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The Effects of Meditation on Cognitive Functions and Neuroplastic Changes in Patients with Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review
No full textThis bachelor's thesis investigates the effects of meditation on cognition and neuroplastic changes in older adults suffering from cognitive difficulties, namely subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and dementia syndrome by means of a systematic review. The thesis begins with a brief overview of the aforementioned clinical syndromes affecting cognition in older adults, meditation and the effects of meditation practice on healthy ageing. Subsequently, a systematic review was conducted, identifying 3,171 articles via three electronic databases, namely PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect. Based on the a priori specified eligibility criteria, 14 original studies were included in the review. The risk of bias was assessed in these studies, using the revised Cochrane tool for randomized controlled trials. The results of included studies do not provide sufficient support for the positive effects of meditation-based interventions on cognition in older adults with cognitive impairment. However, conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. In the context of neuroplastic changes, existing evidence is considerably scarce and heterogeneous, highlighting the necessity for future research in this field. Keywords: meditation; mindfulness; older adults;..
Psychoanalysis and Religion
No full textPSYCHOANALYSIS AND RELIGION The topic of this bachelor's thesis is the concept of religion within the framework of psychoanalysis. This thesis seeks to engage with the legacy of the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, who adopted a strongly reductive approach to religion. In my work, I will critically evaluate this approach and compare it with the perspective of object relations theory and the psychoanalysts influenced by it. I will also focus on the interesting similarity between the psychoanalytic technique of healing through abreaction and archaic healing rituals
Coin circulation, restrictive policy and money laundering in Bohemia during the reign of Leopold I and Charles VI. from 1657 until the introduction of conventional currency in 1740
No full textThe thesis describes the monetary policy in the Austrian monarchy in the period 1657 to 1740. It focuses on the circulation of German coinage and the steps taken to suppress it. Subtopics include the monetary systems of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe, the economy, numerical and monetary systems. The work is set between 1657-1740, i.e. the period of Leopold I's accession to the throne, through the reign of Joseph I. to Charles VI., with the necessary overlaps for better understanding of the subjec
"Masopust, Masopust - don't you leave me girl": Shrovetide celebrations in Lysá nad Labem during stalinism.
No full textThe aim of this bachelor thesis is to explain how and why the Shrovetide parade was organized on February 24, 1952, in Lysá nad Labem: how it related to the political situation at the time, and how it was connected to local folk traditions. The research sub-question attempts to map the inclusion of women in Shrovetide celebrations in Lysá in connection with the phenomenon of Shrovetide in general. The first, theoretical part of the thesis presents the analytical approach in the form of social performance theory and gender performativity, introduces the context of carnival culture in general, its regional specifics, the form of women's participation in this festival and the influence of the regime on similar activities of folk culture in general. The practical part, in the form of a qualitative analysis of archival and printed sources of local civil societies, semi-structured interviews with witnesses of the 1952 event, and interviews mapping the current local memory of these celebrations. The thesis concludes that the 1952 Shrovetide parade was organized by three local societies: the Volunteer Fire Department, the Amateur Theater Association, and the Patriotic and Charitable Baráčnická Community, for the purpose of raising money for a new fire station. The celebration took place without any..
Vladimír Palla, life and work of the architect
No full textThis bachelor's thesis focuses on the work of Brno architect Vladimír Palla, who was strongly anonymised and marginalised by the political regime during his practice in the 1960s and 1970s. The thesis aims to introduce this architect and place his work in the context of Czechoslovak architecture of the period. Palla is most famous for his participation in the design of the exhibition pavilion for the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, but his other work remains relatively unknown. The thesis analyses selected works, both competition projects and realisations, and examines how the author dealt with the political constraints of his time. Particular attention is paid to the team aspect of the work and the issue of individual authorship within large architectural collectives. The aim is to map out the points of contact and themes in Palla's work and to contribute to the rehabilitation of this important but still understudied architect
Autoimmune Response to Polypropylene Mesh Implantation in Adult Patients After Hernia Surgery
No full textHernia surgeries belong among the most common surgical procedures performed in elective and emergency settings. The use of surgical mesh is now the standard in nearly all types of hernia surgeries, as reflected in international guidelines. Polypropylene is one of the most widely used materials in mesh production. In connection with the increasing prevalence of allergic and autoimmune diseases in the general population, a hypothesis has been formed that the human body may react to these foreign materials and that their use might be associated with the rising incidence of autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was first to evaluate the current knowledge regarding the potential development of autoimmune diseases in connection with polypropylene mesh implantation, based on available literature, and then to experimentally verify the possible impact of implanted polypropylene mesh on a range of immune markers in the peripheral blood of a selected group of our patients. The study included patients who underwent hernia surgery with mesh implantation at our department. From a broader cohort, we selected only patients younger than 60 years of age and whose surgery had been performed 1 to 5 years earlier. Exclusion criteria included the presence of autoimmune disease or malignancy, hernia recurrence, or..
