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

The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant psychological strain on healthcare workers. Our study tracked health care workers in the Czech Republic throughout the pandemic to examine the impact of stressors on psychological distress over time and explore gender differences in these associations. We studied health care workers from the Czech arm of the international COVID-19 HEROES Study who took part in all three waves of data collection in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (n = 264). We employed a path model to examine the relationships among six stressors (low trust in workplace, assignment of new tasks, prioritization of patients, experience of death due to COVID-19, experience of discrimination or violence, contact with COVID-19 patients), psychological distress (measured by General Health Questionnaire), and covariates (age, gender, occupation). We incorporated autoregressive paths and interactions to assess the longitudinal impact of stressors. Prior levels of distress predicted subsequent distress, with significant carry-over effects observed between each wave. Stressors had direct association to distress in the same wave of data collection (2020 and 2021), but not in subsequent waves, and stressors in 2022 did not have a significant direct effect to distress. Men reported lower distress in 2020 and 2021, but not in 2022. Furthermore, no significant interactions between stressors and gender were found. Age and occupation were not related to distress levels. There is a need for adaptable mental health support that addresses current stressors through targeted interventions, while also providing ongoing monitoring beyond crises, particularly for individuals with high distress levels.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * psychologie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• pracovní stres psychologie   MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• psychický distres * MeSH
• psychický stres * epidemiologie   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• zdravotnický personál * psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

Cíl: Popsat strategie zvládání stresu (coping) a prožívaný stres v souvislosti s neplodností u mužů a žen podstupujících léčbu in vitro fertilizace (IVF). Zjistit, zda jsou mezi ženami a muži rozdíly v prožívání a zároveň vytipovat adaptivní a neadaptivní strategie pro zvládání neplodnosti. Soubor a metoda: Korelační studie, 162 pacientů s primární neplodností (99 žen a 63 mužů), kteří podstupovali léčbu IVF v Sanus Pardubice, vyplnilo psychologické dotazníky Fertility Problem Inventory a COPE Inventory. Výsledky: Mezi muži a ženami nebyl nalezen statisticky významný rozdíl v míře prožívaného stresu. Nejčastěji užívali muži i ženy copingové strategie pozitivní reinterpretace, plánování a akceptace, muži užívali signifikantně častěji než ženy strategii zdrženlivost, potlačení a plánování, ženy užívaly signifikantně častěji než muži strategie využívání emoční sociální opory a náboženský coping. U žen i mužů signifikantně korelovala s celkovou mírou prožívaného stresu strategie popření v pozitivním směru, strategie pozitivní reinterpretace a akceptace v negativním směru. Závěr: Nedobrovolně bezdětné ženy a muži v léčbě IVF prožívají podobný stres, užívají ale mírně odlišné copingové strategie. Pro muže i ženy se jako adaptivní copingové strategie ukazují pozitivní reinterpretace a akceptace, jako neadaptivní popření.

Aim: To describe coping strategies and infertility stress in men and women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. To determine whether there are differences in coping strategies between men and women and to identify adaptive and non-adaptive coping strategies for infertility. Materials and methods: A correlational study, where 162 patients (99 women and 63 men) with primary infertility undergoing IVF treatment at Sanus Pardubice completed the Fertility Problem Inventory and COPE Inventory psychological questionnaires. Results: There were no significant differences between women and men in experiencing infertility stress. The coping strategies used most frequently by both men and women were Positive Reinterpretation, Planning, and Acceptance; men used the strategies Restraint, Suppression, and Planning significantly more frequently than women; and women used the strategies Using Emotional Social Support and Religious Coping significantly more frequently than men. For both women and men, level of Global infertility stress significantly correlated with Denial in the positive direction and with Positive Reinterpretation and Acceptance in the negative direction. Conclusion: Involuntarily childless women and men in IVF treatment experience similar infertility stress, but use slightly different coping strategies. For both men and women, Positive Reinterpretation and Acceptance emerged as adaptive strategies, while Denial emerged as non-adaptive.

• MeSH
• copingové dovednosti * MeSH
• fertilizace in vitro * psychologie   MeSH
• klinická studie jako téma MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• psychický stres MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH

ABSTRACTBackground: European health care workers recently experienced serious challenges to their mental health. Following the extremely stressful experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine caused a humanitarian influx of refugees in need of social and healthcare. We aimed to explore: (1) how working with refugees has affected the mental well-being of health care workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the nature of health care workers' emotional strain related to the refugee situation and the war in Ukraine.Methods: We used a combination of quantitative regression analyses and qualitative content analysis to assess data collected by an online questionnaire in 2022. The study included 1121 health care workers from the Czech arm of the international HEROES Study.Results: Quantitative findings did not indicate that working with Ukrainian refugees was reliably associated with a greater occurrence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, distress, or burnout. Qualitative analysis revealed five categories of emotional strain: impacts on working conditions, emotional reactions to refugees and the war, comparisons with the COVID-19 pandemic, and coping strategies.Conclusions: This study highlights the resilience of health care workers but also points to the need for ongoing support to address the complex emotional challenges they face during health crises.

