Bratislava Research Articles

Large City Circle Road Brno

brief introduction to the problem: brno is the second l argest cit y in the czech republic. it is located in the centr al part of europe, and within a distance of t wo hundred kilometers there are other important european capitals: pr ague, vienna and br atisl ava. Brno is situated at the crossroads of the D1 (Prague - Brno) and D2 (Brno - Bratislava) motorways. Both of these motorways form part of trans-European East-West (France - Ukraine: E50) and North-South (Scandinavia - Balkans: E55, E65) highways. This means that Brno needs very good road connections inside the city. The Large City Circle Road Brno will solve this problem. Its circular length of 20 km will be one of the most important elements of the Brno transport system. It will become the fastest connection between the external and internal parts of the city and divert much of the transit traffic. This paper deals with the introduction of this important megaproject.

Dracula on Rails: The Pressburgerbahn Between Imperial Space and National Body, 1867–1935

Between 1914 and 1935, the cities of Vienna and Pressburg/Bratislava were linked by an electric railway known as the Pressburgerbahn. More than just a line of transportation, the railway became intertwined with the complex politics of identity in Pressburg. The Pressburgerbahn presented nationalists in the Habsburg Empire with a dilemma: it had the potential to contribute to the unification of the nation, but at the same time was transnational by definition. This paradox generated a heated controversy about the Pressburgerbahn between Magyar nationalists and the predominantly German-speaking Pressburg bourgeoisie. Using biologized rhetoric, Hungarian politicians and journalists portrayed their nation as a body politic that was disfigured by having a railway ‘vein’ cross the border into Austria, in particular from such a peripheral location as Pressburg. By contrast, the discourse of the German-speaking bourgeoisie was firmly anchored in an imperial, supra-ethnic landscape. This controversy was replayed following the incorporation of the renamed city of Bratislava into Czechoslovakia in 1919: the Prague-based Ministry of Railways employed the rhetoric of the railway as an integrating structure within the body politic, while the eventual closure of the Pressburgerbahn in 1935 was closely connected to the belated nationalization of Bratislava. The railway to Vienna thus became a symbol of the liminal status of the town as a whole, in terms of nation, geography, politics and culture.

Social identities, societal change and mental borders

Abstract In this paper we investigate the relations between cross-border mobility, national categorization and intergroup relations in a changing Europe. It focuses on young adults (N=34) commuting on a regular basis between the city of Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia) and the city of Vienna (the capital of Austria). Our study draws on the social identity perspective, however, we consider social identity as a discourse of (not) belonging, similarity and difference, which is continually (re)negotiated within a given social context. Semi-structured qualitative interviews, focus groups and drawings of the border area were used as research instruments. We have identified different types of experience in various subgroups of participants framed by (1) age at the time of arrival in Austria; (2) different mobility motivations and goals; (3) interaction setting; (4) the political and economic situation in Slovakia at the time of arrival to Austria linked to perceived status differences. On the individual level, the motivation to integrate or its lack seems to be a crucial element in the ingroup construction and perception of intergroup relations.

Decrease in air pollution load in urban environment of Bratislava (Slovakia) inferred from accumulation of metal elements in lichens

The study illustrates the response of epiphytic lichens to changing atmospheric conditions in Central Europe, where the emission of air pollutants has significantly decreased from 1990, in the area in and around Bratislava City. Variation in concentrations of seven metal elements (Cu, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the thalli of Evernia prunastri, Hypogymnia physodes and Parmelia sulcata is assessed. Samples of these species were exposed in lichen bags in 39 sites throughout the territory of the city (more than 300 km(2)) during the period December 2006-February 2007. The samples were analyzed by AAS for metal element contents prior to and after exposure. The decrease in air pollution (for all studied elements by more than 90%) corresponded to a decrease in the accumulation of elements in lichen thalli, e.g. the contents of Pb decreased by 69% and of Cd by 34% on average. The results show also variations in accumulation between with different lichen species. The background values of metal element contents in thalli of H. physodes growing in situ were measured in semi-natural sites in Slovakia. It is suggested that these can be used as a reference in large-scale monitoring studies in Central Europe. Analysis of compatible data from the current study, and the study performed at the end of 1990s shows a significant decrease of metal elements in the air pollution load.

