The Associations of Experiencing the COVID-19 Pandemic With Religiosity and Spirituality:A Cross-Sectional Study in Czech Adults

Objectives: We investigated the associations between religiosity/spirituality and respondents' changes in their relationships, feelings, thinking, and behaviour during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic.Methods: A sample of Czech adults (n = 1,434; 48.3 +/- 16.4 years; 49.65% women) participated in the online survey. We measured spirituality, religiosity, self-reported changes in relationships, disrupted feelings, and changes in behaviour during the pandemic.Results: Spiritual respondents were more likely to report increased physical activity, sex, reading and self-education, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.26 (95% confidence interval 1.09-1.46) to 1.56 (1.31-1.86). The combination of spirituality and religiosity led to an increase in the range of ORs to 1.57-2.69. Spiritual and religious participants were less likely to feel the decrease of hope by 70%, while mere spirituality significantly reduced the decrease of hope by only 30%. Religiosity itself led to a lower risk of reporting a disrupted day structure with an OR = 0.74 (0.58-0.95).Conclusion: Religiosity and spirituality separately help people during a pandemic in some areas. Especially their combination has a more positive impact on relationships, feelings, and behaviour

Anticarcinogenic effect of spices due to phenolic and flavonoid compounds-in vitro evaluation on prostate cells

This study shows the effects of spices, and their phenolic and flavonoid compounds, on prostate cell lines (PNT1A, 22RV1 and PC3). The results of an MTT assay on extracts from eight spices revealed the strongest inhibitory effects were from black pepper and caraway seed extracts. The strongest inhibitory effect on prostatic cells was observed after the application of extracts of spices in concentration of 12.5 mg.mL- 1. An LC/MS analysis identified that the most abundant phenolic and flavonoid compounds in black pepper are 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and naringenin chalcone, while the most abundant phenolic and flavonoid compounds in caraway seeds are neochlorogenic acid and apigenin. Using an MTT assay for the phenolic and flavonoid compounds from spices, we identified the IC50 value of ~1 mmol.L- 1 PNT1A. The scratch test demonstrated that the most potent inhibitory effect on PNT1A, 22RV1 and PC3 cells is from the naringenin chalcone contained in black pepper. From the spectrum of compounds assessed, the naringenin chalcone contained in black pepper was identified as the most potent inhibitor of the growth of prostate cells.O

Evolution and developmental diversity of tooth regeneration

This review considers the diversity observed during both the development and evolution of tooth replacement throughout the vertebrates in a phylogenetic framework from basal extant chondrichthyan fish and more derived teleost fish to mammals. We illustrate the conservation of the tooth regeneration process among vertebrate clades, where tooth regeneration refers to multiple tooth successors formed de novo for each tooth position in the jaws from a common set of retained dental progenitor cells. We discuss the conserved genetic mechanisms that might be modified to promote morphological diversity in replacement dentitions. We review current research and recent progress in this field during the last decade that have promoted our understanding of tooth diversity in an evolutionary developmental context, and show how tooth replacement and dental regeneration have impacted the evolution of the tooth-jaw module in vertebrates

Dynamika jakostnich parametru lina obecneho (Tinca tinca, Linnaeus 1758).

Available from STL Prague, CZ / NTK - National Technical LibrarySIGLECZCzech Republi

Patrove struktury v prubehu ontogenetickeho vyvoje.

Available from STL Prague, CZ / NTK - National Technical LibrarySIGLECZCzech Republi

Effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the course of physical and chemical changes in chilled muscle tissue of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, V.)

The effect of two types of modified atmosphere (MA1: 69% N2, 25% CO2, 5%O2, 1% CO; MA2: 70% N2, 30% CO2) on changes in physical and chemical parameters (pH, aw - water activity, TVBN - total volatile basic nitrogen, TMA - trimethylamine, FFA - free fatty acids, PV - peroxide value, TBA - thiobarbituric acid) in muscle tissues of the silver carp was monitored in the study. The samples were stored at temperatures +2 ± 2oC for 18 days. Changes in gas volumes (CO2 and O2) in MAs were also monitored. CO2 levels increased in MA1 but decreased in MA2. At the end of 18 days of storage, a significantly (P < 0.01) lower water activity (aw) levels were found in samples packaged under MA1, in contrast to samples packaged under MA2 where water activity values showed considerable fluctuation. Variations in pH values in the two types of MA showed similar trends. Sample pH gradually decreased until day 9 of storage. On day 11, muscle tissue pH increased markedly and then began to decrease again. The overall decrease in pH values was more profound in samples packaged under MA1. TVBN and TMA levels in samples packaged under the two types of MAs remained almost identical until day 9 of the experiment. Later, however, significantly (P < 0.01) higher levels of both parameters were found in muscle tissues packaged under MA1. FFA concentrations in silver carp samples in MA1 were significantly lower (P < 0.01) throughout the experiment. The PV increased significantly in both muscle samples tested. Greater fluctuations in this parameter’s values throughout the experiment were observed in samples packaged under MA2. Faster rates of oxidation (P < 0.01) were found in samples packaged under MA1 starting on day 9. Maximum TBA values in MA1 and MA2 were observed on days 14 and 18 of the experiment, respectively. From the course of proteolytic and oxidative changes point of view, the more appropriate combination of gases for silver carp storage seems to be the mixture of 70% N2 and 30% CO2 (MA2), which allows for muscle storage of up to 9 days. We recommend TVBN as a suitable indicator of freshness, and TBA assay as a suitable indicator of the extent of oxidative processes

Location-Based Games Enhancing Education: Design and Implementation Lessons Learnt Location-Based Games Enhancing Education: Design and Implementation Lessons Learnt

Abstract Location-based games supported by a mobile technology seem to be promising tool for facilitating situated learning and enhancing cognitive and sensory engagement. The objectives of this paper are to provide a deep insight into process of development and implementation of educational location-based game, and to bring recommendations for such games&apos; designers and educators. We created &quot;Veltrusy: Treasure Island&quot; the game providing an adventure educational experience in the location of chateau park Veltrusy. The Android application is freely available for its visitors but primarily it is intended for young children and parents. The story leads them throughout 10 locations in the park and presents cultural and natural heritage through logic riddles and activities demanding users&apos; interaction with the environment. The educational aim was to provide an understanding of the local specific biotops (protected by NATURA 2000). The paper presents remarks from the process of creation the educational locationbased experience and brings the results from its implementation and critical evaluation with two groups of teachers; one group (N=7) of elementary school teachers and second group (N=10) of environmental educators. They tested the final version of the game individually or in pairs, the participant observers recorded all their activities and comments into structured forms. The findings from this study highlight number of practical reflections and recommendations important for successful educational design as well the interaction design. Besides other findings, motivation and situated learning can be enhanced by an interactive story supported by discovery of material cues in location. From the technical point of view, the design need to count with not only one but a group of players and provide them by engaging collaborative activities. Furthermore the on-screen and off-screen activities need to be batched in order to provide an efficient situated learning experience while the off-screen activities should outweigh the on-screen ones

Modeling Some Possible Handling Ways with Fish Raw Material in Home-Made Sushi Meal Preparation

The aim of this work was to simulate selected ways of handling with raw fish after its purchase. The experiment was designed as three partial simulations: a) trend in the biogenic amines formation in raw fish caused by breakage of cold chain during the transport after purchase, b) the use of a handheld gastronomic unit as an alternative method of smoking fish with cold smoke in the household with regard to a possible increase in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content, and c) whether the cold smoked fish affects selected sensory parameters of nigiri sushi meal prepared by consumers. The material used in the research consisted of: yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) sashimi fillets and the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fillets with skin. The control (fresh/thawed tuna; without interrupting the cold chain) and experimental (fresh/thawed tuna; cold chain was interrupted by incubation at 35 &deg;C/6 h) samples were stored at 2 &plusmn; 2 &deg;C for 8 days and analyzed after 1st, 4th and 8th day of the cold storage. Histamine content was very low throughout the experiment, though one exception was found (thawed tuna without interrupting the cold chain: 272.05 &plusmn; 217.83 mg&middot;kg&minus;1/8th day). Tuna samples contained more PAH (4.22 &micro;g&middot;kg&minus;1) than salmon samples (1.74 &micro;g&middot;kg&minus;1). Alarming increases of benzo(a)anthracene (1.84 &mu;g&middot;k&minus;1) and chrysene (1.10 &mu;g&middot;kg&minus;1) contents in smoked tuna were detected