BACKGROUND: Protein structures and their interaction with ligands have been in the focus of biochemistry and structural biology research for decades. The transportation of ligand into the protein active site is often complex process, driven by geometric and physico-chemical properties, which renders the ligand path full of jitter and impasses. This prevents understanding of the ligand transportation and reasoning behind its behavior along the path. RESULTS: To address the needs of the domain experts we design an explorative visualization solution based on a multi-scale simplification model. It helps to navigate the user to the most interesting parts of the ligand trajectory by exploring different attributes of the ligand and its movement, such as its distance to the active site, changes of amino acids lining the ligand, or ligand "stuckness". The process is supported by three linked views - 3D representation of the simplified trajectory, scatterplot matrix, and bar charts with line representation of ligand-lining amino acids. CONCLUSIONS: The usage of our tool is demonstrated on molecular dynamics simulations provided by the domain experts. The tool was tested by the domain experts from protein engineering and the results confirm that it helps to navigate the user to the most interesting parts of the ligand trajectory and to understand the ligand behavior.
Using the NICHD Early Childcare dataset (N=1281), this study examined whether infant temperament and the amount of time infants spend in nonmaternal care independently predict (1) the likelihood that they seek comfort from their mother when needed and (2) placement in a particular subgroup of infant-mother attachment patterns. Mothers reported the number of hours their infant spent in nonmaternal care each month and their infant's difficulty adapting to novel stimuli at 6 months. The degree to which 15-month-old infants seek comfort from their mother during reunion episodes in the Strange Situation was observed using two behavioral scales ("proximity seeking" and "contact maintaining"). Their average score forms the outcome variable of "proximity-seeking behavior." The other outcome variables were the subgroups of infant-mother attachment patterns: two subgroups for insecure babies (resistant and avoidant) and four subgroups for secure babies (B1, B2, B3, and B4). Easy adaptability to novel stimuli and long hours of nonmaternal care independently predicted a low level of proximity-seeking behavior. These predictors also increased the likelihood of an insecure infant being classified as avoidant (vs. resistant). A secure infant with these same predictors was most likely to be classified as B1, followed by B2, and then B3, with B4 being the least likely classification. Although previous studies using the NICHD dataset found that hours of nonmaternal care had no main effect on infants' attachment security (vs. insecurity), this study demonstrates that hours of nonmaternal care predict the subcategories of infant-mother attachment.
- MeSH
- Adaptation, Psychological MeSH
- Infant Behavior psychology MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Infant Care psychology MeSH
- Object Attachment * MeSH
- Temperament * MeSH
- Child Development MeSH
- Mother-Child Relations psychology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Children's excessive screen use is associated with health risks such as obesity, sleep problems, attention problems, and others. The effect of parental regulative efforts focused on screen/media use (media parenting) is currently unclear and difficult to examine given the heterogeneity of measuring tools used for its assessment. We aimed to develop an inventory that would enable reliable and valid measurement of media parenting practices (especially active and restrictive mediation) in parents of primary school children. The inventory builds on existing tools, it is comprehensive, yet easy to use in research setting. The original MEPA-36 (36 items) and revised MEPA-20 (20 items) inventories were examined using data from 341 Czech and Slovak parents of children aged between 6 and 10 years. Psychometrical properties were estimated using confirmatory factor and reliability analyses. Model fit was better for MEPA-20 and similar to other currently available tools. Both active and restrictive mediation subscales demonstrated high internal consistency. The internal consistency of newly constructed risky mediation subscales (risky active, risky restrictive, and over-protective mediation) was low. MEPA-20, especially active and restrictive mediation subscales, can be recommended for research on media parenting in context of screen/media use of school-aged children.
Záměr. Cílem studie bylo na podkladě odpovědí českých adolescentů umístěných v nápravných zařízeních (1) popsat charakteristické znaky vnitřní pohotovosti k agresivnímu jednání; (2) ověřit míru asociace konstruktu a doprovodných faktorů či spouštěcích mechanismů; (3) vytvořit parciální normy. Soubor a procedura. Soubor tvořilo 191 adolescentů v současné době umístěných v pěti nápravných zařízeních, průměrný věk 16,85; SD = 1,55; rozsah 14–19 let. Mladiství byli vyšetřeni dotazníky z hlediska obecné agresivity BPAQ-SF, prekurzorů k násilnému chování NIM18, vztahů k vrstevníkům SOV a stupnicemi vztahů k rodičům i přátelům. Administrace nástrojů byla individuální, anonymní, podmíněna informovaným souhlasem. Výsledky. Psychometrická integrita nástrojů byla podpořena konfirmační faktorovou analýzou. Položková analýza identifikovala především přítomnost negativní emocionální životní zkušenosti, generalizovanou nespokojenost a sklon k reaktivní agresi. Distribuce škálových hodnot byla pozitivně zešikmená, ale zahrnovala pouze horní polovinu teoretického rozsahu stupnice. Pohotovost k násilnému řešení situací byla výrazně asociovaná s neuspokojivými vztahy s matkou, reagováním bez zvážení důsledků, deficitem interpersonálních dovedností a doprovázená sociálním odcizením, nízkým sociálním postavením mezi vrstevníky, ignorováním konsenzuálních sociálních pravidel. Lokální normy jsou prezentované v percentilovém formátu spolu s 95% CI odhadnutými na podkladě Bayesovské metody. Omezení studie. Soubor adolescentů nebyl reprezentativní a autoreferenční způsob sběru dat je zvláště u forenzní populace značně citlivý na sociální akceptovatelnost.
Objectives. The purpose of this paper was (a) description of characteristic traits of inner disposition to aggressive conduct; (b) verification of association of the construct and accompanying factors and launching mechanisms; (c) construction of local norms using responses from incarcerated adolescents. Subjects and settings. Responses were obtained from a sample of 191 boys presently confined in five prisons for adolescents, average age 16,85; SD=1,55; range 14–19 years. The subjects filled in the BPAQ-SF, NIM18 questionnaires, a scale reflecting social status of respondents, and a scale describing relations of respondents to parents individually. Administration of instruments was individual, anonymous, and after signing informed consent. Results. The psychometric integrity of instruments was supported using confirmatory factor analysis. Item analysis of the BPAQ-SF scale revealed primarily well-marked negative emotional life experience, general dissatisfaction and proclivity to reactive aggression. Distribution of the scale scores was positively skewed but the range of values comprised only the higher part of theoretical interval. The readiness to react violently was noticeably associated with uneasy relation to mother, responding without proper consideration or reflection, deficit of interpersonal skills, and accompanied by social alienation, low social status, disregard of consensual social norms. Local norms were constructed in percentile format together with 95% CI using Bayesian approach. Study limitation. Sample of adolescents was not representative and self-reporting within forensic populations is especially susceptible to social desirability.
Amfetaminy jsou známy tím, že mění chování jedinců. Zvyšují agresivitu a narušují sociální chování. Cílem naší práce bylo zjistit, jaký vliv má metamfetamin (MA) na test sociálních interakcí, což je jeden z etologických testů anxiety. Použili jsme 3 varianty tohoto testu, které se liší mírou stresu. Nalezli jsme, že akutně podaný MA (1 mg/kg) signifikantně snižuje čas strávený sociálním kontaktem ve všech třech stresových podmínkách. MA naopak signifikantně zvyšuje čas strávený lokomocí a vertikální aktivitou. Potvrdili jsme, že zvýšené stresové sociálních interakcí často spojována s anxietou u potkanů, naše výsledky naznačují, že MA může mít anxiogenní efekt.
Amphetamines are known to affect human behavior in serious manner; specifically they induce aggressive behaviors and impair social interaction. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of low doses of methamphetamine (MA) on social intera ction in adult male rats. Social interaction test is test of anxiety. Rats were tested in 3 different stress conditions. Our data dem onstrate that acute treatment of MA (1mg/kg) decreases social interaction in all stress conditions. However, MA increases time of locomotor a nd rearing behavior. We confirmed that increase in stress condition significantly decreases time of social interactions in all gro ups, while increasing locomotion. Because intensity of social interaction is often associated with anxiety in rats, our results also sugge st that MA may have anxiogenic effect.
- MeSH
- Dopamine isolation & purification metabolism MeSH
- Research Support as Topic MeSH
- Financing, Organized MeSH
- Rats physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Methamphetamine administration & dosage adverse effects therapeutic use MeSH
- Brain Chemistry genetics radiation effects MeSH
- Norepinephrine isolation & purification metabolism MeSH
- Social Behavior Disorders etiology drug therapy MeSH
- Psychiatric Status Rating Scales standards statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Serotonin isolation & purification metabolism MeSH
- Anxiety Disorders etiology drug therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Rats physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
Infant attachment remains virtually unexplored in former Eastern Bloc countries. The dimensional approach to infant attachment, which could ease common obstacles in cross-cultural attachment research, necessitates more empirical support. This study explores infant attachment in the Czech Republic, a post-communist country with a unique family policy, using both the categorical and the dimensional models. It also compares the Czech infant attachment distribution to infant attachment distributions in other countries and compares infant attachment distributions in European countries to the Baltimore study sample. In the Strange Situation Procedure, forty-nine (74 %) out of sixty-six mother-infant dyads (35 boys, M = 13.8, SD = 0.9) received the B classification. Despite the generous family policy and cultural emphasis on close mother-infant relationships, the Czech distribution of insecure categories did not differ from the Baltimore study sample. Out of other post-communist countries, only the infant attachment distribution in former East Germany differed from the Czech and the Baltimore study samples due to a lower proportion of type B and a higher proportion of type A infants. There were also more type A infants in the Italian sample. Interactive behavior scales accurately predicted attachment categories in 91 % of cases. Contact-maintenance and proximity-seeking scales substantially improve the assessment of insecure resistant behavior. Our findings support the universality and normativity of attachment and the utility of the dimensional approach.
