Surgical and pharmacological treatment of childhood obesity.

The increase in obesity prevalence has been slowing down in numerous countries recently. WHO Europe has organized surveillance of childhood obesity (Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative, COSI) since 2008, which observed the prevalence of overweight and obesity of 6-9-year-old children is followed during this study and proved this result. The study Children's Health 2016 showed that after a period of the global increase of obesity until 2011, there was in the Czech Republic a period of certain stabilization, in which there weren´t major changes in weight.

Change in the prevalence of overweight/obesity in Czech seven-year-old children between 2008 and 2019.

World Health Organization (WHO) Europe organizes Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), in which the Czech Republic participates since the beginning. The aim of this project is to monitor the prevalence of overweight and obesity of 7-year-old children in the Czech Republic. Data were obtained from 2349 children examined by 72 pediatricians across the Czech Republic.

Wildfire immediately reduces nest and adult survival of greater sage-grouse.

Wildfire events are becoming more frequent and severe on a global scale. Rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and the presence of pyrophytic invasive grasses are contributing to the degradation of native vegetation communities. Within the Great Basin region of the western U.

A Bayesian multi-stage modelling framework to evaluate impacts of energy development on wildlife populations: an application to greater sage-grouse ().

Increased demand for domestic production of renewable energy has led to expansion of energy infrastructure across western North America. Much of the western U.S.

A genetic warning system for a hierarchically structured wildlife monitoring framework.

Genetic variation is a well-known indicator of population fitness yet is not typically included in monitoring programs for sensitive species. Additionally, most programs monitor populations at one scale, which can lead to potential mismatches with ecological processes critical to species' conservation. Recently developed methods generating hierarchically nested population units (i.

Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management.

Wildlife populations are increasingly affected by natural and anthropogenic changes that negatively alter biotic and abiotic processes at multiple spatiotemporal scales and therefore require increased wildlife management and conservation efforts. However, wildlife management boundaries frequently lack biological context and mechanisms to assess demographic data across the multiple spatiotemporal scales influencing populations. To address these limitations, we developed a novel approach to define biologically relevant subpopulations of hierarchically nested population levels that could facilitate managing and conserving wildlife populations and habitats.

Influence of COVID-19-Related Restrictions on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obese Czech Children.

Apart from influencing the health of the worldwide population, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the day-to-day life of all, including children. A sedentary lifestyle along with the transformation of eating and sleep habits took place in the child population. These changes created a highly obesogenic environment.

Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Trajectory of Emerging Echovirus 30, Europe.

In 2018, an upsurge in echovirus 30 (E30) infections was reported in Europe. We conducted a large-scale epidemiologic and evolutionary study of 1,329 E30 strains collected in 22 countries in Europe during 2016-2018. Most E30 cases affected persons 0-4 years of age (29%) and 25-34 years of age (27%).

Obesity in childhood and adolescence and what we can do with an obese child in a pediatric health care.

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and it is steadily affecting health care of many countries. Increase in obesity prevalence has been slowing down in numerous countries recently.

Prevalence of malnutrition risk among institutionalized elderly from North Bohemia is higher than among those in the Capital City of Prague, Czech Republic.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the risk of malnutrition among institutionalized elderly individuals in North Bohemia and compare it to the risk of malnutrition in the capital city of Prague, Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, very few studies have been conducted with the goal of describing and evaluating the nutritional status of the institutionalized elderly.

Methods: In this study, data was collected from 254 elderly individuals (aged ≥ 65) residing in retirement homes in North Bohemia and then compared with similar data for the elderly living in retirement homes in Prague (the data from Prague were previously published in 2013).

Effect of the DASH-diet and salt Kardisal® on blood pressure in adolescents with prehypertension (Cooperative multicentre interventional study).

Background: In a cooperative multi-center interventional study of 60 probands with prehypertension and normal BMIs were followed for 3 months.

Design: The intervention included the DASH diet for 3 months in 30 probands plus sodium limited intake using the low sodium salt Kardisal® (60% NaCl, 40% KCl) (group A) and the DASH diet for 3 months in 30 probands without Kardisal® (group B).

Results: In group A (n=26 probands evaluated) the systolic blood pressure (median) decreased significantly from 138 to 129 mmHg (p<0.

Recommendations for enterovirus diagnostics and characterisation within and beyond Europe.

Enteroviruses (EV) can cause severe neurological and respiratory infections, and occasionally lead to devastating outbreaks as previously demonstrated with EV-A71 and EV-D68 in Europe. However, these infections are still often underdiagnosed and EV typing data is not currently collected at European level. In order to improve EV diagnostics, collate data on severe EV infections and monitor the circulation of EV types, we have established European non-polio enterovirus network (ENPEN).

Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein plasma level decrease correlates with age in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Backgound: It has been indicated in plasma proteomic studies on different myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cohorts that alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein could be a promising MDS biomarker candidate.

Objective: The goal of this work was to estimate alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) plasma levels and its biomarker value in the low- and high-risk subgroups of MDS patients.

Methods: The level of AHSG was estimated for 115 plasma samples using ELISA.

The Relationship of Kynurenine and Neopterin Levels and Their Association with a Selection of Other Immune Markers in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Patients.

Among malignant diseases, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is one of the best suited candidates for immunotherapy. For this purpose it is necessary to broaden the present knowledge on the immunology of this disease. As a part of such a project, the levels of kynurenine (KYN) and neopterin (NPT) were studied in 28 CML patients and in the same number of healthy subjects.

Wildfire, climate, and invasive grass interactions negatively impact an indicator species by reshaping sagebrush ecosystems.

Iconic sagebrush ecosystems of the American West are threatened by larger and more frequent wildfires that can kill sagebrush and facilitate invasion by annual grasses, creating a cycle that alters sagebrush ecosystem recovery post disturbance. Thwarting this accelerated grass-fire cycle is at the forefront of current national conservation efforts, yet its impacts on wildlife populations inhabiting these ecosystems have not been quantified rigorously. Within a Bayesian framework, we modeled 30 y of wildfire and climatic effects on population rates of change of a sagebrush-obligate species, the greater sage-grouse, across the Great Basin of western North America.

Estimating the Baseline Incidence of a Seasonal Disease Independently of Epidemic Outbreaks.

In epidemiology, it is very important to estimate the baseline incidence of infectious diseases, but the available data are often subject to outliers due to epidemic outbreaks. Consequently, the estimate of the baseline incidence is biased and so is the predicted epidemic threshold which is a crucial reference indicator used to suspect and detect an epidemic outbreak. Another problem is that the "usual" incidence varies in a season dependent manner, i.

Draft Genome Sequence of Legionella jamestowniensis Isolated from a Patient with Chronic Respiratory Disease.

Legionella jamestowniensis can be found in the environment in various water samples, in wet soil, and in compost facilities, but evidence of its human pathogenicity has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of an L. jamestowniensis isolate, derived from a patient suffering from a chronic respiratory disease.

Comparison of the miRNA profiles in HPV-positive and HPV-negative tonsillar tumors and a model system of human keratinocyte clones.

Background: Better insights into the molecular changes involved in virus-associated and -independent head and neck cancer may advance our knowledge of HNC carcinogenesis and identify critical disease biomarkers. Here we aimed to characterize the expression profiles in a matched set of well-characterized HPV-dependent and HPV-independent tonsillar tumors and equivalent immortalized keratinocyte clones to define potential and clinically relevant biomarkers of HNC of different etiology.

Methods: Fresh frozen tonsillar cancer tissues were analyzed together with non-malignant tonsillar tissues and compared with cervical tumors and normal cervical tissues.

MeltMan: Optimization, Evaluation, and Universal Application of a qPCR System Integrating the TaqMan qPCR and Melting Analysis into a Single Assay.

In the present work, we optimised and evaluated a qPCR system integrating 6-FAM (6-carboxyfluorescein)-labelled TaqMan probes and melting analysis using the SYTO 82 (S82) DNA binding dye in a single reaction. We investigated the influence of the S82 on various TaqMan and melting analysis parameters and defined its optimal concentration. In the next step, the method was evaluated in 36 different TaqMan assays with a total of 729 paired reactions using various DNA and RNA templates, including field specimens.

Estimating the Baseline and Threshold for the Incidence of Diseases with Seasonal and Long-Term Trends.

In epidemiology, it is very important to estimate the baseline incidence of infectious diseases. From this baseline, the epidemic threshold can be derived as a clue to recognize an excess incidence, i.e.

Growth of Czech breastfed infants in comparison with the World Health Organization standards.

Growth references are important for paediatric health monitoring. It is critical to understand differences in growth interpretation and potential consequences when using available growth references. This study compares the growth of Czech breastfed children with the current WHO growth standards 2006 and the Czech references 1991, 2001.

Early MRD response as a prognostic factor in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic power of minimal residual disease (MRD) monitored by polymerase chain reaction at defined time points during early treatment in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Methods: Seventy-one patients were treated according to the GMALL 07/2003 protocol and evaluated for MRD in bone marrow by specific clonal rearrangements of Ig/TCR in BCR-ABL negative ALL or fusion gene transcript in BCR-ABL positive ALL.

Results: Three-year overall survival (OS) was 94% in patients with BCR-ABL negative ALL reaching complete molecular response (CMR) after the first course of chemotherapy (vs.

[Overweight, obesity and underweight prevalence in 7-year-old children in the Czech Republic since 1951].

Background: Childhood overweight prevalence increases worldwide. The aim of the study was to clarify the change in underweight, overweight and obesity in seven year old Czech children since 1951.

Methods: Data on underweight, overweight and obesity prevalence were obtained using repeated cross-sectional surveys.