Although increasingly complex models have been proposed in mediation literature, there is no model nor software that incorporates the multiple possible generalizations of the simple mediation model jointly. We propose a flexible moderated mediation model allowing for (1) a hierarchical structure of clustered data, (2) more and possibly correlated mediators, and (3) an ordinal outcome. The motivating data set is obtained from a European study in nursing research. Patients' willingness to recommend their treating hospital was recorded in an ordinal way. The research question is whether such recommendation directly depends on system-level features in the organization of nursing care, or whether these associations are mediated by 2 measurements of nursing care left undone and possibly moderated by nurse education. We have developed a Bayesian approach and accompanying program that takes all the above generalizations into account.

• Klíčová slova
• Bayesian multilevel modeling, latent variables, moderated mediation model, ordinal outcome,
• MeSH
• Bayesova věta * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• personál sesterský nemocniční statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• regresní analýza * MeSH
• spokojenost pacientů MeSH
• víceúrovňová analýza * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Determinants of health in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have been discussed primarily in relation to the transition of the 1990's and early 2000's, citing lifestyles as the main culprit. This paper tries to draw a bigger picture of the health determinants in CEE in the first decade of the 21st century. To do so, the two main analytical approaches to health are united in one setting. One of them is based on the definition of health as a personal commodity relying mostly on micro-level subjective data. The other views health as a public commodity analysing objective societal characteristics and health care interventions with often a macro-level perspective. The current study incorporates these different approaches (subjective and objective) in a multi-level setting in CEE. METHODS: The analysis concentrates on health care, social, political, and economic factors as determinants of self-rated health. Multilevel analysis is carried out on a dataset of Life in Transition Survey (LiTS), conducted in 2006 and 2010, pooled cross-sectional data on 46,546 individuals in 27 CEE states. They are accompanied by macro-level data. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate that a complex mix of determinants influences subjective health in CEE. There are clear differences in the way objective and subjective indicators influence self-rated health. While societal economic prosperity does not influence health, there are strong country-specific differences in the effect of individual prosperity on health. CONCLUSIONS: The study adds to the recent literature on health in CEE by introducing an encompassing systematic approach to analysing health, as no leading cause for self-rated health variation was found. This paper also contributes to research on the determinants of health by fusing objective and subjective determinants in a hierarchical setting. Both subjective and objective determinants matter for health.

• Klíčová slova
• Central and Eastern Europe, Life in Transition survey, determinants of health, multilevel analysis, subjective health,
• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• poskytování zdravotní péče * MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• sociální determinanty zdraví * MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• víceúrovňová analýza MeSH
• zdravotní stav * MeSH
• zpráva o sobě MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH
• východní Evropa MeSH

Czech Republic traditionally ranks among the countries with the highest alcohol, consumption. This paper examines both risk and protective factors for frequent of alcohol, consumption in the Czech population using multilevel analysis. Risk factors were measured at the, individual level and at the area level. The individual-level data were obtained from a survey for a, sample of 3526 respondents aged 18-64 years. The area-level data were obtained from the Czech, Statistical Office. The group most inclinable to risk alcohol consumption and binge drinking are mainly, men, who live as single, with low education and also unemployed. Only the variable for divorce rate, showed statistical significance at both levels, thus the individual and the aggregated one. No cross-level interactions were found to be statistically significant.

• MeSH
• alkoholismus epidemiologie   MeSH
• analýza malých oblastí MeSH
• chudé oblasti * MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• logistické modely MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• multivariační analýza MeSH
• pití alkoholu epidemiologie   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• společenská třída * MeSH
• zdravotnické přehledy MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the impact of recessions on young people's socioeconomic inequalities in health. This study investigates the impact of the economic recession in terms of youth unemployment on socioeconomic inequalities in psychological health complaints among adolescents across Europe and North America. METHODS: Data from the WHO collaborative 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children' (HBSC) study were collected in 2005/06 (N = 160,830) and 2009/10 (N = 166,590) in 31 European and North American countries. Logistic multilevel models were used to assess the contribution of youth unemployment in 2009/10 (enduring recession) and the change in youth unemployment (2005-2010) to adolescent psychological health complaints and socioeconomic inequalities in complaints in 2009/10. RESULTS: Youth unemployment during the recession is positively related to psychological health complaints, but not to inequalities in complaints. Changes in youth unemployment (2005-2010) were not associated with adolescents' psychological health complaints, whereas greater inequalities in complaints were found in countries with greater increases in youth unemployment. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need to tackle the impact of increasing unemployment on adolescent health and health inequalities during economic recessions.

