Computer Technology in the Biomechanical Analysis of Bar-Bell Lifting Motion Structures

An improper selection of muscle-building exercises or a technically poor execution of an exercise frequently leads to an inadvertent loading of the motion system of man, to injuries, to a poorer resulting achievement, or to a deceleration of the expected performance growth, to a disturbed dynamic stereotype and -last but not least-to motivation losses. In order to be able to cope with the problems outlined above, it was necessary to create a data collection and processing system for speedpower and technical parameters realized on a bar-bell. The information thus obtained allows for assessing a weight-lifter's performance in qualitative and quantitative terms, using a set of pre-defined criteria. Consequently, prerequisites for describing and correcting potential mistakes in an executed exercise, as well as for its optimization and economization, are provided

Psychometric Analysis of the Czech Version of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire

Empathy is a concept associated with various positive outcomes. However, to measure such a multifaceted concept, valid and reliable tools are needed. Negatively worded items (NWIs) are suspected to decrease some psychometric parameters of assessment instruments, which complicates the research of empathy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the factor structure and validity of the TEQ on the Czech population, including the influence of the NWIs. Data were collected from three surveys. In total, 2239 Czech participants were included in our study. Along with socio-demographic information, we measured empathy, neuroticism, spirituality, self-esteem, compassion and social desirability. NWI in general yielded low communalities, factor loadings and decreased internal consistency. Therefore, in the next steps, we tested the model consisting of their positively reformulated versions. A higher empathy was found in females, married and religious individuals. We further found positive associations between empathy, compassion and spirituality. After the sample was split in half, exploratory factor analysis of the model with reformulated items was followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which supported a unidimensional solution with good internal consistency: Cronbach's α = 0.85 and McDonald's ω = 0.85. The CFA indicated an acceptable fit χ2 (14) = 83.630; p &lt; 0.001; CFI = 0.997; TLI = 0.995; RMSEA = 0.070; SRMR = 0.037. The Czech version of the TEQ is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of empathy. The use of NWIs in Czech or in a similar language environment seems to be questionable and their rewording may represent a more reliable approach.</p

Psychometric Analysis of the Czech Version of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire

Empathy is a concept associated with various positive outcomes. However, to measure such a multifaceted concept, valid and reliable tools are needed. Negatively worded items (NWIs) are suspected to decrease some psychometric parameters of assessment instruments, which complicates the research of empathy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the factor structure and validity of the TEQ on the Czech population, including the influence of the NWIs. Data were collected from three surveys. In total, 2239 Czech participants were included in our study. Along with socio-demographic information, we measured empathy, neuroticism, spirituality, self-esteem, compassion and social desirability. NWI in general yielded low communalities, factor loadings and decreased internal consistency. Therefore, in the next steps, we tested the model consisting of their positively reformulated versions. A higher empathy was found in females, married and religious individuals. We further found positive associations between empathy, compassion and spirituality. After the sample was split in half, exploratory factor analysis of the model with reformulated items was followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which supported a unidimensional solution with good internal consistency: Cronbach's α = 0.85 and McDonald's ω = 0.85. The CFA indicated an acceptable fit χ2 (14) = 83.630; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.997; TLI = 0.995; RMSEA = 0.070; SRMR = 0.037. The Czech version of the TEQ is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of empathy. The use of NWIs in Czech or in a similar language environment seems to be questionable and their rewording may represent a more reliable approach

Validirane RP-RP-HPLC i TLC metode za simultano određivanje tamsulozin hidroklorida i finasterida u istom dozirnom pripravku

Reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) methods have been developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of tamsulosin hydrochloride and finasteride in bulk drug and in combined dosage forms. RP-HPLC separation was achieved on a Phenomenex C18 column using methanol/0.02 mol L-1 ammonium acetate buffer/triethylamine (79.9 + 20 + 0.1, V/V/V) (pH 9.2) as mobile phase. The TLC separation was achieved on an aluminium-backed layer of silica gel 60F254 using toluene/methanol/triethylamine (9 + 1.5 + 1, V/V/V) as eluent. Quantification was achieved with photodiode array (PDA) detection at 235 nm over the concentration range 0.5–16 and 150 µg mL1 with mean recovery of 99.8 ± 0.9 and 100.0 ± 0.8 % for tamsulosin hydrochloride and finasteride, respectively, by the RP-HPLC method. Quantification was achieved with UV detection at 270 nm over the concentration range 100–2000 ng per spot and 250–5000 ng per spot with mean recovery of 98.9 ± 0.9 and 99.6 ± 0.7 % for tamsulosin hydrochloride and finasteride, respectively, by the TLC method. Both methods are simple, precise, accurate and sensitive and are applicable to the simultaneous determination of tamsulosin hydrochloride and finasteride in bulk drug and in combined dosage forms.U radu su opisani razvoj i validacija inverzno fazne kromatografije visoke učinkovitosti (RP-HPLC) i tankoslojne kromatografije (TLC) za simultano određivanje tamsulozin hidroklorida i finasterida kao čistih supstancija i u kombiniranim tabletama. Za RP-HPLC odjeljivanje korištena je Phenomenex C18 kolona (250 mm, 4,6 mm, 5 µm) i metanol/0,02 mol L–1 pufer s amonijevim acetatom/trietilamin (79,9+20+0,1, V/V/V) (pH 9,2) kao pokretna faza, pri protoku 1 mL min-1. TLC odjeljivanje rađeno je na silikagelu 60F254 na aluminijskoj podlozi, koristeći toluen/metanol/trietilamin (9+1,5+1, V/V/V) kao eluens. Za detekciju u RP-HPLC metodi korištena je fotodioda (PDA) pri 235 nm te je provedena kvantitacija u koncentracijskom području 0,5–16 µg mL–1 i 1–50 µg mL–1, uz srednji analitički povrat od 99,8 ± 0,9 % za tamsulozin hidroklorid i 100,0 ± 0,8 % za finasterid. Za kvantitaciju u TLC metodi korištena je UV detekcija pri 270 nm u koncentracijskom području 100–2000 ng po točki za tamsulozin hidroklorid i 250–5000 ng po točki za finasterid, uz srednji analitički povrat od 98,9 ± 0,9, odnosno 99,6 ± 0,7 %. Obje metode su jednostavne, precizne, točne i osjetljive i mogu se primijeniti za simultano određivanje tamsulozin hidroklorida i finasterida kao čistih supstancija i u kombiniranim dozirnim oblicima

Impact of Sleep and Circadian Disruption on Energy Balance and Diabetes: A Summary of Workshop Discussions

A workshop was held at the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases with a focus on the impact of sleep and circadian disruption on energy balance and diabetes. The workshop identified a number of key principles for research in this area and a number of specific opportunities. Studies in this area would be facilitated by active collaboration between investigators in sleep/circadian research and investigators in metabolism/diabetes. There is a need to translate the elegant findings from basic research into improving the metabolic health of the American public. There is also a need for investigators studying the impact of sleep/circadian disruption in humans to move beyond measurements of insulin and glucose and conduct more in-depth phenotyping. There is also a need for the assessments of sleep and circadian rhythms as well as assessments for sleep-disordered breathing to be incorporated into all ongoing cohort studies related to diabetes risk. Studies in humans need to complement the elegant short-term laboratory-based human studies of simulated short sleep and shift work etc. with studies in subjects in the general population with these disorders. It is conceivable that chronic adaptations occur, and if so, the mechanisms by which they occur needs to be identified and understood. Particular areas of opportunity that are ready for translation are studies to address whether CPAP treatment of patients with pre-diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) prevents or delays the onset of diabetes and whether temporal restricted feeding has the same impact on obesity rates in humans as it does in mice

Dunno if you've any plans for the future: medical student indirect questioning in simulated oncology interviews

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This exploratory study investigated the motives of medical students (N = 63) for using indirect questions of the type <it>I don't know if </it>[you have already heard about chemotherapies], <it>I don't know how </it>[you are], or <it>I don't know what </it>[you do for a living] in simulated patient interviews during a communication skills course.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>I don't know </it>questions (IDK-Qs) were observed during the initial evaluation of students' communication skills; they were systematically identified through video screening and subjected to a qualitative content and discourse analysis considering their context, their content, their intent and their effect on the simulated patients. To evaluate the specificity of medical students' IDK-Qs, the data were compared with a data set of oncologists (N = 31) conducting simulated patient interviews in the context of a Communication Skills Training (CST).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the interviews, 41.3% of the students asked 1-6 IDK-Qs. The IDK-Qs were attributed to three content categories: medical/treatment questions (N = 24); lifestyle/psychosocial questions (N = 18); and "inviting questions" questions (N = 11). Most of the IDK-Qs had an exploratory function (46/53), with simulated patients providing detailed responses or asking for more information (36/53). IDK-Qs were rare in the oncologist sample compared to the student sample (5 vs. 53 occurrences).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>IDK-Qs showed a question design difference between medical students and oncologists in simulated patient interviews. Among other reasons for this difference, the possible function of IDK-Qs as a protective linguistic strategy and marker for psychological discomfort is discussed.</p

A human MAP kinase interactome.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways form the backbone of signal transduction in the mammalian cell. Here we applied a systematic experimental and computational approach to map 2,269 interactions between human MAPK-related proteins and other cellular machinery and to assemble these data into functional modules. Multiple lines of evidence including conservation with yeast supported a core network of 641 interactions. Using small interfering RNA knockdowns, we observed that approximately one-third of MAPK-interacting proteins modulated MAPK-mediated signaling. We uncovered the Na-H exchanger NHE1 as a potential MAPK scaffold, found links between HSP90 chaperones and MAPK pathways and identified MUC12 as the human analog to the yeast signaling mucin Msb2. This study makes available a large resource of MAPK interactions and clone libraries, and it illustrates a methodology for probing signaling networks based on functional refinement of experimentally derived protein-interaction maps

The Rho GDI Rdi1 regulates Rho GTPases by distinct mechanisms

© 2008 by The American Society for Cell Biology. Under the License and Publishing Agreement, authors grant to the general public, effective two months after publication of (i.e.,. the appearance of) the edited manuscript in an online issue of MBoC, the nonexclusive right to copy, distribute, or display the manuscript subject to the terms of the Creative Commons–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).The small guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins of the Rho family are implicated in various cell functions, including establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. Activity of Rho guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) is not only regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors and GTPase-activating proteins but also by guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs). These proteins have the ability to extract Rho proteins from membranes and keep them in an inactive cytosolic complex. Here, we show that Rdi1, the sole Rho GDI of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, contributes to pseudohyphal growth and mitotic exit. Rdi1 interacts only with Cdc42, Rho1, and Rho4, and it regulates these Rho GTPases by distinct mechanisms. Binding between Rdi1 and Cdc42 as well as Rho1 is modulated by the Cdc42 effector and p21-activated kinase Cla4. After membrane extraction mediated by Rdi1, Rho4 is degraded by a novel mechanism, which includes the glycogen synthase kinase 3β homologue Ygk3, vacuolar proteases, and the proteasome. Together, these results indicate that Rdi1 uses distinct modes of regulation for different Rho GTPases.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaf

How does gender influence the recognition of cardiovascular risk and adherence to self-care recommendations? : a study in polish primary care

Background: Studies have shown a correlation between gender and an ability to change lifestyle to reduce the risk of disease. However, the results of these studies are ambiguous, especially where a healthy lifestyle is concerned. Additionally, health behaviors are strongly modified by culture and the environment. Psychological factors also substantially affect engagement with disease-related lifestyle interventions. This study aimed to examine whether there are differences between men and women in the frequency of health care behavior for the purpose of reducing cardiovascular risk (CVR), as well as cognitive appraisal of this type of risk. We also aimed to identify the psychological predictors of engaging in recommended behavior for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease after providing information about this risk in men and women. Methods: A total of 134 consecutive eligible patients in a family practice entered a longitudinal study. At initial consultation, the individual’s CVR and associated health burden was examined, and preventive measures were recommended by the physician. Self-care behavior, cognitive appraisal of risk, and coping styles were then assessed using psychological questionnaires. Six months after the initial data collection, the frequency of subjects’ self-care behavior was examined. Results: We found an increase in health care behavior after providing information regarding the rate of CVR in both sexes; this increase was greater for women than for men. Women followed self-care guidelines more often than men, particularly for preventive measures and dietary advice. Women were more inclined to recognize their CVR as a challenge. Coping style, cognitive appraisal, age, level of health behaviors at baseline and CVR values accounted for 48% of the variance in adherence to self-care guidelines in women and it was 52% in men. In women, total risk of CVD values were most important, while in men, cognitive appraisal of harm/loss was most important. Conclusions: Different predictors of acquisition of health behavior are encountered in men and women. Our results suggest that gender-adjusted motivation models influencing the recognition process need to be considered to optimize compliance in patients with CVR