BÖHMEROVÁ, Ada: Blending as Lexical Amalgamation and its Onomatological and Lexicographical Status in English and in Slovak. Bratislava: ŠEVT 2010. 152pp

BÖHMEROVÁ, Ada: Blending as Lexical Amalgamation and its Onomatological and Lexicographical Status in English and in Slovak. Bratislava: ŠEVT 2010. 152pp

Understanding Adolescents' Identity Formation Through Arts-Based Research: Transforming an Ethnographic Script into a Play

As art educators strive to promote social justice we may want to invite our students to embrace examples of art and the histories of artists who have resisted the oppressive forces in their respective eras. This article examines the role Czechoslovakian artists have played, and the works they created, in opposition to Soviet occupation in the city of Bratislava in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In addition to providing a cultural, political, and historical context for interpreting these works, the author advocates for the introduction of works of art that stem from this unique set of circumstances to high school students. The article also uses the discussion of unofficial Czechoslovakian art and artists of Bratislava to examine Conceptual and Performance Art and their implications in deviating from traditional high school art teaching practices.

Turning Down the Burner: Fear, Anxiety, and Art Education.

As art educators strive to promote social justice we may want to invite our students to embrace examples of art and the histories of artists who have resisted the oppressive forces in their respective eras. This article examines the role Czechoslovakian artists have played, and the works they created, in opposition to Soviet occupation in the city of Bratislava in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In addition to providing a cultural, political, and historical context for interpreting these works, the author advocates for the introduction of works of art that stem from this unique set of circumstances to high school students. The article also uses the discussion of unofficial Czechoslovakian art and artists of Bratislava to examine Conceptual and Performance Art and their implications in deviating from traditional high school art teaching practices.

Art and Resistance in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia 1968-1971: The Implications of Unofficial Art for Subverting High School Art Class

As art educators strive to promote social justice we may want to invite our students to embrace examples of art and the histories of artists who have resisted the oppressive forces in their respective eras. This article examines the role Czechoslovakian artists have played, and the works they created, in opposition to Soviet occupation in the city of Bratislava in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In addition to providing a cultural, political, and historical context for interpreting these works, the author advocates for the introduction of works of art that stem from this unique set of circumstances to high school students. The article also uses the discussion of unofficial Czechoslovakian art and artists of Bratislava to examine Conceptual and Performance Art and their implications in deviating from traditional high school art teaching practices.

Separation Techniques for Quantification of Radionuclides in Environmental Samples

The reliable and quantitative measurement of radionuclides is important in order to determine environmental quality and radiation safety, and to monitor regulatory compliance. We examined soil samples from Podunajske Biskupice, near the city of Bratislava in the Slovak Republic, for the presence of several natural (U, Th, K) and anthropogenic (Cs, Sr, Pu, Pu, Am) radionuclides. The area is adjacent to a refinery and hazardous waste processing center, as well as the municipal incinerator plant, and so might possess an unusually high level of ecotoxic metals. We found that the levels of both naturally occurring and anthropogenic radionuclides fell within the expected ranges, indicating that these facilities pose no radiological threat to the local environment. During the course of our analysis, we modified existing techniques in order to allow us to handle the unusually large and complex samples that were needed to determine the levels of Pu, Pu, and Am activity. We also rated three commercial techniques for the separation of 90Sr from aqueous solutions and found that two of them, AnaLig Sr-01 and Empore Extraction Disks, were suitable for the quantitative and reliable separation of Sr, while the third, Sr-Spec Resin, was less so. The main criterion in evaluating these methods was the chemical recovery of Sr, which was less than we had expected. We also considered speed of separation and additional steps needed to prepare the sample for separation.

Abstracts from Morphology 2007 held in Bratislava, 9-12 September 2007.

Abstracts from Morphology 2007 held in Bratislava, 9-12 September 2007.

