Prague Research Articles

Tree species-rich open oak woodlands within scattered urban landscapes promote biodiversity

It is becoming increasingly evident that cities are important places for biodiversity. Biodiverse urban forests are vital green areas within cities and have favorable impacts on the citizens, including their health. We focused on the effect of the urban forest environment on biodiversity in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. We used a multi-taxon approach with five taxa of different ecological demands: butterflies, bees and wasps, vascular plants, mosses, and lichens. We modeled their responses to the various urban forest attributes at four hierarchical levels – plot, permeability, forest, and landscape. Our results revealed that temporally continuous forests dominated by native oaks with open canopies, a high number of admixed and interspersed tree species and shrubs, together with scattered trees in the surrounding landscape, were optimal biodiverse forest environments. The most influential parameter that positively influenced bees and wasps, plants, and lichens at the plot level was canopy openness. We found that the permeability was suitable mainly on 20 m surroundings and increasing coverage of native oaks and tree species richness were the most important parameters. Continuity was the only found parameter that influenced mosses at the forest level. Scattered tree vegetation was the most important landscape parameter and positively drove the species richness of bees and wasps. Forest management methods can relatively easily solve the improvement of the scattered light gap structure within urban forests. Applying traditional forest management (pasture management, controlled burning and/or coppicing) is also an option but requires sensitive communication with the public. The canopy cover has been used as an indicator of urban forest health conditions, now indicating that artificial disturbances could be important issues for urban forest management and planning in the future. Therefore, active forest management is an essential method for biodiversity maintenance. We conclude that urban forests have a high potential for increasing native biodiversity. The response of the studied groups in urban forests was complementary. The resulting biodiverse stages of urban forests are akin to the established idea of the open temperate deciduous woodlands.

The Learning of Ivan Drasov in Pisek and Prague

The purpose of this article is to clarify the prerequisites, character and duration of Ivan Drasov`s teaching in the Czech cities of Pisek and Prague. As a main source material were used Ivan Drasov`s school notebooks from the period of his studies in Bohemia, Drasov`s epistolary legacy and some memoirs. Through analysis and comparison of the mentioned sources, the following circumstances were established. The most likely reason for directing Ivan Drasov to Bohemia was his desire to study chemistry and engineering, and the choice of Pisek was predetermined by the presence of his compatriots in this city. Although Drasov had the opportunity to gain good knowledge in various fields during his studies in Pisek, in the end he remained unsatisfied. In 1874, Ivan Drasov made an attempt to study in the Austrian city of Linz. After this attempt failed, Drasov returned to Bohemia and in 1875 completed his education in Prague.

„Praga uważa się za „naj...” – konkurencyjność regionów w Republice Cze- skiej w kontekście pragocentryzmu

The aim of the article was to compare NUTS3 level regions in the Czech Republic in terms of their competitiveness understood as an outcome of the four following dimensions: economic, social, innovative and environmental. The study of competitiveness was intended to verify the thesis of the legitimacy of concentrating development policy (especially in terms of spending EU funds) in the capital city of Prague as the region with the highest potential, providing the greatest guarantees of their effective use. In the article, using the Hellwig method (i.e. relative distances from the benchmark), an empirical analysis of regional competitiveness was carried out. The occurring developmental asymmetry was confirmed by empirical data. Prague is the leader outclassing the other regions in economic, social and innovative dimensions. In a country with significant developmental disparities, disadvantaged units are unable to compete and thus become underdeveloped regions. Praguecentrism therefore causes the increase in development divergence in the Czech Republic. This phenomenon will grow, regardless of the regional development policy.

