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Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 15-23 PubMed PMID: 25789593 Citation  Keywords:  Endometriosis:complications, Female, Humans, Stress, Psychological:complications,.   

: Endometriosis is a model of a benign gynecologic disease associated with two major symptoms: pain and infertility. When becomes chronic, severe psychological and neuroendocrine changes may occur. The high levels of perceived stress caused by symptoms cause a neuroendocrine disequilibrium thus contributing to the progression of the disease. Elevated stress levels alter hormonal secretions, mood and behavior, sexual disorders and appetite custom. Inflammatory comorbidities may be associated with elevated stress in endometriotic patients (inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue) and even autoimmune diseases (thyroid disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis). Neurogenic mechanisms are described in endometriotic lesions and they affect peripheral and central nervous system of these patients increasing pain sensitivity and stress reactivity. In conclusion, endometriosis is a disease which affects reproductive and neuroendocrine functions with a great impact on women's health and quality of life....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(Suppl 2): 155-157 PubMed PMID: 25638380 Citation  Keywords:  Adjuvants, Immunologic:pharmacology, Animals, Cytokines:metabolism, Female, Hemocyanin:pharmacology, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Models, Animal, Oximes:pharmacology, Pyridinium Compounds:pharmacology,.   

OBJECTIVES: HI-6 or asoxime in some sources is an antidotum for nerve agents. In recent experiments, implication of HI-6 in immunity response was proved; however, the issue was not studied in details. In this experiment, role of cytokines in HI-6 impact on immunity was searched. DESIG N: BALB/c mice were exposed to saline, HI-6 in a dose 1-100 mg/kg and/or 1 keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) 1 mg/kg. Mice were sacrificed 21 days after experiment beginning and interleukins (IL) 1, 2, 4, 6 were determined by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

RESULTS: The animals had no pathological manifestation. From the tested cytokines, no significant alteration was found for the IL-1, IL-4 and IL-6. IL-2 was significantly increased in a dose response manner.

CONCLUSIONS: The experimental data well correlates with the previous work where HI-6 caused increase of antibodies production. HI-6 is suitable to be used as an adjuvant whenever immunity should be pharmacologically altered.

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Journal Article 2014; 35(Suppl 2): 26-34 PubMed PMID: 25638363 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Czech Republic, Environmental Pollution:analysis, Fishes, Geologic Sediments:analysis, Metals, Heavy:analysis, Muscles:chemistry, Rivers:chemistry, Water Pollutants, Chemical:analysis,.   

OBJECTIVES: This study presents the concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Hg, Zn and Pb) in the water, sediment, and muscle of two fish species from the middle and lower reaches of the Dyje river basin (Dyje, Jihlava, Svratka, Svitava and Trkmanka rivers), in the Czech Rebublic.

METHODS: Samples of water, sediment (Tab. 1.) and fish muscle were obtained during the seasons of 2012-2013. As the reference species were chosen chub (Squalius cephalus) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) due to their occurrence in all of the evaluated fishing grounds.

RESULTS: The potential ecological risk analysis of heavy metal concentrations in the sediments indicated that nine sites in the middle and lower reaches posed moderate or considerable ecological risk. The health risk analysis of individual heavy metals in fish muscle indicated safe levels for the general population, but there was a possible risk in terms of the total target hazard quotients. The contents of the analysed metals in fish muscles were low at seven sites and did not exceed the values of limits admissible in the Czech Republic.

CONCLUSIONS: The increased values of heavy metals in the fish muscle from the Svratka and Svitava rivers may be mainly derived from metal processing, electroplating industries, industrial wastewater and domestic sewage....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(7): 560-566 PubMed PMID: 25617878 Citation  Keywords:  Female, Humans, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive:epidemiology, Sleep Wake Disorders:epidemiology, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic:epidemiology, Stress, Psychological:epidemiology,.   

: Sleep disturbances are found in a majority of individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this literature review is to provide information about PTSD, in addition to assessing sleep quality. Current research observes that the lifetime prevalence of PTSD diagnosis in women is increasing. Although there are several studies that have been conducted to assess PTSD and sleep, there is a gap in the research that pertains to women, PTSD, and sleep quality. The current study will compile information on the subject to aid in decreasing the gender disparity in PTSD research, which is important for treating the entire PTSD population. Using the PubMed and PsycINFO databases, a comprehensive search was conducted to find relevant research about sleep difficulties and PTSD. Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, re-current nightmares, REM sleep dysfunction, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affect sleep quality in PTSD patients. The implications of this study suggest that more research should be conducted pertaining to women and PTSD with sleep difficulties. This research is needed to decrease both PTSD symptoms and sleep-related disorders....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(6): 463-469 PubMed PMID: 25433852 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Anxiety Disorders:epidemiology, Asian Continental Ancestry Group:statistics & numerical data, Chronic Pain:epidemiology, Depressive Disorder, Major:epidemiology, Female, Health Status, Humans, Pain Measurement, Psychophysiologic Disorders:epidemiol.   

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the influence of somatic symptoms on the severity and clinical outcomes in female Korean patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in routine practice.

METHODS: Two hundred and seven female patients with MDD were prospectively recruited. Patients with somatic symptoms (PSS) was defined as a total score ≥ 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), others were classified as non PSS (NPSS). The PHQ-9 for de-pression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) for anxiety, the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) for clinical status, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for health status were utilised.

RESULTS: Of 207 participants, 126 (60.9%) were PSS and 81 (39.1%) were classified as NPSS. The proportion of patients showing severe symptoms (65.1% vs. 24.7%) and recurrence of depression (74.6% vs. 49.4%), the CGI-S (4.6 vs. 4.1), the PHQ-9 (16.8 vs. 11.1), and the GAD-7 (8.3 vs 6.7) scores were significantly higher in PSS than in NPSS, while the VAS (39.4 vs. 51.2) was significantly lower in PSS than in NPSS. The improvement of depressive symptoms (-1.3 vs. -2.0) measured by the changes in CGI-S was also significantly less in PSS than in NPSS after 6 months treatment.

CONCLUSION: Our findings have shown the significant impact of somatic symptoms on the symptomatology as well as treatment outcomes in Korean female patients with MDD, indicating that clinicians should carefully evaluate somatic symptoms in patients with MDD in routine clinical practice. Due to the methodological shortcomings of the present study, further adequately powered and well-designed investigations are necessary....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(6): 510-517 PubMed PMID: 25433845 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Antisocial Personality Disorder:diagnosis, Choice Behavior, Female, Gambling:psychology, Games, Experimental, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Models, Psychological, Predictive Value of Tests, Probability, Risk-Taking, Young Adult,.   

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationships between psychopathy and impulsive and risky decision making, by utilizing intertemporal and probabilistic choices for both gain and loss, in addition to the Iowa gambling task.

METHODS: The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised - a 154-item measure that assesses psychopathic traits by self-report - was used with a 4-point response scale to assess 113 undergraduate students from three Japanese universities. Participants' performance on the Iowa Gambling Task and four behavioral neuroeconomic tasks of discounting - delayed gain, delayed loss, uncertain gain, and uncertain loss - were estimated.

RESULTS: Risky decisions in probability discounting of gain and loss were associated with psychopathy. Psychopathic traits had no relationship with performance on the Iowa Gambling and were not significantly related to delay discounting.

CONCLUSIONS: Psychopathy is predicted by risky decision in probability discounting of gain and loss, but not strongly associated with future myopia. Implications of the present findings for neuroeconomics and neurolaw are discussed....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(6): 481-489 PubMed PMID: 25433839 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aging:physiology, Elasticity, Elasticity Imaging Techniques, Female, Hair:anatomy & histology, Health Status, Humans, Middle Aged, Models, Biological, Stress, Mechanical, Tensile Strength:physiology,.   

OBJECTIVE: Hair quality and scalp characteristics are considered to be a significant marker of health. This marker is reflected in mechanical properties of hair. To investigate these properties, hair samples have been collected among women of different age and then analyzed. The thickness, Young's modulus of elasticity and ultimate strength limit were the main observed parameters.

METHODS: The diameter of each hair has been measured using an optical microscope equipped with a digital camera. The hair was then clipped into the uniaxial tensile testing device. Each sample has been stretched to failure at a speed of 2 mm/min and force vs. elongation was recorded. The mechanical results were converted with respect to the diameter and Stress-Strain curve was obtained for each sample. In addition, all the analyzed samples were divided into two groups in dependence on the age, namely samples from women younger than 35 and over 35 years of age. All the measured parameters were statistically evaluated.

RESULTS: Young's modulus, yield and elongation parameters showed no significant difference among samples. On the other hand there was a significant difference among the samples in ultimate strength values. Findings from group analysis showed that women under 35 years show about 5 times greater variability in hair strength than that of women above that age.

CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that hair tendency to grow persists up to 30 years of age, then slowly decreases and then achieves a steady state around 60 years of age....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(Suppl 1): 40-48 PubMed PMID: 25433353 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Death, Sudden, Cardiac:prevention & control, Defibrillators, Implantable, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Long-Term Care, Male, Middle Aged, Monitoring, Physiologic:methods, Outpatients, Pacemaker, Artificial, Prospective Studi.   

OBJECTIVE: The increasing number of patients with implantable cardiac devices raises the need for more efficient outpatient follow-up care. Due to technological progress in communication and transmission systems and in the implantable devices themselves, telemonitoring can be widely used as an important part of care for patients and devices. Our objective was to evaluate the benefits of continuous remote monitoring using the BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring® (HM) system compared to standard outpatient follow-ups.

METHODS: 198 patients with single- or dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted for primary or secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death were randomized into a group of patients followed through standard outpatient visits ( HM-) and a group telemonitored by the HM system (HM+). Planned and emergency visits, ICD-related hospitalizations, and delivered shocks and their appropriateness were evaluated in the respective groups.

RESULTS: A significant reduction was achieved in the number of planned (by 48%, p<0.001) and total visits (by 45%, p<0.001) during a three-year evaluation. A comparable number of patients experienced one or more shocks. Mortality rates were equivalent, as was the number of patients hospitalized in relation to their ICD. However, there was a significant reduction in the number and proportion of inappropriate shocks delivered in the HM+ patient group: by 80% (p=0.002) in outpatient follow-up care and by 90% (p<0.001) when multiple shocks requiring hospitalization were included.

CONCLUSIONS: The HM system was an effective and safe method of follow-up in patients with an implanted ICD. Remote monitoring reduces the number of outpatient visits and inappropriate shocks....

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