Czech Republic Research Articles

First Report of Globisporangium (Pythium) mastophorum causing Damping-off / Root Rot on Parsley in Slovenia.

Pythium-like species cause damping-off symptoms of various hosts, including umbelliferous crops. In April 2023, parsley plantlets (Petroselinum crispum), showing stunted growth, yellowing, decayed roots and damping-off, were obtained from a nursery in central Slovenia, where parsley was grown in polystyrene trays in a greenhouse. Nearly 30% of plants were symptomatic. Sampled roots of ten plants contained ornamented oogonia (avg. 33.3 ± 1.4 µm in diam) with conical projections (5.2 ± 0.5 µm long) (Figure S1 A, B) in microscopically analyzed squash mounts. The pathogen was isolated from root pieces treated for surface disinfection with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite for 30 s, and washed with sterile water. Four 1-2 mm root pieces were taken from each of 10 plants, plated on the selective medium P5ARP, and incubated at 21 °C. Mycelia emerging from root pieces were transferred to carrot piece agar (CPA). Twenty-two equally looking oomycetous colonies were obtained; all sampled plants were infested. Oogonia formed by all colonies were similar to those observed on decayed roots and suggested that Globisporangium (Pythium) mastophorum is the causal disease agent. Analyses of partial β-tubulin (Kroon et al. 2004) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene sequences (Robideau et al. 2011) confirmed the identification. Obtained COI (Genbank accession number OR725417) sequence was 100% identical to that from G. mastophorum strain CBS 375.72 (EU350523), whereas the β-tubulin sequence (OR725416) corresponded to 99.6 % pairwise identity (KJ595502). Further, pathogenicity of an obtained isolate was tested on 4 wk-old curly leaf (cv. Petra F1) parsley. Half of a 7 d-old CPA culture, consisting of mycelium and oogonia, was finely cut and mixed with ca 50 ml of nonsterile commercial substrate (Potgrond H, AGRO-FertiCrop) in each of six 400 ml pots. Pots were filled with ca 300 ml additional substrate, into which 5 parsley seedlings were planted. Control plants were treated equally but with sterile CPA. Plantlets were watered with sterile tap water and held at ambient light conditions and temperature (night 18 °C - day 23 °C). After 14 d, inoculated plants started wilting and yellowing and showed stunted growth. After 21 d, roots were severely decayed and the seedlings damped-off (Figure S1 C). Four pieces each from 10 decayed roots were plated. Thirty-one pieces revealed pythium-like colonies. Obtained isolates were morphologically identical to the strain used for inoculation and identified as G. mastophorum. Control plants developed no foliar or root symptoms and no pythium-like species was obtained. Agricultural advisors observed occurrence of parsley damping-off also in other nurseries in Slovenia what may lead to spreading the pathogen to parsley in production fields and private gardens. The case emphasizes the need for implementing phytosanitary measures in order to eliminate primary inoculum. Reports from field-infected plants showed that G. mastophorum is a pathogen of parsley in Australia (Petkowski et al. 2013) and the USA (Tsuchida et al. 2018), and celery in the Czech Republic (Šafránková and Holková 2017). Others isolated G. mastophorum from parsley in The Netherlands (online database of the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, strain CBS 243.86). However, the here described case is, to the best of our knowledge, one of the rare documentations of damping-off due to G. mastophorum in Europe (Šafránková and Holková 2017) and the first in Slovenia. Funding: The work was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia, and Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS Programs P4-0431 and P4-0072).

Genomic characterization of ST38 NDM-5-producing Escherichia coli isolates from an outbreak in the Czech Republic.

A 2-year national genomic screening in the Czech Republic identified a notable prevalence of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 5 (NDM-5)-producing Escherichia coli sequence type 38 (ST38) in the city of Brno. Forty-two ST38 E. coli isolates harbored the blaNDM-5 gene on the chromosome. Virulence factors confirmed the persistence of these isolates through biofilm formation. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)-based phylogeny and CRISPR assay typing showed minimal genomic variations, implying a clonally driven outbreak. Results suggest that this high-risk clone may impose a nationwide problem.

Characterization of Mycoviruses in Armillaria ostoyae and A. cepistipes in the Czech Republic

Members of the genus Armillaria are widespread forest pathogens against which effective protection has not yet been developed. Due to their longevity and the creation of large-scale cloning of Armillaria individuals, the use of mycoviruses as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against these pathogens could be an effective alternative. This work describes the detection and characterization of viruses in Armillaria spp. collected in the Czech Republic through the application of stranded total RNA sequencing. A total of five single-stranded RNA viruses were detected in Armillaria ostoyae and A. cepistipes, including viruses of the family Tymoviridae and four viruses belonging to the recently described “ambivirus” group with a circular ambisense genome arrangement. Both hammerhead (HHRz) and hairpin (HpRz) ribozymes were detected in all the ambiviricot sequences. Armillaria viruses were compared through phylogenetic analysis and confirmed their specific host by direct RT-PCR. One virus appears to infect both Armillaria species, suggesting the occurrence of interspecies transmission in nature.

