INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE: Obesity together with possible occurrence of many difficulties carries with it negative effect on physical and mental health. Many patients with severe obesity (class 3) cannot do physical activities or usual daily activities. These patients suffer from feelings of inferiority, decreased self-esteem and other mental issues. It could be classified as a vicious cycle for patients, but the bariatric surgery offers a way out. A gastric bypass is one of the bariatric procedures which is very helpful to reduce the weight of the patients who belongs into class 3 obesity. OBJECTIVES, METHODOLOGY: The main goal of this study was to find out if applying the gastric bypass to patients has positive or negative effect for their obesity level, quality of life, physical and mental state. The research sample was consisted of patients who were about to undergo gastric bypass. The patient's weight, BMI and body fat ratio were monitored to obtain data related to the assessment of the severity of obesity. The quality of life was evaluated using the SF-36 questionnaire (Short form 36). The standardized MAF (Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale) was used to review of patient's fatigue. The mental state of patients was subjectively assessed using the standardized HADS scale (Hospital...

This diploma thesis entitled "The impact of acne on everyday life of students in a selected high school" is divided into two main parts. The first theoretical part is focused on the characteristics of the disease and on the impact of this disease on the quality of life of patients. There is a brief characterization of skin structure, it provides information about pathogenesis of acne and triggering factors, its clinical manifestations and clinical picture. In this part we can also find the diagnosis and treatment options for acne and an overview of other selected facial dermatoses. This part includes the effect of acne on patients' quality of life and an overview of the most common myths about acne. The second part is practically oriented. I used an online questionnaire to find out the impact of acne on everyday life of students in a selected high school. The results of my questionnaire survey show that 12 students (37,5 %) out of 32 respondents suffering from acne (100 %) reached the limit set by me, which determined whether their lives are affected by this disease or not. The first partial goal of the work was to determine the students' knowledge of this disease. I found out that the success rate (evaluated by the number of correct answers) of students in the knowledge part of the questionnaire...

The accuracy of neuropsychological assessment is critical in the diagnosis of cognitive impairments in older adults. However, existing neuropsychological tests may not be suitable for minority populations. This thesis aimed to address this issue by recruiting cognitively-healthy South Asian older adults and assessing cognitive function in this group. Results showed that typically used assessments, despite being translated, were not suitable for this cohort. Furthermore, skills required for test completion such as mathematics and writing/hand dexterity (which are related to education levels) influenced test scores. Therefore, new assessments of general cognitive function and associative memory were developed to improve the accuracy of neuropsychological test scores. The new tests were not affected by education and they achieved high internal and test re-test reliability. Time of day (TOD) that testing takes place is also known to affect cognition. Interestingly, no TOD effects were observed in this cohort. It was hypothesised that engagement in the daily five Islamic prayers may have contributed to this lack of a TOD effect. However, the results did not confirm this. The thesis then looked at overall prayer engagement and cognition. Results showed that engagement in the daily five prayers and Quran recitation significantly increased scores on assessments of processing speed. This thesis demonstrates that accurately assessing cognition in South Asian older adults is challenging and that the cognitive tests used must be suitable for this cohort. Interesting findings emerged for prayer engagement which may have wider implications for the field of cognitive reserve.

Portrayals of artificially intelligent robots are becoming increasingly prevalent in children’s culture. This affects how children perceive robots, which have been found to affect the way children in school understand subjects like technology and programming. Since teachers need to know what influences their pupils' understanding of these subjects, we need to know how children’s preconceptions about robots affect the way they attribute mental states to them. We still know relatively little about how children do this. Based on the above, a qualitative approach was deemed fit. This study aimed to (1) investigate the reasoning and preconceptions underlying children’s mental state attribution to robots, and (2) explore the effectiveness of moral questions as a way to do this. 16 children aged 5- and 6 years old were asked to rate the mental states of four different robots while subsequently being asked to explain their answers. Half of the children were interviewed alone and half in small groups. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the qualitative data. Children’s mental state attribution was found to be influenced by preconceptions about robots as a group of entities lacking mental states. Children were found to perceive two robots, Atlas, and Nao, differently in various respects. This was argued to be because the children perceived these robots through archetypal frameworks. Moral questions were found successful as a way to spark reflective reasoning about the mental state attribution in the children.

