and staining pattern in SDS-PAGE. These findings suggest that the effects of CyanoHAB-LPS depend on the specific composition and abundance of various LPS structures within the complex environmental sample and their interactions with cellular receptors.
- MeSH
- biomasa MeSH
- Caco-2 buňky MeSH
- leukocyty mononukleární MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- lipopolysacharidy * toxicita MeSH
- sinice * MeSH
- škodlivý vodní květ MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a significant challenge to the treatment of infectious diseases. Of particular concern are members of the Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex (KpSC), which are frequently associated with hospital-acquired infections and have the potential to spread outside hospitals via wastewaters. In this study, we aimed to investigate the occurrence and phylogenetic relatedness of MDR KpSC from patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs), hospital sewage, municipal wastewater treatment plants (mWWTPs) and surface waters and to evaluate the clinical relevance of the KpSC subspecies. METHODS: A total of 372 KpSC isolates resistant to third-generation cephalosporins and/or meropenem were collected from patients (n = 130), hospital sewage (n = 95), inflow (n = 54) and outflow from the mWWTPs (n = 63), river upstream (n = 13) and downstream mWWTPs (n = 17) from three cities in the Czech Republic. The isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing (Illumina). The presence of antibiotic resistance genes, plasmid replicons and virulence-associated factors was determined. A phylogenetic tree and single nucleotide polymorphism matrix were created to reveal the relatedness between isolates. RESULTS: The presence of MDR KpSC isolates (95%) was identified in all water sources and locations. Most isolates (99.7%) produced extended-spectrum beta-lactamases encoded by blaCTX-M-15. Resistance to carbapenems (5%) was observed mostly in wastewaters, but carbapenemase genes, such as blaGES-51 (n = 10), blaOXA-48 (n = 4), blaNDM-1 (n = 4) and blaKPC-3 (n = 1), were found in isolates from all tested locations and different sources except rivers. Among the 73 different sequence types (STs), phylogenetically related isolates were observed only among the ST307 lineage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the transmission of this lineage from patients to the mWWTP and from the mWWTP to the adjacent river and the presence of the ST307 clone in the mWWTP over eight months. We confirmed the frequent abundance of K. pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae sensu stricto and K. pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae) in patients suffering from UTIs. K. variicola isolates formed only a minor proportion of UTIs, and K. quasipneumoniae was not found among UTIs isolates; however, these subspecies were frequently observed in hospital sewage communities during the first sampling period. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of the transmission and persistence of the ST307 lineage from UTIs isolates via mWWTPs to surface waters. Isolates from UTIs consisted mostly of K. pneumoniae. Other isolates of KpSC were observed in hospital wastewaters, which implies the impact of sources other than UTIs. This study highlights the influence of urban wastewaters on the spread of MDR KpSC to receiving environments.
- MeSH
- antibakteriální látky * farmakologie MeSH
- bakteriální proteiny genetika MeSH
- beta-laktamasy * genetika MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- infekce bakteriemi rodu Klebsiella * mikrobiologie epidemiologie MeSH
- infekce močového ústrojí mikrobiologie epidemiologie MeSH
- infekce spojené se zdravotní péčí mikrobiologie epidemiologie MeSH
- Klebsiella pneumoniae * účinky léků genetika izolace a purifikace klasifikace MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mikrobiální testy citlivosti * MeSH
- mnohočetná bakteriální léková rezistence * MeSH
- nemocnice * MeSH
- odpadní voda * mikrobiologie MeSH
- odpadní vody mikrobiologie MeSH
- sekvenování celého genomu MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH