Czech Populations Research Articles

An automatic measure for speech intelligibility in dysarthrias-validation across multiple languages and neurological disorders.

Dysarthria, a motor speech disorder caused by muscle weakness or paralysis, severely impacts speech intelligibility and quality of life. The condition is prevalent in motor speech disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), atypical parkinsonism such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Improving intelligibility is not only an outcome that matters to patients but can also play a critical role as an endpoint in clinical research and drug development. This study validates a digital measure for speech intelligibility, the ki: SB-M intelligibility score, across various motor speech disorders and languages following the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) V3 framework. The study used four datasets: healthy controls (HCs) and patients with PD, HD, PSP, and ALS from Czech, Colombian, and German populations. Participants' speech intelligibility was assessed using the ki: SB-M intelligibility score, which is derived from automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. Verification with inter-ASR reliability and temporal consistency, analytical validation with correlations to gold standard clinical dysarthria scores in each disease, and clinical validation with group comparisons between HCs and patients were performed. Verification showed good to excellent inter-rater reliability between ASR systems and fair to good consistency. Analytical validation revealed significant correlations between the SB-M intelligibility score and established clinical measures for speech impairments across all patient groups and languages. Clinical validation demonstrated significant differences in intelligibility scores between pathological groups and healthy controls, indicating the measure's discriminative capability. The ki: SB-M intelligibility score is a reliable, valid, and clinically relevant tool for assessing speech intelligibility in motor speech disorders. It holds promise for improving clinical trials through automated, objective, and scalable assessments. Future studies should explore its utility in monitoring disease progression and therapeutic efficacy as well as add data from further dysarthrias to the validation.

Understanding genetic variability: exploring large-scale copy number variants through non-invasive prenatal testing in European populations.

Large-scale copy number variants (CNVs) are structural alterations in the genome that involve the duplication or deletion of DNA segments, contributing to genetic diversity and playing a crucial role in the evolution and development of various diseases and disorders, as they can lead to the dosage imbalance of one or more genes. Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has revolutionized the field of genetic analysis and contributed significantly to routine clinical diagnosis and screening. It offers a precise method for detecting CNVs with exceptional accuracy. In this context, a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) based on the sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from pregnant women's plasma using a low-coverage whole genome MPS (WGS) approach represents a valuable source for population studies. Here, we analyzed genomic data of 12,732 pregnant women from the Slovak (9,230), Czech (1,583), and Hungarian (1,919) populations. We identified 5,062 CNVs ranging from 200 kbp and described their basic characteristics and differences between the subject populations. Our results suggest that re-analysis of sequencing data from routine WGS assays has the potential to obtain large-scale CNV population frequencies, which are not well known and may provide valuable information to support the classification and interpretation of this type of genetic variation. Furthermore, this could contribute to expanding knowledge about the central European genome without investing in additional laboratory work, as NIPTs are a relatively widely used screening method.

Redescription and molecular characterization of Loxocephalus luridus Eberhard, 1862 based on Czech populations: Implications for order Loxocephalida Jankowski, 1980.

The phylogenetic and taxonomic affinities of lineages currently assigned to the non-monophyletic ciliate order Loxocephalida Jankowski (1980) within subclass Scuticociliatia Small (1967) remain unresolved. In the current study, we redescribe the morphology of the type species, Loxocephalus luridus Eberhard (1862) based on two Czech populations and include the first scanning and transmission electron microscopy images of the species. We provide the first 18S rRNA gene sequences for L. luridus and consider its phylogenetic position. Our results support the separation of Dexiotricha from Loxocephalus; however, the former genus is recovered as non-monophyletic. The monophyly of genus Dexiotricha and that of Loxocephalus + Dexiotricha is rejected. Loxocephalus luridus, together with Dexiotricha species, nests within a fully supported clade with Conchophthirus species, long presumed to belong to the Pleuronematida. Haptophrya is recovered as sister to this clade. The monophyly of the Astomatia Schewiakoff (1896) including Haptophrya is rejected. No clear morphologic synapomorphy is identified for the fully supported clade consisting of Haptophrya, Dexiotricha, Loxocephalus, and Conchophthirus.

Does flower preference differ across cultures? A study of Czech and Kenyan populations.

Does flower preference differ across cultures? A study of Czech and Kenyan populations.

High hymenopteran parasitoid infestation rates in Czech populations of the Euphydryas aurinia butterfly inferred using a new molecular marker

High hymenopteran parasitoid infestation rates in Czech populations of the Euphydryas aurinia butterfly inferred using a new molecular marker

Speech intelligibility and its relation to auditory temporal processing in Czech and Swiss German subjects with and without tinnitus.

Previous studies have shown that levels for 50% speech intelligibility in quiet and in noise differ for different languages. Here, we aimed to find out whether these differences may relate to different auditory processing of temporal sound features in different languages, and to determine the influence of tinnitus on speech comprehension in different languages. We measured speech intelligibility under various conditions (words in quiet, sentences in babble noise, interrupted sentences) along with tone detection thresholds in quiet [PTA] and in noise [PTAnoise], gap detection thresholds [GDT], and detection thresholds for frequency modulation [FMT], and compared them between Czech and Swiss subjects matched in mean age and PTA. The Swiss subjects exhibited higher speech reception thresholds in quiet, higher threshold speech-to-noise ratio, and shallower slope of performance-intensity function for the words in quiet. Importantly, the intelligibility of temporally gated speech was similar in the Czech and Swiss subjects. The PTAnoise, GDT, and FMT were similar in the two groups. The Czech subjects exhibited correlations of the speech tests with GDT and FMT, which was not the case in the Swiss group. Qualitatively, the results of comparisons between the Swiss and Czech populations were not influenced by presence of subjective tinnitus. The results support the notion of language-specific differences in speech comprehension which persists also in tinnitus subjects, and indicates different associations with the elementary measures of auditory temporal processing.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 8 and 22F causing invasive pneumococcal disease in the Czech Republic in 2014-2020: whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis.

An analysis is presented of whole genome data of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 8 and 22F isolated in the Czech Republic from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in 2014-2020. New multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are effective against these serotypes. Recently, serotypes 8 and 22F have been among the leading causes of IPD in the Czech Republic.S. pneumoniae isolates from the Czech Republic were compared with those of the same serotypes recovered in other countries in the same period and available in the international database PubMLST. Isolates from IPD of serotypes 8 (22 isolates) and 22F (21 isolates) recovered in the Czech Republic in 2014-2020 were subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS). The genomes were analysed and compared using the international database PubMLST. Most of the studied Czech serotype 8 isolates belong to two main subpopulations. The first subpopulation, dominated by ST-53 isolates, is part of a highly abundant group of genetically close European and non-European isolates that are clearly separated on the phylogenetic network. The second subpopulation of Czech serotype 8 isolates (dominated by ST-404) is more genetically variable and forms a separate lineage on the global phylogenetic network, with no other European isolates. Czech isolates of serotype 22F are a homogeneous population with a clear predominance of ST-433, which belongs to a genetically close European population. The analysis of WGS data of IPD isolates of serotypes 8 and 22F provided a detailed insight into the genetic relationships between the Czech populations of these serotypes. It also allowed comparison of the Czech populations with the matched populations from other European and non-European countries. The obtained results add to the body of knowledge about the spread of genetic lineages causing IPD in the Czech Republic in the post-vaccination period and provide a basis for considering whether the use of the new multivalent PCVs in the Czech Republic would be beneficial.

Six-year monitoring of pesticide resistance in the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) during a neonicotinoid restriction period.

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB; Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is an important potato pest with known resistance to pyrethroids and organophosphates in Czechia. Decreased efficacy of neonicotinoids has been observed in last decade. After the restriction of using chlorpyrifos, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam by EU regulation, growers seek for information about the resistance of CPB to used insecticides and recommended antiresistant strategies. The development of CPB resistance to selected insecticides was evaluated in bioassays in 69 local populations from Czechia in 2017-2022 and in 2007-2022 in small plot experiments in Zabcice in South Moravia. The mortality in each subpopulation in the bioassays was evaluated at the field-recommended rates of insecticides to estimate the 50% and 90% lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90, respectively). High levels of CPB resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin and chlorpyrifos were demonstrated throughout Czechia, without significant changes between years and regions. The average mortality after application of the field-recommended rate of lambda-cyhalothrin was influenced by temperature before larvae were sampled for bioassays and decreased with increasing temperature in June. Downwards trends in the LC90 values of chlorpyrifos and the average mortality after application of the field-recommended rate of acetamiprid in the bioassay were recorded over a 6-year period. The baseline LC50 value (with 95% confidence limit) of 0.04 mg/L of chlorantraniliprole was established for Czech populations of CPBs for the purpose of resistance monitoring in the next years. Widespread resistance to pyrethroids, organophosphates and neonicotinoids was demonstrated, and changes in anti-resistant strategies to control CPBs were discussed.

How reliable is the application of the sex classifier based on exocranial surface (Musilová et al., 2016) for geographically and temporally distant skull series

Sex estimation is one of the crucial trends in cases of findings of unknown skeletal remains in forensics and bioarchaeology. The changing nature of sexual dimorphism (population specificity, secular trend, other external and internal factors influence) brings challenges to developing new methods; and there are new aims to be independent of these changes such, as the method by Musilová et al. (2016). These methods need to be evaluated on different datasets to determine if they are truly reliable among populations from different places and times, in the case of bioarchaeology. This study assessed the application of the aforementioned method on non-European contemporary and ancient populations to identify the reliability of the method on this separate dataset. The study sample consisted of 96 CT scans of skulls from contemporary Egyptians and 54 3D models of skulls from the Egyptian Old Kingdom Period (2700–2180 BC). The classifier method, previously tested on both Czech and French populations, yielded high accuracies (over 90 %) for sex estimation. For the contemporary Egyptian skull sample, the classifier was able to determine males versus females with an 89.59 % accuracy rate and an AUC value (area under the curve – a measure of the combined specificity and sensitivity of the test) of 0.99; this proves that the classifier is reliable even with a lower degree of accuracy. Conversely, the Old Kingdom Period sample yielded a lower level of accuracy at around 70 % (61.11 %, precisely), although with an AUC value of 0.92, the result is not considered reliable.

Pyrethroid and carbamate resistance in Czech populations of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) from oilseed rape.

Failures in controlling Myzus persicae by pyrethroids and carbamates have been observed in Czechia since 2018. Eleven populations collected from Czech oilseed rape fields during 2018-2021 were tested for susceptibility to 11 insecticides. The presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) leading to knockdown resistance in M. persicae populations was screened using allelic discriminating quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The presence of mutations related with the resistance of M. persicae to pyrethroids and carbamates was detected by sequencing paratype voltage-gated sodium channel and acetylcholinesterase 2 genes, respectively. Resistance to alpha-cypermethrin and pirimicarb was detected in most of the tested populations. The L1014F mutation was detected in 44.5% of M. persicae individuals surviving the field-recommended dose of alpha-cypermethrin. Sequencing of partial para gene for paratype voltage-gated sodium channel detected five different SNPs leading to four amino acid substitutions (kdr L1014F; s-kdr M918L; s-kdr M918T; and L932F). No pyrethroid-sensitive genotype was detected. The S431F amino acid substitution conferring resistance to carbamates was detected in 11 of 20 individuals with different pyrethroid-resistance genotypes. Resistance of M. persicae to both pyrethroids and carbamates was detected in nine of 11 populations. High resistance of M. persicae was correlated with mutations of the sodium channel. Sulfoxaflor, flonicamid, and spirotetramat are proposed as effective compounds to control pyrethroid- and carbamate-resistant populations of M. persicae. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Associations of Selenoprotein Genetic Variants with the Risks of Colorectal Adenoma and Colorectal Cancer: Case-Control Studies in Irish and Czech Populations.

Background: Selenium manifests its biological effects through its incorporation into selenoproteins, which play several roles in countering oxidative and inflammatory responses implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. Selenoprotein genetic variants may contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC) development, as we previously observed for SNP variants in a large European prospective study and a Czech case–control cohort. Methods: We tested if significantly associated selenoprotein gene SNPs from these studies were also associated with CRC risk in case–control studies from Ireland (colorectal neoplasia, i.e., cancer and adenoma cases: 450, controls: 461) and the Czech Republic (CRC cases: 718, controls: 646). Genotyping of 23 SNPs (20 in the Irish and 13 in the Czechs) was performed by competitive specific allele-specific PCR (KASPar). Multivariable adjusted logistic regression was used to assess the associations with CRC development. Results: We found significant associations with an increased CRC risk for rs5859 (SELENOF) and rs2972994 (SELENOP) in the Irish cohort but only with rs4802034 (SELENOV) in the Czechs. Significant associations were observed for rs5859 (SELENOF), rs4659382 (SELENON), rs2972994 (SELENOP), rs34713741 (SELENOS), and the related Se metabolism gene variant rs2275129 (SEPHS1) with advanced colorectal neoplasia development. However, none of these findings retained significance after multiple testing corrections. Conclusions: Several SNPs previously associated with CRC risk were also associated with CRC or colorectal neoplasia development in either the Irish or Czech cohorts. Selenoprotein gene variation may modify CRC risk across diverse European populations, although the specific variants may differ.

Abstract 3368: Biomarkers of precancerous colorectal cancer stages identified by transcriptome profiling

Abstract A colorectal adenoma, an aberrantly growing tissue that arises from the intestinal epithelium is considered a precursor of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer worldwide. In the presented study, we performed a whole transcriptome analysis of 18 fresh frozen colorectal adenomas and their adjacent mucosa from the Czech and Italian populations. Samples were matched for histology and sex. The libraries were sequenced through NovaSeq6000 with a paired-end approach (2 × 150 bp) and with 100 million reads per sample. The enrichment analysis showed that the most downregulated pathways belonged to immune responses and complement activation while the most upregulated pathways were enriched predominantly in proliferation and development-related Gene Ontology biological processes. In total 2,753 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) coherent between these two populations were identified. To determinate, the subset of discriminant DEGs for colorectal adenomas, the output of seven feature selection methods was combined highlighting a total of 321 DEGs scored at the top 95% of at least one method. Further from this set, 8 candidate genes AXIN2, ETV4, RNF43, CXCL12, FBLN1, GNG7, ZEB2, and SFRP1 were selected for validation on a larger population as well as for functional in vitro assays. The results will be presented at the annual meeting. We believe that the study could provide new candidate biomarkers for precancerous colorectal cancer stages. Acknowledgement: This study was financed by NV18-03-00199. Citation Format: Anna Siskova, Veronika Vymetalkova, Pavel Vodicka, Giulio Ferrero, Alessio Naccarati, Chuanpit Hampel, Regine Schneider-Stock. Biomarkers of precancerous colorectal cancer stages identified by transcriptome profiling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3368.

Application of a pharmacokinetic model in characterizing sources of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and determining threshold daily intakes for adverse health effects in infants and toddlers

Characterization of PCB exposure sources for vulnerable population groups is essential to minimize the health effects of PCB exposure. At the same time, it is important to consolidate the knowledge on threshold intakes of PCBs for infants and toddlers to prevent health effects. We estimated total PCB concentrations from birth to 2 years of age in children from Slovak and Czech populations, which continue to have high PCB concentrations in breast milk. Using a pharmacokinetic (PK) model, we characterized dominant PCB exposure sources and estimated new threshold estimated daily intakes (TEDI) (above which adverse effects cannot be excluded) for postnatal PCB exposure in infants and toddlers. In the PK model, concentrations of seven indicator PCBs in breast milk and cord blood samples from 291 mother-child pairs from the Slovak birth cohort, and 396 breast milk samples from Czech mothers we used, together with their physiological characteristics and PCB concentrations from other exposure sources (food, dust, air). The estimated total PCB concentrations in children's blood at different ages were compared with threshold PCB concentrations of 500, 700 and 1000 ng·glipid−1 in serum proposed by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and the German Environment Agency (UBA), above which possible adverse health effects may be expected. We estimated that up to 20.6% of Slovak children and up to 45.7% of Czech children at two years of age exceeded the threshold value of 700 ng·glipid−1 in blood. Mean TEDIs leading to values of 500 ng·glipid−1 in blood for children up to two years ranged between 110 and 220 ng·kg−1·bw·day−1, varying according to breastfeeding duration. Breast milk and prenatal exposure contributed to 71%–85% of PCBs exposure at two years of age. In contrast, the contributions of PCBs from dust and indoor air were negligible.

Genetic differentiation between Czech and Norwegian raspberry populations: new options for breeding

Genetic differentiation between Czech and Norwegian raspberry populations: new options for breeding

Emergence of Fungicide Sensitivity in Leptosphaeria maculans Isolates Collected from the Czech Republic to DMI Fungicides

In the Czech Republic, demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) are used both as fungicides in controlling phoma stem canker and as growth regulators. This heavy use can result in the development of resistant isolates. A total of 45 and 286 Leptosphaeria maculans isolates were tested in vitro, using the mycelial growth and microtiter plate assays, respectively. The objective was to determine the sensitivity of L. maculans isolates collected in the Czech Republic to the fungicides tetraconazole, metconazole, and prochloraz. The mean EC50 values with the mycelial growth plate method were 1.33, 0.78, and 0.40 µg mL−1 for tetraconazole, metconazole, and prochloraz, respectively. The mean EC50 values for the microtiter plate assay were 3.01, 0.44, and 0.19 µg mL−1 for tetraconazole, metconazole, and prochloraz, respectively. All three fungicides also had high variation factors that may be due to inserts in the ERG11 promoter region. In addition, cross sensitivity among the three fungicides was observed. Overall, the high variation factors and the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) results observed in this study could signify the presence of resistant isolates in L. maculans Czech populations, especially in isolates tested for sensitivity to tetraconazole.

Muzejní edukace jako příležitost k inkluzivnějšímu pojetí dějin?

Current mainstream education and the prevailing interpretation of history in museums and schools do not sufficiently reflect the history of minorities currently living in the Czech Republic. In what forms and to what extent are museums addressing this topic? Do minorities constitute a fully-fledged part of the interpretation of Czech history in the public space, or are they treated more as a peripheral issue and as an addition to the prevailing historical narrative? The article examines how technology and museum education can be used to supplement missing aspects of Czech history that otherwise do not receive sufficient space in museum exhibitions in general, in history textbooks or education itself. Examples of museum education that illustrate these trends in the text are the new History Lab exercises on Romani history that are currently being developed in collaboration with the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes (ÚSTR), and at the same time an interactive program for children of younger school age. How can these activities contribute to a more inclusive conception of Czech history, which entails more than the history of the Czech and Slovak populations? How can museums contribute to this trend?

Tarsal coalition in skeletal remains of past Czech populations

Tarsal coalition in skeletal remains of past Czech populations

Variability of colour pattern and genetic diversity of Salamandra salamandra (Caudata: Salamandridae) in the Czech Republic

Two evolutionary lineages of the fire salamander occur in central Europe: the typically striped subspecies Salamandra salamandra terrestris (Bonnaterre, 1789) and the typically spotted Salamandra salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758). In the Czech Republic, fire salamanders have traditionally been viewed as belonging to the S. s. salamandra evolutionary lineage. Nevertheless, the colour pattern of some individuals in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic resembles that of S. s. terrestris in having parallel continuous bands along the back. In this study, we investigated whether in the Czech Republic the presence of striped fire salamander phenotype could be associated with the genotype of S. s. terrestris. We sequenced the mitochondrial D-loop and two nuclear markers, Rag2 and PDGFRα, of 61 fire salamander individuals from the Czech Republic. To describe the geographical distribution pattern of the striped and spotted fire salamander phenotype in the Czech Republic, we evaluated colour phenotypes of 398 individuals from ten localities distributed so as to cover the whole country. We found no evidence of presence of genotypes corresponding to the S. s. terrestris lineage. We did, however, find that the striped phenotype is found mostly in the northwest of the Czech Republic, where both the striped and the intermediate phenotype occur significantly more frequently than in the rest of the country, where the spotted phenotype seems dominant. This finding indicates that Czech and Polish populations of S. salamandra show a degree of phenotypic pattern variation comparable to that observed in German populations, although at a local level the frequencies of the striped and spotted phenotype vary. It would be interesting to test whether a genetic toolkit responsible for the colour pattern is shared via genetic introgression between populations, or whether the striped phenotype of Czech fire salamanders evolved independently.

How Czecho-Slovakia Bounces Back: Population-Based Validation of the Brief Resilience Scale in Two Central European Countries.

In recent years, resilience has become a focus of research in the medical and behavioral sciences. The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) was developed to assess the individual ability to recover from stress ("to bounce back") after experiencing adversities. The aim of the study was to validate the Czech and Slovak versions of the BRS. A representative sample of the Czech and Slovak populations (NCZ = 1800, mean age MCZ = 46.6, SDCZ = 17.4, 48.7% of men; NSK = 1018, mean age MSK = 46.2, SDSK = 16.6, 48.7% men) completed a survey assessing their health and well-being. Several confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models of the BRS were compared to find the best fit. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients of reliability were evaluated. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating resilience (BRS), physical and mental well-being (SF-8) and psychopathology symptoms (BSI-53). Differences in gender and age groups were appraised. A single-factor model with method effects on the reverse items was evaluated to best fit the data in both the Czech and Slovak samples (χ2CZ(6) = 39.0, p < 0.001, CFICZ = 0.998, TLICZ = 0.995, RMSEACZ = 0.055, SRMRCZ = 0.024; χ2SK(6) = 23.9, p < 0.001, CFISK = 0.998, TLISK = 0.995, RMSEASK = 0.054, SRMRSK = 0.009). The reliability was high in both samples (αCZ = 0.80, ωCZ = 0.85; αSK = 0.86, ωSK = 0.91). The BRS was positively associated with physical and mental well-being and negatively associated with somatization, depression and anxiety. In both countries, a lower BRS score was associated with higher age. Czech men reported significantly higher BRS scores than women. No significant difference was found in the mean BRS scores between the two countries. This study provides evidence of good psychometric properties, reliability and validity of the Czech and Slovak adaptations of the BRS.

Population structure and genetic diversity of non-native aoudad populations

The aoudad (Ammotragus lervia Pallas 1777) is an ungulate species, native to the mountain ranges of North Africa. In the second half of the twentieth century, it was successfully introduced in some European countries, mainly for hunting purposes, i.e. in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain. We used neutral genetic markers, the mitochondrial DNA control region sequence and microsatellite loci, to characterize and compare genetic diversity and spatial pattern of genetic structure on different timeframes among all European aoudad populations. Four distinct control region haplotypes found in European aoudad populations indicate that the aoudad has been introduced in Europe from multiple genetic sources, with the population in the Sierra Espuña as the only population in which more than one haplotype was detected. The number of detected microsatellite alleles within all populations (< 3.61) and mean proportion of shared alleles within all analysed populations (< 0.55) indicates relatively low genetic variability, as expected for new populations funded by a small number of individuals. In STRUCTURE results with K = 2–4, Croatian and Czech populations cluster in the same genetic cluster, indicating joined origin. Among three populations from Spain, Almeria population shows as genetically distinct from others in results, while other Spanish populations diverge at K = 4. Maintenance of genetic diversity should be included in the management of populations to sustain their viability, specially for small Czech population with high proportion of shared alleles (0.85) and Croatian population that had the smallest estimated effective population size (Ne = 5.4).