Effects of various environments on epigenetic settings and chromosomal damage

Air pollution is a dominant environmental exposure factor with significant health consequences. Unexpectedly, research in a heavily polluted region of the Czech Republic, with traditional heavy industry, revealed repeatedly the lowest frequency of micronuclei in the season with the highest concentrations of air pollutants including carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Molecular findings have been collected for more than 10 years from various locations of the Czech Republic, with differing quality of ambient air. Preliminary conclusions have suggested adaptation of the population from the polluted locality (Ostrava, Moravian-Silesian Region (MSR)) to chronic air pollution exposure. In this study we utilize the previous findings and, for the first time, investigate micronuclei (MN) frequency by type: (i) centromere positive (CEN+) MN, representing chromosomal losses, and (ii) centromere negative (CEN-) MN representing chromosomal breaks. As previous results indicated differences between populations in the expression of XRCC5, a gene involved in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway, possible variations in epigenetic settings in this gene were also investigated. This new research was conducted in two seasons in the groups from two localities with different air quality levels (Ostrava (OS) and Prague (PG)). The obtained new results show significantly lower frequencies of chromosomal breaks in the OS subjects, related to the highest air pollution levels (p < 0.001). In contrast, chromosomal losses were comparable between both groups. In addition, significantly lower DNA methylation was found in 14.3% of the analyzed CpG loci of XRCC5 in the population from OS. In conclusion, the epigenetic adaptation (hypomethylation) in XRCC5 involved in the NHEJ repair pathway in the population from the polluted region, was suggested as a reason for the reduced level of chromosomal breaks. Further research is needed to explore the additional mechanisms, including genetic adaptation.

Governed by atmospheres: Affect, materiality and everyday benevolence in homeless encampments during the COVID-19 pandemic

This article explores the operation of homeless encampments as a part of governance by highlighting the role of affective atmospheres. The COVID-19 pandemic and the imposition of lockdowns have seen the introduction of unprecedented measures into homelessness governance in Czech cities. Some have set up temporary homeless encampments as a response to the declaration of the state of emergency. Relying on interviews and observations, this article reveals that such measures in cities differed significantly in both character and outcomes. Based on a repeated instances comparison of the socio-material and affective entanglements of operating two emergency encampments – one in the regional city of Pilsen and the other in the capital city of Prague – the article argues that affective atmospheres play a vital role in their practical operations and perceived outcomes. While no simple dichotomy is implied, in Pilsen, order was implemented through a surveillance logic that instigated conflicts and created an atmosphere of frustration, while in Prague, the benevolence and mutuality of people in the camp led to a relaxed atmosphere. The article introduces the notion of ‘governed by atmospheres’ and argues that it opens space for a more complex and nuanced examination of the unintended outcomes of particular policies and politics in homelessness governance.

Blood parasites (Trypanosoma, Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus) in the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus): diversity, incidence and persistence of infection at the individual level

BackgroundA high prevalence of parasites may result from life-long persistence of infection or from high reinfection rates. We have studied blood parasites in a breeding population of the accipitrid raptor, Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), to determine parasite diversity and turnover.MethodsDuring this 7-year study, 210 adult Eurasian sparrowhawks breeding in the city of Prague were checked for parasites using several diagnostic methods.ResultsIn both female and male raptors, parasites of the genus Leucocytozoon were the most prevalent (92% and 85%, respectively) followed in decreasing order of prevalence by those of genus Trypanosoma (74% and 68%, respectively) and genus Haemoproteus (46% and 16%, respectively). The prevalence of all parasites increased with age in both sexes, with the females at each respective age having the higher prevalence. There was a positive association between Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon infections. Persistence at the individual level was higher than incidence for Trypanosoma and Haemoproteus. In the case of Leucocytozoon and Trypanosoma, most individuals probably become infected in their first year of life or even before dispersal from the nest. The detected parasites belonged to Trypanosoma avium sensu stricto, Leucocytozoon sp. (haplotypes ACNI1 and ACNI3) and Leucocytozoon mathisi (haplotype ACNI4) and two new lineages of the Haemoproteus elani complex (ACCNIS6 and ACCNIS7). Detailed analysis of parasite lineages in individuals that were repeatedly sampled revealed lineage turnover that would otherwise remain hidden. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the detected Haemoproteus belongs to a phylogenetically distant group whose taxonomic position requires further analysis.ConclusionsAll three genera of blood parasites persist in infected individuals, thus enabling sustainability of vector transmission cycles. Prevalence increases with age; however, there is a high turnover of Leucocytozoon lineages. No clear evidence of parasite-induced mortality was found, and most of the individuals were infected early in life, particularly in the case of Leucocytozoon.Graphical abstract

A Prague text: Reconfiguring marginality in and of Europe

ABSTRACT While postcolonial scholarship has long sought to decentre Europe, the cumulative effects of such work have been to fetishize and homogenize a figure of Europe. Recent scholarship has recognized the value of reading postcolonial narratives alongside the ramifications of the Cold War for enriched understandings of each and both together. This article enters these conversations by developing a “migrational” reading of three texts about the city of Prague: Czech-born Libuše Moníková’s Prager Fenster (1994), South African-born Nadine Gordimer’s A Sport of Nature (1987), and Indian-born Nirmal Verma’s Days of Longing (1964). Proposing the notion of a “Prague text”, this reading performatively decentres Western Europe while maintaining a nuanced grasp on differences within the continent. The juxtaposition enabled by a Prague text puts up for scrutiny various attributions of European centrality, as the article critically engages notions of “Europeanness” and challenges configurations of Europe as a determining point of reference.

The timescape of the city: Example of spatial interactions based on big data

The paper develops the concept of a timescape of a city based on empirical analysis of geospatial big data. We understand the timescape as the temporal shape of a city, which reflects temporal dynamics of a city structure and rhythms based on aggregated time-space behaviour of individuals. The paper uses the concepts of rhythmanalysis and spatial interactions as theoretical basis. We analyse two data types: mobile phone location data and taxi trajectory data, and the city of Prague is taken as the example. The data capture the population mobility peak before the Covid-19 pandemic has burst out. We examine both the temporal (weekly and daily rhythms) and spatial (intra urban and ‘extra’ urban flows) hierarchies of the city time-space. We have confirmed the existence of distinct differences between workdays and weekend days. It has also been shown that the mobility based on taxi trajectories has specific temporal distribution. Based on ‘extra’ urban flows, rhythms and thus on the present population of the city we have identified two hierarchically different time waves, long (weekly) and short (daily), when the latter has opposite amplitude and span during workdays and during weekend days.

Bar jako významné místo v migraci

This paper presents the results of a six-month-long field research conducted in the capital of the Czech Republic in 2013. It is based on the research of a bar visited by Anglophone migrants. It aims to reveal how becoming a bar regular helped migrants to adapt to the new country and maintain their lives there. The studied group of migrants placed important practices into the space of the bar, through which they formed their meaning and memory in a new place, their new home. They domesticated the place to the extent that they had their own seats, glasses, and any newcomer, whether Czech or migrant, was observed and evaluated. The bar played the role of an intimate space; it was home-like and it was socially and materially changed by the migrants. The bar was a place where the migrants’ social bonds were performed and materialised. It was a place in the time and space of real physi­cal contact within a migratory network.

Yields and Quality of Spring Wheat Grain in Intercropping System with Different Legume Species

Abstract Intercropping is a technique in which two or more crops are grown together that is reported to be soil and water friendly. Field trials were conducted at three different localities in the Czech Republic. Spring wheat was grown together with different legumes (Egyptian clover, crimson clover, red clover, white clover, common pea, dun pea, common vetch, bird’s-foot-trefoil, common kidney vetch, and fenugreek) in an organic cropping system. Two basic systems were compared mixture and row-by-row cropping. The yield of grain was lower on average in row-by-row cropping than in the mixture. Lower yields were found in Prague (PR) compared to Uhříněves (UH) and Zvíkov (ZV). The mixture system seemed to be more effective in grain production than cultivation in separate rows (PR 2.14 t/ha, UH 4.71 t/ha, ZV 3.00 t/ha) in terms of spring wheat grain yield in comparison with the mixture system (PR 2.45 t/ha, UH 5.44 t/ha, ZV 3.14 t/ha). Quality parameters such as crude protein, wet gluten, gluten index, Zeleny test of wheat grown with legumes were compared to the control. The mean quality parameters of both systems were the following: test weight 75.75%, crude protein 13.9%, wet gluten 31.5%, Zeleny test 56.2 mL, falling number 266.4 s. The combinations of spring wheat with Egyptian clover, white clover, common vetch, common kidney vetch, and bird’s-foot-trefoil are recommended as the most promising according to the results obtained across all sites and considering all parameters.

Interactive 3D models: Documenting and presenting restoration and use of heritage objects

3D digital models of collection items are increasingly used in addition to still photographs in collection management systems for documentation and presentation purposes.Our objective was to enhance 3D digitization and presentation beyond appearance, such that we can document the restoration process, capture the original use of a collection item, or support other interaction applications. The presentation should allow virtual manipulation of the artifacts and bring them into their historical and cultural context using rich annotations.We demonstrate the used workflow and the created presentation software in two use cases: the restoration of the Madonna of the Old Town Hall in Prague and capturing the original use of selected items in the collection of the Prague City Museum.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in Ixodes ricinus ticks in urban green areas in Prague

Ixodes ricinus ticks are considered as the vector of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex in urban areas, including city parks and green recreational areas. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s. l. in urban areas in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. In selected public green areas in Prague, a total of 2819 I. ricinus ticks were collected in spring, from April to June, in 2014-2020. Quantitative real time PCR revealed 28.1% of ticks (31% of males, 33.7% of females and 25.8% of nymphs) to be positive for B. burgdorferi s. l. The prevalence varied significantly (p˂0.01) between collection sites, with the highest numbers of infected ticks found in the central city areas. The places serving people for recreational and sport activities in urban areas are characterized by a lower diversity of reservoir hosts, provide opportunity for exposure to Borrelia infected ticks, and pose a higher infection risk. We have detected seven Borrelia species in ticks: B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. bavariensis, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. valaisiana, B. spielmanii, and B. finlandensis. Most positive ticks were infected by B. garinii (35%) and B. afzelii (36.9%). Our results show that the Borrelia transmission cycle occurs within urban biotops and highlight the need for surveillance of tick-borne pathogens in public green areas.

Play it light: the role of gardens and gardening in the lives of latter-day urbanites

ABSTRACT This paper aims to reveal what is the current position of gardening as a leisure activity for urbanites, in general and in competition with other hobbies, and how the space of the urban domestic garden is perceived in this regard. To gather data, a questionnaire survey of 302 urban domestic garden keepers was conducted. The survey took place between April 2019 and November 2019 in the capital city of Prague, Czechia, and in 8 locations in other Czech cities and towns as a control sample. The results show that the importance of outdoor relaxation in evaluating one’s garden prevails, but the possibility of creating something with one’s own hands, to produce own food, or to form a more beautiful place are also highly appreciated. In the perception of Czech gardeners, work and leisure often intertwine. Similarly, gardens act as a multifunctional environment, which can be changed in particular phases of the human life cycle. Since gardens were often declared as vital components for many people, it is probable that there is a future for gardening as a leisure activity, although it may be construed rather as a ‘light’ version of gardening, adapted to one’s busy schedule and other hobbies.

Collaborative scenario building: Engaging stakeholders to unravel opportunities for urban adaptation planning

Uncertainties arising from the climate crisis and socioeconomic challenges require decision makers to advance climate change adaptation planning and practice. In response, many cities have adopted climate change adaptation strategies, which is also the case in the Czech Republic. Although adaptation planning should be prospective, requiring long-term, future-oriented approaches, the use of future scenarios have not been fully acknowledged yet. In this methodological paper, we introduce a combined approach for delivering spatially explicit future land use/land cover (LULC) scenarios developed as supporting tools for adaptation planning in three major Czech cities—Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. The methodological approach consists of (1) Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) downscaled to city level, to capture underpinning social, environmental, and economic dynamics; (2) collaborative processes with stakeholders; and (3) computer modelling of LULC scenarios. While collaborative process collects the perceptions of local needs, challenges, and opportunities, spatially explicit modelling of LULC changes allows for an easy-to-read visualization of the plausible futures. Nesting the scenarios in SSPs makes them consistent with global socioeconomic drivers. The introduced methodological approach can support adaptation planning by engaging stakeholders directly in the scenario building process, to elaborate on plausible future urban developments while considering an array of different stakes and challenges.

Forecasted Climate Analysis from 2000 to 2100 Using RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 Model Scenario as A Hazard Early-Warning System in Prague City, Czech Republic

In the last decades, the increasing number of populations in urban areas is dramatically increased. According to the to the 2018 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects more people live in urban areas, around 55 percent of the world’s population in 2018 and are projected into two thirds of global population in 2050. As the world continues to growth, the lands need to be converted thus deforestation happen. If this continues, the greenhouse gas emission will increase and the climate change will become a threat in the future. Therefore, it become essential to understand how the climate will change in the future through model scenario. The study will asses from three aspects of climate, namely, precipitation, near surface air temperature and maximum wind speed in Prague City, the city that was heavily populated and one of popular destinations for tourism. The objectives were to analyse the future climate based on these three aspects and predict what future hazard which might come n the upcoming years. The outcome can be a basis for early-warning system in urban areas. The methods were employed by using Recipient Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenario of 4.5 as stabilization scenario and 8.5 as pessimistic scenario in Regional Model RCA4. The study found that in several years until 2060, Prague will face more urban flooding based on the model scenario RCP 8.5.