• MeSH
• adaptace psychologická MeSH
• COVID-19 * psychologie   MeSH
• deprese psychologie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• duševní zdraví * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• profesionální vyhoření psychologie   MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• psychický stres psychologie   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• uprchlíci * psychologie   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• úzkost psychologie   MeSH
• zdravotnický personál * psychologie   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Ukrajina MeSH

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this qualitative study is to develop a conceptual model for the school life of the children with epilepsy based on grounded theory methodological framework. METHODOLOGY: A total of 20 children with epilepsy participated in the semi-structured interviews. Inclusion criteria were age of 8-15 years, IQ higher than 70, duration of epilepsy of at least of two years and attendance of mainstream schools. 15 children had never seizure in school and 16 of them have not had a seizure in last 12 months. Qualitative research data was processed based on grounded theory with open coding leading consecutively to several main categories, axial coding establishing connections between individual categories, and finally selective coding resulting in one central category which was the core of the developed conceptual model. RESULTS: Eight main categories were identified during open coding: type of epilepsy and its management, sources of stress at school, adaptive responses to stressors, safe school environment in relation to (a) epilepsy and (b) learning, family support, stability of experience and behavior, and positive self-concept. Axial and selective coding resulted in establishment of Adaptive responses to stressors as the central category which is in the developed conceptual model determined by relevant external and internal factors as well as the sources enabling effective adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: The presented research emphasize the importance of adaptive responses to stressors in the school environment among children with epilepsy which may be useful in counselling focused on how to avoid or successfully manage possible traumatizing experience related with epilepsy in this group.

• MeSH
• adaptace psychologická fyziologie   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• epilepsie * psychologie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• psychický stres psychologie   MeSH
• školy * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Using the perspective of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which represents a public health challenge that also affects education and the psychological well-being of students, this paper aims to assess the vulnerability to anxiety and stress of the Romanian students from the Faculty of Administration and Business of the University of Bucharest pursuing their degrees in administration and business. METHODS: Our study is based on the results of the survey that was administered to a sample of 422 students (39.6% females and 60.4% males) selected from the pool of 2000 recruited respondents. We employed the ANOVA/linear Dependent Dirichlet Process mixture model to explain the causes of stress and anxiety after various grouping variables represented by gender, specialisation, as well as labour market status. RESULTS: Our results revealed that more than 80% of the students in the sample yielded medium and high vulnerability to stress, while 64% of the respondents were affected by severe anxiety (high frequency of psychological, social, and physical problems that were difficult for them to control). The most important stressors were the fear of getting infected and social distancing, while self-control was considered the most effective coping strategy by 62.6% of employed students. CONCLUSIONS: These results allow us to provide practical recommendations for effectively coping with stress and anxiety among students in Romania and beyond and to help stakeholders and policymakers design strategies for strengthening students' resilience, mental health, and well-being in case of future pandemics or other extreme contexts.

• MeSH
• adaptace psychologická * MeSH
• copingové dovednosti MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• psychický stres * epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• studenti * psychologie   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• univerzity MeSH
• úzkost * epidemiologie   psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Rumunsko MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in communication, social interaction, and repetitive behavior. The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 resulted in significant changes in daily life due to restrictive measures. This period posed particular challenges for families with children living with autism, given the limitations in medical care and social services. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand how families with autistic children perceive stress during the pandemic and the coping strategies employed in unexpected situations. METHOD: A total of 44 families with children with ASD and 300 control families, including 44 control families in a matched subsample, were included in the study. To assess stress and parental coping with COVID-19-related stress, the Responses to Stress Questionnaire (Adult Self-Report RSQ-COVID-19) was utilized. RESULTS: Caregivers of autistic children experienced significantly higher stress levels (p = .027, d = 0.479) during the pandemic, with notable stressors such as limited access to medical care and challenges associated with remote work. Despite expectations, coping strategy differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Families and supporters of children with autism naturally encounter various experiences and challenges stemming from their additional needs. Our study's results highlight an accentuation of stress during challenging situations. As these situations may recur in the future, there is a need to design and implement support plans for these families, appropriate intervention programs, and preparations for the utilization of telemedicine tools.

