Background: Seafarers are amongst occupational groups with the highest risk for stress, a factor known to impact on mental health. Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and alcohol or drug dependence are recognized health problems within the maritime sector. The primary aim of this study was to identify which individual and occupational factors, known to impact on psychological functioning across the maritime industry and other sectors, best predict perceived stress and job satisfaction among a sample of merchant seafarers. Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using a work experiences and attitudes questionnaire administered by a large shipping company to seafarers within their organization. Structural equation modeling was conducted using a proposed theoretical model of perceived stress and job satisfaction in a sample of merchant seafarers. Results: While the structural equation model produced acceptable fit to the sample data according to numerous goodness-of-fit statistics, the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index results indicated less than satisfactory model fit. The model explained 23.8% of variance in the criterion variable of perceived stress, and the strongest predictive effect was for dispositional resilience. The model explained 70.6% of variance in the criterion variable of job satisfaction, and the strongest predictive effect was for instrumental work support. Conclusion: When addressing the psychosocial well-being of merchant seafarers, findings of this study suggest that dispositional resilience may be a particularly important factor with regards to perceived stress, while instrumental work support appears to be a critical factor in relation to job satisfaction. Importantly, however, an overall work environment that is perceived by employees as supportive, equal and just is a cornerstone for the psychosocial well-being of seafarers.

• Klíčová slova
• job satisfaction, maritime, merchant seafarers, perceived stress, psychosocial well-being, structural equation modeling,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: In today's digital age, demanding to interpret vast quantities of visual information with speed and accuracy, nonverbal Intelligence has become increasingly crucial for children, as it plays a key role in cognitive development and learning. While motor proficiency has been positively linked to various cognitive functions in children, its relationship with nonverbal Intelligence remains an open question. This study, therefore, explored the structural associations between motor proficiency and nonverbal Intelligence in school-aged children (6 to 11 years), focusing on potential age and sex-specific patterns. METHODS: Data were obtained from 396 children aged 6 to 11 (214 boys, 182 girls; mean age 8.9 years ±1.3) divided into younger children 6-8 years and older Children 9-11 years. Motor proficiency was assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2), and non-verbal Intelligence was evaluated with the Raven Progressive Matrices (RPM). We conducted multigroup structural modelling with non-verbal Intelligence as a dependent latent variable. RESULTS: The BOT-2 and RPM models demonstrated an acceptable fit in Czech children. Strength-agility and Fine motor control emerged as the strongest predictors of nonverbal intelligence level assessed by five sets of RPM. Age-specific analyses revealed that the Strength-agility construct was consistently a significant predictor of nonverbal intelligence level in both age categories. However, in older children, also Fine motor control was significantly linked to nonverbal intelligence level. Sex-specific differences were also observed in the structural modelling results, indicating significant predictor non-invariance based on participants' sex. In girls, both Fine motor control and the Strength-agility constructs were significant predictors of nonverbal Intelligence level, showing stronger associations with nonverbal Intelligence than boys. For boys, only the Strength-agility construct was a significant predictor of RPM performance. CONCLUSION: This study reveals a nuanced age- and sex-specific relationship between children's motor proficiency and nonverbal Intelligence. The findings underscore the need for targeted physical interventions, particularly those emphasising fine motor and strength-agility exercises, to ensure equitable opportunities for motor skill development. Such interventions may enhance physical abilities and support cognitive development in an increasingly digital world.

• Klíčová slova
• Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency, Motor proficiency, Psychomotor development, Raven's progressive matrices (RPM), Second edition (BOT-2),
• MeSH
• analýza latentních tříd MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• inteligence * fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• motorické dovednosti * fyziologie   MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• vývoj dítěte fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

PURPOSE: Child abuse and trauma are significant risk factors in the etiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Apart from affecting the risk of developing BPD, adverse childhood experiences seem to increase its symptoms and related disability. Self-stigma presents another common issue with equally prominent consequences for mental health. Despite being theoretically linked, the connections among childhood trauma, self-stigma, and mental health have not been explored in patients with BPD. This study aimed to provide first insights into this understudied topic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 283 inpatients diagnosed with BPD participating in a residential transdiagnostic psychotherapeutic program. The patients completed several measurements - the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form, the Clinical Global Impression - Severity, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Sheehan Disability Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The data was statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS and AMOS 26 programs, and bivariate correlation tests and structural equation modeling explored the hypotheses. RESULTS: Retrospectively reported childhood trauma positively correlated with current self-stigma. Both childhood trauma and self-stigma were also positively related to several indicators of general psychopathology and disability. The significance of these connections was subsequently confirmed by structural equation modeling, where self-stigma acted as a partial mediator of childhood trauma, general psychopathology, and disability. CONCLUSION: Self-stigma significantly mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and selected mental health symptoms among adult patients diagnosed with BPD. Longitudinal studies are necessary to explore the causality of the findings. Therapeutic and societal efforts to tackle childhood trauma or self-stigma might benefit from reflecting its broader psychosocial context.

• Klíčová slova
• anxiety, borderline personality disorder, childhood trauma, depression, disability, self-stigma,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Sleep is especially important to overall well-being. Some aspects of sleep have been well documented, for example sleep quantity and its effect on well-being, but the value of a consistent sleep routine remains poorly studied. University students are a population group especially susceptible to stress, mental health problems and poor sleep quality and experience changing daily schedules. Investigating the protective power of sleep in this population group is therefore an important avenue of research. METHODS: Applying a structural equation model, the current study surveyed a large sample of Czech university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in late spring, 2021, and observed the mediation effects of sleep on this group. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The study found that working, maintaining social contact and attending lectures in person had a strong effect on satisfaction with life. Increased personal study time indirectly supported consistent sleep routines and mediated perceptions of life satisfaction. As expected, the results indicated the importance of high-quality sleep. The results also verified partial mediation, directly and indirectly, through sleep quality, highlighting the significance of a consistent sleep routine in students on their self-reported satisfaction with life.

• Klíčová slova
• Czech Republic, life satisfaction, sleep consistency, sleep quality, stressors, university students,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Tristal steel is low-carbon construction-type steel widely used in the automotive industry, e.g., for braking components. Given the contemporary demands on the high-volume production of such components, these are typically fabricated using automatic sequential machines, which can produce components at strain rates up to 103 s-1. For this reason, characterising the behaviour of the used material at high strain rates is of the utmost importance for successful industrial production. This study focuses on the characterisation of the behaviour of low-carbon steel via developing its material model using the Johnson-Cook constitutive equation. At first, the Taylor anvil test is performed. Subsequently, the acquired data together with the results of observations of structures and properties of the tested specimens are used to fill the necessary parameters into the equation. Finally, the developed equation is used to numerically simulate the Taylor anvil test and the predicted data is correlated with the experimentally acquired one. The results showed a satisfactory correlation of the experimental and predicted data; the deformed specimen region featured increased occurrence of dislocations, as well as higher hardness (its original value of 88 HV increased to more than 200 HV after testing), which corresponded to the predicted distributions of effective imposed strain and compressive stress.

• Klíčová slova
• Johnson–Cook, Taylor anvil test, constitutive equation, high strain rate, low-carbon steel,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the global average since 1979, resulting in rapid glacier retreat and exposing new glacier forelands. These forelands offer unique experimental settings to explore how global warming impacts ecosystems, particularly for highly climate-sensitive arthropods. Understanding these impacts can help anticipate future biodiversity and ecosystem changes under ongoing warming scenarios. In this study, we integrate data on arthropod diversity from DNA gut content analysis-offering insight into predator diets-with quantitative measures of arthropod activity-density at a Greenland glacier foreland using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Our SEM analysis reveals both bottom-up and top-down controlled food chains. Bottom-up control, linked to sit-and-wait predator behavior, was prominent for spider and harvestman populations, while top-down control, associated with active search behavior, was key for ground beetle populations. Bottom-up controlled dynamics predominated during the early stages of vegetation succession, while top-down mechanisms dominated in later successional stages further from the glacier, driven largely by increasing temperatures. In advanced successional stages, top-down cascades intensify intraguild predation (IGP) among arthropod predators. This is especially evident in the linyphiid spider Collinsia holmgreni, whose diet included other linyphiid and lycosid spiders, reflecting high IGP. The IGP ratio in C. holmgreni negatively correlated with the activity-density of ground-dwelling prey, likely contributing to the local decline and possible extinction of this cold-adapted species in warmer, late-succession habitats where lycosid spiders dominate. These findings suggest that sustained warming and associated shifts in food web dynamics could lead to the loss of cold-adapted species, while brief warm events may temporarily impact populations without lasting extinction effects.

• Klíčová slova
• Aclastus borealis, Isotoma anglicana, Mitopus morio, NDVI, Nebria rufescens, antipredatory behavior, deglaciation, detritivores, extra‐guild prey, pioneer vegetation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

In this article, we explore exact solitary wave solutions to the van der Waals equation which is crucial for numerous applications involving a variety of physical occurrences. This system is used to define the behavior of real gases taking into consideration finite size of molecules and also has some applications in industry for granular materials. The model is studied under the effect of fractional derivatives by employing two different definitions: β , and M-truncated. Further, new extended direct algebraic method is employed to construct the solitary wave solutions for the model. The solutions transmit several novel solutions, such as dark-singular, dark-bright, singular-periodic and dark solutions, and this method establishes the conditions required for the formation of these structures. To show the comparative analysis between two different fractional operators, results are graphically represented in the form of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional visualizations.

• Klíčová slova
• Fractional wave transform, Beta-derivative, M-truncated derivative, New extended direct algebraic method, Soliton solutions, Van der Waals equation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The (3)J(C8-H1'), (3)J(C4-H1'), (1)J(C8-H8), (1)J(C1'-H1'), (1)J(C2'-H2'), and (1)J(C2'-H2'2) indirect scalar coupling constants were calculated with the density functional theory in the deoxyguanosine and riboguanosine molecules. The following geometry descriptors were considered in analysis of the structural dependence of the six J couplings: the glycosidic torsion angle chi and conformation of the hydroxymethyl group at the C4' carbon of sugar mimicking the backbone residue and the sugar pucker (C2'-, C3'-endo). The (3)J(C8-H1') and (3)J(C4-H1') couplings, which are typically assigned to the chi torsion, also depended on the sugar pucker, although the calculated dependence of the latter coupling on sugar pucker was nearly negligible. New parametrization of the Karplus equations, taking into account the stereoinversion effect at the glycosidic nitrogen atom and solvent effects, was calculated for the (3)J(C8-H1') and (3)J(C4-H1') coupling assigned to the chi torsion. The calculated phase shift of chi torsion angle in these new Karplus equations was larger by approximately 10 degrees compared to its commonly accepted value of 60 degrees (Wijmenga, S. S.; van Buuren, B. N. M. Prog. NMR Spectrosc. 1998, 32, 287.). The calculated (1)J(C2'-H2') and (1)J(C2'-H2'2) coupling dominantly depended on the sugar type (deoxyribose or ribose) and its pucker, while the (1)J(C1'-H1') and (1)J(C8-H8) coupling dominantly depended on the glycosidic torsion angle, although quantitatively, all four (1)J couplings depended on both geometry parameters. The dependences of j-couplings on the torsion angle chi calculated in isolated nucleosides were compared with those taking into account the effect of base pairing occurring in the WC/SE RNA base pair family, which appeared to be minor. The calculated (3)J couplings agreed well with available experimental data similarly as the (1)J couplings, although lack of experimental data diminished more reliable validation of the later couplings.

• MeSH
• deoxyguanosin chemie   MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• glykosidy chemie   MeSH
• guanosin chemie   MeSH
• kvantová teorie MeSH
• molekulární modely * MeSH
• párování bází * MeSH
• rozpouštědla chemie   MeSH
• sacharidy chemie   MeSH
• voda chemie   MeSH
• Z-DNA chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• deoxyguanosin MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• glykosidy MeSH
• guanosin MeSH
• rozpouštědla MeSH
• sacharidy MeSH
• voda MeSH
• Z-DNA MeSH

The second-order integral-equation formalism of [Attard J. Chem. Phys. 91, 3072 (1989); 95, 4471 (1991)], applied previously to one-component hard spheres and Lennard-Jones fluids, as well as to their mixtures, is used to binary Widom-Rowlinson mixtures. Comparison with Monte Carlo simulations of the pair correlation functions and of the demixing phase diagram shows that this method is also quite accurate in the case of highly nonadditive mixtures. Moreover, the results of the second-order theory are compared with previous theoretical predictions. Our interest is also in the calculation of the bridge functions, i.e., parts of the radial distribution functions either not included or simply approximated in the usual theories.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Mental health stigma remains a major barrier to accessing psychiatric care worldwide, with pronounced effects in culturally traditional societies such as Peshawar, Pakistan. In the Pashtun cultural context, the code of Pashtunwali-an honor-based system-shapes social attitudes and behaviors, potentially influencing mental health help-seeking patterns. This study examines how cultural narratives, social norms, and stigma interact to affect help-seeking behavior in this sociocultural setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a stratified random sample of 400 adults aged 19 years and above in Peshawar. Data were collected using culturally validated instruments, including the Mental Illness Stigma Scale (MISS) and a Social Norms Scale. Bivariate analyses employed simple linear regression and binary logistic regression to examine individual relationships between variables. Multivariate analyses, including multiple linear regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), were used to assess combined effects and mediation pathways. RESULTS: Cultural narratives had a positive impact on help-seeking behavior, explaining 42% of its variance. Stigma showed a significant negative association, decreasing help-seeking likelihood by 26% for each unit increase. Social norms demonstrated a positive association with help-seeking behavior and indirectly reduced stigma. Collectively, these variables accounted for 68% of the variance in help-seeking likelihood. DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the pivotal role of culturally resonant narratives and supportive social norms rooted in Pashtunwali in improving mental health service utilization. Addressing stigma while reinforcing positive cultural frameworks can substantially enhance help-seeking behavior in Peshawar and similar sociocultural contexts.

• Klíčová slova
• cultural narratives, mental health stigma, psychiatric help, social norms, structural equation modeling (SEM),
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH