Testing a portable Raman instrument: the detection of biomarkers in gypsum powdered matrix under gypsum crystals.

In this study the possibility to detect biomarkers in experimentally prepared evaporitic matrices using a portable Raman instrument was estimated. Testing of the instrument was carried-out under the Alpine conditions outdoors at a low ambient temperature of -10 °C and at an altitude of 2860 m (Pitztal, Austria). Amino acids glycine and l-alanine, nucleo bases thymine and adenine, and metabolite urea were the organics mixed with gypsum powder. In this step it was shown that portable Raman spectroscopic instrumentation is capable of detecting biomarkers in complex samples in a host geological matrix. Such detection is possible even when the laser beam was focussed through the gypsum crystals 3-9 mm thick. For exobiology areas, this is an important fact, because life and/or related biomolecules are likely to be found in cavities under the surface of partially transparent evaporitic minerals that provide them a shelter from the hostile surrounding environment. For influencing the intensity of Raman bands the thickness of covering crystals is not as important as is the actual concentration of the biomarkers. This work and similar experiments serve for better evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a method for future planetary exploration mission adoption.

Lead fluxes, isotopic and concentration profiles in a peat deposit near a lead smelter (Príbram, Czech Republic).

The content and the isotopic composition of lead (Pb) were studied in a peat deposit on the ridge of the Brdy Hills, in the vicinity of the Príbram metallurgical works, in the Czech Republic. Quadrupole ICP MS was employed to determine the elemental composition and (206)Pb/(207)Pb and (208)Pb/(206)Pb isotope ratios. The individual layers were dated using alpha spectrometric measurement of the (210)Pb activity. The historical time period covered by the studied cores reached back to the 18th century. The Pb concentration in the studied profiles varied from 10 to 550 mg kg(-1). The (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratio varied in the range from 1.154 to 1.194 in the individual parts of the profile. The metallurgy of the Pb ores ((206)Pb/(207)Pb approximately 1.16), lithogenic Pb ((206)Pb/(207)Pb approximately 1.2), metallurgical processing of automobile batteries ((206)Pb/(207)Pb approximately 1.17) and the combustion of coal ((206)Pb/(207)Pb approximately 1.17-1.19) yield isotopic signatures that determine the isotope compositions of the individual profiles. Deposition rates between 15 mg m(-2) year(-1) at the beginning of the 19th century and 320 mg m(-2) year(-1) in the 1980s were determined in the dated profiles. The increased deposition rates determined on the dated profiles correspond to the increasing production of Pb ores in the Príbram mining area at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The maximum for metallurgical production corresponds to the highest deposition rates recorded in 1960s and 1970s. The current deposition rate of 5-89 mg m(-2) year(-1) Pb is related to erosion of contaminated soils and waste dumps.

[Assessment and development of occupational diseases in health care workers in the eastern regions of the Czech Republic 1986-2000]. / Posuzování a vývoj nemocí z povolání u zdravotníku ve východoceském kraji v letech 1986-2000.

The present authors have summarized their experience of assessing occupational diseases in the health-service workers from the catchment area of the Department of Occupational Diseases of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Králové reported in the years 1986-2000. It is of great importance that, in spite of a decrease in occupational diseases in the Czech Republic as a whole, in health service workers occupational diseases still take a prominent place. In the Region of East Bohemia health services permanently occupy the first place, followed by agriculture and metalworking industry, which alternate. A positive finding in the number of viral hepatitides B has significantly decreases. On the other hand, the number of patients suffering from scabies and, above all, allergic diseases, in which contact allergic eczemata due to hypersensitivity to latex contained in protective gloves inequivocally prevail, is on the increase. Though there is no increase in the number of patients with tuberculosis, there is an important finding that the disease affects mainly persons younger than 35 years.

Performance of the health care system in the Czech Republic as compared to EU countries and other EU candidate countries.

This paper summarizes the results of a comparative study focused on health care system performance in EU countries and candidate states in Central and Eastern Europe.

Immunoscintigraphy and intra-operative radioimmunodetection in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Intra-operative radioimmunodetection of malignant involved lymph nodes follows the pre-operative immunoscintigraphy in the treatment of patients with colorectal carcinoma. The aims of this clinical study were to determine the sensitivity of the method, to compare the results in study when using Oncoscint and CEA-Scan and to evaluate the importance of the method of surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 121 patients with colorectal tumours (106 primary and 15 recurrent) were operated on using radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS). The study compared results of pre-operative immunoscintigraphy, intra-operative radioimmunodetection and postoperative histological examination. Histological investigation used classical H&E staining. In histologically negative and RIGS positive cases the immunohistochemical investigation was supplemented. Two radiopharmaceuticals were used Oncoscint CR 103 (MAb B72.3, Satumomab Pendetide), labelled with 111In in 56 patients and CEA-Scan (IMMU 4-Fab' fragments MAb against CEA, Arcitumomab), labelled with 99mTc in 65 patients. RESULTS: The relationship between RIGS positive results and histological examination was statistically assessed after 38 operations and the most acceptable RIGS evaluating index was determined. All subsequent results were evaluated by this index. Immunoscintigraphy of tumour was positive in 112 cases (92.6%). Fifty-five RIGS positive cases of malignant infiltrated lymph nodes were confirmed by 43 histologically positive examinations (78%). In this group 9 cases were discovered only by immunohistochemistry. Sixty-six remaining RIGS negative results were confirmed in 62 (94%) cases by negative histology. CONCLUSIONS: Both immunoscintigraphy and RIGS enable one to make a more accurate diagnosis. While treating the primary disease the use of RIGS may help in assessment of necessary extent of operation performance and in staging of the disease by revealing occult lymph nodes involved. Pre-operative immunoscintigraphy seems to be a useful diagnostic method for detection of tumour recurrence. When comparing two radiopharmaceuticals used, CEA-Scan seems to be more suitable for diagnostic studies, but using the Oncoscint for tumour recurrence detection had some specific benefit, too.

[Epidemiologic aspects of neoplasms and prognosis of their incidence in the Czech Republic]. / Epidemiologicke aspekty zhoubnych novotvaru a jejich incidence v Ceske Republice.

"In this article development of the incidence [of] and mortality [from] neoplasms in the Czech Republic during [the] forty year period (1951-1989) has been analyzed." The authors assess the influence of cigarette smoking, high alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition. Projections for the years 1995 and 2000 are included. (SUMMARY IN ENG AND RUS)

[Influence of calcium hydroxide under filling cements]. / Die Beeinflussung von Kalziumhydroxid durch Unterfüllungszemente.

In the paper lying before the authors estimate changes of pH-values of the Calcium hydroxide (Calxyd) after contact with a zinc oxide phosphate cement (Adhesor), a polyacrylate cement (Adhesor-Carboxy) and a zinc oxide eugenol cement (Caryosan). The last shoved to be best qualified for over capping of pasty preparation with calcium hydroxide.

Mortality effect of selected diseases on the life expectancy indicators in Czechoslovakian population.

Czechoslovakia is contemporarily ranged between the countries with mostly unfavourable indicators of national health. The life expectancy (LE) values at birth as achieved by 1988 in men were 67.85 years and 75.42 years in women, respectively. In Czechoslovakia this indicator is averagely 4 and more years lower than that of industrially developed countries. Such a low czechoslovakian LE value is conditioned with mainly higher mortality to the ischemic heart disease, vascular brain disease as well as malignancies and traumas. In men, the mortality due to the ischemic heart disease (IHD) is accounted for the Le decrease to 3.23 years, and 2.57 years in women, respectively. Similarly, there is a LE decrease to 3.05 years in men, and to 2.54 years in women due to the malignancies. When the IHD mortality decrease may be achieved up to 30% against the status of 1985-87, it may be resulted in LE prolongation to 0.84 in men, and 0.66 in women, respectively. The similar decrease in mortality to vascular brain disease and atherosclerosis may have resulted in LE prolongation to 0.51 in men, and 0.72 years in women. The mortality decrease to cancers for 30% may have been resulted in LE prolongation for 0.84 years in men, and for 0.73 years in women, respectively. The attempt on how to prolong the LE is resulting in fast and responsible measures of primary prevention and partly in those of secondary prevention.

[Methods of selection of cutoff points in the development and interpretation of diagnostic tests]. / Metody výberu delícícho bodu pri tvorbe a interpretaci diagnostických testu.

Problems related to the optimization of diagnosis making are scrutinized. Applied immunological tests for diagnosis of ovarian cancers are used as an example of ROC curve calculation. Moreover, sensitivity and specificity grades are computed in order to obtain the optimum of diagnostical robustness. The ROC analysis is supplemented with application of Bayes diagnostical algorithm. The analysis is given also of other problems concerning with implementation of quantitative characteristics in the course of diagnostical decision making.

[Amalgam filling in clinical practice]. / Amalgamová výpln v klinické praxi.

The quality of treatment of dental defects with amalgam is closely associated with the preparation of the cavity and its filling as well as with completion of the filling and its finish. Strict adherence of a correct working procedure improves markedly the standard of treatment and makes it possible to make use of the positive properties of amalgam from which the filling is prepared.

[Evaluation of the effectiveness of health care]. / Hodnocení efektivnosti zdravotní péce.

During the last two decades, the economic aspects of health care acquired an outstanding attentiveness in all developed countries. Simultaneously, the methods have been searched for a more intensive and perfect application of internal health sources, i.e. manpower, materials and money. New approaches in evaluating health care efficacy (conception of health provision as a branch of national economy) have been made. In accord with them, the efficiency of either individual or partial health actions such as health care programs, preventive measures, diagnostical and curative procedures etc.) is measured. All these questions are the up to date topic for Health care of Czechoslovakia which now is far to dispose of sources comparable with the majority of economically developed countries in Europe. At present, they are approximately similar in supplying 1 person health care needs with 500-1000 dol. a year and even more in several countries, whereas Czechoslovakia spends about 200 dol. on health needs of 1 inhabitant a year. This fact is closely connected with relatively low efficacy of our economy incapable to produce the sufficient sources for providing health care on one hand, and on the other it is due both to the budgetary politics as practiced now and the conception of national product division. The shortage in Health care sources is manifested mainly in retardation of material and technical base of health service altogether with low levelled renumeration of health workers consequential in psychologic, social and political problems. The consequences of this condition are reflected negatively in a level of health service provision. This is as far important as the czechoslovac population health status viewed from the so-called strategic health indices (averaged life expectancy, specific mortality, occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and malignancies etc.) is not favourable due to a number of factors, and its improvement will require considerable efforts from both the health workers and community as a whole. Besides the needful enlargement of sources, these complicated questions are resolvable in observing unity of medical, organizational and economical rationality on all levels of health service management and in all health institutions. This is also the way how to improve the efficiency of health care. The term of efficiency in relation to the health services. In economics, the efficiency is the ratio between the achieved result (effect) and the expenditure of a specified amount of resources. Mathematically, this ratio is expressed as follows: efficiency = end-result/costs Linked to the Health care, the efficiency may be understood also differently from its economic term.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Atherosclerosis risk factors in patients examined by coronarography. I. Selection and evaluation of risk factors]. / Rizikové faktory aterosklerózy u koronargraficky vysetrených pacientu.I. Výber a hodnocení rizikových faktoru.

The significance of individual risk-factors associated with the ischaemic heart disease is known to be estimated differently in various stages. In this account, still more screening and evaluation of mentioned factors is continuously needed in facing different social, economical, demographical and geographical conditions. The analysis has been made of such risk-factors which are generally precluded as decisive ones (age, sex, blood lipid levels, cigarette smoking, higher blood pressure, obesity, diabetes mellitus). The majority of these factors and their interrelations may be influenced. Of special author's concern were different dependencies between the selective groups of coronarographied patients and the groups defined with mainly clinical symptomatology. Authors suggest that the analysis of proper group may be supportive in order to formulate such a complicated topic and outline the appropriate trends of secondary prevention also in their conditions.

[Atherosclerosis risk factors in patients examined by coronarography. II. Results and evaluation in the group of men]. / Rizikové faktory aterosklerozy u koronarograficky vysetrených pacientu. II. Výsledky a hodnocení souboru muzu.

The attherosclerosis risk-factors occurrence is studied in the present paper and compared with that of abnormal coronarogram in 376 male subjects. As an abnormal coronarogram is estimated this with at least one of coronaries having more than 50% of lumen obstructed. The abnormal coronarogram occurred significantly with more frequently in male patients with hyperlipoproteinemia an in smokers (p less than 0.001). In a total of male subjects with positive coronarographic findings, the significantly higher averaged levels of total cholesterol (p less than 0.01) have been stated. Authors detected the levels of total cholesterol higher than 6.72 mmol/l and those of triglycerides higher than 1.80 mmol/l are significantly exerting the influence on the value of coronarographic score. Of particular interest is a fact that no significant relation of abnormal coronarogram to the occurrence of systemic hypertension has been detected as well as to the disorders of glycide metabolism and obesity. However, mathematically significant relation has been determined between the smoking and hyperlipoproteinemia (p less than 0.001). The cigarette smoking was stated to enhance hyperlipoproteinemia as 4 %. Smokers have been found to represent pathologically increased both triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. It is to be said that the group of smokers has values of body mass index (BMI) lower ones than the group of non-smokers. Authors also revealed the disorders of glycide metabolism were related with higher occurrence of hyperlipoproteinemia in men as 1-2%. Although no significantly frequent occurrence of glycide metabolic disorders has been proved in men with abnormal coronarogram, the more detailed analysis showed those with glycide metabolic disorders were significantly higher in coronarographic score (p less than 0.05) in contrast with the group compared, and showed significantly higher occurrence of hemodynamically important stenoses than the controls. The results of the present work are believed to enlarge the knowledge about the relations between the atherosclerotic changes, their clinical manifestations and risk-factors estimated in conditions which are completely different from those of routine epidemiological studies. The necessity of primary prevention is confirmed and possible secondary measures are indicated.

[Atherosclerosis risk factors in patients examined by coronarography. III. Results and evaluation of the group of women]. / Rizikové faktory aterosklerózy u koronarograficky vysetrených pacientu. III. Výsledky a hodnocení souboru zen.

The occurrence of atherosclerosis risk-factors has been studied in comparison with the rate of abnormal coronarogram in 63 female subjects. As an abnormal coronarographic finding the obstruction of more than 50% lumen of at least one of coronaries was estimated. Female subjects with hyperlipoproteinemia (p less than 0.001) and hypertension (p less than 0.05) showed significantly more frequent abnormal coronarographic findings. Coronarographically positive women revealed significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (p less than 0.05). No relationship was detected between the pathological coronarogram and glycide metabolic disorders. Of particular interest is a fact that the disorders of glycide metabolism are conditioning the occurrence of hyperlipoproteinemia in women of our group as far as 15-16% (p less than 0.001), whereas in men only as 1-2 % (p less than 0.05). These results are supporting the opinion of those authors who point on the interaction between the disorders of glycide metabolism and hyperlipidemia estimating disorders of glycide metabolism in women to be more significant risk-factor of coronary atherosclerosis than in men. Our findings are confirming specificity of profile of atherosclerotic risk-factors in women. In accord with them, the importance of hyperlipidemia and hypertension is estimated to be the most significant risk of atherogenesis. The implementation of principles of primary and secondary prevention of ischemic heart disease is carried through the common approaches in both men and women.

[Atherosclerosis risk factors in patients examined by coronarography. IV. Relation of atherosclerosis risk factors and clinical manifestations of ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarct, angina pectoris)]. / Rizikové faktory aterosklerózy u koronarograficky vysetrených pacientu. IV. Vztah rizikových faktoru aterosklerózy a klinických projevu ischemické choroby srdecní [IM, AP].

The total of 376 male and 63 female subjects is concerned. As an abnormal coronarogram, such a finding is estimated where at least one of coronaries showed more than 50% lumen obstruction. The occurrence rates of atherosclerotic risk-factors, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction have been studied with regard to the abnormal coronarograms. A special concern in male group is almost simultaneous occurrence of angina pectoris along with positive coronarogram. The occurrence of both studied factors shows an increase with more age. The percentage of IM occurrence is practically the same in all age groups studied regardless to the value of coronarographic score. However, the male subjects with both clear and suspected IM (especially in the age group up to 40 years) are stated to show higher occurrence of normal coronarographic findings (32 %). This is in agreement with the suggestion that also other factors are involved than the atherosclerotic affection of coronary bed, what demonstrates the complexness of pathophysiological mechanisms of IM genesis.

[Modern health care systems in industrially developed countries]. / Soucasné systémy zdravotní péce v nekterých prumyslove vyspelých zemích.

The present paper characterizes the health care systems in several chosen capitalistic countries with developed industries. The health care systems are referred to in USA, Sweden, Japan and Great Britain. Mentioned countries are now able to subsidize their public health care with 6.5 to 11% gross national products and about 1,000 dollars for 1 citizen a year in average. The health care tends to be provided generally from governmental sources, though in lesser extent in USA, being still covered there with almost 50% from national budget. Nowadays a certain trend is manifested in providing better health care as well as health status of population without rising costs. This was notably achieved in Sweden. In industrially developed countries, no straight relation has been found between the cost-expenditure of the health care and the level of health status achieved as measured with the use of population health characteristics. The extent of health investments is directly dependent of country's economical level and that of national budget which is created there.

[Methodological approach to the study of effectiveness of health services. II]. / Metodické prístupy ke zkoumání efektivnosti zdravotnických sluzeb. I. cást.

The paper deals with theoretical problems associated with the evaluation of medical, social and economic effectiveness, and the authors mention different approaches to the evaluation of provision concerning the health of some population groups and provisions concerning the population as a whole. Attention is also focused on information problems of effectiveness. In the paper formulae and methodological aspects are given which can be used for the calculation of the economic effect of various prosions which reduce the morbidity, which help to save human lives or lead to an increased productivity of labour. In the conclusion methodological recommendations are given for the approach in investigations of the effectiveness of health care.

[Methods of evaluating the effectiveness of diagnostic procedures]. / Metody otsenki effektivnosti diagnosticheskikh podkhodov.

The informational efficacy is evaluated of diagnostic tests that are employed in both screening programs and clinical routine. The main data concerning with the decision making theory are summarized and may be successfully applied in order to obtain diagnoses in practical conditions. Various diagnostic algorithms are demonstrated on practical examples. The attention is focused on such diagnostic methods which are issued from binary input data, ROC curve, the use of information theory and Bayes formula. Also the problem related to the statistical induction in evaluating diagnostic tests is treated.