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This paper investigates changes in political participation following a disaster. Drawing on the electoral results and flood declarations after the 2010 flood in Slovakia, a dataset was constructed that illustrates when and how often each municipality was affected by disastrous conditions before the elections. The analysis revealed that experiencing a flood significantly increased the level of political participation in a municipality. However, the effect of flooding on elections is conditional. First, significantly higher turnout occurs only when a flood affects the municipality on election day. Second, repeated flooding before the elections does not change the overall participation rate. In contrast, it is the one‐time, continuous extreme weather event that most mobilises voters. Third, only severely affected municipalities demonstrated a significant turnout effect. Lastly, the timing variable is crucial in determining the impact of repetition and severity. This paper distinguishes between different kinds of flood events that can influence disaster behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently more attention has been paid to ageing infrastructure under increased traffic on the roads in Slovakia. As a result, selected prestressed concrete bridges have been inspected. Evidence of their poor technical condition has been discovered including serious faults such as large permanent deflection, wide cracks, extensive prestressing degradation, and others. The original conceptual design and poor quality of prestressing steel protection are often the decisive factor. This paper provides an example of bridge rehabilitation design of the concrete precast segmental bridge in an emergency condition. The bridge in question which is located over the water reservoir Ruzin was built in 1967 as one of the first‐generation precast segmental bridges in Slovakia. Its service life was successfully extended using structural system modification and strengthened using external prestressing. The initial assumptions for the rehabilitation have been based on the detailed analysis of the defects, and assessment of existing conditions including the analytical approach of residual prestressing determination. This concept represents the potential solution for achieving enhanced service life of similar bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides new empirical evidence on the transformation of the structure of production in the Visegrád (V4) countries—the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia—using a multi‐regional version of the subsystem approach to global input‐output tables. In particular, the paper analyses structural change in these countries, with a focus on the integration of market services in manufacturing. Moreover, using an input‐output structural decomposition analysis (SDA), we evaluate the role of some key determinants of employment changes in manufacturing. The results indicate that an increasing amount of intermediate demand comes from producer services. Further, a substantial portion of manufacturing employment is generated by foreign final demand, and the SDA demonstrates that labour intensity and final demand play a determining role in the change in the number of hours worked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates why and how a fuller geographical perspective extends contemporary scholarship on human trafficking within and beyond the discipline. We employ a relational approach and draw on in‐depth qualitative research with trafficked persons and a range of stakeholders in Slovakia and the United Kingdom (UK), to depict how the processes underpinning human trafficking are non‐linear and operate instantaneously at multiple intersecting scales and temporalities and through diverse mobilities. The analysis problematises the discrete and homogeneous notion of space coupled with a linear conceptualisation of time and, more specifically, the normative portrayals of recruitment, transit and exploitation as distinct and sequential phases of human trafficking. Instead, the individuated experiences of trafficked persons are examined in relational geographies of inequality, manoeuvring and mobilities. Such a conceptual shift ensures that efforts to understand and combat human trafficking address its effects as well as the wider social relations and structural conditions that facilitate exploitation. We conclude the paper by outlining how a relational‐geographic perspective has the potential to foster new forms of dialogue and inquiry within and beyond the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies two processes of civil service reform in Slovakia during the period of 2014–2015 in order to reflect on the involvement of an 'outsider‐academic' and her strategies to achieve policy impact. The context of such involvement are multi‐level processes permeated by political interests and poor on evidence, which favour strategic interests, bargaining and political pressure and contestation (the mode of 'powering') and a mode of legal‐based 'puzzling' as opposed to a conceptual, intellectual search for solutions friendly towards outside academics—and achieving only incremental results. We theorise on the success of these strategies (including helping serendipity, throwing ideas to see what sticks, mobilising allies, anchoring a non‐binding concept, and finding and developing long‐term connections) and sketch analogies and differences between the position of an outsider‐academic and a policy entrepreneur. We rely on auto‐ethnographic data and documentation of the work of the committees involved and their outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we determine the role of knowledge in the development and consolidation of social innovation (SI) on the revitalisation of traditional farming in marginalised rural settings. We seek to address the following questions: (i) how the co‐production of knowledge in SI initiatives for the revitalisation of traditional farming might influence its development path, and (ii) how the networking of local and external actors accelerates knowledge co‐production and triggers the reconfiguration of social practices towards sustainability transformation. To answer these questions, we applied mixed‐method approach by investigating the example of SI initiative (the case of Vlkolínec UNESCO site in Slovakia). We conducted a focus group, semi‐structured and structured interviews, historical analysis and social network analysis with the actors involved in the SI. Based on the empirical results we revealed how mix of local and external knowledge and knowledge co‐production can enhance the development of SI through the networking of numerous local stakeholders, particularly science and policy representatives. This knowledge sharing and knowledge co‐production strengthened the development path of the SI in seeking to initiate effective measures for local people to return to traditional small‐scale farming, supporting traditional crafts, creating new green jobs and conditions for improving the quality of life for local people, and new services for sustainable tourism. Our results highlight the importance of external knowledge in the expansion of bonding social capital, and the establishment of a regional knowledge network of local and external actors to trigger SI in rural areas. The analyses reveal that multi‐actor networks that support knowledge exchange play an important role in SI development paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many bridges in Slovakia are reaching their designed life span these days. Due to frequent errors during the construction of those bridges as well as bad maintenance, steel‐concrete bridges are now in a critical state and urgent repairs of those structures are needed. In this article progressive methods of retrofitting existing concrete bridges are shown. In the presented method, the original pillars and original bridge deck will remain in their place, and on the existing deck new composite, steel‐concrete bridge deck with encased steel members of progressive shape will be created. This method brings significant cost reduction for such retrofitting and enables the application of increased loads on the bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 1950s, the first‐generation of precast prestressed bridges was built in Europe. The prestressing technology was still relatively new and bridges were sometimes executed questionably. The consequences of poor detailing and inadequate