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Klára Daďová,1 Miroslav Petr,2 James J Tufano,2 Lenka Sontáková,2 Eva Krauzová,3,4 Marek Štěpán,3 Michaela Šiklová,3 Michal Šteffl2 1Department of Adapted Physical Education and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Department of Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 3Department of Pathophysiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Královské Vinohrady University Hospital and Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech RepublicCorrespondence: Michal Šteffl, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, J. Martího 31, 162 52 Praha 6, Prague, Czech Republic, Tel +420 778701882, Email steffl@ftvs.cuni.czPurpose: In our study, we examined changes in short-term episodic memory and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in women after an exercise program alone or in combination with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation.Patients and Methods: Fifty-five healthy elderly women (65– 80 years) were randomly split into two groups: in the first group were women attending an exercise program while taking wax esters-rich oil (Calanus) supplementation (n = 28) and in the other group were women undergoing the same exercise program while taking placebo (n = 27). The 16-week exercise program consisted of functional circuit training (twice a week) and Nordic walking lessons (once a week). Short-term episodic memory was evaluated by the Czech screening Test “Pojmenování OBrázků A jejich Vybavení” (POBAV) baseline and after the program lasting 16 weeks.Results: Our results show that short-term memory significantly improved following the exercise program, but there was no added value in using n-3 PUFA supplements. BDNF values did not differ between baseline and follow-up in either group. However, there was a statistically significant positive relationship between relative change (%) in the POBAV test and VO2peak in the placebo group (r = 0.49).Conclusion: Despite the added value of n-3 PUFA supplementation not being proven, our results may strengthen the importance of physical activity in averting age-related memory decline and dementia.Keywords: cognitive function, n-3 PUFA, physical activity, aging, circuit training, Nordic walking

Iva Holmerová,1 Stefanie R Auer,2,3 Anna Beránková,1 Margit Höfler,2 Paulina Ratajczak,2 Michal Šteffl4 1Centre of Expertise in Longevity and Long-Term Care, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria; 3MAS Alzheimerhilfe, 4820 Bad Ischl, Austria; 4Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Background: The treatment of pain and treatment of anxiety are two of the most complex issues in nursing homes worldwide, mainly because of the large numbers of people with cognitive impairment who reside in this environment. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the administration of analgesics and anxiolytics to people living in nursing homes, taking into account cognitive status. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we used data from 404 residents who lived in nine randomly selected nursing homes in the Czech Republic and participated in the Czech-Austrian Long-Term Care Research Project called DEMDATA. Information about medication administration was obtained from medical records. Cognitive impairment was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination, and pain was measured by the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia. To measure anxiety, we used the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale in residents with severe-to-moderate dementia and also the standardized questionnaire EuroQol in other residents. Results: In all, 68% (95% CI 62–74) of residents with pain did not receive any analgesic medication and 31% (95% CI 25–38) of residents were administered some analgesics and continued to report pain. The lowest reported occurrence of pain, as well as the lowest prevalence of analgesic administration, was in residents with moderate-to-severe dementia. We found that an alarming percentage of residents in the nursing homes were not treated sufficiently. Conclusion: This study indicates that treatment effects should be better monitored. Keywords: pain, anxiety, dementia, analgesics, anxiolytics

