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The haematopoetic stem cell transplantation is a modern therapeutic method which is not only used for the treatment of haematooncological diseases but also as a therapy for the solid tumors and the non-malignant diseases. The haematopoetic stem cell transplantation influences the further course of the disease and by this, the quality of life for patients in the same way as other therapeutic methods. The authors described the evaluation possibilities for the quality of life in patients who have undergone the haematopoetic stem cell transplantation.

Radiation-induced enteritis is an absolutely lethal clinical-pathological unit. This article summarizes the clinical picture, diagnostics of this disease and a review of symptomatic methods of its therapy. Its causal therapy is unknown. Experimental causal therapy is based on the new knowledge of disease patogenesis. It involves antioxidants, antiinflammatory remedies and antibodies which block the adhesion molecules and transcription factor inhibitors.

From 1997 to 2001 discussion concerning primary care was occurring within the teaching of social medicine. This teaching described, in a basic way, the differences between primary and hospital care. At the same time medical students were asked questions. These questions should have addressed, in a simple way, two basic areas (which the 5th year medical student should be able to answer): 1. How they imagine their professional future and 2. What their experience with primary care physicians has been so far.The results of the discussion showed that a large number - nearly 50 % of medical students were interested in hospital practice. At the same time a 25% negative experience with primary care physicians was shown (this experience was gained by medical students themselves as patients or by their close family). This negative experience clearly caused a negative attitude which could not be explained by a certain increased theoretical professional approach of a medical student. This was not an unprofessional approach (the evaluation of this approach is questionable from the point of view of undergraduates knowledge of general practitioner work) but the evaluation of bad communication. The information giving and approach to a patient cannot be discussed. The results of the survey are depicted and described in individual graphs and texts to these graphs. The aim of these graphs and their texts is not to generalize the answers but to use the answers and the results to provoke thoughts and to provide stimuli to ask questions of both medical students and us - general practitioners.

We studied radiosenzitivity of neural stem cells (NSCs) by widely used functional test and by method with adherent NSCs. NSCs were given 0-8 Gy, cultivated floating in medium (Group N) or finally adhered to polyornitine-coated Petri dishes (Group A). After 6 generation times neurospheres were fixed, stained and their numbers were counted. Finally adherent NSCs showed significantly higher radiosenzitivity than non-adherent NSCs from the dose of 0.5 Gy. Average D0 of group A was 1.85 Gy; average D0 of group N was counted as low as 0.96 Gy.We assume that the functional test widely used for influences determination to NSCs is not valid for NSCs radiosensitivity measurement. Additionally, NSCs radiosensitivity test should be performed with adherent NSCs.

Without any doubt biological warfare ranks among the weapons of mass destruction, more precisely weapons causing mass casualties without affecting lifeless things. This definition can be changed, however, in the future. It is possible that microorganisms causing, for example, a massive corrosion of technical equipment or destroying the rubber parts of enemy weapon systems or his fuel supplies will be used in biological warfare. Biological warfare is unique concerning its variety in comparison with other weapons. It is also clear that the use of biological warfare is significantly cheaper and more effective from the point of view of the number of people affected than the use ofany other weapon.

"Sleeping gas" used for releasing the hostages from the Moscow theatre represents a very efficient non-lethal chemical weapon which has been unknown till now. Analysis of these events, as recorded by press agencies, helped to identify the chemical agents used as well as to interpret classified information about these agents, such as the method of usage, pharmacological effects etc. Medial monitoring of the gas attack has demonstrated the possibilities for tactical usage of this new chemical weapon. It has also shown the serious mistakes which the organizers of the action committed. Analysis of the blunders and failures during the gas weapon usage proves the importance of superior training of chemical troops and the absolute necessity of professional medical support.

Primary hypertension is the most common chronic disease in industrialized countries. Primary hypertension pathogenesis still remains unclear. However, it is probably a "multifactorial" disease, influenced by various environmetal factors in interaction with a so far undetermined genetic predisposition. A particular diagnosis can only be made through the exclusion of a secondary cause.A small percentage of secondary forms of hypertension in the total population of patients with hypertension justifies us to search for an organically tangible cause of this disease. Any suspicion should correspond with the observance of a standard diagnostic procedure and the appropriate therapy should follow from the expected diagnosis.

The authors prepared for presentation: the quality of life in patients, the meaning of this parameter in the global therapy survey in patients and the possibilities for the survey.

The author deals with contemporary approaches to active fatigue management and to the stimulation of operational effectiveness of military airmen in combat operations, respectively. The provision of an effective regulation of psychophysiological effectiveness consists of the perfect professional preparedness of flight surgeons in providing this special form of medical care.

The author describes conditions in the French Army food service. He informs us about the knowledge of healthy nutrition, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and of milk and dietary habits in France. He describes food rations in the French Army and the preparation and serving of food.

Non-lethal weapons are a combat means and weapon systems which put a human being out of combat action or other purposeful activity by causing physical or mental disablement. If chemical agents are the means of temporary incapacitation, these substances are known as non-lethal chemical agents and weapons based on this principle are known as non-lethal chemical weapons. A temporary incapacitation without a serious damage to health is a primary effect of these weapons. In this article the development of non-lethal chemical weapons is discussed in relation to the Convention on Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

One of the neglected aspects of military pharmacy historical investigation is the apparatus and furniture equipment necessary for the activity of a military pharmacy. For many centuries the equipment of a military pharmacy depended on the experience of pharmacists who were called up to establish field pharmacies. The establishment of a professional military pharmacy in 1794, however, did not lead to the approval of appropriate standards. In the 19th century the equipment of public, hospital, monastery and military pharmacies was optionally defined by the so-called Ehrman’s standard from 1828-1832. The first lawful standard in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy defining the equipment ofpharmacies was the Law of December 18, 1906, no. 5 of the Monarchy Law Code of 1907, which established the field of pharmacy. Regulation “Zdrav-1-3 the Pharmaceutical Service in Peacetime“ approved by the Czechoslovak Republic Ministry of National Defence in 1931 became the obligatory standard defining the equipment of military pharmacies. The regulation defined what kind of apparatus, instruments and other equipment military pharmacies had to have in peacetime.

The authors provide a survey of the incidence of pseudoseizures (and epileptic seizures) in active duty soldiers hospitalized at the Neurological Department of the Olomouc Military Hospital from 1992 to 2001. These Seizures accountedfor 8. 82% of the total number of active duty Soldiers hospitalized. Of this total number of seizures, 75.98% were pseudoseizures and 24.02% epileptic Seizures. Of the total number ofpseudoseizures, 89.03% were in compulsory military service Soldiers and 10.97% in career soldiers which accountedfor 7.6 % of the total number of compulsory military service Soldiers hospitalized and 3.39 % of the total number of career Soldiers hospitalized. Circulatory collapses followed by latent tetany seizures were represented in the same percentage in both groups and were the most common of the pseudoseizures.

From 1993 to 1995 three nutritional intervention programmes were organized by the Department of Preventive Medicine, at the Medical Faculty in Brno: ”Five Times a Day“, “The Elixir M“ and “Food Guided Pyramid“. Their aim was to improve young children’s knowledge about nutrition and consequently to positively influence their dietary habits. Our study tried to evaluate the long-term ejfects of these programmes, i. e. hether children from the schools with intervention programmes (presently aged 14-15 years) have maintained their knowledge of “healthy nutrition“ and to compare them with children without intervention programmes. The results showed that nearly three quarters of pupils no longer remember intervention programmes. The consumption offruits and vegetables (m=2.75 portions; m₀,m_e=2) and ofmilk and dairy products (m=1.68 portions; m₀,m_e=1) was not satisfactory. The only factors that positively influenced correct answers (knowledge of the nutritional hygiene and dietary guidelines adapted to age) and dietary habits (consumption off ruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products) were female gender and elective schools. The intervention did not have any impact on the results; this fact indicates the insufficiency of single programmes in young children.

A new, highly sensitive capillary zone electrophoresis methodfor determination of huperzine A, a perspective prophylactic antidote against militarily important nerve agents and anti-Alzheimer's disease drug, was developed. Huperzine A is an alkaloid isolated from the Chinese club moss Huperzia serrata. The absorption spectra and electrophoretic behaviour of the compound were studied. The compound shows two absorption maxima (λ_max 230 and 310 nm). The protonation constant was determined by spectrophotometry and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and the recommended value is pK = 7.70 ± 0.07. A CZE method for the determination of huperzine A in pharmaceutical tablets and serum has been developed. This method is based on separation of the compound as a protonated species with electrophoretic mobility determined as 50.7x 10^-9 m²V^-1S^-1. The optimal separation conditions were.“ acetate bujfer (pH4.60,' 20 mM) as a background electrolyte, a separation voltage of 20 kV,“ a temperature of 25°C, hydrodynamic injection 10 s and detection at wavelengths 230 and 310 nm. The analyses were run in an uncoated fused-silica capillary with a total length of 47.5 cm (39.0 cm to the detector) and the 75 μm I.D. Detection limit was found to be 70 μg/l. The method of huperzine A determination was applied for analysis of two pharmaceutical products. The results were found to be in good agreement with the declared amount. The precision of the method is ± 2.30 % rel. The method for determination of huperzine A in serum was also developed with a detection limit of 110 ug/l which is applicableforpharmacokinetics and therapeutic drug monitoring of this compound

This study presents briefly the bystander effect mechanisms in bystander cells and tissues at the genetic and protein level. The possible actions Of overexpressed molecules in bystander cells are explained step by step, i.e. RAD 51, TP 53, CDKNIA (p21, WAF-1), Cyclin B1, p34 (cdc 2), beta 1 integrin, and interleukin 1 alpha actions in bystander mechanisms.

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in morbidity in Slovak school children since 1965 and to compare the accessible official health statistical data up to 1989 with the results of a cross-sectional study from 2000.
Sample and method. Questionnaires completed by children and parents were used to obtain data from a representative sample of 3605 Slovak school children. Reports of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics in Bratislava were the source of routine health data.
Results. A highly significant increase in non-specific respiratory diseases, allergic diseases, orthopedic disorders, visual and psychological disorders was confirmed in a cross-sectional study in comparison with routine data from 1989. The prevalence of the aforementioned chronic diseases according to routine health Statistics increased Significantly from 1965 to 1989. A higher prevalence was confirmed in urban school children.
Conclusion. The results point out the need for complex preventive health care, a better information system concerning the health status of school children (morbidity registers) and more efiective intervention approaches.

Ketamine, in spite of its undesirable side effects (especially hallucinations), is the means of choice for total intravenous anaesthesia under field conditions. The authors propose to change the present racemic ketamine for the more efficient dextrorotary isomer; S-ketamine in our field equipment.

At the present time heavy demands are put on the articular cartilage due to unremitting pressure and shearing forces. Repeated microtraumas or acute large defects in the cartilage, along with the hyalinne cartilage’s small capacity for regeneration are reasons for the possible progression to a chronic stage and post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Treatment of these complications is difficult and very expensive. The surgical treatment of defects before the progression that leads to the chronic stage, above all full-thickness defects in the load-bearing areas of the large joints, is a recent development. No method of this development trend is permitted in general due to the bad quality of newly-formed cartilage, although these methods have clinical benefits. Excellent and long-term eflects of treatment are possible to accomplish only with hyalinne-like cartilage of high quality. The authors present a description of a newly developed method — chondrocyte application in the Tissucol-Kit Immuno^® fibrin glue as a chondrograft application. This method is a modification of autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT). The chondrocytes obtained from an articular cartilage are cultured. After their multiplication the cells are cast in fibrin glue. Then the chondrograft is applied in the defect’s area. The cell’s viability in the chondrograft is intact.

In our longitudinal study we monitored 15 indicators and their 38 indices in district and city of Hradec Králové and in the Czech Republic. We identified the accessibility of indicators for the monitored regions over the last 20 years and assessed their reliability. We also analyzed the time trends of all the monitored ndicators. For the purpose of this article we chose to describe the problems of malignant neoplasms out of a broad scale of all the monitored indicators. Malignant neoplasms present One of the most serious health and social problems. The incidence trends of all registered cancer cases and the trends of registered cases of eight selected diagnosis for males and females separately, were studied in the Czech Republic and Hradec Králové district from 1980 to 2000.

The authors provide an overview of the social significance of the deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and large funds from both patients and health insurance organisations for the treatment.
We compared the results obtained during treatment of patients with unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH).
The presented data and results for the cost of treatment of DVT patients require considerable financing. From the economic point of view under the conditions of health insurance it is important to increase the number of patients treated in outpatient settings.