maintenance are shown as a practical example of a 59‐years old road precast bridge in Slovakia that recently reached a near collapse state. The behavior of the damaged prestressed precast structure was verified by the full‐scale load test. In the case of advanced corrosion of the tendons, it is often very difficult to accurately determine the actual resistance of a structure. The test results published in the paper may help to find a practical method for the assessment of similar aged existing prestressed bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a rapidly globalising world, food nationalism has been the subject of research in many fields. The paper discusses food nationalism, in relation to the social and spatial aspects of consumers' shopping behaviour. According to the results of a two‐step cluster analysis, food nationalism has no significant relationship with permanent residence of consumers. Economic status, however, was the only factor to demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between consumers and food nationalism. Compared to unemployed people and pensioners, employed people and entrepreneurs show significantly higher levels of food nationalism. In the study, the assumption that consumers who prefer quality will visit stores with a higher share of domestic food was not confirmed. In contrast, a marginally significant relationship was found between consumer preference for quality and support for domestic producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to explain the under‐researched phenomenon of why the European Commission (the Commission), as 'guardian of the Treaties', tolerates member states' noncompliance with the EU law. While major accounts of selective enforcement depict the Commission as a self‐serving political entrepreneur, this paper assumes that it is a trustee guardian of EU treaties that aims to safeguard the stability and integrity of the EU legal order. For this purpose, the Commission is theorized to strategically utilize toleration of noncompliance to evade jurisdiction overlap and norm collision. Relying on the detailed tracing of the Commission's enforcement leniency towards Slovakia regarding pharmaceutical parallel trade, this illustrative case study indicates that toleration of noncompliance is a necessary evil for the Commission and other stakeholders to navigate through a legal and political impasse. And it simultaneously preserves the delicate integrity of the existing legal order of EU free movement law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009 and 2010, a rescue excavation at Nitra‐Selenec II (Slovakia) was carried out by the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. A medieval cemetery dated to the end of 11th century was discovered, yielding 72 individuals, including the skeleton of young female manifesting skeletal changes consistent with leprosy. The lesions of rhino‐maxillary syndrome (facies leprosa) were observed together with atrophied/tapered metatarsal bones of "licked candy" appearance. In addition, cribra orbitalia, cribra cranii, bilateral periostitis of distal ends of the tibiae and fibulae, and vertebral hypervascularization were recorded. The results of light microscopic investigation agreed with the macroscopic diagnosis of leprosy. Reported cases of leprosy from eastern central Europe are few, coming mostly from the region of present‐day Hungary. Until recently, only three probable cases of leprosy (all dated to pre‐Crusade Middle Ages) were discovered in the area of former Czechoslovakia, all of them discovered in the modern Czech Republic. The case from the late 11th century, presented in this paper, can be considered the first evidence of the disease in the region of Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the seismic response analysis of a cylindrical container made of laminated composite. The analytical homogenization is used for calculation of the material properties of unidirectional fiber‐reinforced composite layer. Constitutive relations for laminate within the classical laminate theory are considered. Effective modulus of elasticity is obtained and put into a calculation of internal forces of the laminated composite cylindrical tank. The seismic analysis of liquid storage facilities has to have different approaches as the analysis of typical structures. Because of an earthquake, the hydrodynamic impulsive and convective pressures are generated in addition to hydrostatic pressure. The solved liquid‐filled container made of the laminated composite was situated for the region of Slovak Republic and was analyzed in respect of Eurocode 8 recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results from monitoring the chute cutoff in the meander bend of the Ondava River in Eastern Slovakia. An avulsion channel was formed in the central part of the meander neck during 2010 flood events, and here we describe the mechanism of evolution and post‐cutoff avulsion channel adjustment using drones, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and field survey. Monitoring by UAV images began on 15 June 2012 with 78 processed images, followed by 259 images during April 2014 and 375 from 18 July 2014. The majority of UAV digital elevation model (DEM) errors in the study area were associated with vegetation cover, with the average vertical root mean square error (RMSE) of the UAV‐DEM on bare ground at 0.209 m compared with 0.673 m in vegetated areas. The chute cutoff was formed by floodplain headcutting during meander neck overflow and headcut migration was directed by floodplain sediment structure and land use. Although low river discharge after the 2010 floods stabilised the avulsion channel by vegetation succession, recurrent two‐yearly interval flooding increased the avulsion channel bank erosion from 36.9 m3/month (June 2012–April 2014) to 425.6 m3/month (April 2014–July 2014). We describe the mechanism of evolution and post‐cutoff avulsion channel adjustment using drones, UAV photogrammetry and field survey. We estimated erosion/deposition areas due to channel erosion. The chute cutoff was formed by floodplain headcutting during meander neck overflow, and headcut migration was directed by floodplain sediment structure and land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation of fertility and family behaviour in post‐socialist countries was quick and the changes were striking. An account of the changes is the subject of dispute and the mechanisms have still not been explained in a fully satisfying manner. Relatively little attention has been paid to the changes in spatial aspects concerning the broadening of changes in family behaviour. The aim of this paper is to answer the question as to whether changes spread stochastically in post‐socialist countries or if there are obvious spatial patterns. The study tries to answer the questions whether there are any cores of changes which may be understood as innovations, if there is any spatial clustering and if the extent is hierarchically arranged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to describe the Pentecostal Church in Slovakia in the scope of current ecumenical cooperation and dialogue. The Apostolic Church is a member of the Union of Evangelical Churches in Slovakia, which established the Department of Theology and Christian Education (DETM) at the University of Matej Bel. Since 1994, individual churches have continued together in ecumenical cooperation in the education of their young spiritual workers. The curriculum includes academic interpretation and missiological reflection on selected parts of mission. It offers the practical efforts of the teachers and students, especially from the viewpoint of the churches' common witness in diversity. The curriculum of the study programme for theologians interprets the two mission documents Together towards Life (TTL) and The Cape Town Commitment (CTC) from a Slovakian evangelical theological view and applies it practically in context. This paper introduces DETM's educational programme in mission and ecumenism and examines how it embodies the values and concepts of those two mission documents through its activities. Special interest is focused on the topic of the practice of common witness in a spirit of partnership and cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wound‐QoL assesses the impact of chronic wounds on patients' health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). A 17‐item and a shortened 14‐item version are available. The Wound‐QoL‐17 has been validated for multiple languages. For the Wound‐QoL‐14, psychometric properties beyond internal consistency were lacking. We aimed to validate both Wound‐QoL versions for international samples representing a broad range of European countries, including countries for which validation data had yet been pending. Patients with chronic wounds of any aetiology or location were recruited in Austria, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine. Psychometric properties were determined for both Wound‐QoL versions for the overall sample and, if feasible, country‐wise. We included 305 patients (age 68.5 years; 52.8% males). Internal consistency was high in both Wound‐QoL‐17 (Cronbach's α: 0.820–0.933) and Wound‐QoL‐14 (0.779–0.925). Test–retest reliability was moderate to good (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.618–0.808). For Wound‐QoL‐17 and Wound‐QoL‐14, convergent validity analyses showed highest correlations with global HRQoL rating (r = 0.765; r = 0.751) and DLQI total score (r = 0.684; r = 0.681). Regarding clinical data, correlations were largest with odour (r = −0.371; r = −0.388) and wound size (r = 0.381; r = 0.383). Country‐wise results were similar. Both Wound‐QoL versions are valid to assess HRQoL of patients with chronic wounds. Due to its psychometric properties and brevity, the Wound‐QoL‐14 might be preferrable in clinical practice where time is rare. The availability of various language versions allows for the use of this questionnaire in international studies and in clinical practice when foreign language patients are being treated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the possibilities of creating quantified models of past human activities in both time and space. The study area lies in the south-eastern Czech Republic and western Slovakia. The spatio-temporal model of behavioural categories was calculated with the help of Monte Carlo simulations and statistical testing. One of the main advantages of our approach is that it admits the probabilistic nature of input data, quantifies them and provides probabilistic results comparable with other proxies. It also presents a less biased way of how archaeological data from regions and periods with low numbers of 14C datings can be incorporated into models of past population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the issues of land shortage and growing concerns for protecting natural lands, installers and project developers, with the help of scientists and engineers, continuously try to locate alternative spots for photovoltaic (PV) system installations. In the present paper a novel approach is suggested and analysed: installing solar PV systems on the downstream face of existing dams. This approach provides advantages that could favour even large-scale systems with a capacity of several MWp. First, produced energy could cover water reservoirs' needs supporting energy-intensive processes as water pumping and treatment in a sustainable manner. Moreover, energy provision to inhabited areas near the dams and the subsequent creation of independent mini grids could mitigate energy poverty. In the case of hydroelectric dams, the so-created hybrid system (PV-hydro) could become notably efficient, because the intermittent solar energy would be counterbalanced by the flexibility of hydropower. Finally, we found a notable number of existing water reservoirs in Africa that are either under-utilized or non-powered. That unexploited energy potential can also be amplified by PV-system installation. The analysis included data collection from various sources. Datasets have been cross-checked and extended in the newly created GIS-based model, enabling the selection of the most suitable sites in South Africa, taken as case studies. Following their identification, the selected dams have been analysed using the PVGIS tool in order to estimate the annual energy production. The results have been very encouraging, indicating that PV systems on the face of dams are an advantageous option for renewable energy production. © 2015 The Authors. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In critically ill patients nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) and immature granulocytes (IG) appear in the peripheral blood as the consequence of stress haematopoesis. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of NRBC and IG and to propose a model of improved mortality prediction including these parameters in the assessment of critically ill patients. Methods: The study included 338 critically ill adult patients hospitalized at Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital in Kosice. As NRBC positive patients were considered patients with peripheral NRBC > 0.01 × 109/L and IG positivity as >0.03 × 109/L. Apache II index was calculated 24 hours after admission and Systemic Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) on the day with the worst clinical condition. Results: NRBC positivity was found in 27.6% of patients. The mortality of NRBC positive patients was 48.38%, significantly higher than 23.7% of NRBC negative patients. IG positivity was 79.0% and their mortality was also higher as compared with that of IG negative patients (69.3% vs 33.8%). Three regression models predicting mortality including stress haematopoiesis markers, APACHE II, SOFA scores and age had sufficient level of sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The presence of NRBC in the peripheral blood and the IG increase are available early risk predictors of mortality in critically ill patients. Regression models designed by combination of SOFA, APACHE II, and the new haematological parameters increase the accuracy and effectivity of diagnostic process in predicting prognosis and risk of mortality with high sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bratislava Harbor Bridge is an important part of Slovak highway and railway network. The authorities of the bridge (Railways of the Slovak Republic and National Motorway Company) cannot afford to close it. In the case of closure, traffic in Bratislava would be paralyzed, as up to 100,000 vehicles pass the bridge daily. Because of that, only dynamic tests during operation are possible, but the mentioned companies do not possess a sophisticated measurement system for structural health monitoring purposes. Therefore, a preliminary proposal of a measuring system has been prepared, in accordance with the fact that the bridge is one of the most complex structures in Slovakia. An initial and subsequent validated and verified FEM model have been used for numerical calculations. Time history analysis has also been used for verification and validation of the FEM model. This article also presents a comparison of current results of operational modal analysis and results of numerical analysis. It includes the recommendations for the fib Model Code 2020 (MC2020) as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in the legal status and management of wolves (Canis lupus) across EU Member States provides a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of different practices to reduce livestock losses. This opportunity for testing is particularly useful for lethal interventions, as they are among the most controversial actions within the large carnivore management toolbox. We aimed to test a conservation compromise adopted in Slovakia, based on a public wolf‐hunting scheme and annual hunting quotas between 2014 and 2019, and partially justified to reduce livestock losses. We assessed whether this hunting scheme influenced livestock depredation levels (at the district level). Wolves in the area fed mainly on wild ungulates (98.9% of consumed biomass). While domestic sheep comprised only 0.5% of the diet, they were dominant among the reported livestock killed by wolves (91.1%). Using two different approaches, we did not observe a relationship between the number of killed wolves and livestock losses. Alternatively, a negative relationship between wild prey biomass and livestock losses was found. Since 2021, public wolf hunting has not been conducted in Slovakia, and there is no merit in the previous justification for this conservation compromise to reduce livestock losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way politicians talk about minorities institutes the normative context of intergroup relations. We investigated how endorsement of different political discourses predicts donation and collective action intentions by majority members toward the Roma in five European countries. The survey was conducted online using samples demographically similar to the populations of Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, France, and Ireland (N = 5,054). First, results showed that accepting paternalistic discourse versus discourse promoting allyship were not distinguishable; both promoted higher moral inclusion which in turn predicted higher prosocial intentions. Second, donations (i.e., immediate relief) and collective action (i.e., social change action) were driven by identical factors. Third, acceptance of openly hostile political discourse neither predicted moral exclusion, nor lower prosocial intentions. In summary, our research provides important evidence that when it comes to Roma—non‐Roma relations, the previously established distinction between solidarity intentions that aim to solidify status relations versus bring about social change is completely blurred, presumably because of the social context in which any positive message communicates moral inclusion challenging the hostile status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most effective methods for gaining insight into the composition of trace‐level volatile organic characteristics of wine products is through the use of a comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography‐high resolution mass spectrometry (GC × GC‐HRMS) technique. The vast amount of data generated by this method, however, can often be overwhelming requiring exhaustive and time‐consuming analysis to identify significant statistical characteristics. The use of advanced chemometric software can achieve the same or even higher efficiency. This study aimed to identify differences based on geographical locations by analyzing the volatile organic compounds in the composition of botrytized wines from Slovakia, Hungary, France, and Austria. The volatile organic compounds were extracted by solid‐phase microextraction and analyzed using GC × GC‐HRMS. The data obtained from the analysis underwent Fisher‐ratio (F‐ratio) tile‐based analysis to identify statistically significant differences. Principal component analysis demonstrated a significant distinction between wine samples based on geographical location, using only 10 statistically significant features with the highest F‐ratio. In the samples, the following compounds were analyzed: methyl‐octadecanoate, 2‐cyanophenyl‐β‐phenylpropionate, α‐ionone, n‐octanoic acid, 1,2‐dihydro‐1,1,6‐trimethyl‐naphthalene, methyl‐hexadecanoate, ethyl‐pentadecanoate, ethyl‐decanoate, and γ‐nonalactone. These, all play an important role in cluster pattern observed on principal component analysis results. Additionally, hierarchical cluster analysis confirmed this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis (RVVC), defined as three or more episodes of vulvovaginal candidosis per year, significantly impairs quality of life (QoL) and sexual health. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess health‐related QoL in women with RVVC using validated questionnaires before and after treatment. The secondary objective was to analyse the effect of RVVC on women's sexual health. Patients/Methods: This was a sub‐analysis of a randomised, controlled, double‐blinded study titled 'A phase IIb/III, parallel‐arm, randomized, active‐controlled, double‐blind, double‐dummy, multicenter, non‐inferiority study in patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis to compare the clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of topically administered ProF‐001 (Candiplus®) to oral fluconazole, which was conducted at 35 study sites in Austria, Poland and Slovakia. QoL was assessed using the European Quality of Life (EQ) five‐dimension five‐level scale (EQ‐5D‐5L) and visual analogue scale (EQ‐VAS) questionnaires, followed by specific questions regarding sexuality. Results: From 2019 to 2021, 360 of 432 (83.3%) women with RVVC had accomplished a 6‐months maintenance treatment and were enrolled in this sub‐analysis. The EQ‐5D‐5L and EQ‐VAS scores demonstrated improved QoL in 137 (65.2%) and 159 (75.4%) women after 6 months of maintenance treatment. Each individual aspect of sexual health significantly improved (all p <.05). A reduction in pain frequency during or after sexual intercourse in the 6‐month period occurred in 124 (66.3%) women. Conclusions: Women with RVVC had high QoL and sexual health impairment; however, a 6‐months maintenance treatment resulted in effective improvement in QoL and sexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 1185 passerine birds representing five species were examined for chewing lice in reed beds in southwestern Slovakia in spring (April) 2008, 2009 and 2016. Additional collecting focused only on chewing lice from Panurus biarmicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Passeriformes: Panuridae) was carried out in spring (April), summer (July) and autumn (October) 2019. A total of 283 (24%) birds were parasitized by 10 species of chewing lice of four genera: Penenirmus, Menacanthus, Philopterus, and Brueelia. Most birds showed only very light (1–10 lice/host; 74%) to light infestations (11–20 lice/host; 16%). The authors found significantly higher prevalences and mean abundances of chewing lice on residents/short‐distance migrants, that is, P. biarmicus, Acrocephalus melanopogon (Temminck, 1823) (Passeriformes: Acrocephalidae), than on long‐distance migratory birds, that is, Acrocephalus scirpaceus (Hermann, 1804), Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Passeriformes: Acrocephalidae), Locustella luscinioides (Savi, 1824) (Passeriformes: Locustellidae). No significant difference was found in the total mean intensity of chewing lice between these two groups of birds. Ischnoceran lice were more prevalent and abundant than amblyceran lice on residents and short‐distance migrants, whereas the opposite was found on bird species that migrate long distances. A total of 146 (58%, n = 251) P. biarmicus were parasitized by 1490 chewing lice. Males of P. biarmicus showed higher prevalence and mean abundance than females with gradually descending values of prevalence, mean abundance and mean intensity from spring to autumn. The knowledge of the occurrence and population dynamics of lice on wild passerine birds can be useful in endangered species conservation programs and can also be applied to captive passerine birds, which may be analogous to resident birds in this sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In recent decades, a surge in the number of significant and uncontrolled wildfires has occurred worldwide. Global warming may amplify this trend and threaten most ecosystems worldwide. Deciduous forests are characterized by high plant diversity, and understanding their long‐term dynamics is crucial to anticipate changes in these ecosystems during ongoing global warming. The aim of this study is to understand how European beech forests have colonized the inner Eastern Carpathians and how changes in fire regime and human activities have affected their biodiversity. Location: Inner Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Slovakia. Taxon: Plantae, gymnosperms, angiosperms. Methods: Peat core was extracted from the centre of Ďurova mláka mire in 2018. A multi‐proxy approach has been applied to investigate the development of beech forest. Charcoal analysis has been done each centimetre to reconstruct the fire signal. Pollen analysis has been done at 2 cm resolution to reconstruct the vegetation composition and dynamics, and the variation in palynological richness (PRI), evenness and turnover has been analysed. Macro‐remains analysis has been performed at 10 cm resolution to add more information about the local vegetation. Results: Low diversity spruce forest was dominant until 5200 cal. BP during a fire‐prone period due to specific climatic conditions (drier climate than the following period). The higher fire frequency and intensity following this period is simultaneous with the first expansion of Fagus which indicate that Fagus could occupy post‐fire habitats, at least at the local scale. However, its dominance coincided with major gaps in fire events from 3900 cal. BP. The PRI has increased during the transition from spruce to beech forest highlighting the importance of beech forests in maintaining plant biodiversity. However, the stronger increase in the richness is synchronous with the increase in human activities around 2000 cal. BP, and then 350 cal. BP. Main Conclusions: Climate‐driven fire frequency has been a natural driver of vegetation changes in the Carpathians by promoting the emergence of high diversified beech forest. These changes were significantly modified by later increase in human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the effect of increased erosion events and decreased management intensity on the degradation of traditional vineyards. The study area is located near Vráble, Slovakia, in an area with warm dry climate with mild winters, and Luvisol and Regosol soils. For the erosion measurements, we used the pole height method, which uses vineyard poles as a passive soil‐surface marker. The erosion of a tilled vineyard increased from 33.47 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in the period 1983–2010 to 55.34 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in the period 2010–2021. In comparison, the erosion of the hoed and grassed vineyard has not changed significantly. We also quantified the regeneration of soil in abandoned vineyards. An average increase in level of the soil surface level after abandonment in 2010 was 0.56 mm yr−1. A control plot showed minimal change in the average exposed pole height over 10 years and confirmed the reliability of the pole height method. Land cover and management practices have dramatically changed in the study area over the last decade. Only 27.16% of the total vineyard area is currently tilled and potentially threatened by soil erosion. On the other hand, 35.73% of the vineyards are abandoned; abandonment is expected to continue into the future. Therefore, the loss of management associated with vineyard abandonment is more strongly linked to their degradation than increased soil erosion intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to introduce a novel view on how to evaluate the share of power held by judges in judicial governance. Its contribution to court administration and the regulation of judges is three‐fold. First, it provides a novel empirically tested conceptualization of judicial governance that includes 60 competences grouped into eight dimensions (ranging from selection and education of judges to case allocation and publication of judicial decisions). Second, it proposes a new Judicial Self‐Governance (JSG) Index that measures how much power domestic judges hold in these eight dimensions of judicial governance. Third, by applying the JSG Index to the longitudinal data for Germany, Italy, Czechia, and Slovakia this article demonstrates that the Judicial Council model is not the only institutional model of judicial governance leading to the empowerment of judges. This means that judges can hold many powers without the existence of judicial councils and even in the Ministry of Justice model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In eastern Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, historic policies led to large, monocropped agricultural landscapes resulting in degradation of traditional landscapes. In the last 20 years, the expansion of urban and industrial areas has added to this degradation. The growing interest in nature‐based solutions, including water‐retention measures, is a response to reversing landscape degradation, rejuvenating ecosystem services, and mitigating the impacts of large‐scale commercial agriculture and climate change. In this study, the costs and benefits of water‐retention measures in eastern Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are assessed. Results indicate that water‐retention measures offer increased water availability over all land use classes assessed, help increase crop productivity, and aid in landscape cooling. Croplands are suggested as being the best value for money, offering the greatest volume potentials (mean = 88 million m3), cooling effects (mean = −1.6°C), and productivity gains (mean = €66 million yr−1), while also being the cheapest to implement per unit area. Differing policies in the three states will likely result in non‐uniform selection or implementation of measures. Future work should focus on local‐level studies offering greater practical messages beyond the regional‐level analysis conducted here. This work contributes to the growing body of literature assessing the costs and benefits of water‐retention measures, including the potential for landscape cooling, lowering temperature gradients, and ecosystem restoration. As the world urbanises, and as more land is converted to homogeneous cropland, such measures may prove critical in mitigating climate change, landscape drying, flood runoff, and soil and nutrient loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We asked how geological substrate affects the distribution of plant species between forest interiors, forest edges, and steppe patches in the forest–steppe landscapes. Specifically, we sought for the presence of the edge effect at the forest–grassland transitions on different substrates. Location: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and western Ukraine. Methods: We recorded the occurrence of vascular plant species in forest interiors, at forest edges and in steppe patches on 40 forest–steppe sites located on four substrates (andesite, dolomite, limestone and loess). We compared the distribution of species diversity, beta diversity (using multivariate analysis), the number of shared species between habitats and the estimation of vegetation biomass among forest‐steppe habitats on different substrates. Results: The edge effect was observed on hard rocks, while it was absent on loess, where the ecotone species richness was intermediate between that of forest and steppe. Loess sites also had the lowest species turnover between forest and steppe and the lowest number of edge specialists. Conclusions: Substrate has a strong effect on the formation of forest–steppe mosaics. It shapes the assembly rules and plant community diversity within individual habitat mosaics. Plant communities on each substrate can respond differently to changing climate. The strong assembly rules on hard rocks may be more likely to result in species loss than on loess or similar soft sediments, where a larger number of species find their optimum in more than one forest–steppe habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Social engagement is an important active aging strategy to promote older adults' mental health. The purposes of this study were to compare social engagement in older populations around the world and explore associations with mental health outcomes. Materials and methods: An international cross‐sectional survey was conducted from 2017 to 2019. Data were retrieved from The International Social Survey Programme for a secondary data analysis across 30 countries. This study applied the Taxonomy of Social Activities and its six levels as operational definitions for a consistent concept of social engagement for international comparisons. Results: In total, 9403 older adults with a mean age of 72.85 ± 6.40 years responded. The highest levels of older adults' social engagement were found in Switzerland, Thailand, and New Zealand. Older adults of a higher age, with a lower educational level, who were permanently sick or disabled, who had no partner, who were widowed or whose civil partner had died, who lived alone, and who had lower self‐placement in society had significantly lower social engagement than did their counterparts. In the regression model, older adults' social engagement positively predicted general health, self‐accomplishment, and life satisfaction, but negatively predicted loneliness and depression. Conclusions: In aging societies worldwide, encouraging older adults' social engagement would be beneficial to promote mental health. Implications for nursing practice and health policies: Community professional nurses can develop strategies of social engagement based on the needs and sociodemographic factors of older adults to improve their mental health. Developing efficient strategies and local policies by learning from successful experiences in other countries is important to promote social engagement in aging societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertility transition is taking place in all post‐communist countries. Not many studies have been conducted at the subnational level to prove the universal nature of this transition or, on the contrary, the diversity of regional trajectories. This study attempts to reveal whether the same explanatory schemes can be applied to fertility transformation mechanisms on a regional as well as a national level. Using a principal component analysis and a cluster analysis, significant spatial differences were found. A rather unique finding is that while there is some convergence in terms of intensity, fertility tempo is a major factor for diversity. This study tries to explain regional differences and, their changes over time. Some economic factors are identified as being important for explaining spatial differences in the fertility quantum and – alongside some cultural factors – in the fertility tempo as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borrelia miyamotoi, recurrent fever borrelia, pathogenic to humans, has been found recently in Ixodes ricinus ticks. There is still little information about its circulation in nature and potential local impact on human health as well as the occurrence in natural localities. In our study, a total of 1609 ticks (745 nymphs, 358 females and 506 males) collected from different localities in eastern Slovakia were analysed using a polymerase chain reaction targeting a gene encoding glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpQ), which is specific to the Borrelia species in the relapsing fever group. B. miyamotoi was found in 3 nymphs, 6 females and 9 males of quested I. ricinus ticks. Although no human case of infection with B. miyamotoi has been reported in Slovakia yet, its presence needs to be studied to obtain knowledge regarding the prevalence and the distribution of this human pathogen in questing ticks and to increase medical healthcare awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the monitoring period of alder decline phenomenon in Slovakia, indicative symptoms of Phytophthora diseases were observed in riverside stands in Slovakia. The study aimed to test the presence and diversity of Phytophthora species in declining alder stands. The samples were collected from six stands situated by rivers/streams in the central and eastern parts of Slovakia. Phytophthora plurivora and P. cactorum were detected in soil, root and water samples. The most isolated species was P. plurivora. Both Phytophthora species have been recognized in the literature as the perpetrators of black alder dieback together with other species, such as P. alni or P. polonica. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. plurivora and P. cactorum in riverside stands with the main share of black alder in Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We question notions of the 'Americanization' of employment relations in Slovenia, Slovakia and Croatia. First, we examine the roles of unions, the use of US strategic approach to Human Resource Management (SHRM), and management perceptions of their organisations' innovativeness in the establishment of Works Council (WCs). Second, we employ the same variables in relation to the use of WCs for downward communication in these countries in comparison with what Amable (2003, https://doi.org/10.1093/019926113X.001.0001) terms the Continental European Coordinated Market Economy (CECME) of Austria, adding the CECMEs Germany and Norway as control variables. Union influence drives the adoption of WCs and their use for management downward communication. Hence, on our measures the three countries share features of the CECME category and have not been 'Americanized'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a research study of complex limestone karst engineering‐geological conditions in the municipality Valaská near Banská Bystrica in Slovakia. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the impossibility of spatial identification of cave spaces using surface geophysical methods due to the specific engineering‐geological conditions of a thick surface layer of anthropogenic fill containing highly heterogeneous anthropogenic material. Its maximum thickness is 3 m. Another specificific condition of the study area is its location in the built‐up area, due to which the applicability of geophysical methods was limited. The article contains methodological recommendations to be used in analogous geological conditions with karst structures topped with anthropogenic fill, which complicates the identification of cave spaces. The recommended solution herein is the identification of the cave system using underground mapping of the karst and its projection onto the surface for which surface geophysical methods have been combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of changes in population size and migration on variation in functional immunity genes in the previously bottlenecked population of the grey wolf, Canis lupus. Location: Eastern/Central Europe: Poland, Czechia, Slovakia. Methods: We genotyped 7 immunity genes: three MHC‐DLA genes (dog leukocyte antigen) and four Toll‐like receptor (TLR) genes among 130 wolves originating from three populations: two lowland (Baltic and Central European), and highland Carpathian. We contrasted the population structure in immunity genes with a neutral structure based on 13 microsatellites, and we analysed signatures of selection in the immunity loci. Results: We found high overall genetic variance in immunity genes and no evidence for decreased diversity in the recently established populations. The population structure in immunity loci was weak, with pairwise FST lower than for neutral markers. Although the results of neutrality tests were not significant, we identified codons under selection, both positive and negative. Main Conclusions: We demonstrated that despite recent population expansion which is expected to result in decreased genetic diversity, the diversity of immunity genes in the newly established wolf population is similar to those in the source population. This suggests that migrations do not cause allele loss in grey wolf. Signatures of selection on codon level, but not in tests using allele frequencies, suggest the contrasting effects of demography and selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well‐researched positive selectivity of international student mobility (ISM) participants with regard to parental education and social class identifies ISM as a strategy of distinction in times of a massification of tertiary education. Research has noted that returnees profit from the distinction their education gives them in the local labour market. However, studies from several countries suggest that about half of international students do not return home after graduation. How is social status transferred in these cases? The occupational statuses of ISM returnees and non‐returnees do not differ significantly. Blau and Duncan's status attainment model for returnees finds higher similarity between the occupational status of graduates and their fathers as well as a higher explained variance when compared with the model for non‐returnees. This suggests that some capitals of a graduate's family are not internationally transferable and complicates the notion of ISM as a strategy of intergenerational transfer of social status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Carpathian Mountains have been attracting palaeoecologists for a long time, recently mainly to seek direct evidence of northern cryptic refugia in this region. We investigated a rich Holocene mollusc record in the White Carpathian Mountains, capturing a gradual development of forest malacofaunas under stable environmental conditions. To obtain precise data about colonization and extinction events for particular species, we applied a high‐resolution depth‐age model. Early Holocene assemblages revealed both the presence of Early Holocene relics and an early appearance of closed‐canopy forest species that might indicate a cryptic glacial refugium nearby. Many forest species peaking at the Holocene forest optimum, including anthropophobic arboricole land snails (Bulgarica cana and Macrogastra borealis), were present since the Early Holocene as well. After 4000 cal. a BP, forest vegetation composition changed, and the environment became less suitable for woodland snails (i.e. calcium and moisture level decreased). This change was indicated by the disappearance of many sensitive forest species. Most of the exclusively forest species reappeared during the early Middle Ages because of dense beech forest development. However, in the late Middle Ages, the study site was deforested and became an open wetland. The existence of pollen, plant macro‐remains, and stable isotope data allowed us to compare the recorded mollusc succession to the signal derived from these proxies. Hence, we propose that the Mituchovci site should be considered a model for the Holocene development of mollusc woodland faunas in the (Outer) Western Carpathians and one of