Veronika Hola,1 Hana Polanska,1 Tereza Jandova,1 Jana Jaklová Dytrtová,1 Josefina Weinerova,2 Michal Steffl,1 Veronika Kramperova,1 Klara Dadova,1 Krzysztof Durkalec-Michalski,3 Ales Bartos2,4 1Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 2University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Department of Neurology, Prague, Czech Republic; 3Department of Sports Dietetics, Poznan University of Physical Education, Pozna&nacute;, 61-871, Poland; 4Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Department of Neurology, Prague, Czech RepublicCorrespondence: Michal Steffl, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Charles University, José Martího 31, Prague, 162 52, Czech Republic, Tel +420778701882, Email michal.steffl@ftvs.cuni.czBackground: Maintaining healthy brain function during ageing is of great importance, especially for the self-sufficiency of older adults. The main aim of this study was to determine the effects of dance and martial arts on exerkines Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and irisin blood serum levels.Methods: This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of dance and martial arts on serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and irisin levels, as well as cognitive function, mood, and physical measures in older adults. Seventy-seven independently living older adults (mean age 70.3± 3.8 years) were randomized into three groups: dance (DG), martial arts (MaG), and control (CG), followed over 12 weeks. Generalized linear models were used to assess the interventions’ effects.Results: There was a significant increase in BDNF levels in both the DG (1.8 ± 4.9, p < 0.05) and MaG (3.5 ± 6.3, p < 0.05), while CG experienced a decrease (− 4.9 ± 8.2, p < 0.05). Between-group effects were significant for BDNF, with DG and MaG showing higher levels than CG (p < 0.05). No significant changes in irisin levels were found. Cognitive performance, particularly attention and mental flexibility (measured by the Trail Making Test A and B), significantly improved in the DG compared to CG (p < 0.05). Additionally, participants in DG showed improved mood based on the Geriatric Depression Scale (p < 0.05) compared to CG. Anthropometric T-scores were significantly associated with changes in irisin levels (p < 0.05) after intervention.Conclusion: The study found that dance and martial arts upregulated BDNF levels, with dance showing notable improvements in cognitive function and mood in older adults. Changes in anthropometric measures were linked to increased irisin levels. These findings suggest that both dance and martial arts may promote healthy brain function in aging populations.Trial Registration: NCT05363228.Keywords: cognitive domains, ageing, cognitive performance, cognitive function, serum, biomarkers

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Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is well established in surgical praxis in the last two decades. Using of this method in the head and neck region is always limited not only due its price, but also for difficulties in the anatomy of head and neck. NPWT was used in three patients at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and the head and neck surgery 1st Faculty of Medicine and Teaching hospital Motol during the first half of 2014. Two of these patients were after oncosurgical management and the last one was patient with uncompensated diabetes type 1 with extensive necrotic defect of the skin on the neck. In all cases, NPWT was used after failure of the standard conservative treatment. Acceleration of granulation tissue formation was observed as well as epidermization from the edges of wound afterwards. Covering of the wound using the dermo-epidermoid flap was indicated in two cases. No complications during the process of healing were observed, however we do not achieve complete recovery of wound in one case probably due to completed adjuvant radiotherapy. NPWT is beneficial modality in the management of complicated wounds in the head and neck region with the primary goal to stabilize wound environment and accelerating of the granulation tissue formation. It is noninvasive method, which minimally burdens the patient and could avoid him from extensive surgical procedure. NPWT could be the effective treatment instrument at the ENT departments if indicated, we believe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michal Steffl,1 Jan Sima,2 Kate Shiells,3 Iva Holmerova3 1Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 3Centre of Expertise in Longevity and Long-term Care, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Abstract: Muscle weakness and associated diseases are likely to place a considerable economic burden on government health care expenditure. Therefore, our aim for this study was to estimate the direct and indirect costs associated with muscle weakness in the Czech Republic. We applied a cost-of-illness approach using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Six hundred and eighty-nine participants aged 70 years and over and without any long-term illnesses were included in our study. A generalized linear model with gamma distribution was used, and odds ratio (OR) was calculated in order to explore the effect of muscle weakness on direct and indirect costs. For both genders, muscle weakness had a statistically significant impact on direct costs (OR =2.11), but did not have a statistically significant impact on indirect costs (OR =1.08) or on total cost (OR =1.51). Muscle weakness had the greatest statistically significant impact on direct costs in females (OR =2.75). In conclusion, our study has shown that muscle weakness may lead to increased direct costs, and consequently place a burden on health care expenditure. Therefore, the results of this study could lead to greater interest in the prevention of muscle weakness among older people in the Czech Republic. Keywords: direct cost, indirect cost, economic burden, sarcopenia, frailty

Michal Steffl,1 Richard W Bohannon,2 Lenka Sontakova,1 James J Tufano,1 Kate Shiells,3 Iva Holmerova3 1Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Department of Physical Therapy, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA; 3Faculty of Humanities, Centre of Gerontology, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Abstract: Physical activity (PA) has been identified as beneficial for many diseases and health disorders, including sarcopenia. The positive influence of PA interventions on sarcopenia has been described previously on many occasions. Current reviews on the topic include studies with varied PA interventions for sarcopenia; nevertheless, no systematic review exploring the effects of PA in general on sarcopenia has been published. The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between PA and sarcopenia in older people on the basis of cross-sectional and cohort studies. We searched PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect for articles addressing the relationship between PA and sarcopenia. Twenty-five articles were ultimately included in the qualitative and quantitative syntheses. A statistically significant association between PA and sarcopenia was documented in most of the studies, as well as the protective role of PA against sarcopenia development. Furthermore, the meta-analysis indicated that PA reduces the odds of acquiring sarcopenia in later life (odds ratio [OR] =0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37–0.55). The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis confirm the beneficial influence of PA in general for the prevention of sarcopenia. Keywords: aging, sarcopenia, physical activity

Background/aim: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) is a rare malignant tumor that primarily affects the salivary glands but can also occur in other organs. Low incidence and unpredictable clinical behavior make AdCC one of the most difficult head and neck tumors to treat., Case Report: We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with AdCC localized at the base of the tongue, following radical surgical and oncological therapy. Due to advances in palliative oncological treatment, there is a more than five-year survival period before the progression of metastatic disease. Considering the rare occurrence of this disease, a literature search was also conducted, and therapy options are discussed. Ensuring a sufficient extent of the surgical procedure is still a challenge, and most specialists agree that subsequent postoperative radiotherapy reduces the risk of local recurrence. The effective dose of radiotherapy to the area of the primary tumor and lymph nodes is not clearly defined., Conclusion: The distinct biological behavior of AdCC results in varying sensitivity to chemotherapy or radiotherapy compared to treatments commonly used for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Treatment recommendations for these rarer tumors are based mainly on case reports and small clinical trials. The acquired therapeutic experience can contribute to prolonging the survival period of patients and improving their prognosis and quality of life., (Copyright © 2024, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Still rings are a unique gymnastics apparatus allowing for a combination of dynamic and static elements in a specific technique. This review aimed to compile the dynamic, kinematic, and EMG characteristics of swing, dismount, handstand, strength, and hold elements on still rings. This systematic review was conducted in concordance with PRISMA in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. In total, 37 studies were included, describing the strength and hold elements, the kip and swing elements, swing through or to handstand, and dismounts. The current evidence suggests that the execution of gymnastics elements on still rings and training drills requires a high training load. Specific preconditioning exercises could be used to train for the Swallow, iron cross, and support scale. Negative impacts of load during hold elements can be reduced by special support devices such as the Herdos or support belts. Another aspect is improving strength prerequisites by exercises such as bench presses, barbell exercises, and support belts, where the main focus should be on muscular coordination similar to the other considerable elements. Electromyography is an appropriate tool for the investigation of muscular coordination and force platforms for assessing a sufficient strength level to successfully perform elements on still rings., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objectives: Resin-based materials are applied in every branch of dentistry. Due to their tendency to release substances in the oral environment, doubts have been raised about their actual safety. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the last decade literature regarding the concentrations of elutable substances released from dental resin-based materials in different type of solvents., Materials and Methods: All the literature published on dental journals between January 2010 and April 2022 was searched using international databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science). Due to strict inclusion criteria, only 23 papers out of 877 were considered eligible. The concentration of eluted substances related to surface and volume of the sample was analyzed, considering data at 24 h as a reference. The total cumulative release was examined as well., Results: The most eluted substances were HEMA, TEGDMA, and BPA, while the less eluted were Bis-GMA and UDMA. Organic solvents caused significantly higher release of substances than water-based ones. A statistically significant inverse correlation between the release of molecules and their molecular mass was observed. A statistically significant positive correlation between the amount of released molecule and the specimen surface area was detected, as well as a weak positive correlation between the release and the specimen volume., Conclusions: Type of solvent, molecular mass of eluates, and specimen surface and volume affect substances release from materials., Clinical Relevance: It could be advisable to rely on materials based on monomers with a reduced elution tendency for clinical procedures., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Aberrant regulation of the cell cycle is a typical feature of all forms of cancer. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), it is often associated with the overexpression of cyclin D1 ( CCND1 ). However, it remains unclear how CCND1 expression changes between tumor and normal tissues and whether human papillomavirus (HPV) affects differential CCND1 expression. Here, we evaluated the expression of D-type cyclins in a cohort of 94 HNSCC patients of which 82 were subjected to whole genome expression profiling of primary tumors and paired normal mucosa. Comparative analysis of paired samples showed that CCND1 was upregulated in 18% of HNSCC tumors. Counterintuitively, CCND1 was downregulated in 23% of carcinomas, more frequently in HPV-positive samples. There was no correlation between the change in D-type cyclin expression and patient survival. Intriguingly, among the tumors with downregulated CCND1 , one-third showed an increase in cyclin D2 ( CCND2 ) expression. On the other hand, one-third of tumors with upregulated CCND1 showed a decrease in CCND2 . Collectively, we have shown that CCND1 was frequently downregulated in HNSCC tumors. Furthermore, regardless of the HPV status, our data suggested that a change in CCND1 expression was alleviated by a compensatory change in CCND2 expression.

We investigated changes in functional fitness after an exercise program in combination with Calanus oil supplementation, a novel source of bioactive lipids rich in wax esters with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA). Fifty-five healthy sedentary women aged 65-80 (mean age 70.9 ± 3.9 years, BMI 27.24 ± 3.9 kg m -2 , VO 2 peak 19.46 ± 3.7 ml kg -1 min -1 ) were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into two groups: exercise training plus Calanus Oil supplementation ( n = 28) or exercise plus placebo (sunflower oil) supplementation ( n = 27). The exercise intervention program was completed by 53 participants and contained functional circuit training (twice a week, 45 min plus 15 min of stretching and balance training) and Nordic walking (once a week, 60 min) for 16 weeks. Senior fitness test, exercise stress test on bicycle ergometer, hand-grip, and body composition were evaluated before and after the program. Our results show that functional fitness and body composition improved following the interventional exercise program, but for most of the parameters there was no synergic effect of supplementing n-3 PUFA-rich Calanus oil. In comparison to the placebo group, the group with Calanus supplementation experienced significantly higher improvement of functional strength of lower body which was evaluated by the chair stand test. Supplementation with Calanus may have a synergic effect with exercise on functional strength of the lower body in the elderly.

Objectives: The aim of this data paper is to provide the data set of a sub-analysis of the DEMDATA study data. In the DEMDATA study, epidemiological data on the prevalence and severity of dementia, as well as functioning, behavioral problems and other health related factors in residents living in Austrian and Czech nursing homes were collected. The DEMDATA project further provides information on relatives' perception of the life Quality of residents, care team burden as well as environmental factors. Participating nursing homes were randomly drawn and stratified. Inclusion criteria for participation were that the resident was living permanently in the institution and that he/she and/or a legal representative (where relevant) had signed an informed consent., Data Description: This paper provides data of cognitive, functional and behavioral assessments as well as other health related information of 1085 residents living in Austrian and Czech nursing homes. For each resident, several measurements on his or her cognitive, functional, and behavioral status are available. Also further health-related factors such as quality of life, pain, numbers of falls and hospital stays are provided.

Background: This paper provides a first comparative exploratory analysis of our findings from DEMDATA, a collaborative project between Austria and the Czech Republic. Analysed here are data from the residents and the environment assessment protocol., Methods: In a cross sectional study design, residents from randomly drawn and stratified nursing homes were investigated using a common study protocol., Results: From a total resident pool of 1666 persons, 1085 (571 in Austria, 514 in the Czech Republic) persons signed a consent form and participated in the data collection. More than 70% of residents assessed were female and the population was on average 85 years old. A discrepancy between the presence of a medical diagnosis in the charts of the residents and the results of cognitive testing was found. In Austria, 85.2%, in the Czech Republic 53.0% of residents had cognitive impairment. In Austria 80.0%, and in the Czech Republic 56.7% had behavioural problems. With respect to pain, 44.8% in Austria, and 51.5% in the Czech Republic had mild to severe pain. 78.4% of Austrian and 74.5% of the residents had problems with mobility and both populations were in danger of malnutrition., Conclusions: Most of the prevalence rates are comparable with previous studies also using direct resident assessment. Variations in prevalence rates seem to result mainly from the assessment technique (direct cognitive testing vs. medical chart review). The high prevalence rates for dementia, behavioural symptoms, pain and malnutrition indicate an immediate call for attention to further research and practice development.

Postintubation tracheal stenosis (PITS) is one of the most frequent causes of lower airways obstruction. Usually, PITS is the consequence of prolonged intubation period, but may occur also after short-term intubation. Diagnosis may be difficult if stridor is not present and the post-extubation period is many years long. Bronchoscopy and CT scanning are the diagnostic gold standard. In some cases, lung function tests may also be helpful. Treatment options include conservative treatment, surgery and endoscopic methods. We present a case report of a 23 year old woman with exercise dyspnoea caused by PITS that was incorrectly treated for bronchial asthma during a 2-years long period. Key words: bronchoscopy - cardiopulmonary exercise testing - postintubation stenosis - tracheal stenosis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of dementia in the Czech Republic., Methods: One hundred and nineteen patient-caregiver dyads participated in our multicenter observational cost-of-illness study. The modified Resource Utilization in Dementia Questionnaire was used as the main tool to collect data from patients and caregivers. Medical specialists provided additional data from medical records. The average costs of dementia were calculated and patients were then divided by the level of cognitive impairment. A generalized linear model was used to determine if differences were present for selected cost variables., Results: The mean (standard deviation) for direct cost per a patient in a month was estimated to be €243.0 (138.0), €1727.1 (1075.6) for the indirect cost, and €1970.0 (1090.3) for the total cost of dementia in the Czech Republic. All of the costs increased as dementia severity increased. Both the indirect and total costs significantly (p < 0.05) increased if patients were living with their primary caregiver, and if the severity of cognitive impairment was increased., Conclusions: The indirect cost, which was represented mainly by informal care, comprised the main part of the total cost of care for patients with dementia in the Czech Republic. Both total and indirect care costs increased significantly the cognition declined.

To date, polymorphisms in several genes have been associated with a strength/power performance including alpha 3 actinin, ciliary neurotrophic factor, vitamin D receptor, or angiotensin I converting enzyme, underlining the importance of genetic component of the multifactorial strength/power-related phenotypes. The single nucleotide variation in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha gene (PPARA) intron 7 G/C (rs4253778; g.46630634G>C) has been repeatedly found to play a significant role in response to different types of physical activity. We investigated the effect of PPARA intron 7 G/C polymorphism specifically on anaerobic power output in a group of 77 elite male Czech ice hockey players (18-36 y). We determined the relative peak power per body weight (Pmax.kg(-1)) and relative peak power per fat free mass (W.kg(-1)FFM) during the 30-second Wingate Test (WT30) on bicycle ergometer (Monark 894E Peak bike, MONARK, Sweden). All WT30s were performed during the hockey season. Overall genotype frequencies were 50.6% GG homozygotes, 40.3% CG heterozygotes, and 9.1% CC homozygotes. We found statistically significant differences in Pmax.kg(-1) and marginally significant differences in Pmax.kg(-1)FFM values in WT30 between carriers and non-carriers for C allele (14.6 ± 0.2 vs. 13.9 ± 0.3 W.kg(-1) and 15.8 ± 0.2 vs. 15.2 ± 0.3 W.kg(-1)FFM, P = 0.036 and 0.12, respectively). Furthermore, Pmax.kg(-1)FFM strongly positively correlated with the body weight only in individuals with GG genotypes (R = 0.55; p<0.001). Our results indicate that PPARA 7C carriers exhibited higher speed strength measures in WT30. We hypothesize that C allele carriers within the cohort of trained individuals may possess a metabolic advantage towards anaerobic metabolism.

With the increasing demand for noninvasive approaches in monitoring head and neck cancer, circulating nucleic acids have been shown to be a promising tool. We focused on the global transcriptome of serum samples of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients in comparison with healthy individuals. We compared gene expression patterns of 36 samples. Twenty-four participants including 16 HNSCC patients (from 12 patients we obtained blood samples 1 year posttreatment) and 8 control subjects were recruited. The Illumina HumanWG-6 v3 Expression BeadChip was used to profile and identify the differences in serum mRNA transcriptomes. We found 159 genes to be significantly changed (Storey's P value <0.05) between normal and cancer serum specimens regardless of factors including p53 and B-cell lymphoma family members (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL). In contrast, there was no difference in gene expression between samples obtained before and after surgery in cancer patients. We suggest that microarray analysis of serum cRNA in patients with HNSCC should be suitable for refinement of early stage diagnosis of disease that can be important for development of new personalized strategies in diagnosis and treatment of tumours but is not suitable for monitoring further development of disease.