Multiple sclerosis - lipid metabolism and clinical progression
No full textMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the CNS leading to demyelination and axonal degeneration. An increasing body of evidence suggests that lipid metabolism is associated with adverse clinical and MRI outcomes in MS. In this review we summarize the findings of association between low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), their apolipoproteins and oxysterols with clinical and radiological disease activity in MS. Although the causality between disease activity in MS and abnormalities in lipid metabolism has not yet been elucidated, we suggest that advances in this field of research have the potential to improve understanding of MS pathophysiology and the identification of new treatment targets and strategies. The theoretical part of this study presents the current state of knowledge about the above- described connection between MS and adverse lipid profiles. There is detail given to the different cholesterol metabolism mechanism in the CNS and peripheral organs. The empirical part aims to prove and extend the currently known data about this correlation. I present and discuss 4 original publications focused on the effect of altered lipid profiles on disease activity and disability burden, MRI volumetry and cognitive ability. I also present a study..
Carbohydrates in diet among patients with diabetes mellitus
No full textIntroduction: Current diabetes treatment guidelines emphasize the importance of early, intensive, and structured education immediately after diagnosis, as well as the prompt initiation of continuous (CGM) or flash glucose monitoring (FGM). This dissertation explores the role of carbohydrates in the diet of patients with diabetes, and the impact of carbohydrate counting education on diabetes control in patients using CGM/FGM. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of these methods on diabetes compensation and to identify a potential synergistic effect between education and the use of these technologies. The dissertation also examines the influence of these approaches on patients' quality of life and their broader applicability in clinical practice. Methods: The practical part of the dissertation consists of one primary and two secondary studies. The primary study investigates the impact of structured education in carbohydrate counting and flexible insulin dosing on diabetes control in type 1 diabetes patients newly initiated on CGM or FGM. The two secondary studies examined the combined effect of glucose monitoring using CGM or FGM and education on glycemic control. Key indicators of diabetes compensation were monitored, including HbA1c levels, time spent in the target glycemic range, and..
Clustering hits and predictions in data from TimePix3 detectors
No full textHybrid pixel detectors like Timepix3 and Timepix4 detect individual pixels hit by particles. For further analysis, individual hits from such sensors need to be grouped into spatially and temporally coinciding groups called clusters. While state-of-the-art Timepix3 detectors generate up to 80 Mio hits per second, the next generation, Timepix4, will provide data rates of up to 640 Mio hits, which is far beyond the current capabilities of the real-time clustering algorithms, processing at roughly 3 MHits/s. We explore the options for accelerating the clustering process, focusing on its real-time application. We developed a tool that utilizes multicore CPUs to speed up the clustering. Despite the interdependence of different data subsets, we achieve a speed-up scaling with the number of used cores. Further, we exploited options to reduce the computational demands of the clustering by determining radiation field parameters from raw (unclustered) data features and automatically initiating further clustering if these data show signs of interesting events. This further accelerates the clustering while also reducing storage space requirements. The proposed methods were validated and benchmarked using real-world and simulated datasets
The legal aspects of renewable energy sources with focus on their construction and operation
No full textThe legal aspects of renewable energy sources with focus on their construction and operation Abstract This thesis focuses on the role of renewable energy sources in the energy mix of the Czech Republic and legal aspects of their construction and operation. The aim of the thesis is to analyse different legal instruments connected to permitting procedures related to development of solar and wind power plants in accordance with the rules of energetic, construction, and environmental law. The introductory part outlines the current ideological foundations of energy policy and analyses the energy trilemma. The thesis presents three pillars of energy on which the energy trilemma stands, namely energy security, energy affordability, and environmental sustainability. This chapter further analyses the interrelations among these pillars and the ways in which renewable energy sources influence the balance of the energy trilemma. Subsequently, the thesis focuses on the most significant conceptual instruments in the energy field, which determine the current objectives defined also in European Union law in the area of renewable energy sources, and on their connection with other legal instruments. The core of the thesis lies in an analysis of the permitting processes associated with the construction of wind and solar power..