the main reference sites for central European mollusc succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peripartum hysterectomy is applied as a surgical intervention of last resort for major obstetric hemorrhage. It is performed in an emergency setting except for women with a strong suspicion of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), where it may be anticipated before cesarean section. The aim of this study was to compare management strategies in the case of obstetric hemorrhage leading to hysterectomy, between nine European countries participating in the International Network of Obstetric Survey Systems (INOSS), and to describe pooled maternal and neonatal outcomes following peripartum hysterectomy. Material and methods: We merged data from nine nationwide or multi‐regional obstetric surveillance studies performed in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK collected between 2004 and 2016. Hysterectomies performed from 22 gestational weeks up to 48 h postpartum due to obstetric hemorrhage were included. Stratifying women with and without PAS, procedures performed in the management of obstetric hemorrhage prior to hysterectomy between countries were counted and compared. Prevalence of maternal mortality, complications after hysterectomy and neonatal adverse events (stillbirth or neonatal mortality) were calculated. Results: A total of 1302 women with peripartum hysterectomy were included. In women without PAS who had major obstetric hemorrhage leading to hysterectomy, uterotonics administration was lowest in Slovakia (48/73, 66%) and highest in Denmark (25/27, 93%), intrauterine balloon use was lowest in Slovakia (1/72, 1%) and highest in Denmark (11/27, 41%), and interventional radiology varied between 0/27 in Denmark and Slovakia to 11/59 (79%) in Belgium. In women with PAS, uterotonics administration was lowest in Finland (5/16, 31%) and highest in the UK (84/103, 82%), intrauterine balloon use varied between 0/14 in Belgium and Slovakia to 29/103 (28%) in the UK. Interventional radiology was lowest in Denmark (0/16) and highest in Finland (9/15, 60%). Maternal mortality occurred in 14/1226 (1%), the most common complications were hematologic (95/1202, 8%) and respiratory (81/1101, 7%). Adverse neonatal events were observed in 79/1259 (6%) births. Conclusions: Management of obstetric hemorrhage in women who eventually underwent peripartum hysterectomy varied greatly between these nine European countries. This potentially life‐saving procedure is associated with substantial adverse maternal and neonatal outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a reform in the allocation of training to unemployed jobseekers in Slovakia. Under the REPAS reform, unemployed jobseekers choose a specialization and training provider. This shift in responsibility from the caseworker to the client is comparable to the introduction of training vouchers under the German HARTZ I reform. Benefiting from research available on the German case, we first estimate the positive employment effects of training participation separately for the pre‐REPAS and REPAS periods. Second, we quantify and disaggregate the overall effect of the reform, which does not appear to be driven by a change in the composition of the participants. However, for at least one training specialization, this change does play a role in the short run. The overall reform effect is not channelled through the newly created segment of rare training specializations or high‐skilled participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jalovecký Creek catchment, Slovakia (area 22.2 km2, mean elevation 1500 m a.s.l.), is likely the last big valley complex in the Carpathian Mountains, in which the hydrological cycle is still governed by natural processes. Hydrological research is conducted there since the end of the 1980s. The overall mission of the research is to increase the knowledge about the hydrological cycle in the highest part of the Carpathians. The research agenda, briefly introduced in the first part of this article, is focused on water balance, snow accumulation and melt and runoff formation. Recent analysis of precipitation, discharge, snow cover and isotopic data from period 1989–2018 indicates that hydrological cycle has become more dynamic since 2014. Although several indicators suggest that it could be related to the cold part of the year, direct links with snow storage and the contribution of snowmelt water to catchment runoff were not confirmed. The second part of the article is therefore focused on an analysis of daily cycles in streamflow in March to June 1988–2018 to obtain a deeper insight into the snowmelt process. We describe characteristics of the cycles and examine their variability over the study period. The results indicate that less snow at the lowest elevations (800–1150 m a.s.l.) since 2009 could have influenced the cessation of the cycles in June since 2010. The possible role of the decreased amount of snow at the lowest elevations in changes in runoff characteristics is also suggested by an increase in time lags between maximum discharges during the events and maximum air temperatures preceding discharge maxima measured near the catchment outlet (at 750 m a.s.l.) in spring 2018 compared to springs with a similar number of streamflow cycles in the years 1988, 2000 and 2009. Wavelet analysis did not indicate changes in global power spectra in hourly discharge and air temperature data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents and compares the social policies that the governments in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) implemented to combat the first wave of COVID‐19 pandemic by focusing on Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. Our findings show that governments in all four countries reacted to the COVID‐19 crisis by providing extensive protection for jobs and enterprises. Differences arise when it comes to solidaristic policy responses to care for the most vulnerable population, in which CEE countries show great variation. We find that social policy responses to the first wave of COVID‐19 have largely depended on precious social policy trajectories as well as the political situation of the country during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the process of adapting and validating the BIAS Map (Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes) used to measure perceived stereotypes and related social structure, emotions, and behavioral tendencies toward the Roma—Slovakia's most stigmatized ethnic minority group. In two surveys (Studies 1 and 4, n = 705) and group‐based (Study 2, n = 92) and individual (Study 3, n = 12) cognitive interviews, we integrated quantitative reliability, scalability, factor structure analysis, and qualitative inductive thematic analysis. We identified potential problems in the instruments' ecological validity and explored the limits of intergroup context‐specific interpretation to improve its psychometric properties. Besides developing a more reliable and valid measure, we make an argument for utilizing the emic‐etic mixed methods approach to enhance the intergroup context‐sensitive adaptation and validation procedure of universal measurement instruments in social psychology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear accidents do not occur frequently, but their biological, psychosocial, and/or economic consequences may be severe. Hence, a thorough preparation for nuclear emergencies is needed to provide appropriate actions. During the transition phase of an accident, it is vital to include stakeholders in the decision‐making process in order to gain support for the recovery strategy to be implemented as well as to share different perspectives, knowledge, and views on the decision problem. Because nuclear accidents are complex, involving many relevant factors that range from technical aspects such as health effects and costs to nontechnical issues such as social acceptance, a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) may facilitate the decision‐making process. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of MCDA in the transition phase of a nuclear accident. To this end, an MCDA tool, which uses the weighted sum of a set of normalized criteria, was explored in exercises carried out in panel meetings with a selected set of (largely) governmental stakeholders. The panel meetings were performed in the Netherlands and the Slovak Republic. The exercises were based on a fictitious case study that affected the urban environment of a small city. Prior to the meetings, a set of 8 possible recovery strategies was identified. The use of the MCDA tool showed that it facilitated the decision‐making process because it allowed for a structured and transparent approach in which stakeholders with diverse backgrounds can express their opinions and perspectives and reach consensus on the most appropriate recovery strategy. As such, it could be applied to a broader field of research involving any chemical release that necessitates an extended recovery strategy. Future research is needed in order to incorporate psychosocial effects of a nuclear accident as well as a broader group of stakeholders in exercises. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:376–387. © 2020 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC) KEY POINTS: A multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) tool was evaluated in panel meetings in Slovakia and the Netherlands. The tool allowed for different representations of the outcome. The MCDA clearly facilitated decision making after a nuclear accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluminous growth of new ethics management elements in corporate practice implies the need to enrich its theoretical understanding. Most studies delineate ethics management conventionally as measures primarily applied for establishing ethical norms and employee compliance. Furthermore, many models are somewhat limited in scope and amount of presented practices and usually do not conceptualize ethics management functions beyond traditional compliance‐integrity discussion. In addition, most models are not grounded in empirical research. With the aim to contribute to ethics management theory and bridge it with practice, this study employs a constructivist approach and maps best practices in ethics management via four focus groups with management professionals. Results suggest that ethics management can be viewed as a fundamentally participative and collaborative process, as a way of building relationships with external stakeholders, balancing structured planning and flexible change, and profoundly amalgamating with human resource management processes. Furthermore, in an Inventory of best practices encompassing 70 ethics practices, this study outlines nine functional subprocesses as key aspects of ethics management's practical implementation. As the research was conducted in Slovakia, this study provides unique information on the recent developments in ethics management in one of the post‐transitional countries in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the variables that can be employed to characterize agricultural drought, soil drought is of particular importance. This contribution uses gridded soil‐drought values calculated from the SoilClim model for the 1961–2019 period to analyse soil drought episodes (based on the 10th percentile) in four lowlands, relatively homogeneous regions in central Europe that provide a longitudinal transect over central Europe. These areas are predominantly located at altitudes of below 400 m asl and include central Bohemia, southern Moravia and an adjacent part of Slovakia, southern Slovakia and eastern Slovakia. The results indicate that, after 1990, such episodes occurred largely in the summer half‐year (April–September), accompanied by an increasing linear trend in the 1961–2019 period, while the situation was reversed in the winter half‐year (October–March). Selected drought episodes are further divided into three phases (Phase I – origin, Phase II – course, Phase III – end) and investigated separately in terms of precipitation and objective classification of circulation types based on flow strength, direction and vorticity. Decreases in the frequency of precipitation‐rich cyclonic and the directional types associated with higher daily precipitation totals, together with increases in precipitation‐poor anticyclonic types, were responsible for soil‐drought Phases I and II, with the opposite pertaining to Phase III. Differences in the effects of circulation types on precipitation and soil‐drought occurrence were considerable, particularly for central Bohemia compared with the other three regions. The results obtained are also discussed with respect to data uncertainty and their broader spatiotemporal context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seminatural habitats are declining throughout the world; thus, the role of small anthropogenic habitats in the preservation of plants is becoming increasingly appreciated. Here, we surveyed the orchid flora of roadside verges in five Central European countries (Austria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and tested how the surrounding landscape matrix affects the overall number of species and individuals, and also different functional groups of orchids. We found more than 2,000 individuals of 27 orchid species during our surveys. According to our results, the increasing coverage of agricultural and urban areas negatively affects both the number of orchid species and individuals on roadsides. Our study further suggests that differences in the surrounding habitats affect which species are found on roadsides, since the increasing coverage of grasslands or forested areas around orchid occurrences had a significant positive effect on the number of grassland or forest‐dwelling species and individuals, respectively. Most variance in orchid numerosity and diversity was explained by the cover of the suitable habitat types of the respective taxa in the surrounding landscape of the sampling points. This highlights the importance of roadsides acting as refugia for numerous species and valuable plant communities as well as in supporting biodiversity in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the monitoring of oak decline phenomenon in Slovakia, symptoms indicative of Phytophthora diseases were observed in sessile oak stands in western Slovakia. The study aimed to test the presence and diversity of Phytophthora species associated with declining oak stands. From rhizosphere soil samples, Phytophthora plurivora, P. quercina and Pythium intermedium were detected. Soil inoculation tests with P. plurivora and P. quercina on 1‐year‐old oak plants inflicted damage to the root system, and significant differences in measured root parameters between the inoculated and control treatments after 5 months. Although more wilting symptoms were observed in P. plurivora—infected seedlings (7 out of 12 inoculated seedlings), P. quercina caused the highest amount of damage to root systems, and for example, fine root length was 1.6 times shorter compared to the control. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. plurivora and P. quercina in sessile oak stands in Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to elucidate drug prescription patterns in older European people with the objective to support regulatory contextualisation of (1) the suitability of enrolment criteria for new clinical trials; and (2) the understanding of the potential interactions/incompatibilities of newly authorised medicines with those most frequently used by older people. Methods: Medicines agencies in Portugal, Poland, Slovakia and England were approached to provide a list of the 10 most frequent prescriptions in 2016 for systemically used medicines per active substances (i.e. ATC level 5), in older people. For each active substance and for the most common therapeutic subgroups (i.e. ATC level 2), the percentages of older patients receiving at least one prescription were calculated per older age categories (65–74; 75–84; 85+) and gender. Results: There was considerable alignment in the most commonly prescribed active substances and therapeutic subgroups represented; these were gastroprotectants (A02), lipid‐modifying agents (C10) and analgesics (N02). Some gender differences were observed (A02 and N02 were prescribed more frequently to women), but trends on age categories were consistent; A02 and N02 prescriptions continued to rise with age, while C10 slightly decreased in the 85+ age group in all countries. Conclusions: The findings of this study are consistent with the major chronic diseases reported in the older European population. Evidence on co‐medication of newly applied medicines with the currently identified most commonly used medicines in older people should be generated during the (non)clinical development of new medicines to support regulatory assessment and adequate user information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]