Osteoporosis in a female population from Bratislava – age-related BMD changes

We analysed 498 women (n=498) in a Bratislava (BA) population aged 21 to 90. We measured bone mineral density (BMD) in the proximal femur with one densitometric instrument (DXA Osteocore II, France; dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), applying BMD and T-score values in three standard regions of interest: Neck (ROI1), Ward's area (ROI2), Trochanter (ROI3). Measured values of T-score in ROI1, ROI2 had normal distribution and a lognormal distribution of frequency in ROI3. Using chi2-test (chi-square goodness-of-fit statistics), we determined the distribution of the frequency of T-score values and the percentage of osteoporosis incidence in the Bratislava female population. The osteoporosis incidence, according to T-score values measured in ROI1 was 2.40%, in ROI2 16.34% and in ROI3 3.83%. Following the division of women into ten-year intervals, the statistically significant sample averages of T-score values were decreasing in relation to age only for ROI2. Osteoporosis incidence in age intervals was rising with age for ROI2, for ROI1 the number of osteoporotic patients in the 61 to 70-year interval was lower than in the 41 to 50-year interval, and for ROI3 the number of osteoporotic patients in the 51 to 60-year interval was lower than in the 41 to 50-year interval. Except in the above-mentioned intervals, T-score values decreased in relation to age also in ROI1 and ROI3. According to the analysis of variance, the age category explains 9.6% of the overall variability of T-score values for ROI1, 24.7% for ROI2 and 11.70% for ROI3. As in ROI2 (Ward's area) a greater fraction of trabecular bone is measured in comparison with ROI1 and ROI3, ROI2 reflects best the age-related BMD changes. In ROI1 and ROI3 the relation was distorted by a greater fraction of cortical bone in comparison with ROI2 and by osteoarthritis.

Comparative Health Risks of Domestic Waste Combustion in Urban and Rural Slovakia

This paper addresses the health risk incurred by two alternative waste management schemes: open burning of household waste in barrels practiced in rural Slovakia and controlled municipal waste combustion in the city of Bratislava. Using agricultural land use data and village population data we formulate three prototype villages, each representing about one-third of the rural population. The two configurations of the controlled combustion are an outdated municipal waste incinerator (MWI) and a modern waste-to-energy (WTE) plant equipped with modern air pollution control devices. These configurations actually exist(ed) in Bratislava, Slovakia at the same site, but in different time frames. The CALPUFF model provides direct exposure data and the EMERAM software (developed in this paper) computes indirect exposure. A major source of uncertainty is that of the fraction of waste burned in the open. The analysis presented here assumed 10%. At this level, the cancer risk from open burning ranges from 10 to 80 times the commonly regarded de minimus value of one in a million. This means that underthe U.S. contemporary regulatory culture, some regulatory action to control or enforce the burning ban would be expected. Cancer risks from the incinerator ranged from 7 to 371 in a million while the WTE risks were below 1 in a million. Cancer risks from open burning are higher than those of the WTE plant and at the same time affect a larger portion of concerned population.

Second Combined Congress of Slovak and Czech Dermatovenereology at Bratislava June 15-17, 2006

Second Combined Congress of Slovak and Czech Dermatovenereology at Bratislava June 15-17, 2006

Practice Report: A Report on the GDISC Interpreters' Pool Meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia 8-9 March 2006

Practice Report: A Report on the GDISC Interpreters' Pool Meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia 8-9 March 2006

Inversion of extinction data for irregularly shaped particles

The retrieval of extinction data in the highly urbanized region of Bratislava city is analyzed for both, strictly non-spherical particles and volume equivalent particles. Two most typical situations are discussed in more details: the summer time dusty atmosphere consisting of strongly scattering particles with refractive index about 1.59, and winter time atmosphere with usual occurrence of ice-phase aerosols. The attention is paid to more frequent continental polar air mass, with 54% occurrence probability in the Bratislava region. The root-mean-square error of measured optical data varies from 4% to 8%. When processing extinction data it is shown that there are no significant differences between modal radii computed under assumption of randomly oriented irregularly shaped particles and for Mie equivalents. However, the differences can occur in case on non-randomly oriented particles. The modal radius of equally oriented particles in the ice cloud can be about two times larger than a modal radius of the system volume of volume identical spheres. Particle irregularity and the roughness of its surface eliminate the interference structure and ripple typical for monodisperse scattering patterns. As a consequence the subsidiary mode within size distribution function disappears. Such a mode usually occurs with Mie particles. Assuming spherical particles for the computation yields a narrower size distribution compared to assuming irregularly shaped particles.