Large-scale genome-wide SNP analysis reveals the rugged (and ragged) landscape of global ancestry, phylogeny, and demographic history in chicken breeds.

The worldwide chicken gene pool encompasses a remarkable, but shrinking, number of divergently selected breeds of diverse origin. This study was a large-scale genome-wide analysis of the landscape of the complex molecular architecture, genetic variability, and detailed structure among 49 populations. These populations represent a significant sample of the world's chicken breeds from Europe (Russia, Czech Republic, France, Spain, UK, etc.), Asia (China), North America (USA), and Oceania (Australia). Based on the results of breed genotyping using the Illumina 60K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip, a bioinformatic analysis was carried out. This included the calculation of heterozygosity/homozygosity statistics, inbreeding coefficients, and effective population size. It also included assessment of linkage disequilibrium and construction of phylogenetic trees. Using multidimensional scaling, principal component analysis, and ADMIXTURE-assisted global ancestry analysis, we explored the genetic structure of populations and subpopulations in each breed. An overall 49-population phylogeny analysis was also performed, and a refined evolutionary model of chicken breed formation was proposed, which included egg, meat, dual-purpose types, and ambiguous breeds. Such a large-scale survey of genetic resources in poultry farming using modern genomic methods is of great interest both from the viewpoint of a general understanding of the genetics of the domestic chicken and for the further development of genomic technologies and approaches in poultry breeding. In general, whole genome SNP genotyping of promising chicken breeds from the worldwide gene pool will promote the further development of modern genomic science as applied to poultry.

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Context of Economic Development, CO2 Emissions and Implications for Public Administration: The Case of Visegrad Group Countries

Renewable energy consumption has gained growing importance in the world energy consumption portfolio over recent years. One of the reasons is the increasingly negative development of climate change. The research carried out in this paper aims to discern whether the examined economic indicator (GDP per capita) and the environmental indicator (CO2 emissions per capita) affect the renewable energy consumption in the region of the Visegrad Group (V4 – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovak Republic) countries, and to draw implications for public administration in the given issue. The fixed effects panel regression model was used to verify the mentioned relationships between variables from 1990-2020. The results show that the level of the share of renewable energy consumption on the total energy consumption in the region of the V4 countries can be affected by the GDP per capita (positive relationship validated) and the CO2 emissions per capita (negative relationship validated). These results are mostly in line with the findings of other researchers conducted on different samples of countries, although some differences can be noted, especially regarding the direction of the relationship. The implications of the research results are presented on three levels: practical implications for the business sector, emphasis placed on political implications for public administration, and theoretical implications that lay the foundation for further research. The main limitation of the research results comes from the sample used in V4 countries and, thus, from the limited possibilities of generalizing the results. The direction of further research in the addressed issue will include a larger number of countries in the research and the use of various quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Lingulates of the Monograptus belophorus Biozone (Motol Formation, Sheinwoodian, Wenlock) of the Barrandian area, Czech Republic: insight into remarkable lingulate brachiopod diversity in the Silurian

Lingulates of the Monograptus belophorus Biozone (Motol Formation, Sheinwoodian, Wenlock) of the Barrandian area, Czech Republic: insight into remarkable lingulate brachiopod diversity in the Silurian

Precise Positioning of Primary System of Geodetic Points by GNSS Technology in Railway Operating Conditions

This article deals with the analysis of the accuracy of the geodetic real-time GNSS measurement procedure used in railway operating conditions in the Czech Republic. The purpose was to determine to what extent the operating conditions affect the accuracy of the measurement result and whether an accuracy of standard deviation σx,y = 5 mm in the horizontal plane could be achieved. The use of geodetic GNSS equipment with an IMU unit was also tested. The accuracy obtained in operational conditions is compared with the accuracy obtained on a calibration base using the same measurement procedure. The consistency between the accuracy of the primary system (satellite-based) and the secondary system (terrestrially measured by the traverse method) is also discussed. The analysis includes the issue of residual inhomogeneities of the uniform transformation key when converted to the Czech national coordinate system S-JTSK. It is shown that a homogeneous accuracy in coordinate standard deviation better than σx,y = 5 mm can be achieved. The results indicate that the accuracy under operational conditions is two–three times worse than the accuracy achieved by the same procedure under ideal conditions on a calibration base. This is due to the non-ideal observing conditions, i.e., horizon occlusion by overlays, surrounding vegetation and multipath effects. It has been shown that the effect of multipath can be reduced by repeating short observations 3–4 h apart. Older GNSS instruments using an IMU unit in combination with an electronic compass (eCompass) are at risk of a systematic bias of up to several tens of millimeters, which can be detected by rotating the antenna by 180°. The current uniform transformation key used in the Czech Republic for the conversion of GNSS coordinates into the national system has residual geometric inhomogeneities (p = 0.90 to 10 mm/km, sporadically up to 20 mm/km), which metrologically deteriorate the results of the calculation of the terrestrially measured secondary system inserted into the GNSS measured primary system. Achieving homogeneous accuracy in coordinate standard deviation in a horizontal plane better than σx,y = 5 mm has been demonstrated in non-ideal railway operating conditions with increased risk of multipath. The innovative aspect of the approach used is that it simplifies and thus increases the efficiency of the measurement with respect to the availability of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou satellites, as well as reducing the effect of multipath on the noise by repeating the measurement procedure.

The Role of Martyrdom and Victimhood in the Memory of the Greek Civil War Refugees in Czechoslovakia through the Prism of ‘Refugee’ Literature

This article focusses on the narratives of collective victimhood and martyrdom in the memories of refugees from the Greek Civil War (GCW, 1946–1949) to post-1948 communist Czechoslovakia (later, the Czech Republic). It analyses literary production by refugees, that is, ego-documents, popular history books and fiction, assessing refugees’ motivations in writing their own histories. It investigates the role of collective victimhood and its effect on the diaspora's identity, its aims and its functions. It determines that the narratives of martyrdom were an early representation by GCW refugees to portray themselves as heroic partisans and anti-fascist fighters and gain the high ground on the moral side of the conflict. Such perceptions, however, have in some cases persisted among communist-oriented authors to this day. This article distinguishes them from more personal expressions of collective victimhood, allowing for a plurality of interpretations of their refugee experience as well as a greater variety of motivations for capturing it in written form for a broader audience. This study aims to show how fluid and permeable these narratives of collective victimhood have been and how fundamentally they have affected the constitution of the GCW diaspora's identity.

Corporate social responsibility and the relationship to stakeholders in large agricultural holdings in the Czech Republic

Corporate social responsibility and the relationship to stakeholders in large agricultural holdings in the Czech Republic

Adverse Effects of Meditation: Autonomic Nervous System Activation and Individual Nauseous Responses During Samadhi Meditation in the Czech Republic.

Buddhist meditation practices, including Samadhi meditation, which forms the basis for mindfulness practice, are broadly promoted as pathways to wellbeing, but evidence of their adverse effects is emerging. In a single-group observational study with assessments of autonomic system before, during, and after Samadhi meditation, we explore the relationship between post-meditation nausea symptoms and the degree of change in autonomic system activity during meditation as compared to before and after in 57 university students (42 women; mean age = 22.6) without any previous experience in meditation or yoga practices. We hypothesize that nauseous feelings in meditation are connected to a rapid increase of activity in the sympathetic nervous system, as indicated by decreased heart-rate variability (HRV). We additionally explore links between meditation-induced nausea and two markers of parasympathetic activity: increased HRV and vasovagal syncope. Engaging in meditation and increased nausea during meditation were both associated with increased markers of HRV parasympathetic activity, but 12 individuals with markedly higher nausea demonstrated increased HRV markers of sympathetic activity during meditation. Vasovagal syncope was observed but found to be unrelated to nausea levels. Drivers of adverse effects of meditation in some individuals require further investigation.

Sexualita jako riziko? Sexuální výchova v českých kurikulárních dokumentech

Formal sex education and its implementation in education have been increasingly debated in recent years. In the Czech Republic, the area came to the centre of public policy interest in early 2023, when, in response to several sexual harassment cases, former Minister of Education, Mr. Balaš, expressed the need to strengthen sex education in schools. With the ongoing revision of the national Framework Educational Programme and the awareness of the lack of research coverage in this area, we consider it appropriate to look at how sex education is framed in institutional documents in the Czech Republic today. We conduct a qualitative analysis of the Recommendation of the Ministry of Education for the Implementation of Sexuality Education in Primary Schools, selected school education programmes and minimum prevention programmes. We compare these with the principles, rationale and topics articulated in the Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe, which were developed to support the implementation of holistic sexuality education. We point out significant differences in the conceptualisation of the Czech documents, particularly the normative, biologizing and risk-oriented sex education. We see the untold potential for a quality approach to sex education, which takes into account the sexual subjectivity and uniqueness of adolescents’ experience and the interactive nature of sexuality, which the Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe emphasize, in the areas of Education for Citizenship, Ethics Education or in Social and Personal Development.

On the relation of CMIP6 GCMs errors at RCM driving boundary condition zones and inner region for Central Europe region

AbstractGlobal climate models (GCMs) are essential for studying the climate system and climate change projections. Due to their coarse spatial resolution, downscaling is necessary on the regional scale. Regional climate models (RCMs) represent a standard solution for this issue. Nevertheless, the boundary conditions provided by GCMs unavoidably influence the outputs of RCMs. This study evaluates CMIP6 GCMs regarding the variables relevant to RCM boundary conditions. Particular focus is on the simulation of CNRM-ESM2-1, which is being used as a driving model for convection-permitting ALARO-Climate RCM, used as one source feeding new Czech climate change scenarios. The analysis is conducted over the boundaries and inside the RCM integration domain. Firstly, an evaluation of CFSR and ERA5 reanalyses against radiosondes is performed to choose an appropriate reference dataset for upper air variables. A high correlation between the two studied reanalysis and radiosondes was revealed, and it slightly decreases at the upper tropospheric levels. ERA5 is then chosen as the reference for the boundary analysis. Over the inner region, the simulated mean annual cycle of impact-relevant variables is validated against E-OBS. The CNRM-ESM2-1 performs well regarding near-surface variables over the Czech Republic, but it exhibits larger errors along the boundaries, especially for air temperature and specific humidity. The GCM performance in simulating the upper air atmospheric variables used as RCM boundary conditions relates rather weakly to the GCM performance in simulating the near-surface parameters in the inner region in terms of parameters relevant for impact studies.

Exploring the factors shaping business students’ environmental concern

Purpose Increasing the need for education for sustainable development in universities requires an understanding of the predictors of students’ environmental concern (EC). In this paper, the authors focus on the EC of business students because of their future responsibility for business operations regarding the exploitation of natural resources. The aim of the study is to examine the predictors of business students’ environmental concern. Design/methodology/approach Based on the Norm Activation Model as the theoretical framework, this study hypothesizes the model of EC with two main predictors: ascription of responsibility for the environment (AOR), driven by locus of control and self-efficacy (LC/SE), and awareness of positive consequences of consumption reduction on the environment (AOC), driven by perceived environmental knowledge. Structural equation modelling was applied to confirm the conceptual model based on the responses of business students from six countries (Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Spain) collected through an online survey. Findings The environmental concern of business students is predicted both by the ascription of responsibility and by awareness of consequences; however, the ascription of responsibility is a stronger predictor of EC. A strong impact was found for internal locus of control and self-efficacy on AOR, as well as a weaker influence of perceived environmental knowledge on AOC. Originality/value Sustainability education dedicated to business students should provide environmental knowledge and strengthen their internal locus of control and self-efficacy in an environmental context.

Examining Diversity and Team Satisfaction: A Quantitative Analysis in Czech Urban and Rural Contexts

From the historical development of the Czech Republic, regional differences in cultural, social, working, free-time activities and others are noticeable. If we look at the fact that people of different ages, from different social groups, residences, ethnicities move around us. The null hypothesis is that women from smaller cities are happier in a team than people from big cities over the age of 45. The research was conducted on 113 respondents from five cities and ten teams were approached for research within the Czech Republic. These were sports and work teams in the following cities: 2 large cities of Prague, Brno. 3 small towns Šumperk, Hustopeče, Otrokovice. The teams consisted of both women and men in the 25-68 age group. The questionnaire survey was evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Kruskal-Wallis test refuted the zero hypothesis.

Home among right angles: cube living

This article focuses on the dwellings of the Villa in Beroun in the Czech Republic, designed by HŠH Architects, and Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion, with architectural designs inspired by games, toys and creative play. The architectural designs inspired by the stacking blocks Lego®, K’nex® and Cidori® are explored and compared to GC Prostho by Kengo Kuma. The environmental implications of housing designs with malleable layouts, which reduce the need for constant changing and moving of houses throughout occupant lifetimes, are explored. The melding of the house and the game as a basis for rethinking the home space, which allows for rearranging walls and renewable capsular compartments, are analysed through the unsuccessful Nakagin Capsule Tower case study. The Villa in Beroun was dissected using gestalt psychology in order to unpack how the human mind reads its enveloping, malleable design. Due to its unique approach to black steel, concrete and glass material, the Villa in Beroun was analysed against new brutalist definitions.

Gold-plating of EU Law in the Czech Republic Revisited

Abstract The article first updates the concept and typology of gold-plating of EU law. In this respect, it makes the distinction between various types of gold-plating of EU law and submits that it should now be understood as any national transposition of EU directives as well as any national normative implementation of any other EU legal acts which exceeds the minimum regulatory requirements of the transposed or implemented EU act and which remains within EU legality. Secondly, it provides an updated view of the use of gold-plating in the Czech Republic. It does so by comparing the current gold-plating situation in this Member State with that of a decade ago. This comparison has revealed a predominantly positive development in this area, namely the almost total eradication of inadvertent gold-plating and the consolidation of deliberate justified gold-plating of EU law in Czech legislative practice. Still, the article pleads for some further refinements in the area concerned.

Who would never grant them equal rights? A comparative analysis of welfare chauvinism in Central and Eastern Europe

ABSTRACT Welfare chauvinism is often understood as the sentiment that the benefits and services of the welfare state should primarily be given to the native population and not immigrant minorities. Using linear regression on data from the 8th wave of the European Social Survey, this study explores how political attitudes and negative attitudes towards different immigrant groups affect welfare chauvinistic attitudes in six countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia. In contrast to other studies, we do not find a clear ‘East-West’ distinction between the amount of welfare chauvinistic attitudes found in the six countries compared to Western Europe. Additionally, we find that hostility towards immigrants of a different ethnicity is a strong predictor of welfare chauvinistic attitudes in five of the sampled countries, while in Lithuania, there is an opposite effect, where hostility towards ethnically similar immigrants seem to be a much stronger predictor. Furthermore, we find evidence that individuals with more right-leaning values and political orientation cannot be said to be more welfare chauvinistic. This may indicate a broad agreement in these societies on the exclusion or minimisation of immigrants’ rights to social benefits.

‘Definitely plan to read them’: cultural goodwill as habitus of a middle class-in-the-making in Czech Republic

Cultural hierarchies enable an understanding of how consumption takes part in the reproduction of social inequalities in current societies. The changing nature of these hierarchies reveals a tension between established and emerging forms of cultural capital. This article explores this tension in the context of an understudied European cultural semi-periphery country. It focuses on young university students in a social milieu where new trends, established legitimate culture and cosmopolitan cultural flows intersect. The article uses a mixed-method approach and analyses cultural space both through survey data and follow-up in-depth interviews. Detailed exploration of cultural repertoires shows that while survey analysis shows both established and emerging forms of legitimate culture, there is widespread deference among the students towards the former. While cultural goods associated with emerging cultural capital are widely consumed, they are not related to repertoires of legitimisation. This points to the continuing importance of national institutions and their pedagogical practices in delineating what is understood as legitimate culture.

Medication administration errors in the selected Czech hospitals: An observational study

Abstract Aim. The study aimed to identify the occurrence of medication administration errors in clinical practice. Material and methods. This was a direct observational study. The study included observing the medication administration process over three years in four hospitals in the Czech Republic. STROBE was used as a checklist. Results. A total of 18,370 medication administrations to hospitalized patients were observed and recorded, including morning, noon, and evening administrations. The most common MAE was substituting a prescribed medication without the doctor’s consent, especially among nurses aged 35-44 (p < 0.001). These MAEs involved giving a medication of diff erent strength than prescribed (p < 0.001), giving the wrong medication (p < 0.001), and giving a diff erent dose (p < 0.001). Substitutions of MAEs occurred most often during morning medication administration (p < 0.001). Conclusions. A critical fi nding of this study was the substitution of medications without a doctor’s consent. It has been found that MAEs were not uncommon in clinical practice, and factors such as the nurse’s age, overall length of clinical practice, education, and workplace interruptions played a role.

Differences in Total Factor Productivity and the Pattern of International Trade

In this work, we develop a trade model that explains the pattern of trade between countries based on differences in total factor productivity (TFP) while also accounting for differences in relative factor endowments. The novelty stems from the introduction of production functions derived by combining the Ricardian and Heckscher–Ohlin–Samuelson (H-O-S) theories, with TFP differences serving as the basis of comparative advantage. To this end, a testable hypothesis is derived. For the empirical measurement of the TFP in each industry and country, a constant elasticity of substitution (CES)-type production function was employed, and the TFP was calculated as the Solow residual from the production function’s fixed term. To offer a better understanding, the model was tested for the bilateral trade between Germany and Russia, and Germany and the Czech Republic. It was found that TFP differences can be used as a basis for explaining comparative advantages and, consequently, the bilateral pattern of trade between two countries.