Review of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Congress 2022

FOLLOWING the success of the hybrid format at the 2021 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) congress, it was decided that this year’s annual meeting would be held online, as well as in the remarkable city of Prague, Czechia. With 8,000 participants from 120 countries participating in EAACI 2021, Marek Jutel, EAACI President, and Petr Panzner, EAACI Hybrid Congress Chair 2022 both emphasised the benefits of this flexible format, expanding interaction with experts across the globe and improving the outreach of the impressive scientific programme that was on offer at this year’s event. EAACI have focused on the development of their Digital Congress Platform, providing a seamless transition between the physical and virtual elements of the meeting.

Architectural Competition Designs and the Construction of the International Hotels by Stavoprojekt Brno

The article focuses on the state design organization Stavoprojekt and its involvement in international architectural competitions for hotels in Czechoslovakia mainly in the 1960s. The research draws upon newly discovered archival materials, among them hotel plans for the cities of Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Vary and Prague. Although Stavoprojekt and its branch in Brno are known […]

Urban fruit orchards: Biodiversity and management restoration effects in the context of land use

Urban areas have increased greatly in recent decades, which has resulted in habitat loss. However, the promotion of urban green spaces could have a profound effect on biodiversity. Traditional fruit orchards are an important land-use type with the potential to host myriad organisms. Our goal was to determine the most important factors that influence orchard biodiversity in the million city of Prague (the capital of the Czech Republic). We used a multitaxon approach to evaluate the effect of orchard restoration in a landscape context. Restoration had a positive impact on species diversity, specifically, the diversity of orthopterans and butterflies. Moreover, landscape context determined the biodiversity of orthopterans, butterflies, and birds but not that of lichens. Our study underlines the importance of both the internal and external structures of traditional fruit orchards for species richness and composition. The results of our study support the restoration of traditional fruit orchards as a suitable management practice for promoting city biodiversity. Furthermore, orchard restoration can improve the attractiveness of suburban areas. Such areas often lack sufficient urban greening. Thus, restoration in these areas can also increase future recreational value.

State rhetoric, nationalism and public opinion in China

Abstract The Chinese government is fond of invoking the ‘hurt feelings of 1.4 billion Chinese citizens’ to protest foreign actions and policies. However, this rhetoric might be nothing more than propaganda and attempts to leverage nationalist sentiment. How much do citizens in China actually care about issues completely unrelated to their daily livelihoods? To answer this, the study employs a representative survey to investigate the extent to which rhetoric about ‘hurt feelings’ is consistent with public opinion on four contemporary socio-political disputes involving the NBA, Marriott International, Mercedes-Benz and the city of Prague. Across the scenarios, we found that the Chinese government did not exaggerate the displeasure of audiences—citizens are aware of the cases, were indeed upset by them and advocated for retaliatory measures that were surprisingly more forceful than those adopted in reality. These emotions were largely driven by nationalistic sentiment rather than personal experiences or encounters, suggesting the success of state propaganda in steering the public opinion toward outcomes favourable to the state. These findings support recent studies highlighting the peculiar case of rising nationalism in China, and have important implications for the impact of public opinion on Chinese policymaking.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic and traumatological care in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has significantly affected society, especially healthcare systems worldwide. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic and trauma healthcare at the largest university hospital in the Czech Republic. The evaluated periods were in accordance with three waves of the disease and three respective lockdowns. To correlate the results, we evaluated the number of patients (inpatients and outpatients) treated in the same period in the last 3 years before the pandemic. The number of orthopaedic outpatients during the lockdown period decreased by 54.12% (p = 0.002), 42.88% (p <0.001), and 34.53% (p = 0.03) in the first, second, and third lockdowns, respectively. The number of elective surgeries decreased by 69.01% (p <0.001), 87.57% (p <0.001), and 74.89% (p = 0.007) and the number of acute surgeries decreased by 33.15% (p = 0.002), 37.46% (p <0.001), and 27.24% (p = 0.034) in the first, second, and third lockdowns, respectively. This study showed a significant reduction in the healthcare of orthopaedic and trauma patients owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasised the shortcomings of the healthcare system. In our study, there was a reduction in both outpatient (reduction of care by 24–54%) and inpatient care. The elective surgeries were reduced by 69–87% during different lockdown periods compared with the reference period. Based on the results of this study, we can formulate organisational measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on orthopaedic healthcare. Organisational procedures created based on acquired data and experience should maximise the bed capacity of the workplace and work efficiency with regard to the safety of medical staff.