• Klíčová slova
• Adolescence, Health inequalities, Multilevel analysis, Recession, Subjective health, Youth unemployment,
• MeSH
• disparity zdravotního stavu * MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• duševní zdraví statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• ekonomická recese statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• guanosindifosfát MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• nezaměstnanost psychologie   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• rozložení podle pohlaví MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• věkové rozložení MeSH
• víceúrovňová analýza MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa epidemiologie   MeSH
• Severní Amerika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• guanosindifosfát MeSH

BACKGROUND: The socioeconomic and ethnic composition of urban neighbourhoods may affect mortality, but evidence on Central European cities is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between socioeconomic and ethnic neighbourhood indicators and the mortality of individuals aged 20-64 years old in the two biggest cities of the Slovak Republic. METHODS: We obtained data on the characteristics of neighbourhoods and districts (educational level, unemployment, income and share of Roma) and on individual mortality of residents aged 20-64 years old, for the two largest cities in the Slovak Republic (Bratislava and Kosice) in the period 2003-2005. We performed multilevel Poisson regression analyses adjusted for age and gender on the individual (mortality), neighbourhood (education level and share of Roma in population) and district levels (unemployment and income). RESULTS: The proportions of Roma and of low-educated residents were associated with mortality at the neighbourhood level in both cities. Mutually adjusted, only the association with the proportion of Roma remained in the model (risk ratio 1.02; 95 % confidence interval 1.01-1.04). The area indicators - high education, income and unemployment - were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: The proportion of Roma is associated with early mortality in the two biggest cities in the Slovak Republic.

• MeSH
• charakteristiky bydlení statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• disparity zdravotní péče etnologie   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mortalita etnologie   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• Romové statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory * MeSH
• velkoměsta epidemiologie   etnologie   MeSH
• víceúrovňová analýza MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovenská republika epidemiologie   etnologie   MeSH
• velkoměsta epidemiologie   etnologie   MeSH

This study evaluates the response of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblage to forest management practices by integrating species composition, body traits, wing morphology and developmental instability. Traditional approaches that rely on averaged identity-based descriptors often overlook phenotypic plasticity and functional trait variability, potentially masking species-specific responses to environmental changes. To address this, we applied a three-layered analytical approach to address this gap, utilising ground beetle occurrence and morphological trait data from Podyjí National Park, Czech Republic. The first layer assessed assemblage composition with ecological and dietary preferences across control, ecotone and clearing treatments using multivariate techniques. Building on species-level knowledge, the second layer analysed the interaction between coarse traits, such as wing morphology and fine-scale body traits, including body size (proxied by elytron length), head width and last abdominal sternite, to assess their relationship with the different treatments. These interactions were explored as intraspecific wing plasticity can affect functional interpretations. The third layer focused on fluctuating asymmetry as an intraindividual indicator of developmental instability, examining how ground beetles respond to environmental stressors. Our findings revealed: (i) no significant impact of habitat treatments on the presence of specialist species in the assemblage analysis; (ii) analysis of morphological traits highlights the combined influence of a coarse trait, such as wing morphology, and a fine trait, such as head width, which together contribute to the partitioning of assemblages and help distinguish differences in habitat use; and (iii) FA analysis revealed a significant positive association between the second antennal segment of specialist species and litter while displaying a negative association with Collembola. This multilevel analytical framework not only confirms ecological findings but also advances our approach to habitat and species analysis, offering deeper insights into ecosystem dynamics.

• Klíčová slova
• Bayesian statistics, fluctuating asymmetry, forest management practises, functional traits, wing morphology,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that deprived neighbourhoods have higher cardiovascular mortality and morbidity rates. Inequalities in the distribution of behaviour related risk factors are one possible explanation for this trend. In our study, we examined the association between cardiovascular risk factors and neighbourhood characteristics. To assess the consistency of associations the design is cross-national with data from nine industrial towns from the Czech Republic and Germany. METHODS: We combined datasets from two population based studies, one in Germany ('Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) Study'), and one in the Czech Republic ('Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) Study'). Participation rates were 56% in the HNR and 55% in the HAPIEE study. The subsample for this particular analysis consists of 11,554 men and women from nine German and Czech towns. Census based information on social characteristics of 326 neighbourhoods were collected from local administrative authorities. We used unemployment rate and overcrowding as area-level markers of socioeconomic status (SES). The cardiovascular risk factors obesity, hypertension, smoking and physical inactivity were used as response variables. Regression models were complemented by individual-level social status (education) and relevant covariates. RESULTS: Smoking, obesity and low physical activity were more common in deprived neighbourhoods in Germany, even when personal characteristics including individual education were controlled for. For hypertension associations were weak. In the Czech Republic associations were observed for smoking and physical inactivity, but not for obesity and hypertension when individual-level covariates were adjusted for. The strongest association was found for smoking in both countries: in the fully adjusted model the odds ratio for 'high unemployment rate' was 1.30 [95% CI 1.02-1.66] in the Czech Republic and 1.60 [95% CI 1.29-1.98] in Germany. CONCLUSION: In this comparative study, the effects of neighbourhood deprivation varied by country and risk factor; the strongest and most consistent effects were found for smoking. Results indicate that area level SES is associated with health related lifestyles, which might be a possible pathway linking social status and cardiovascular disease. Individual-level education had a considerable influence on the association between neighbourhood characteristics and risk factors.

