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Influence of latent toxoplasmosis on intelligence of infected subjects
Chvátalová, Veronika ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Lindová, Jitka (referee)
There remain inconsistencies in the literature concerning the intelligence of subjects infected with latent toxoplasmosis. The main goals of this work are to find out whether, a) latent toxoplasmosis influences the intelligence of infected subjects and b) whether Rh negative and Rh positive subjects respond to the infection in different ways. In this work we used a complex test of intelligence, The Structure Intelligence Test I-S-T 2000 R. We were able to statistically control for the confounding variable the size of the place of residence in childhood. This had benefits when compared to previous studies. The differences in intelligence were measured in students of The Faculty of Science. The sample used included 46 toxoplasma-infected and 188 toxoplasma-free individuals. Using nonparametric tests we found lower numerical, fluid and general intelligence in toxoplasma-infected subjects compared to noninfected subjects. In addition, these tendencies were also observed in the results of parametric tests. Further to these components of intelligence there was also found to be a lower component of numerical knowledge in toxoplasma-infected males. By contrast, no differences between infected and noninfected individuals was found to occur in the female test subjects. No statistically significant...
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The Content and Structure of Sexual Fantasies of Men and Women
Boudová, Kamila ; Klapilová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Krejčová, Lucie (referee)
Several researches have studied sexual fantasies (SF), and many studies have described the gender differences in frequency, content and incidence. However, most of these studies work in a quantitative way of analysis. The data are obtained from questionnaires containing reductive statements that can be interpreted differently by respondents. The results are sometimes very different across studies. In the present work we have therefore decided to use qualitative and quantitative method of analysis to study the content of SF of men and women and to describe the gender differences. For our research, we obtained data describing the most popular SFs (using a questionnaire with closed-end and open-end questions and also from a freely written favourite SF in the form of a film script by respondents) from a total of 407 women and 159. The sample was based on quotas created according to the data of the Czech Statistical Office (2011). The quotas selected an age-representative sample of 100 women and 100 men whose fantasies were analysed. In terms of qualitative analyses, we have described the following interesting categories regarding female SF: sexual activity occurring in SF; the importance of a submissive role for women; high preference in group activities. In male SF, a large variability of explicit...
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Factors contributing to interindividual differences in olfactory abilities and odour awareness
Nováková, Lenka ; Havlíček, Jan (advisor) ; Lukavský, Jiří (referee) ; Vodička, Jan (referee)
The main body of the thesis deals with selected factors underlying the considerable variability in human olfactory abilities and some odour awareness-related measures, addressed in samples ranging in age from middle childhood to young adulthood. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part (Chapter 1), first presents the major advances and developments that brought about something of a renaissance of scientific interest in the human sense of smell, including the recent proliferation of psychophysical studies, both basic research and clinical. Next, an outline of olfactory psychophysical measures and related olfactory abilities that are of relevance to the studies presented in this thesis is provided. Subsequently, the selected factors contributing to interindividual differences in olfactory abilities, that have been addressed by this thesis, are reviewed, namely the effect of sex (or gender), which is approached from a developmental perspective, childhood gender nonconformity, and personality. Finally, intraindividual fluctuations in olfactory performance are also mentioned in brief. Next, the focus shifts to odour awareness by first introducing the various approaches that can be adopted to get closer to the real-life context as opposed to laboratory setting (where most olfactory studies continue to be...
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Study of metabolic syndrome in mice model: roles of dietary lipids, adipose tissue and AMP-activated protein kinase
Medříková, Daša ; Kopecký, Jan (advisor) ; Houštěk, Josef (referee) ; Novotný, Jiří (referee)
Obesity and associated metabolic disorders, e. g. metabolic syndrome, represent a considerable health threat for modern society. Due to sedentary lifestyle, high caloric intake and changes in composition of diet, prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide. One of the possible causes contributing to higher prevalence of obesity in recent population could be the change of fatty acids (FA) composition of dietary lipids, with the shift in the content of n-6 and n-3 FA toward n-6 FA. In contrast to n-6 FA, n-3 FA are known for their anti-atherogenic, anti-obesogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. In our experiments in mice, the capability of naturally occurred and chemically modified n- 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in prevention and reversal of specific parts of metabolic syndrome was demonstrated. A specific chemical derivative of docosahexaenoic acid was proven to be very effective in preventing and improving metabolic conditions of animals exposed to high-fat (HF) diet challenge. Further, the involvement of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a master regulator of lipid metabolism, in skeletal muscle thermogenesis induced by HF-feeding was investigated. Activation of AMPK in the HF-fed mice is most possibly caused by increased leptin levels and represents an important link...
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The Content and Structure of Sexual Fantasies of Men and Women
Boudová, Kamila ; Klapilová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Krejčová, Lucie (referee)
Several researches have studied sexual fantasies (SF), and many studies have described the gender differences in frequency, content and incidence. However, most of these studies work in a quantitative way of analysis. The data are obtained from questionnaires containing reductive statements that can be interpreted differently by respondents. The results are sometimes very different across studies. In the present work we have therefore decided to use qualitative and quantitative method of analysis to study the content of SF of men and women and to describe the gender differences. For our research, we obtained data describing the most popular SFs (using a questionnaire with closed-end and open-end questions and also from a freely written favourite SF in the form of a film script by respondents) from a total of 407 women and 159. The sample was based on quotas created according to the data of the Czech Statistical Office (2011). The quotas selected an age-representative sample of 100 women and 100 men whose fantasies were analysed. In terms of qualitative analyses, we have described the following interesting categories regarding female SF: sexual activity occurring in SF; the importance of a submissive role for women; high preference in group activities. In male SF, a large variability of explicit...