- MeSH
- Infant Behavior MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mothers * MeSH
- Object Attachment MeSH
- Mother-Child Relations * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
Trendem posledního desetiletí je posunout diagnostiku autismu do co nejranějšího věku dítěte. Je prokázáno, že časná diagnostika následovaná adekvátně zvolenou intervencí vede k redukci autistické psychopatologie a významnému zlepšení prognózy dítěte. Snaha o co nejčasnější identifikaci dětí s rizikem rozvoje autismu vedla ke vzniku řady screeningových nástrojů. I přes extenzivní výzkumné snahy zatím neexistuje mezinárodní shoda na optimální screeningové metodě. Článek přináší přehled o nejvýznamnějších a celosvětově nejrozšířenějších screeningových metodách, předkládá významné faktory, které ovlivňují výsledky screeningu, a stručně objasňuje současnou situaci v České republice.
Within the last decade there has been growing emphasis on early diagnosis of autism. It has been proved, that early diagnosis of autism followed by an appropriate intensive intervention lead to the reduction of autistic psychopathology and significant improvement of the child's prognosis. Efforts to identify children at risk of autism as early as possible resulted in the development of many screening tools. Despite extensive efforts, the international agreement on the best screening method has not yet been established. The article presents an overview of the most important screening tools worldwide and introduces which factors are important for the screening results. The current situation in autism screening in the Czech Republic is briefly clarified.
- MeSH
- Autistic Disorder * diagnosis prevention & control MeSH
- Early Diagnosis MeSH
- Infant Behavior MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mass Screening * methods statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Social Behavior Disorders diagnosis prevention & control MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Psychiatric Status Rating Scales standards MeSH
- Parents psychology MeSH
- Sensitivity and Specificity MeSH
- Developmental Disabilities diagnosis prevention & control MeSH
- Parent-Child Relations MeSH
- Check Tag
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
The healthy development of the fetus depends on the exact course of pregnancy and delivery. Therefore, prenatal hypoxia remains between the greatest threats to the developing fetus. Our study aimed to assess the impact of prenatal hypoxia on postnatal development and behavior of the rats, whose mothers were exposed to hypoxia (10.5 % O2) during a critical period of brain development on GD20 for 12 h. This prenatal insult resulted in a delay of sensorimotor development of hypoxic pups compared to the control group. Hypoxic pups also had lowered postnatal weight which in males persisted up to adulthood. In adulthood, hypoxic males showed anxiety-like behavior in the OF, higher sucrose preference, and lower levels of grimace scale (reflecting the degree of negative emotions) in the immobilization chamber compared to the control group. Moreover, hypoxic animals showed hyperactivity in EPM and LD tests, and hypoxic females had reduced sociability compared to the control group. In conclusion, our results indicate a possible relationship between prenatal hypoxia and changes in sociability, activity, and impaired emotion regulation in ADHD, ASD, or anxiety disorders. The fact that changes in observed parameters are manifested mostly in males confirms that male sex is more sensitive to prenatal insults.
- MeSH
- Acid-Base Equilibrium MeSH
- Maze Learning MeSH
- Behavior, Animal * MeSH
- Gestational Age MeSH
- Fetal Hypoxia complications physiopathology MeSH
- Disease Models, Animal MeSH
- Motor Activity MeSH
- Rats, Wistar MeSH
- Food Preferences MeSH
- Sensorimotor Cortex growth & development MeSH
- Sex Factors MeSH
- Social Interaction MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Reflex, Startle MeSH
- Age Factors MeSH
- Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
V úvodu přehledného článku byla krátce popsána historie diagnózy dětského autismu. Byly shrnuty současné názory na epidemiologii a etiologii dětského autismu. Byl podán popis základní psychopatologie poruchy: vzniku symptomů, narušené sociální interakce, narušené komunikace a hry a omezeného, stereotypního chování a zájmů. Diskutována byla otázka diagnostiky a diferenciální diagnostiky. Navrhovaný diagnostický postup byl shrnut v grafickém algoritmu a zdůrazněna byla role dětského psychiatra jako koordinátora vyšetřovacího postupu. Byl podán přehled komorbidních diagnóz a základní údaje o průběhu a prognóze dětského autismu. Přehled byl doplněn stručným souhrnem farmakoterapie autismu.