• MeSH
• charakteristiky bydlení * MeSH
• chudé oblasti * MeSH
• cvičení fyziologie   MeSH
• hypertenze epidemiologie   MeSH
• kardiovaskulární nemoci ekonomika   epidemiologie   MeSH
• kouření škodlivé účinky   epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nahuštění v prostoru MeSH
• nezaměstnanost statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• obezita MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• regresní analýza MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• společenská třída * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Německo epidemiologie   MeSH

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has received significant interest in the context of nanophotonic metamaterials and memories owing to its reversible insulator-metal transition associated with significant changes in its optical and electronic properties. The phase transition of VO2 has been extensively studied for several decades, and the ways how to control its hysteresis characteristics relevant for memory applications have significantly improved. However, the hysteresis dynamics and stability of coexisting phases during the transition have not been studied on the level of individual single-crystal VO2 nanoparticles (NPs), although they represent the fundamental component of ordinary polycrystalline films and can also act like nanoscale memory units on their own. Here, employing transmission electron microscopy techniques, we investigate phase transitions of single VO2 NPs in real time. Our analysis reveals the statistical distribution of the transition temperature and steepness and how they differ during forward (heating) and backward (cooling) transitions. We evaluate the stability of coexisting phases in individual NPs and prove the persistent multilevel memory at near room temperatures using only a few VO2 NPs. Our findings unveil the physical mechanisms that govern the hysteresis of VO2 at the nanoscale and establish VO2 NPs as a promising component of optoelectronic and memory devices with enhanced functionalities.

• Klíčová slova
• coexisting phases, hysteresis, insulator−metal transition, nanophotonics, phase-change memory, transmission electron microscopy, vanadium dioxide,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

In the case of polymer medical devices, the surface design plays a crucial role in the contact with human tissue. The use of AgNPs as antibacterial agents is well known; however, there is still more to be investigated about their anchoring into the polymer surface. This study describes the changes in the surface morphology and behaviour in the biological environment of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) with immobilised AgNPs after different surface modifications. The initial composites were prepared by immobilising silver nanoparticles from a colloid solution in the upper surface layers of polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The prepared samples (Ag/PEEK) had a planar morphology and were further modified with a KrF laser, a GaN laser, and an Ar plasma. The samples were studied using the AFM method to visualise changes in surface morphology and obtain information on the height of the structures and other surface parameters. A comparative analysis of the nanoparticles and polymers was performed using FEG-SEM. The chemical composition of the surface of the samples and optical activity were studied using XPS and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Finally, drop plate antibacterial and cytotoxicity tests were performed to determine the role of Ag nanoparticles after modification and suitability of the surface, which are important for the use of the resulting composite in biomedical applications.

• Klíčová slova
• antibacterial properties, biocompatibility, immobilisation, nanostructures, physical modification, polyetheretherketone,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

OBJECTIVE: Suicide is a public health crisis with limited treatment options. The authors conducted a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis examining the effects of a single dose of ketamine on suicidal ideation. METHOD: Individual participant data were obtained from 10 of 11 identified comparison intervention studies that used either saline or midazolam as a control treatment. The analysis included only participants who had suicidal ideation at baseline (N=167). A one-stage, individual participant data, meta-analytic procedure was employed using a mixed-effects, multilevel, general linear model. The primary outcome measures were the suicide items from clinician-administered (the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] or the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D]) and self-report scales (the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report [QIDS-SR] or the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]), obtained for up to 1 week after ketamine administration. RESULTS: Ketamine rapidly (within 1 day) reduced suicidal ideation significantly on both the clinician-administered and self-report outcome measures. Effect sizes were moderate to large (Cohen's d=0.48-0.85) at all time points after dosing. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that compared with control treatments, ketamine had significant benefits on the individual suicide items of the MADRS, the HAM-D, and the QIDS-SR but not the BDI. Ketamine's effect on suicidal ideation remained significant after adjusting for concurrent changes in severity of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine rapidly reduced suicidal thoughts, within 1 day and for up to 1 week in depressed patients with suicidal ideation. Ketamine's effects on suicidal ideation were partially independent of its effects on mood, although subsequent trials in transdiagnostic samples are required to confirm that ketamine exerts a specific effect on suicidal ideation. Additional research on ketamine's long-term safety and its efficacy in reducing suicide risk is needed before clinical implementation.

• Klíčová slova
• Ketamine, Mood Disorders-Bipolar, Mood Disorders-Unipolar, Rapid-Acting Antidepressants, Suicide,
• MeSH
• antagonisté excitačních aminokyselin aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• deprese farmakoterapie   psychologie   MeSH
• depresivní porucha unipolární psychologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• intravenózní infuze MeSH
• ketamin aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lineární modely MeSH
• sebevražedné myšlenky * MeSH
• víceúrovňová analýza MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• zpráva o sobě MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• metaanalýza MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural MeSH
• systematický přehled MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antagonisté excitačních aminokyselin MeSH
• ketamin MeSH