La psychose est un syndrome apparaissant progressivement à l’adolescence chez des individus à risque selon un processus dynamique appelé transition psychotique. Ces individus à risque sont repérables cliniquement mais les données biologiques actuelles sont insuffisantes pour expliquer l’apparition de la psychose. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons cherché à identifier les facteurs biologiques responsables de ce processus. Les hypothèses permettant d’expliquer la transition psychotique privilégient l’interaction gène x environnement, sous-tendue par des mécanismes épigénétiques. Nous avons mené une étude des modifications de la méthylation de l’ADN et de la transcription à l’aide de techniques de biologie moléculaire et de bio-informatique à l’échelle pan-génomique. La transition psychotique semble être liée à des modifications de méthylation et de transcription de gènes impliqués dans des mécanismes comme le guidage axonal ou la régulation du stress oxydatif. Ces modifications longitudinales pourraient refléter l’influence de l’environnement. Les facteurs environnementaux pourraient déréguler l’axe biologique du stress dès les phases précoces de la maladie, comme le suggère l’augmentation de la sécrétion de cortisol basal que nous avons montré chez les individus à risque. En outre, il est probable que des spécificités au niveau des gènes et des processus régulant l’épigénome soient également impliquées dans cette réponse individuelle à l’environnement. Nous avons montré l’importance du métabolisme mono-carboné au moins dans un sous-groupe spécifique de patients. Ces résultats doivent être répliqués et étendus dans d’autres paradigmes pour valider l’implication de ces processus dans la transition psychotique. En cas de confirmation, ces voies biologiques pourraient s’avérer être des pistes intéressantes pour développer des thérapeutiques ciblées et relever le défi de la prévention de la psychose chez des individus à risque. / Psychosis is a progressive mental disorder which normally occurs during adolescence in at-risk subjects following a dynamic process termed “psychotic transition”. These at-risk subjects are clinically identifiable but biological data are still insufficient in explaining the onset of psychosis. Throughout this thesis, we aim to identify biological factors implicated in this pathophysiological process. Current hypotheses explaining the psychotic transition favor the interaction between genes and the environment mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. We conducted studies examining methylomic and transcriptomic changes during psychotic transition using molecular biology and bioinformatics techniques at a whole genome scale. Our results suggest that psychotic transition may be linked to methylomic and transcriptomic changes in genes implicated in axon guidance or oxidative stress. These longitudinal changes could be related to environmental factors. Some of these factors could deregulate the hormonal stress response at the earliest phases of psychosis. Indeed, our results show that secretion of basal cortisol is increased in prodromal individuals. Moreover, it is likely that genes and processes regulating epigenetic modifications are also implicated in the individual response to the environment. We have shown the importance of the one-carbon metabolism for at least one sub-group of patients affected by psychosis. Our results should be replicated using other paradigms in order to definitively validate the implication of these various actors in the psychotic transition. If confirmed, knowledge of these biological mechanisms could lead to the development of targeted therapeutics to prevent psychosis in at-risk individuals.

A literatura filosófica sobre a Psicologia do Senso Comum se estende desde a década de 1970, e abrange diversas questões sobre nosso entendimento interpessoal cotidiano, nossa capacidade de interação e coordenação de atividades, o arcabouço conceitual intuitivo que relaciona estados mentais e atitudes proposicionais a comportamentos, e os mecanismos cognitivos de leitura mental que nos permitem atribuir estados mentais a outras pessoas. Nesta dissertação eu examino o desenvolvimento histórico desta literatura, identificando dois debates distintos, o primeiro (principalmente entre Paul Churchland e Jerry Fodor dos anos 70 aos anos 90) tendo como foco a relação entre a teoria da Psicologia do Senso Comum e teorias científicas (da neurociência e das ciências cognitivas), e o segundo (o debate contemporâneo) tendo como foco os mecanismos cognitivos de leitura mental e o papel das atribuições de estados mentais e atitudes proposicionais nas teorias da cognição corporificada, situada e estendida. Além do exame histórico do que argumento serem dois debates distintos e da transição conceitual entre ambos, também apresento aqui minha crítica à abordagem eliminativista contemporânea de Matthew Ratcliffe e, como alternativa, articulo os princípios de uma abordagem pluralista que combina leitura mental e interpretação contextual situada como fundamentais para a cognição social / The philosophical literature on Folk Psychology began in the 1970s, and encompasses various questions about our everyday interpersonal understanding, our ability to interact and coordinate activities, the intuitive conceptual framework that relates mental states and propositional attitudes to behaviors, and the cognitive mechanisms of mindreading that allow us to attribute mental states to other people. In this thesis I examine the historical development of this literature, identifying two distinct debates, the first (mainly between Paul Churchland and Jerry Fodor from the 70s to the 90s) focusing on the relationship between the theory of Folk Psychology and scientific theories (in neuroscience and cognitive science), and the second (the contemporary debate) focusing on the cognitive mechanisms of mindreading and the role played by attributions of mental states and propositional attitudes in theories of embodied, situated and extended cognition. In addition to the historical examination of what I argue are two distinct debates as well as of the conceptual transition between them, here I present my criticism of Matthew Ratcliffe\'s contemporary eliminativist approach and, as an alternative to it, I articulate the principles of a pluralistic approach that combines both mindreading and situated contextual interpretation as fundamental for social cognition

The chapter titled Present state focuses on the problem of gerontology and geriatrics. Other chapters include description of the most outstanding neuropsychical and somatic changes in the old-age. Next chapters deal with functional examine and geriatric rehabilitation problem.The objective of the thesis was assessing the extent of self-reliance and psychical changes affecting all the occupants of using Crichton Geriatric Rating Scale.146 seniors were tested according to the Crichton Geriatric Rating Scale.Three hypotheses were stated. It was expected that the results of the Crichton tests would correlate with the results of MiniMental Test. Another hypothesis was that there would be better results of the test done to the people whose family care for them actively. The last hypothesis expected worse results of the people who have been in the retirement home for more than three years.The research has confirmed that the results of the Chrichton test and MiniMental test correlate. Correlation of the Crichton test with the active care and interest of the family for the senior and the length of their stay was not proved.