This article presents recent knowledge about galanthamine, its Structure, its pharmacodynamic as well as pharmacokinetic properties, its cognitive, behavioral and toxic efiects, and the methods of its determination in biological substances. _ This alkaloid is olatedfrom the Amaryllidaceae plant family acts as a reversible selective competitive acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and it also allosterically modulates the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, thereby potentiates cholinergic, nicotinic neurotransmission. In medicine is has already been used since the 1960s, mainly in Eastern Europe to stop neuromuscular blockade and in neurological defect therapy. Recently galanthamine has been used predominantly for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease because it significantly improves the cognitive, functional as well as behavioral symptoms of this disease. The selectivity of galanthamine to acetylcholinesterase against butyrylcholinesterase is favourable because this selectivity can decrease the risk of unwanted effects in comparison with the nonselective inhibitors of cholinesterases (tacrine, physostigmine). . We can assume that there will be an increased use of galanthamine in civilian as well as military medicine due to these properties.

A comparison of the CombiCast^® Semi-rigid bandage with traditional immobilization by plaster of Paris and its influence on rehabilitation time is presented by the authors. 32 patients (19 males, 13 females) aged from 14 to 49 years and suffering from recent lateral ankle ligament injuries (grade III) — rupture of the anterior talofibular ligament (FTA) are presented. All patients were treated by the operative technique and their ankles were immobilized immediately by a plaster of Paris splint. The plaster of Paris splint was exchanged for a CombiCast^® semi-rigid bandage in the first group of 15 patients on the 10th day following the operation. The CombiCast^® application lasted 4 weeks (the mean total time of immobilization was 39 days). The plaster of Paris was applied for the whole time of immobilization (6 weeks) (the mean total time of immobilization was 42 days). The total rehabilitation time (TRT) in the first group was 26-37 days (mean 31.2). The second group’s TRT was 28-54 days (mean 40.6). It’s concluded that the use of functional treatment with a CombiCast^® semi-rigid bandage reduces TRT (p<0. 05) and the total time of FTA rupture treatment as well.

Hygienic experience in the branch of industrial hygiene and occupational medicine supposes that the effects of chemical toxicants in mixtures are independent or additive. The availability and quality of scientific information concerning possible additive interactions is assumed to be a critical point for evaluation of the additive eflects of chemical compounds in a mixture. The proposed database permits a fast and valid evaluation of topical mixture health risks following from the additive eflects Of the compounds presented. This database could be a very effective tool for the branch of industrial hygiene and occupational medicine.

We would like to inform you about a questionnaire survey carried out during the teaching of preventive occupational medicine at our school's Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine. We tried to find out the attitudes of students in the 5th year of general medicine studies to the Seminar teaching of occupational medicine carried out during the first part of the lessons by a classical method of discussing topics already taught and in the second part by using case vstudies which one of the authors obtained during his practice.
From the results obtained we can say that the teaching of hygiene and preventive medicine is accepted in a positive way, that it corresponds with real life and that it is not boring for students. It has been proven that the effort to involve future doctors in actively providing-reasons for their expressed views and to teach them to apply the knowledge they have gained in practice aroused their interest. We really appreciate the opinion of the students that our practical teaching taught them important decision-making procedures. It has been confirmed that in subjects where teaching is as close to real medical practice as possible, the active approach and interest OfStudents are stimulated.
The results gained are an encouragement for teachers at our Institute and also a stimulus for the additional extension of teaching using the case study method.

The authors provide a survey of herbicides used for military purposes (as chemical warfare agents) as well as for agriculture, and draw attention to the danger of their side effects on the non-targeted organisms. Special attention is paid to phenoxyherbicides which normally contain dioxin contaminants. Herbicides can contaminate the living environment, soil, water, and air for a very long time and they threaten the normal development of plants, animals and humans. The authors deal in detail with their deleterious influence on human health.
Experimentally proved biodegradation of some herbicides by soil microflora indicates a way of eliminating them from the living environment.

The authors point out in their study the basic general risks of biological terrorism. They analyse in detail the nephrotoxicity of mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA). The OTA plasmatic level has been examined in a large group of healthy individuals. The OTA levels have been compared in a group of patients with chronic renal insufliciency. A significantly higher OTA level has been proven in patients with chronic renal insuficiency. The possibility of whether OTA retention in chronic renal insuficiency is not an additional accelerating progression factor of basic nephropathy which leads to chronic renal failure has been considered.