• MeSH
• adaptace psychologická * MeSH
• COVID-19 * psychologie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• osoby pečující o pacienty psychologie   MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• poruchy autistického spektra * psychologie   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• psychický stres * psychologie   MeSH
• rodiče * psychologie   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Chae, S, McDowell, KW, Baur, ML, Long, SA, Tufano, JJ, and Stone, MH. Accentuated eccentric loading and alternative set structures: A narrative review for potential synergies in resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 38(11): 1987-2000, 2024-As athletes become adapted to training over time, it becomes more difficult to develop their strength and power. In a conventional resistance training strategy, volume or load may be increased to provide novel stimuli to break through a plateau. However, physiological stress markers increase with increased volume or load, which is an innate shortcoming. In that case, practitioners strive to develop unconventional strategies that could increase training stimuli while adjusting fatigue. Two programming tactics, accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) using eccentric overload and alternative set structures (AS) using intraset rests, have been reported to increase training stimuli and alleviate fatigue, respectively. Importantly, when merging AEL and AS in various contexts, the 2 benefits could be accomplished together. Because AEL and AS cause different outcomes, it is important to deal with when and how they may be integrated into periodization. Moreover, prescribing eccentric overload and intraset rests requires logistical considerations that need to be addressed. This review discusses the scientific and practical aspects of AEL and AS to further optimize strength and power adaptations. This review discusses (a) scientific evidence as to which tactic is effective for a certain block, (b) potential practical applications, and (c) related discussions and future research directions.

• MeSH
• kosterní svaly fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• odporový trénink * metody   MeSH
• sportovci MeSH
• sportovní výkon fyziologie   MeSH
• svalová síla * fyziologie   MeSH
• svalová únava fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

We hypothesized that sympathetic hyperactivity and parasympathetic insuficiency in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) underlie their exaggerated cardiovascular response to acute stress and impaired adaptation to repeated restraint stress exposure compared to Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Cardiovascular responses to single (120 min) or repeated (daily 120 min for 1 week) restraint were measured by radiotelemetry and autonomic balance was evaluated by power spectral analysis of systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) and heart rate variability (HRV). Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was measured by the pharmacological Oxford technique. Stress-induced pressor response and vascular sympathetic activity (low-frequency component of SBPV) were enhanced in SHR subjected to single restraint compared to WKY, whereas stress-induced tachycardia was similar in both strains. SHR exhibited attenuated cardiac parasympathetic activity (high-frequency component of HRV) and blunted BRS compared to WKY. Repeated restraint did not affect the stress-induced increase in blood pressure. However, cardiovascular response during the post-stress recovery period of the 7th restraint was reduced in both strains. The repeatedly restrained SHR showed lower basal heart rate during the dark (active) phase and slightly decreased basal blood pressure during the light phase compared to stress-naive SHR. SHR subjected to repeated restraint also exhibited attenuated stress-induced tachycardia, augmented cardiac parasympathetic activity, attenuated vascular sympathetic activity and improved BRS during the last seventh restraint compared to single-stressed SHR. Thus, SHR exhibited enhanced cardiovascular and sympathetic responsiveness to novel stressor exposure (single restraint) compared to WKY. Unexpectedly, the adaptation of cardiovascular and autonomic responses to repeated restraint was more effective in SHR.

• MeSH
• autonomní nervový systém * patofyziologie   MeSH
• baroreflex * fyziologie   MeSH
• fyzické omezení * MeSH
• fyziologická adaptace * fyziologie   MeSH
• hypertenze * patofyziologie   MeSH
• krevní tlak * fyziologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• potkani inbrední SHR * MeSH
• potkani inbrední WKY * MeSH
• psychický stres patofyziologie   MeSH
• srdeční frekvence * fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been associated with the host dysmetabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), however, the implications for the role of BCAA metabolism in PDAC development or progression are not clear. The mitochondrial catabolism of valine, leucine, and isoleucine is a multistep process leading to the production of short-chain R-CoA species. They can be subsequently exported from mitochondria as short-chain carnitines (SC-CARs), utilized in anabolic pathways, or released from the cells. METHODS: We examined the specificities of BCAA catabolism and cellular adaptation strategies to BCAA starvation in PDAC cells in vitro. We used metabolomics and lipidomics to quantify major metabolic changes in response to BCAA withdrawal. Using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry we quantified the fluorescence of BODIPY probe and the level of lipid droplets (LDs). We used BODIPY-conjugated palmitate to evaluate transport of fatty acids (FAs) into mitochondria. Also, we have developed a protocol for quantification of SC-CARs, BCAA-derived metabolites. RESULTS: Using metabolic profiling, we found that BCAA starvation leads to massive triglyceride (TG) synthesis and LD accumulation. This was associated with the suppression of activated FA transport into the mitochondrial matrix. The suppression of FA import into mitochondria was rescued with the inhibitor of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and the activator of AMP kinase (AMPK), which both regulate carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1) activation status. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that BCAA catabolism is required for the import of long chain carnitines (LC-CARs) into mitochondria, whereas the disruption of this link results in the redirection of activated FAs into TG synthesis and its deposition into LDs. We propose that this mechanism protects cells against mitochondrial overload with LC-CARs and it might be part of the universal reaction to amino acid perturbations during cancer growth, regulating FA handling and storage.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH