Replacing school and out-of-school sedentary behaviors with physical activity and its associations with adiposity in children and adolescents: a compositional isotemporal substitution analysis

BACKGROUND@#Little is known on how context-specific sedentary behaviors (SB) affect adiposity. This study aimed to investigate compositional associations between context-specific SB and adiposity and estimate the differences in adiposity associated with replacing school and out-of-school SB with physical activity (PA).@*METHODS@#This study included 336 children and adolescents. Time spent in SB and PA was estimated using multi-day 24-hour raw accelerometer data. SB and PA were specified for school and out-of-school times. Fat mass percentage (FM%) and fat mass index (FMI) were used as adiposity indicators. A compositional isotemporal substitution model was used to estimate differences in adiposity associated with one-to-one reallocations of time from context-specific SB to PA.@*RESULTS@#Participants spent approximately two thirds of their school and out-of-school time being sedentary. Relative to the remaining 24-h movement behaviors, significant associations between out-of-school SB and adiposity were found in both boys (β@*CONCLUSIONS@#A reduction of out-of-school SB in favor of light PA should be advocated as an appropriate target for interventions and strategies to prevent childhood obesity.

Jan Evangelista Purkinje, a brilliant, multifaceted Czech biologist: nerve tissue / Jan Evangelista Purkinje, um brilhante multifacetado biólogo checo: tecido nervoso

Jan Evangelista Purkinje was a Czech physician with an exceptional capacity for innovative thinking, and he was one of the fathers of experimental physiology, experimental pharmacology, experimental psychology, histology, embryology, and physical anthropology. Several achievements are named after him, from his prodigious productivity. Of special interest of this paper was his pioneering role in the rise of experimental physiology, microscopical anatomy, and histological methods by the 1830´s that allowed him define more accurate data concerning the structure of nerve tissue of animals and humans such as the now known "Purkinje's cells" and others cells of the brain. He investigated the structure of neuronal processes, including the dendrites. Purkinje recognized possible functional differences between a variety of types of neurons and speculated about their interrelations. He was one of the great geniuses of science.

Jan Evangelista Purkinje foi um médico checo com excepcional capacidade de pensamento inovador e um dos pais da fisiologia experimental, farmacologia experimental, psicologia experimental, histologia, embriologia e antropologia física. Várias conquistas receberam o nome dele, de sua produtividade prodigiosa. De interesse especial deste trabalho enaltece-se o seu papel pioneiro no surgimento da fisiologia experimental, anatomia microscópica e métodos histológicos na década de 1830. Isso permitiu que ele definisse dados mais precisos sobre a estrutura do tecido nervoso de animais e humanos, como as agora conhecidas "células de Purkinje" e outras células do cérebro. Ele investigou a estrutura dos processos neuronais, incluindo os dendritos. Purkinje reconheceu possíveis diferenças funcionais entre uma variedade de tipos de neurônios e especulou sobre suas inter-relações. Ele foi um dos grandes gênios da ciência.

Analysis of quality of life in older adults in the Czech Republic and Brazil - a systematic review / Análise da qualidade de vida em idosos da República Tcheca e Brasil ­uma revisão sistemática / Análisis de la calidad de vida en adultos mayores en la República Checa y Brasil: una revisión sistemática

The objective of this study was to search for original articles that approach the Brazilian and Czech  elderly's quality of life in different dimensions. A systematic review was developed and the searches were carried out in Pub-Med/MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO and PsycINFO databases. The quests were performed using the English language, over the period ranging from July 2008 through June 2018. Thirty  studies, 27 with  Brazilian elderly, 2 with Czech elderly and 1 with both populations,  were found according to selected inclusion criteria. The results show that the Czech elderly have a lower quality of life perception than the Brazilian ones. When living in rural areas, the latter showed good results for autonomy, psychological and physical factors as well as low consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The different dimensions of quality of life can be improved for the Czech and Brazilian elderly for health education and social purposes.

O objetivo deste estudo foi pesquisar artigos originais com a abordagem da qualidade de vida de idosos Brasileiros e Tchecos, em diferentes dimensões. A revisão sistemática foi desenvolvida, e as buscas realizadas no Pub-Med/MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO and PsycINFO databases.As questões foram respondidas usando-se a língua inglesa, no período compreendido entre julho de 2008 e julho de 2018. Foram encontrados 30 estudos, 27 com idosos brasileiros, 2 com idosos tchecos e 1 com ambas as populações,de acordo com os critérios de inclusão. Os resultados mostraram que os idosos tchecos têm uma percepção de qualidade de vida mais baixa que os idosos brasileiros. Ao viver em áreas rurais, estes últimos apresentaram bons resultados de autonomia, fatores psicológicos e físicos, bem como baixo consumo de álcool e tabaco. As diferentes dimensões da qualidade de vida podem ser melhoradas, tanto para os idosos checos quanto brasileiros, para fins de educação em saúde e para fins sociais.

El objetivo de este estudio fue buscar artículos originales que aborden la calidad de vida de los brasileños y checos de edad avanzada, en diferentes dimensiones. Se realizó una revisión sistemática y se realizaron búsquedas en las bases de datos Pub-Med / MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO y PsycINFO. Las preguntas se respondieron utilizando el idioma inglés, entre julio de 2008 y julio de 2018. Se encontraron treinta estudios, 27 con ancianos brasileños, 2 con ancianos checos y 1 con ambas poblaciones, de acuerdo con los criterios de inclusión. Los resultados mostraron que las personas mayores checas tienen una percepción más baja de la calidad de vida que las personas mayores brasileñas. Al vivir en zonas rurales, este último mostró buenos resultados de autonomía, factores psicológicos y físicos, así como un bajo consumo de alcohol y tabaco. Las diferentes dimensiones de la calidad de vida pueden mejorarse, tanto para los ancianos checos como para los brasileños, con fines de educación sanitaria y sociales.

Genetic diversity of bovine Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis discriminated by IS1311 PCR-REA, MIRU-VNTR, and MLSSR genotyping

The aim of this study was to describe the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) obtained from individual cows in Korea. Twelve MAP-positive fecal DNA samples and 19 MAP isolates were obtained from 10 cattle herds located in 5 provinces in Korea. In addition, 5 MAP isolates obtained from the Czech Republic and Slovakia and 3 isolates from Australia were genotyped for comparison with the domestic isolates. The most prevalent strains in Korea were of the “bison-type” genotype (23 of 31 fecal DNA/isolates) and were distributed nationwide. The remaining MAP isolates (8) and all of the foreign isolates were identified as “cattle-type”. The bison-type strains which were discriminated only as INMV 68 in variable-number tandem repeats of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU-VNTR) typing. Multilocus short sequence repeat (MLSSR) typing differentiated the bison-type strains into 3 different subtypes. The cattle-type strains were divided into 3 subtypes by MIRU-VNTR and 8 subtypes by MLSSR. The allelic diversities in the MIRU-VNTR and MLSSR results were calculated as 0.567 and 0.866, respectively. These results suggest that MIRU-VNTR typing cannot provide a sufficient description of the epidemiological situation of MAP. Therefore, an alternative method, such as MLSSR, is needed for typing of MAP strains to elucidate the molecular epidemiology of MAP infections. Overall, this study is the first epidemiological survey report in Korea using both MIRU-VNTR and MLSSR typing methods, and it has provided basic data necessary to elucidate the characteristics of MAP infections in Korea.

Are patients and physicians willing to accept less-radical procedures for cervical cancer? / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the opinions of women who underwent surgery for cervical cancer (CC) and physicians who treat CC about the acceptability of increased oncological risk after less-radical surgery. METHODS: One hundred eighty-two women who underwent surgery for CC and 101 physicians participated in a structured survey in 3 tertiary cancer centers in Czech Republic and Turkey. Patients and physicians were asked whether they would accept any additional oncological risks, which would be attributable to the omission of parametrectomy (radical hysterectomy/trachelectomy vs. simple hysterectomy/trachelectomy) or pelvic lymph node dissection (systematic resection vs. sentinel lymph node sampling). RESULTS: Although 52.2% of patients reported morbidity related to their previous treatment, the majority of patients would not accept less-radical surgical treatment if it was associated with any increased risk of recurrence (50%–55%, no risk; 17%–24%, risk < 0.1%). Physicians tended to accept a significantly higher risk than patients in the Czech Republic, but not in Turkey. Patients with higher education levels, more advanced-stage of disease, or adverse events related to previous cancer treatment, and patients who received adjuvant therapy were significantly more likely to accept an increased oncological risk. CONCLUSION: Patients, even if they suffered from morbidity related to previous CC treatment, do not want to choose between oncological safety and a better quality of life. Physicians tend to accept the higher oncological risk associated with less-radical surgical procedures, but attitudes differ regionally. Professionals should be aware of this tendency when counselling the patients before less-radical surgery.

Non-Exposure Endoscopic-Laparoscopic Cooperative Surgery for Stomach Tumors: First Experience from the Czech Republic

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of non-exposure endoscopic wall-inversion surgery (NEWS) and the combination of laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches to neoplasia with non-exposure technique (CLEAN-NET) in gastric tumors. METHODS: We reviewed all cases of NEWS and CLEAN-NET performed in the department of surgery of the Royal Vinohrady Teaching Hospital. RESULTS: Our department performed 12 gastric tumor resections (NEWS, n=10 and CLEAN-NET, n=2) between March 2016 and February 2017. The cases chosen for these resections included predominantly submucosal tumors with no signs of dissemination or local invasion and early gastric carcinomas (T1SM1 and T1M), where tumor location made it impossible to use endoscopic submucosal dissection. R0 resection margins were confirmed in all the cases. CONCLUSIONS: NEWS and CLEAN-NET allow en bloc non-exposed full-thickness gastric wall resection in a way that uses a “close first, cut later” approach to prevent seeding of the peritoneal cavity with tumor cells. These mini-invasive techniques combine laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques, and preserve the full function of the stomach.

Observational Cohort Study of Hepatic Encephalopathy After Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

Abstract: Introduction and aim. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common complication of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS). It is associated with a reduced quality of life and poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to compare two groups of patients who did and did not develop overt HE after TIPS. We looked for differences between these groups before TIPS. Material and methods. A study of 895 patients was conducted based on a retrospective analysis of clinical data. Data was analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, χ2, Mann Whitney test, unpaired t-test and logistic regression. After the initial analyses, we have looked at a regression models for the factors associated with development of HE after TIPS. Results. 257 (37.9%) patients developed HE after TIPS. Patients’ age, pre-TIPS portal venous pressure, serum creatinine, aspartate transaminase, albumin, presence of diabetes mellitus and etiology of portal hypertension were statistically significantly associated with the occurrence of HE after TIPS (p < 0.01). However, only the age, pre-TIPS portal venous pressure, serum creatinine, presence of diabetes mellitus and etiology of portal hypertension contributed to the regression model. Patients age, serum creatinine, presence of diabetes mellitus and portal vein pressure formed the model describing development of HE after TIPS for a subgroup of patients with refractory ascites. Conclusion. We have identified, using a substantial sample, several factors associated with the development of HE after TIPS. This could be helpful in further research.

Isolation, identification and characterization of regional indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Abstract In the present work we isolated and identified various indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and screened them for the selected oenological properties. These S. cerevisiae strains were isolated from berries and spontaneously fermented musts. The grape berries (Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir) were grown under the integrated and organic mode of farming in the South Moravia (Czech Republic) wine region. Modern genotyping techniques such as PCR-fingerprinting and interdelta PCR typing were employed to differentiate among indigenous S. cerevisiae strains. This combination of the methods provides a rapid and relatively simple approach for identification of yeast of S. cerevisiae at strain level. In total, 120 isolates were identified and grouped by molecular approaches and 45 of the representative strains were tested for selected important oenological properties including ethanol, sulfur dioxide and osmotic stress tolerance, intensity of flocculation and desirable enzymatic activities. Their ability to produce and utilize acetic/malic acid was examined as well; in addition, H2S production as an undesirable property was screened. The oenological characteristics of indigenous isolates were compared to a commercially available S. cerevisiae BS6 strain, which is commonly used as the starter culture. Finally, some indigenous strains coming from organically treated grape berries were chosen for their promising oenological properties and these strains will be used as the starter culture, because application of a selected indigenous S. cerevisiae strain can enhance the regional character of the wines.

Aspectos institucionais, legais, políticos e técnicos para a implementação da Convenção de Estocolmo sobre Poluentes Orgânicos Persistentes: os éteres difenilícos polibromados / Institutional, legal, political and technical aspects for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Implementation the polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Novos poluentes orgânicos persistentes (POPs) têm sido adicionados à lista da Convenção de Estocolmo, exemplificado nesta pesquisa pelos éteres difenílicos polibromados (polybrominated diphenyl ethers-PBDEs) aplicados como retardantes de chama em diversos artigos de consumo (eletrônicos, têxteis, móveis, automóveis e na construção civil). São substâncias semi voláteis, persistentes no ambiente, bioacumulativos nos tecidos adiposos e podem interferir no sistema endócrino humano e dos animais. Os países signatários devem cumprir as medidas estabelecidas e enfrentam desafios para a sua implementação, a julgar pelos poucos países que atualizaram os Planos Nacionais de Implementação (National Implementation Plans-NIPs). Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo identificar os aspectos institucionais, legais, políticos e técnicos para a implementação das exigências oriundas da Convenção de Estocolmo, no que diz respeito aos PBDEs, realizar revisão sistematizada da literatura sobre os artigos colocados no mercado e em unidades de reciclagem de resíduos contendo PBDE e apresentar as experiências de dois países na implementação das medidas. O método de pesquisa de estudo de casos comparados, com o delineamento de casos mais diferentes com o mesmo resultado, foi empregado para a República Tcheca e a Suécia, apoiado por análise de congruência. Entrevistas foram realizadas com profissionais envolvidos com as atividades para a elaboração e a implementação da Convenção de Estocolmo. A revisão sistematizada para PBDEs indicou o aumento da quantidade de artigos científicos a partir de 2008 e os estudos revelaram a presença de PBDEs na poeira e no ar em ambientes internos, como residências e escritórios e nos ambientes internos e externos às instalações de reciclagem de resíduos com avaliação da exposição humana aos PBDEs, e novos estudos devem ser desenvolvidos. A revisão mostrou também que na América Latina e Caribe as publicações ainda são em pequeno número, mas o Brasil tem posição de destaque. O estudo dos dois países revelou que é requerida uma complexa abordagem para a transposição das medidas em âmbito nacional, incluindo legislação sobre gestão de produtos químicos, arranjos institucionais nacionais para a implementação do NIP apoiados por instituições de pesquisas científicas, existência de programas de monitoramento ambiental e de controle de POP-BDEs em artigos de consumo colocados no mercado. Os principais desafios técnicos são a segregação de plásticos, contendo PBDEs em parceria com o setor industrial para identificar o conteúdo PBDEs em artigos em uso que se tornarão resíduos e a viabilização do uso das alternativas tecnológicas. Os benefícios gerados pela implementação da Convenção são a proteção da saúde humana e do meio ambiente, a melhoria da governança, a promoção de assistência técnica, a maior visibilidade sobre riscos de uso de produtos tóxicos, em especial os POPs, a maior interação entre a ciência e as políticas públicas e o aumento das pesquisas cientificas. A Convenção de Estocolmo é um acordo complexo porém contribui com o entendimento mais amplo dos riscos químicos e sobre gestão coordenada das substâncias químicas

Additional new Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have been included to the list of Stockholm Convention, in the research exemplified by means of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which resist degradation, are transported far from their place of release, where they accumulate in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and possess toxic properties, since they are classified as endocrine disruptive chemicals. They were used as brominated flame retardants and applied in many articles/consumer products such as electronics, textiles, vehicles, furniture and building materials. The signatories countries must comply with obligations and measures taken by Convention however they are facing many challenges in order to implement them, once few countries submitted the updated National Implementation Plans (NIPs) to the Convention. This research aims at identifying the institutional, legal, technical and politics aspects in order to transpose those measures to the national level, conducting a systematized research of literature on consumer products that may contain c-BDE put in the market besides recycling units of articles upon becoming wastes, consisting of, containing or contaminated with a chemical PBDEs and presenting the experience of two countries in implementing PBDEs actions plans of the NIPs. The comparative case studies was used as the research method, improved by the most different cases and most similar outcomes, designed for two countries as Czech Republic and Sweden, supported by the congruence analyses. Standardized interviews were applied to professionals involved in elaborating and implementing the Stockholm Convention in the countries. The systematized research indicated the increase from 2008 of the scientific number articles related to PBDEs which presented the occurrence of PBDEs in indoor house, office and recycling units dust and air internal and outdoor environments nearby waste electronic and electric equipment recycling units, with human exposure analyses related to and the researches must be continued, accordingly the conclusions. The comparative case studies of two countries revealed the requirement of a complex chemical substances management approach in order to transpose the PBDEs obligations to the national level, including the industrial chemical and environmental legislations, especially on POP-BDEs in products, a integrated institutional arrangement with the scientific institutional support, environmental monitoring programs and chemical control of the spread of POP-BDEs substances present in a number of consumer products put on the market; as the main challenges are the segregation of plastics containing PBDE in order to avoid recycled articles containing PBDEs and the importance of dialogue with the industrial sector in order to identify the PBDEs content in articles in use and to evaluate technology alternatives to PBDEs as well as promote technical capacities to raise awareness of chemicals to importers and private sector. The benefits generated by the Convention implementation are protection on healthy and environmental, the governance improvement, technical assistance promotion, POPs visibility, science and politics integration and the increase of scientific research

Molecular identification of the occurrence of magnetotactic bacteria in fresh water sediments (Czech Republic)

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are of considerable interest because of their importance in the manufacture of various bioinspired materials. In order to find out the status of magnetotactic bacteria at three different sediment in Czech Republic, samples collected from both standing and running freshwaters were subjected to molecular diversity analysis by using 16S rRNA gene approach. Total community DNA from sediment sample was isolated and used for PCR, cloning and sequence analysis. Of the 24 analyzed sequences, six clones are closely related to Magnetobacterium sp. affiliated with the Nitrospira phylum which showed the dominance of Magnetobacterium phylotypes in the sample. This study will provide useful insight about the community structure of MTB in this particular geographical region. However more detailed and specific studies are warranted in order to properly assess the community structure of MTB's in fresh water sediments.

An international multicenter study on quality of life and family quality of life in children with atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has severe impact on the quality of life (QoL) of children suffering from the disease and their families. The infant's dermatitis quality of life index (IDQoL) and the dermatitis family impact questionnaire (DFI) were designed to study this impact. Aims: To compare the impact of AD on children and their families in different countries. Methods: 419 children with AD from six countries representing three continents under the age of 4 years were included into the study. English, Ukrainian, Czech, Portuguese, and Korean versions of the IDQoL and the DFI and Dutch version of the IDQoL questionnaires were used. Results: The highest scored items for the IDQoL and the DFI were rather similar. The IDQoL and the DFI results were well correlated with parental assessment of disease severity and between each other in all countries. Some differences mostly in the IDQoL assessment were found. Conclusion: Despite some reported peculiarities, parents in different counties assessed QoL and family QoL of their AD children in a similar way. The IDQoL and the DFI may be reliable initial measures for international studies. International study on the influence of the same treatment methods on the IDQoL and the DFI assessments is important.

Association between childhood leukaemia and exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields in Middle Europe / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Higher levels of exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) are associated with a slightly increased risk of childhood leukaemia. Compared with more-developed Western countries, higher exposure levels are evident in the Czech Republic, probably because of the different types of housing. In light of this, we aimed to examine the association between ELF-MF exposure and childhood leukaemia in the Czech Republic.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted a paired case-control study. The cases (children with leukaemia) were age- sex- and permanent residence-matched to controls (children without leukaemia). Although this limited potential bias and confounding, it also limited our number of participants.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The matched analyses included 79 case-control pairs. No significant association between ELF-MF exposure and childhood leukaemia was observed for exposures over 0.2 μT (odds ratio [OR]=0.93, confidence interval [CI]=0.45-1.93), 0.3 μT (OR=0.77, CI=0.34-1.75), or 0.4 μT (OR=0.9, CI=0.37-2.22).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Despite higher levels of exposure in Middle and Eastern Europe, no indication of an association between ELF-MF exposure and childhood leukaemia was determined. This in contrast to the findings of previous studies conducted in different countries.</p>

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) e Karl Köller (1857-1944) e a descoberta da anestesia local: [revisão] / Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Karl Köller (1857-1944) and the Discovery of local anesthesia: [revision] / Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) y Karl Köller (1857-1944) y el Descubrimiento de la anestesia local: [revisión]

JUSTIFICATVA E OBJETIVOS: O entendimento por vezes admitido de que Sigmund Freud teve a intuição de utilizar a cocaína como anestésico local para intervenções cirúrgicas, ou mesmo de que ele tenha tido algum papel na descoberta da anestesia local não é verídico. Os objetivos das pesquisas de Freud eram outros e o verdadeiro realizador da descoberta foi Karl Kõller, sobre o que há argumentos irrefutáveis. Diante desses fatos, tem importância histórica o conhecimento correto da questão. CONTEÚDO: O texto refere-se às propriedades há muito conhecidas da cocaína. Recorda dados pessoais, atividades profissionais e científicas de Sigmund Freud e de Karl Kõller. Apresenta as pesquisas de Freud sobre efeitos fisiopatológicos observados com a cocaína. Expõe as razões das duras críticas recebidas por Freud diante de conceitos por ele emitidos. Descreve a súbita, porém consciente e justificada idéia de Karl Kõller de estudar cientificamente a cocaína como anestésico local em animais e seres humanos. Indica como foram realizadas as pesquisas pioneiras que culminaram com a descoberta da anestesia local por Kõller e as duas exposições sobre esta, feitas em Viena. Relata a primeira intervenção cirúrgica oftalmológica sob anestesia local. Comprova a imediata difusão pelo mundo da descoberta que marcou o início da anestesia locorregional. Comenta numerosos documentos comprobatórios da prioridade de Kõller na descoberta. Finalmente, menciona as numerosas homenagens recebidas por Kõller em várias partes do mundo. CONCLUSÕES: A anestesia locorregional foi iniciada por Karl Kõller em 1884, quando ele provou a possibilidade de praticar intervenções cirúrgicas oftalmológicas sem dor utilizando a cocaína como anestésico local. Sigmund Freud realizou muitas pesquisas sobre a cocaína, mas não participou diretamente do importantíssimo feito.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The understanding, occasionally recognized, that Sigmund Freud had the intuition to use cocaine as local anesthetic for surgical procedures, or even that he played any role in the discovery of local anesthesia is not true. The objective of Freud's studies were different, and based in irrefutable evidence, Karl Kõller was the real inventor of local anesthesia. In face of those facts, proper knowledge of this historically important subject is due. CONTENTS: This report refers to the long-known properties of cocaine. It also remembers personal data, and the professional and scientific activities of Sigmund Freud and Karl Kõller. It presents Freud's researches on the pathophysiological effects of cocaine. It exposes the reasons for the harsh criticism of Freud's concepts. It describes the sudden, but conscious and justified, idea of Karl Kõller to study scientifically the use of cocaine as a local anesthetic in animals and humans. It indicates how those pioneering studies, that culminated with the discovery of local anesthesia by Kõller and two presentations in Vienna on the subject, were done. It also reports the first ophthalmologic surgery under local anesthesia. It shows the immediate dissemination throughout the world of the discovery that marked the beginning of regional blocks. It comments several documents corroborating the role of Kõller in this discovery. And, finally, it mentions the numerous homages received by Kõller in different areas of the world. COCLUSIONS: Regional block was introduced by Karl Kõller in 1884, when he demonstrated the feasibility of performing painless ophthalmologic surgeries by using cocaine as a local anesthetic. Sigmund Freud studied cocaine extensively, but he did not have direct participation in this important discovery.

JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: Los que a veces se cree de que Sigmund Freud tuvo la intuición de utilizar la cocaína como anestésico local para las intervenciones quirúrgicas o incluso de que él haya tenido algún rol en el descubrimiento de la anestesia local, no es verídico. Los objetivos de las investigaciones de Freud eran otros y el verdadero realizador del descubrimiento fue Karl Kõller, sobre lo que ofrece argumentos irrefutables. Frente a esos hechos, el correcto conocimiento de esa cuestión, tiene uma importancia histórica. CONTENIDO: El texto se refiere a propiedades que hace mucho tiempo se conocían sobre la cocaína. Nos habla sobre datos personales, actividades profesionales y científicas de Sigmund Freud y de Karl Kõller. Presenta las investigaciones de Freud sobre los efectos fisiopatológicos observados con la cocaína. Expone las razones de las duras críticas recibidas por Freud sobre conceptos que él había explicado. Describe la súbita, pero conciente y justificada idea de Karl Kõller de estudiar científicamente la cocaína como um anestésico local en animales y seres humanos. Indica cómo fueron realizadas las investigaciones pioneras que redundaron con el descubimiento de la anestesia local por Kõller y las de los exposiciones sobre esta, hechas en Viena. Relata la primeira intervención quirúrgica oftalmológica bajo anestesia local. Comprueba la inmediata difusión por el mundo del descubrimiento que marcó el inicio de la anestesia locorregional. Comenta innumerables documentos que comprueban la prioridad de Kõller en ese descubrimiento. Y finalmente, menciona los numerosos homenajes recibidas por Kõller en varias partes del mundo. CONCLUSIONES: La anestesia locorregional fue iniciada por Karl Kõller en 1884, cuando él probó la posibilidad de practicar intervenciones quirúrgicas oftalmológicas sin dolor utilizando la cocaína como anestésico local. Sigmund Freud realizó muchas investigaciones sobre la cocaína, pero no participó...

Un médico rural: una posible lectura ética en el 125 aniversario del nacimiento de Franz Kafka / A country doctor: a proposal of an ethical approach in the 125th anniversary of Frank Kafka's birth

Con el marco del 125 aniversario del nacimiento de Franz Kafka, se realiza un resumen de su biografía y se comenta su situación de paciente afectado por la tuberculosis. Se esboza un comentario del Kafka escritor y a qué podría referirse lo “kafkiano”; finalmente, se propone un comentario acerca de la ética que puede expresarse en un relato titulado Un médico rural. La forma de interpretarlo debe envolver la noción de responsabilidad, concepto que aparece en lo teológico, pasa a lo jurídico y se instala en lo ético. Kafka lo expresa en su literatura.

Within the framework of the 125 anniversary of the birth of Franz Kafka we discuss his work as a patient affected by tuberculosis. This essay outlines a review of Kafka as a writer and explains the meaning of the term [quot ]Kafkaesque[quot ]. We put forward a commentary on the ethics expressed in a short story entitled A country doctor. An interpretation of Kafka must involve the notion of responsibility, a theological concept that is then followed by the legal context. Finally, Kafka embraces an ethical approach expressed in his work.

Mieles checas categorizadas según su actividad antioxidante / Czech honey categorized according to their antioxidant activity

La bioactividad de la miel de abejas ha sido aplicada en apiterapia tradicional y moderna. El origen botánico ocasiona variaciones en los principios activos y en el color de este producto, desde incoloro y blanquecino hasta marrón oscuro en la escala ámbar. Se evaluó la actividad antioxidante total (AAT) de 50 mieles enviadas al servicio de Análisis Químico del Instituto de Investigaciones Apícolas en Dol, República Checa, con el método del catión radical ABTS·+. Se encontraron las siguientes variaciones de AAT (µmoles equivalentes Trolox) para 22 mieles florales (60,12-287,55), 15 mieles de mielada (53,71-280,04) y 13 mieles mixtas (43,55-290,35). La AAT no varió significativamente según el origen botánico de las mieles, pero fue directamente proporcional al color y al contenido de flavonoides y de polifenoles. Se sugiere una clasificación de mieles según su contenido bajo, medio o alto de AAT.

The bioactivity of honey has been used in traditional and modern apitherapy. The botanical origin of honey causes variations in this product's active principles and color, from almost colorless whitish to dark brown in the amber scale. The total antioxidant activity (TAA) of 50 honeys sent to the service of Chemical Analysis of the Institute of Apicultural Investigations in Dol, Czech Republic, was evaluated by the method of the radical cation ABTS·+. The following variations of AAT (µmols Trolox equivalent) were found for 22 floral honeys (60.12-287.55), 15 honeydew honeys (53.71-280.04) and 13 mixed honeys (43.55-290.35). The TAA did not vary significantly according to the botanical origin but was directly proportional to color and content of flavonoids and polyphenols. A classification of honey according to its low, medium and high TAA is suggested.

Introduction to Distribution and Ecology of Sterile Conks of Inonotus obliquus

Inonotus obliquus is a fungus that causes white heart rot on several broad-leaved species. This fungus forms typical charcoal-black, sterile conks (chaga) or cinder conks on infected stems of the birche (Betula spp). The dark brown pulp of the sterile conk is formed by a pure mycelial mass of fungus. Chaga are a folk remedy in Russia, reflecting the circumboreal distribution of I. obliquus in boreal forest ecosystems on Betula spp. and in meridional mountain forests on beech (Fagus spp.) in Russia, Scandinavia, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe. Distribution at lower latitudes in Western and Southern Europe, Northern America, Asia, Japan, and Korea is rare. Infected trees grow for many years without several symptoms of decline. The infection can penetrate through stem injuries with exterior sterile conks developing later. In the Czech Republic, cinder conk is found on birches inhabiting peat bogs and in mountain areas with a colder and more humid climate, although it is widespread in other broad leaved species over the Czech Republic. The most common hosts are B. pendula, B. pubescens, B. carpatica, and F. sylvatica. Less frequent hosts include Acer campestre, Acer pseudoplatanus, Alnus glutinosa, Alnus incana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus cerris, Q. petraea, Q. robur, Q. delachampii, and Ulmus sp.

Psychosocial, health and demographic characteristics of quality of life among patients with acute myeloid leukemia and malignant lymphoma who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effect of selected psychosocial, health and demographic characteristics of quality of life (QOL) among patients treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective study at Charles University Hospital, Hradec Kralove. METHODS: The Czech version of the international generic European Quality-of-Life questionnaire (EQ-5D) was applied to evaluate QOL among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and malignant Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (ML). The total number of respondents was 36: 12 with AML (seven males and five females) and 24 with ML (11 males and 13 females). The mean age of AML respondents was 46 years and the mean age of ML respondents was 44.5 years. RESULTS: Age, smoking status and education level had statistically significant effects on QOL among AML respondents (p < 0.05), and age had a statistically significant effect on QOL among ML respondents (p < 0.05). The overall QOL among AML and ML respondents was generally good: the mean EQ-5D score among AML respondents was 71.5 percent and among ML respondents it was 82.7 percent. CONCLUSION: The QOL among AML and ML respondents treated with autologous HSCT was good. However, patients more than 50 years old, smokers and patients with lower education levels presented worse QOL. These findings need to be better evaluated in longitudinal studies, using large samples.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: O transplante de células tronco hematopoiéticas (TCTH) é um método a ser utilizado na terapêutica das doenças hemato-oncológicas e tumores sólidos, assim como no tratamento de doenças não-malignas. O TCTH tem influência na evolução da doença e na qualidade de vida do doente, assim como outros métodos curativos. TIPO ESTUDO E LOCAL: Este estudo é retrospectivo. Foi desenvolvido no Departamento Clínico de Hematologia do 2º Departamento de Medicina Interna do Hospital da Universidade de Charles em Hradec Kralove, República Checa. MÉTODOS: Amostra de 36 adultos sujeitos ao tratamento com transplante autólogo de células tronco do progenitor, sendo 12 com leucemia mielóide aguda: sete homens e cinco mulheres, e 24 com linfoma maligno: 11 homens e 13 mulheres. Foi utilizada a versão checa do questionário internacional de qualidade de vida européia versão EQ - 5D. RESULTADOS: Houve associação estastiticamente significante entre qualidade de vida e idade, fumantes, pacientes com baixo nível educacional em ambos os sujeitos com leucemia mielóide aguda (p < 0.05). Houve associacão estatisticamente significante entre qualidade de vida e idade em ambos os sujeitos com linfoma maligno (p < 0.05). CONCLUSÃO: A qualidade de vida dos pacientes com linfoma maligno e leucemia mielóide aguda, submetidos a transplante autólogo do progenitor, mantém-se preservada na maioria dos pacientes. Pacientes com idade acima de 50 anos, baixo nível educacional e fumantes têm pior qualidade de vida. Estes fatores devem ser melhor avaliados em estudos longitudinais e com amostras maiores.

The effect of femoral and popliteal percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty on patients' quality of life

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is a prevalent atherosclerotic disorder characterized by limb pain on exertion, limb loss and a high mortality rate. Because of its chronic nature, it often has a negative impact on patients' quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to assess QOL among patients with PAOD that was treated by endovascular intervention using femoral and popliteal percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTBA). DESIGN AND SETTING: This study was local, prospective and longitudinal. It was carried at the Second Department of Internal Medicine of Charles University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. METHODS: Thirty PAOD patients (20 male and 10 female) were treated by endovascular intervention using femoral and popliteal PTBA. The Czech version of the international generic European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D) was applied. RESULTS: The statistical evaluation demonstrated that QOL presented highly significant statistical dependence on femoral and popliteal PTBA (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The results showed that femoral and popliteal PTBA had a highly positive effect on the QOL of patients with PAOD.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Doença arterial oclusiva periférica (DAOP) é uma desordem aterosclerótica prevalente, caracterizada por dor esforço do membro, perda do membro e alta taxa de mortalidade. Devido à sua natureza crônica, freqüentemente tem impacto negativo na qualidade de vida (QV) dos pacientes. Este estudo objetivou avaliar a QV entre pacientes com DAOP tratada por intervenção endovascular usando angioplastia com balão transluminal femoral e poplítea (ABT). TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Este estudo local, prospectivo e longitudinal foi realizado no Segundo Departamento de Medicina Interna do Charles University Hospital em Hradec Kralove, República Checa. MÉTODOS: 30 pacientes com DAOP (20 homens) foram tratados por intervenção endovascular usando ABT femoral e poplítea. A versão checa do Questionário Europeu de Qualidade de Vida (EQ-5D) foi aplicada. RESULTADOS: A avaliação estatística demonstrou que a QV apresentou dependência altamente significativa da ABT femoral e poplítea (p < 0,0001). CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados mostraram que a ABT femoral e poplítea teve efeito altamente positivo na QV dos pacientes com DAOP.