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This paper deals with the use of social networks in agricultural enterprises and focuses mainly on their role and share in increasing the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises in the market. Primary data were obtained from an extensive survey of the development of information and communication technologies in agricultural enterprises, which was conducted in the first quarter of 2021 throughout the Czech Republic (“Survey 2021”). The research was primarily focused on capturing current trends in the use of ICT with emphasis on selected key areas (broadband, social networks, communication tools, regional Internet portals, used hardware categories, used software, mobile communications, Internet of Things, data storage and security, social networks, etc.). This survey builds on previous extensive surveys conducted by the Department of Information Technologies, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, CULS in Prague in several phases since 1999, with the last stage being conducted in 2017. Some surveys were conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of Czech Republic.Compared to recent years, the survey includes new domains, such as the use of the Internet of Things in plant and animal production, data storage and security, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company's core operations, etc. The survey was prepared, conducted and administered by the Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Life Sciences Prague.

Sentiment analysis is currently the most actively researched topic in the field of natural language processing, however, despite it being such a powerful tool, it is not very widely used in the agrarian sector. This research focuses on the discovery and analysis of scientific literature related to Sentiment analysis in agriculture, to provide an overview of how and where Sentiment analysis is used in the agrarian sector and which methods are most commonly used. This article also discusses which applications of Sentiment analysis yield the most benefits and suggests a direction for future research.

The aim of this study was the analysis of WNT10A variants in seven families of probands with various forms of tooth agenesis and self-reported family history of cancer.We enrolled 60 young subjects (aged 13 to 17) from the Czech Republic with various forms of tooth agenesis. Dental phenotypes were assessed using Planmeca ProMax 3D (Planmeca Oy, Finland) with Planmeca Romexis software (version 2.9.2) together with oral examinations. After screening PAX9, MSX1, EDA, EDAR, AXIN2 and WNT10A genes on the Illumina MiSeq platform (Illumina, USA), we further analyzed the evolutionarily highly conserved WNT10A gene by capillary sequencing in the seven families.All the detected variants were heterozygous or compound heterozygous with various levels of phenotypic expression. The most severe phenotype (oligodontia) was found in a proband who was compound heterozygous for the previously identified WNT10A variant p.Phe228Ile and a newly discovered c.748G A variant (p.Gly250Arg) of WNT10A. The newly identified variant causes substitution of hydrophobic glycine for hydrophilic arginine.We suggest that the amino acid changes in otherwise highly conserved sequences significantly affect the dental phenotype. No relationship between the presence of WNT10A variants and a risk of cancer has been found.Screening of PAX9, MSX1, EDA, EDAR, AXIN2 and WNT10A genes in hope to elucidate the pattern of inheritance in families.

The paper focuses on the analysis of the applicability of usability and UX methods in the development of applications intended for use in the agrarian sector. In addition to an overview of methods and approaches suitable for this purpose, the process of advanced adoption of the UX methods in the development of agrarian software products is also described. The article also discusses ways to enable partially automated, time-efficient, and cost-effective solutions for the creation of interfaces for agricultural applications. Possibilities of future development and technologies related to the usability of products in agriculture are also outlined. The article thus covers the concept for optimizing the development of agricultural products. The main contribution is the input analysis for the future development of the agrarian design system. From such a synthesized system design, it is then possible to create application interfaces that should have seamless usability and good UX.

Background Secondary prevention of atherosclerotic vascular diseases represents a cascade of procedures to reduce the risk of future fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events. We sought to determine whether the expression of selected microRNAs influenced mortality of stable chronic cardiovascular patients. Methods The plasma concentrations of five selected microRNAs (miR-1, miR-19, miR-126, miR-133 and miR-223) were quantified in 826 patients (mean age 65.2 years) with stable vascular disease (6–36 months after acute coronary syndrome, coronary revascularization or first-ever ischemic stroke). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were followed during our prospective study. Results Low expression (bottom quartile) of all five miRNAs was associated with a significant increase in five-year all-cause death, even when adjusted for conventional risk factors, treatment, raised troponin I and brain natriuretic protein levels [hazard risk ratios (HRRs) were as follows: miR-1, 1.65 (95% CI: 1.16–2.35); miR-19a, 2.27 (95% CI: 1.59–3.23); miR-126, 1.64 (95% CI: 1.15–2.33); miR-133a, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.01–2.12) and miR-223, 2.05 (95% CI: 1.45–2.91)]. Nearly similar results were found if using five-year cardiovascular mortality as the outcome. However, if entering all five miRNAs (along with other covariates) into a single regression model, only low miR-19a remained a significant mortality predictor; and only in patients with coronary artery disease [3.00 (95% CI: 1.77–5.08)], but not in post-stroke patients [1.63 (95% CI: 0.94–2.86)]. Conclusions In stable chronic coronary artery disease patients, low miR-19a expression was associated with a substantial increase in mortality risk independently of other conventional cardiovascular risk factors.