As an introduction of the review article, short history of the diagnosis of childhood autism was described. Current opinions on epidemiology and etiology of childhood autism were summarized. Description of the basic psychopathology was given: onset of symptoms, abnormal sociál interaction, abnormal communication and play, and restricted, stereotyped patterns of behavior and interests. Diagnostic and differential diagnostic issues were discussed. Suggested diagnostic proceduře was displayed in a graphic algorithm, and the key position of a child psychiatrist in coordination of the diagnostic process was stressed. An overview of comorbid disorders was given, and remarks on the course and prognosis of childhood autism were made. A brief overview of pharmacotherapy of autism was added to the review.
Štúdia v kontexte MITB modelu overovala vplyv študentských percepcií interakčného štýlu učiteľov na subjektívnu pohodu študentov. 472 stredoškolských študentov posudzovalo interakčný štýl učiteliek dvoch predmetov (matematiky a slovenského jazyka) v Dotazníku interakčného štýlu učiteľa a frekvenciu prežívania pozitívnych a negatívnych emócií na oboch vyučovacích hodinách na Škálach emocionálnej habituálnej subjektívnej pohody. Frekvencia všetkých zisťovaných emócií bola štatisticky významne predikovaná študentskými percepciami správania učiteliek slovenského jazyka aj matematiky. V oboch prípadoch viedlo u študentov ich vnímanie dominantného a odmietavého interakčného štýlu vyučujúcich k zníženiu subjektívnej pohody, kým percipovanie dominantného a ústretového správania učiteliek naopak subjektívnu pohodu študentov zvyšovalo. Charakter emócií prežívaných študentmi na vyučovacích hodinách tak vyplýval predovšetkým z ich percepcií interakčného štýlu učiteliek na dimenzii proximity MITB modelu.
Teacher-student relationship and their mutual interactions are important aspects of teaching process. Research in psychology is mainly focused on determinants and correlates of student perceptions of interpersonal teacher behavior. The present study adopts the interpersonal perspective on teaching to explore effects of student perceptions of interpersonal teacher behavior on their well-being. Model of Interpersonal Teacher Behavior (MITB; Wubbels, Créton, & Hooymayers, 1985) is used to explain teacher-student interaction. 472 high school students (202 male, 270 female; mean age 16,72; SD = 0,999) assessed interpersonal behavior of their Slovak language and mathematics teachers (female, with at least 10 years of teaching experience) and frequency of experiencing positive and negative emotions in both classes. It was hypothesized that student well-being (frequency of experiencing positive and negative emotions) in both classes will be predicted by student perceptions of interpersonal teacher behavior. Participants completed Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and Scales on well-being. QTI allows to map student perceptions of eight types of interpersonal teacher behavior distinguished by MITB (leadership, helpful/friendly, understanding, student responsibility and freedom, uncertain, dissatisfied, admonishing, strict). In MITB, each type of interpersonal teacher behavior is defined by influence (dominance-submission) and proximity (cooperation-opposition) as two underlying dimensions. Results indicated that student well-being, i.e. frequency of experiencing both positive (pleasure, joy, happiness) and negative (anger, fear, sadness, shame, blame) emotions was significantly predicted by student perceptions of interpersonal teacher behavior in both Slovak language and mathematics classes. Student well-being in both classes increased when interpersonal teacher behavior was perceived as dominant and cooperative (leadership and helpful/friendly), and decreased when teacher interpersonal behavior was perceived as dominant, yet opposing (strict and admonishing). However, some of the predictors of student well-being slightly differed between subjects. Unlike in mathematics classes, student well-being in Slovak language classes also increased when interpersonal teacher behavior was perceived as more uncertain, less admonishing and less supporting responsibility and freedom of students. On the other hand, when less leadership and more certainty was perceived in interpersonal behavior of mathematics (but not Slovak language) teachers, decrease in student well-being occurred. To conclude, student perceptions of interpersonal behavior of both Slovak language and mathematics teachers predicted student well-being in the classes. Although perceptions on both dimensions of MITB were significant, student perceptions of teacher proximity as predictors of student well-being seemed more important.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Interpersonal Relations * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Men MeSH
- Perception MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Models, Psychological MeSH
- Statistics as Topic MeSH
- Students psychology MeSH
- Educational Technology * MeSH
- Teaching MeSH
- Women MeSH
- Self Report MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