Parallel Numerics and Applications

Parallel Numerics and Applications

On applicability of model aerosol distributions for urban region of Bratislava city

Long-term measurements of spectral atmospheric transparency are analysed to describe the aerosol size distribution as well as the aerosol optical thickness in the urban region of Bratislava city, capital of Slovak Republic. Aerosol characteristics are related to the most frequent air masses, especially to the continental polar (cP—with a 54% occurrence) and maritime polar (mP—with 34% occurrence), to the wind direction and speed, as well as to the relative humidity. Including both random and systematic errors of the observations into the calculation procedures, the aerosol optical thickness is obtained with approximately 4% error at all wavelengths. Averaged values of the aerosol optical thickness τ a( λ) at reference wavelength λ=520 nm vary over a wide range, from 0.1 to 0.7. Besides, the aerosol optical thickness of the continental polar air mass is obviously higher than corresponding values in the maritime polar air mass. It is shown that the transformation inside the air mass reflects the changes of the optical characteristics of aerosols, especially during decay of air mass. The function τ a( λ) seems to be monomodal in the majority of cases, with the mode position about λ≈400 nm for cP, and λ≈500 nm for mP. A value of power parameter δ of the function τ a( λ)≈ λ − δ is about 0.8–1.6 for maritime polar and about 0.3–1.2 for continental polar. Two simple model functions (Junge and gamma) are examined to find a best fit of real distribution retrieved from the aerosol optical thickness data using the inverse techniques based on Mellin transform. The gamma function much better than Junge's function supply the real aerosol component of all studied air masses (mainly for cP and mP). The average modal radius of gamma distribution practically does not exceed the value of 0.06 μm. Real distributions retrieved using a Mellin transform give an averaged morning value of particle modal radius r m about 0.084 μm, and averaged daily value r m about 0.054 μm.

ACQUAL reports on the Bratislava Workshop on Traceability

ACQUAL reports on the Bratislava Workshop on Traceability

East Central Europe: The Unhappy Heritage of Communist Mass Housing

One of the sad legacies of the totalitarian regimes of East Central Europe and the former Soviet Union is the sorry state of the numerous mass housing projects started after the World War II to combat an unending shortage of housing. The state construction companies, from the former East Germany to Russia, monopolized all aspects of residential production. Large-scale standardization, a limited number of available housing types without variety, and poor quality resulted in depressing rows of blocks of flats made out of concrete panels. The inhabitants of these socialist projects had at the time no other choice; unfortunately, they do not have any other choice even today. The continuing housing shortage does not allow a Pruitt-lgoe solution; the panel blocks cannot be demolished and replaced. Instead, solutions are sought for fixing, improving, recycling, adapting, and humanizing these drab, gray, uninspiring bedroom communities.This article is a case study of the Petrzalka housing project in the city of Bratislava. In it, I analyze issues that are common to many of the housing developments in the former Iron Curtain bloc. The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava is located 60 kilometers from Vienna and 200 kilometers from Budapest. The monarchs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire lived in the Bratislava castle (the city at the time was called Pressburg or Pozsony) above the Danube and were crowned in St. Martin's Cathedral. The capital institutions and architecture speak a language of centuries. The southern district of the city, Petrzalka, is situated on the right bank of the Danube and is accessible by bridges and a ferry from downtown Bratislava. Presently, there are some fifty-thousand housing units placed in high-rise apartment blocks. The construction of Petrzalka began in 1974.

Seismogeological pattern of a transition area between the Eastern Alps and the Western Carpathians

All available seismological data (earthquake epicentres, macroseismic observations) and the available structural-tectonical, geomorphological and geodetic data for the transition area of two fundamental orogenetic units of Central Europe -the Eastern Alps and the Western Carpathians -are analyzed, with the aim to find seismogenic zones of this area and to assess their possible earthquake activity. The relationship of small local geological structures to the fundamental European tectonic blocks is discussed from the viewpoint of seismotectonic processes expected for the transition area, especially in the Vienna Basin and in the Little Carpathians. The special attention is paid to the densely inhabited area of the city of Bratislava which is situated in the territory under study. Some results could contribute to its further urban planning. On several faults or boundaries in the Western Carpathians relatively intense horizontal displacements have been observed. Fundamental movements on faults of NS to NE-SW directions have mostly sinistral character while on some faults of ENE-WSW direction they are dextral. In the southern parts of the investigated area, dextral movements on local faults of NW-SE direction have been found. A neotectonic model of the broader surroundings of the city of Bratislava is presented.