Recently, the process of data opening has intensified, especially thanks to the involvement of many institutions that have not yet shared their data. Some entities provided data to the public long before the trend of open data was pushed to a wider level, but many institutions have only engaged in this process recently thanks to a systemic state-level effort to make data repositories available to the public. Therefore, there are many new potential sources of data available for research, including the area of water management. This article analyses the current state of available data in the Czech Republic—their content, structure, format, availability, costs and other indicators that affect the usability of these data for independent researchers in the area of water management. The case study was conducted to ascertain the levels of accessibility and usability of data in open data repositories and the possibilities of obtaining data from IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as networked sensors where required data is either not available from existing sources, too costly, or otherwise unsuitable for the research. The goal of the underlying research was to assess the impact/ratio of various watershed factors based on monitored indicators of water pollution in a model watershed. Such information would help propose measures for reducing the volume of pollution resulting in increased security in terms of available drinking water for the capital city Prague.

The article describes the concept of deploying IoT technologies within the environment of agrarian operations using a system approach with a focus on fuzzy logic. In addition to the introductory acquaintance with IoT and fuzzy theory, the paper focuses on specific possibilities of applying the fuzzy approach, especially in the case of animal husbandry. The main benefit for this field is the fulfillment of welfare principles and the achievement of economic savings based on optimization. The article also showcases a practical implementation of a demonstrative solution in the JavaScript programming language using data from IoT sensors.

The aim of this article is to propose a methodology for improving the sharing of data between applications that support scientific activity, which are focused on agriculture, aquaculture, rural development, etc. The presented methodological approach is referred to as Enriched Data Sharing Methodology (EDSM). The presented methodology is based on two analyzes. The analysis of the data formats used for the metadata description of digital objects and the description of their mutual relations. And analysis of dictionaries of controlled descriptors. The article presents part of the results of author ’s dissertation thesis.

This paper deals with Potential Induced Degradation (PID) of p-type monocrystalline PV modules (Evergreen) from a photovoltaic power plant that has been in operation mode for 7 years. Within the PV module affected by the PID degradation, the effect of the electric field on individual PV cells is studied. The distribution of the electric field was simulated by SolidWorks software. The results show a random distribution of affected PV cells not related to the size and distribution of the electric field intensity. Furthermore, the dependencies of negative voltage potential on the range of PID degradation of individual PV modules located in the negative pole of the PV string is made. From measured current voltage characteristics (measured at STC), it is evident that the value of negative voltage potential is not directly proportional to the PID occurrence. These results are supplemented by electroluminescence images which confirm this finding.

This work deals with the development of stable perovskite solar cell structure. In the research, two sets of perovskite photovoltaic cells were manufactured with a different way of their production. In the first series, an active perovskite layer CH3NH3PbI3-xClx was applied in a glovebox with N2 atmosphere. In the second series was used glove box filled with air with controlled 15% relative humidity. Perovskite solar cells were analyzed for the most frequent degradation mechanism, which is moisture. XRD measurements revealed decomposition of the active perovskite structure with lead iodide increase. XRD measurements, along with EDS analysis, have also confirmed that chlorine is not in the perovskite structure and applies only during the manufacturing process. According to the output parameters of the cells, along with the changes in the perovskite structure, it was found that solar cells manufactured in the controlled humidity environment are more stable. However, they do not achieve such conversion efficiency as cells produced in an inert atmosphere.