A literatura filosófica sobre a Psicologia do Senso Comum se estende desde a década de 1970, e abrange diversas questões sobre nosso entendimento interpessoal cotidiano, nossa capacidade de interação e coordenação de atividades, o arcabouço conceitual intuitivo que relaciona estados mentais e atitudes proposicionais a comportamentos, e os mecanismos cognitivos de leitura mental que nos permitem atribuir estados mentais a outras pessoas. Nesta dissertação eu examino o desenvolvimento histórico desta literatura, identificando dois debates distintos, o primeiro (principalmente entre Paul Churchland e Jerry Fodor dos anos 70 aos anos 90) tendo como foco a relação entre a teoria da Psicologia do Senso Comum e teorias científicas (da neurociência e das ciências cognitivas), e o segundo (o debate contemporâneo) tendo como foco os mecanismos cognitivos de leitura mental e o papel das atribuições de estados mentais e atitudes proposicionais nas teorias da cognição corporificada, situada e estendida. Além do exame histórico do que argumento serem dois debates distintos e da transição conceitual entre ambos, também apresento aqui minha crítica à abordagem eliminativista contemporânea de Matthew Ratcliffe e, como alternativa, articulo os princípios de uma abordagem pluralista que combina leitura mental e interpretação contextual situada como fundamentais para a cognição social / The philosophical literature on Folk Psychology began in the 1970s, and encompasses various questions about our everyday interpersonal understanding, our ability to interact and coordinate activities, the intuitive conceptual framework that relates mental states and propositional attitudes to behaviors, and the cognitive mechanisms of mindreading that allow us to attribute mental states to other people. In this thesis I examine the historical development of this literature, identifying two distinct debates, the first (mainly between Paul Churchland and Jerry Fodor from the 70s to the 90s) focusing on the relationship between the theory of Folk Psychology and scientific theories (in neuroscience and cognitive science), and the second (the contemporary debate) focusing on the cognitive mechanisms of mindreading and the role played by attributions of mental states and propositional attitudes in theories of embodied, situated and extended cognition. In addition to the historical examination of what I argue are two distinct debates as well as of the conceptual transition between them, here I present my criticism of Matthew Ratcliffe\'s contemporary eliminativist approach and, as an alternative to it, I articulate the principles of a pluralistic approach that combines both mindreading and situated contextual interpretation as fundamental for social cognition

Idéen att katters spinnande kan emotionellt och fysiologiskt påverka oss verkar resonera med många, och sprids kraftigt av media. Påståendet saknar dock vetenskaplig grund. Syftet med denna studie var att studera spinnandets effekt på människor, genom att undersöka om spinnande ger upphov till någon emotionell respons och/eller pulssänkande effekt. Studien använde en experimentell design och utgick från en dimensionell emotionsteori med skalor över valens och arousal. Deltagarna blev presenterade med isolerade auditiva stimuli innehållandes olika djurläten och ombads sedan notera sin puls och emotionstillstånd. Självskattningsformuläret SAM (The Self-Assessment Manikin) användes som metod för att mäta emotionella förändringar. Resultatet visade att katters spinnljud har en signifikant arousalsänkande effekt hos människor. Ingen signifikant påverkan på valens eller puls hittades. Studien belyser behovet av vidare forskning inom ämnet för att ytterligare förstå och kartlägga spinnandets effekt på människor. / The idea that cats’ purring can affect us emotionally and physiologically seems to resonate with many people and is widely spread by media. However, the claim lacks scientific backing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of purring on people by examining whether purring gives rise to any emotional response and/or pulse-lowering effect. The study used an experimental design and was based on a dimensional emotion theory with scales of valence and arousal. Participants were presented with isolated auditory stimulus containing various animal sounds and was then asked to note their heart rate and emotional state. The self-assessment form SAM (The Self-Assessment Manikin) was used to measure emotional changes. The results showed that the purring sound of cats has a significant arousal-reducing effect in humans. No significant effect on valence or heart rate was found. The study highlights the need for further research on the subject to deepen our understanding of the effect that purring has on humans.

Personal well-being is a state that involves feelings and thoughts. This concept is investigated in learning area Life Orientation and integrated in the curriculum as a learning outcome for Further Education and Training learners in grades 10-12. A literature study was done to discuss/clarify dimensions of personal well-being that is general subjective, psychological, social and spiritual well-being and mental health. Perspectives, theories, principles and features pertaining to well-being were investigated from an international and local context. An exploratory study used a qualitative approach to investigate and observe perceptions of a small sample of learners of personal well-being. Data gathering used focus groups which completed structured group work activities. The results indicate that learner participants have needs to be satisfied to reach a sense of personal well-being. Based on findings, recommendations regarding coping strategies, intervention strategies and support were made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)