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Factors contributing to interindividual differences in olfactory abilities and odour awareness
Nováková, Lenka ; Havlíček, Jan (advisor) ; Lukavský, Jiří (referee) ; Vodička, Jan (referee)
The main body of the thesis deals with selected factors underlying the considerable variability in human olfactory abilities and some odour awareness-related measures, addressed in samples ranging in age from middle childhood to young adulthood. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part (Chapter 1), first presents the major advances and developments that brought about something of a renaissance of scientific interest in the human sense of smell, including the recent proliferation of psychophysical studies, both basic research and clinical. Next, an outline of olfactory psychophysical measures and related olfactory abilities that are of relevance to the studies presented in this thesis is provided. Subsequently, the selected factors contributing to interindividual differences in olfactory abilities, that have been addressed by this thesis, are reviewed, namely the effect of sex (or gender), which is approached from a developmental perspective, childhood gender nonconformity, and personality. Finally, intraindividual fluctuations in olfactory performance are also mentioned in brief. Next, the focus shifts to odour awareness by first introducing the various approaches that can be adopted to get closer to the real-life context as opposed to laboratory setting (where most olfactory studies continue to be...
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Influence of latent toxoplasmosis on intelligence of infected subjects
Chvátalová, Veronika ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Lindová, Jitka (referee)
There remain inconsistencies in the literature concerning the intelligence of subjects infected with latent toxoplasmosis. The main goals of this work are to find out whether, a) latent toxoplasmosis influences the intelligence of infected subjects and b) whether Rh negative and Rh positive subjects respond to the infection in different ways. In this work we used a complex test of intelligence, The Structure Intelligence Test I-S-T 2000 R. We were able to statistically control for the confounding variable the size of the place of residence in childhood. This had benefits when compared to previous studies. The differences in intelligence were measured in students of The Faculty of Science. The sample used included 46 toxoplasma-infected and 188 toxoplasma-free individuals. Using nonparametric tests we found lower numerical, fluid and general intelligence in toxoplasma-infected subjects compared to noninfected subjects. In addition, these tendencies were also observed in the results of parametric tests. Further to these components of intelligence there was also found to be a lower component of numerical knowledge in toxoplasma-infected males. By contrast, no differences between infected and noninfected individuals was found to occur in the female test subjects. No statistically significant...
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|
|
Study of metabolic syndrome in mice model: roles of dietary lipids, adipose tissue and AMP-activated protein kinase
Medříková, Daša ; Kopecký, Jan (advisor) ; Houštěk, Josef (referee) ; Novotný, Jiří (referee)
Obesity and associated metabolic disorders, e. g. metabolic syndrome, represent a considerable health threat for modern society. Due to sedentary lifestyle, high caloric intake and changes in composition of diet, prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide. One of the possible causes contributing to higher prevalence of obesity in recent population could be the change of fatty acids (FA) composition of dietary lipids, with the shift in the content of n-6 and n-3 FA toward n-6 FA. In contrast to n-6 FA, n-3 FA are known for their anti-atherogenic, anti-obesogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. In our experiments in mice, the capability of naturally occurred and chemically modified n- 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in prevention and reversal of specific parts of metabolic syndrome was demonstrated. A specific chemical derivative of docosahexaenoic acid was proven to be very effective in preventing and improving metabolic conditions of animals exposed to high-fat (HF) diet challenge. Further, the involvement of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a master regulator of lipid metabolism, in skeletal muscle thermogenesis induced by HF-feeding was investigated. Activation of AMPK in the HF-fed mice is most possibly caused by increased leptin levels and represents an important link...
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Are people more altruistic towards persons of the same sex?
Bartůněk, Martin ; Chytilová, Helena (advisor) ; Kadeřábková, Božena (referee)
This thesis deals with the differences in the degree of altruism between men and women, with varying degrees of information. In three rounds of the dictator game experiment, the dictators decided how to redistribute the money between themselves and the recipient. The differences in altruism among the sexes were already dealt with, for example in the works by Andreoni, Vesterlund (2001), Dufwenberg, Muren (2004) or Eckel, Grossman (1998), whose experiments served to inspire the creation of the experimentation in this work. However, the differences in behaviour of men and women in all the observed rounds proved to be statictically insignificant, in this work. The results of this work do not support the hypothesis of a higher degree of altruism in the situation when the dictator has the information about the sex of the recipient, compared to the situation where he does not have it. Male dictators, as well as female ones, behaved equally altruistically to female and male and anonymous recipients.
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Cognitive predispositions affected by degree of brain masculinity and femininity
PIXA, David
This thesis is concerned with gender-related differences of cognitive predispositions. Findings could be utilized predominantly in human resource management, pedagogy and psychology. The research was proceeded as a case study of 45 undergraduate students. Individual degree of masculinity/femininity (gender) was indicated by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), while cognitive preferences were measured and described by Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). Another data were obtained by means of qualitative research methods, such as participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Besides, in general features were surveyed hand-lateral-preference, professional orientation and attention capability. All probands were divided into 6 categories according to gender and degree of MF. Synthesis of MMPI and HBDI results showed significant congruence between the gender-categories and a dominant preference of the HBDI{\crq}s cognitive styles: Masculine men {--} a dominant preference of A-mode (analytical thinking). Feminine men {--} a dominant preference of D-mode (imaginative thinking). Masculine women {--} a dominant preference of B-mode (sequential thinking). Feminine women {--} a dominant preference of C-mode (interpersonal thinking). This findings were in accordance with a professional orientation of the probands (regardless of the field of study they have choosen). Right-brain dominant students (mostly feminine men) were not well-adjusted to a classical passive teaching metods.
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