The evaluation of websites at the Department of Information Technologies has so far been largely focused on the websites of towns, municipalities, or regional Internet portals. In the submitted article, we focused on evaluation of food and farmers’ e-shops. As the new generation grows in the digital age and it is accustomed to search for and buy goods in this environment, we have decided to focus on this issue. To ensure that the user repeatedly returns, you need to recognize what services he requires. For the purposes of evaluation, we determined 25 parameters, in which 12 are new parameters focused on the service category and used them for evaluation of nine food and farmers’ e-shops: 5 Czech, 2 British, and 2 Greek. It turned out that comparing Czech and foreign e-shops with the same parameters is not entirely appropriate. Some parameters can only be applied in the Czech environment (like cash on delivery), which was not even offered in evaluated foreign e-shops. Similarly, the option for free pickup at the designated place was also not available. If we would evaluate Czech and foreign e-shops separately, kosik.cz would be the winner among Czech e-shops and yolenis.com among foreign e-shops.

User-Technological Index of Precision Agriculture (UTIPA) is a comprehensive system based on mutual sharing of opinions and experience within community of people related to precision agriculture – farmers, technology suppliers, and researchers. The main goal of UTIPA is to present the calculated index level for a particular technology (method) for precision agriculture and compare it to the indexes of other technologies. The index is based on evaluation of technological advancement and applicability for agricultural practice. The paper discusses methods for collecting data from questionnaires in general and elaborates on the technical solution developed specifically for data collection for UTIPA. The system also allows all participants who filled in the entry questionnaire to access the results. There are various visualizations and data views available.

Lze považovat za prokazane, že i pacienti po ischemicke cevni mozkove přihodě (iCMP) maji prospěch z naležitě provaděne sekundarni prevence. Cilem studie bylo zhodnotit změny v adherenci k lecebným cilům sekundarni prevence (definovaným soucasnými doporucenimi) po roce 2007 u ceských pacientů po iCMP.Porovnany byly dvě nezavisle deskriptivni studie, realizovane v letech 2007 a 2012. Konsekutivni pacienti mladsi 81 let po potvrzene prvni iCMP byli identifikovani a vysetřeni minimalně sest měsiců po teto přihodě. Studijni populace zahrnovala dva soubory, 341 a 424 pacientů o průměrnem věku 69,0 (± SD 9,1) a 66,8 (± SD 10,4) roku. Vedeni lecby cevni mozkove přihody v akutnim stadiu se mezi lety 2007 a 2012/2013 zlepsilo. Podil pacientů hospitalizovaných na iktove jednotce se signifikantně zvýsil ze 6,5 na 41,8 %, zatimco indikace inicialni trombolýzy stoupla z 2,4 % na 22,2 %. V sekundarni prevenci se rovněž zvýsila preskripce statinů z 52,2 % na 62,0 % a clopidogrelu z 0 % na 18,4 %.V prvni studii (2007) bylo asi 39 % pacientů obeznich, 61 % mělo zvýsený krevni tlak, 68 % bylo hypercholesterolemických a 33 % vykazovalo suboptimalni kontrolu glykemie. Ze zakladnich parametrů sekundarni prevence se pouze kontrola hypercholesterolemie mirně zlepsila do roku 2012/2013 (podil pacientů s LDL cholesterolem ≥ 2,5 mmol/l klesl z 67,9 % na 58,3 %).Pacienti vysetřeni v roce 2007 take vykazovali obzvlastě vysoke riziko mortality, pětileta celkova mortalita a mortalita z kardiovaskularnich přicin cinily 25,8 % a 19,9 %.Souhrnně přes jednoznacne zlepseni lecby v akutnim stadiu skutecna klinicka praxe v sekundarni prevenci iCMP zdaleka neni optimalni.

Matrix Gla protein (MGP), a natural inhibitor of calcification, strongly correlates with the extent of coronary calcification. Vitamin K is the essential cofactor for the activation of MGP. The nonphosphorylated-uncarboxylated isoform of MGP (dp-ucMGP) reflects the status of this vitamin. We investigated whether there is an association between dp-ucMGP and stiffness of elastic and muscular-type large arteries in a random sample from the general population. In a cross-sectional design, we analyzed 1087 subjects from the Czech post-MONICA study. Aortic and femoro-popliteal pulse wave velocities (PWVs) were measured using a Sphygmocor device. Dp-ucMGP concentrations were assessed in freshly frozen samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods using the InaKtif MGP iSYS pre-commercial kit developed by IDS and VitaK. Aortic PWV significantly (P0.0001) increased across the dp-ucMGP quartiles. After adjustment for all potential confounders, aortic PWV independently correlated with dp-ucMGP (with beta coefficient (s.d.) 11.61 (5.38) and P-value=0.031). In a categorized manner, subjects in the top quartile of dp-ucMGP (⩾ 671 pmol l(-1)) had a higher risk of elevated aortic PWV, with corresponding adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.73 (1.17-2.5). In contrast, no relation between dp-ucMGP and femoro-popliteal PWV was found. In conclusion, increased dp-ucMGP, which is a circulating biomarker of vitamin K status and vascular calcification, is independently associated with aortic stiffness, but not with stiffness of distal muscular-type arteries.

Earthquake swarm occurrence beneath volcanic domains is one of the indicators of current magmatic activity in the Earth’s crust. Repeated occurrence of teleseismically recorded earthquake swarms has been observed in the lithospheric wedge of the southern Ryukyu area above the subducting slab of the Philippine Sea Plate. The swarms were analyzed using the EHB, ISC and JMA catalogs of hypocenter parameters. The swarm earthquakes are shallow (1–60 km), in the body-wave magnitude range up to 5.8. The swarms are distributed beneath the seafloor, parallel to the Ryukyu Trench along a belt connecting active subaerial volcanoes Io-Torishima north-east and Kueishantao west of the investigated area. Epicentral zones of the swarms often coincide with distinct elevations at the seafloor—seamounts and seamount ranges. The top of the subducting slab reaches a depth of about 100 km beneath the zones of earthquake swarm occurrence, which is an average depth of a slab beneath volcanoes in general. The repeated occurrence of relatively strong, teleseismically recorded earthquake swarms thus probably reflects fluid and/or magma migration in the plumbing system of the volcanic arc and points to brittle character of the lithospheric wedge at respective depths. In addition to the factual results, this study documents the high accuracy of hypocenter parameter determinations published by the International Seismological Centre and the usefulness of the EHB relocation procedure.

Article analyzes chosen aspects of Internet of Things (IoT) in general and in regards to its specific uses in agriculture, which is one of the areas where IoT is commonly implemented. It serves as a primary delve into the issues of IoT as part of the grant received from Internal Grant Agency of Faculty of Economics and Management at CULS Prague called “Potential use of the Internet of Things, with emphasis on rural development and agrarian sector”. Article overviews IoT equipment categorization, platforms, standards and network solutions. It focuses on network infrastructure, which is the foundation for IoT implementation. The specific environmental conditions of Czech Republic are also taken into account. Lastly, basic development trends of IoT are defined.

Tooth agenesis is one of the most common craniofacial disorders in humans. More than 350 genes have been associated with teeth development. In this study, we enrolled 60 child patients (age 13 to 17) with various types of tooth agenesis. Whole gene sequences of PAX9, MSX1, AXIN2, EDA, EDAR and WNT10a genes were sequenced by next generation sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. We found previously undescribed heterozygous nonsense mutation g.8177G>T (c.610G>T) in MSX1 gene in one child. Mutation was verified by Sanger sequencing. Sequencing analysis was performed in other family members of the affected child. All family members carrying g.8177G>T mutation suffered from oligodontia (missing more than 6 teeth excluding third molars). Mutation g.8177G>T leads to a stop codon (p.E204X) and premature termination of Msx1 protein translation. Based on previous in vitro experiments on mutation disrupting function of Msx1 homeodomain, we assume that the heterozygous g.8177G>T nonsense mutation affects the amount and function of Msx1 protein and leads to tooth agenesis.

Aim: We speculated whether DRD2 or CHRN subunit polymorphisms might be associated with the risk of smoking cessation failure in subjects after coronary heart disease (CHD) manifestation. Methods: A total of 964 patients with CHD, mean age 64.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 9.0), examined in the EUROASPIRE III and IV surveys were genotyped for rs1800497 (DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1A), rs578776 (CHRNA5-A3–B4), rs16969968 (CHRNA5) and rs1051730 (CHRNA3) SNPs. Results: The presence of DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1A minor T allele was independently associated with increased relative risk of smoking persistence (odds ratio: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.13–4.35). We observed no association between CHRN SNPs and smoking habit. Conclusion: DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1A polymorphism is associated with a decreased likelihood of smoking cessation in patients after CHD manifestation.

Objective:Titanium and titanium alloys represent generally accepted metallic biomaterials for clinical dentistry and dental implantology. In this paper, we present a Ti-35.5Nb-5.7Ta alloy with a special respect to its microstructure and mechanical characteristics, such as Young modulus of elasticity. Methods:Three thermal treatments differing in temperature and time of annealing were used during the Ti-35.5Nb-5.7Ta processing in order to evaluate the effects of ageing, melting annealing, and annealing on mechanical characteristics and microstructure. Results: Using microscopy, the alloy was analyzed and the differences in shares of beta phase grains, alpha particles and precipitates evaluated. The three thermal treatments were evaluated also from technological point of view. Conclusion:The following thermal treatment was found optimal for the Ti-35.5Nb-5.7Ta alloy: melting annealing at 800 degrees C for 0.5 hour followed by a cold swaging with a 52-79 % deformation, and final hardening at 500 C for 2 hours in water(Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 24).

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is independently associated with cardiovascular risk, probably via inflammatory activity in sclerotic plaque. We speculated whether Lp-PLA2 has a role in the aetiology of vascular calcifications, estimated from circulating uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein (MGP) species and whether we could find a potential interaction of Lp-PLA2 and MGP in terms of mortality.We examined 798 patients (mean age 65.1 years) with stable vascular disease and followed them in a prospective study. Both, desphospho-uncarboxylated and total MGP (dp-ucMGP or t-ucMGP) were quantified by pre-commercial ELISA assays, developed by VitaK (Maastricht, The Netherland)Lp-PLA2 activity was independently positively associated with desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP) [β coeff = 0.098, p=0.006]. 1SD of Lp-PLA2 activity was associated with 37% increased risk (p=0.001) of elevated dp-ucMGP (≥977 pmol/L, top quartile). In the Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for conventional risk factors, the patients in the highest quartile of dp-ucMGP or lowest quintile of total-uncarboxylated ucMGP (2660 nmol/L) had higher risk of all-cause mortality [HRR 2.79 (95% CI 1.97-3.94) and HRR 1.69 (95% CI 1.18-2.42), respectively]. We observed no effect of high Lp-PLA2 activity (≥195 nmol/min/mL) on total mortality.We assume that Lp-PLA2 is involved in vascular calcification and that dp-ucMGP is a more appropriate biomarker of residual risk than Lp-PLA2 itself.

To determine the relationships between technological innovation, economic effectiveness and practical usability is one of the main goals of precision agriculture. There is real demand of farmers for technological development for their tools, but many technologically advanced methods have failed to reach their expectations in practice. The effectiveness and usefulness depends on local conditions, cultivated crops and varies in different countries. For the comparison between the methods of precision agriculture in terms of the relationship of technological advancement and application in practice was designed "user - technological index of precision agriculture" (UTIPA). UTIPA is based on the mutual sharing of ideas and experiences between industry-focused community of people related to precision agriculture - farmers, technology suppliers and researchers. It includes areas of crop production, livestock production and forestry. Evaluation of different methods is conducted from the perspective of technological sophistication and usability in practice. Obtained data is processed by various statistical methods including cluster analysis and then visualized and made available online for the whole community.

Background We aimed to clarify the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) as assessed by different definitions on the cardiovascular mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods A total of 1692 patients, 6–24 months after myocardial infarction and/or coronary revascularization at baseline, were followed in a prospective cohort study. MetS was identified using four different definitions: standard National Cholesterol Education Program definition (NCEP-ATPIII) based on the presence of ≥ 3 of the following factors: increased waist circumference, raised blood pressure, hypetriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased fasting glycemia; modified NCEP-ATPIII definition (similar, but omitting antihypertensive treatment as an alternative criterion); presence of “atherogenic dyslipidemia”; or “hypertriglyceridemic waist”. The primary outcome was a fatal cardiovascular event at 5 years. Results During 5-year follow-up, 117 patients (6.9%) died from a cardiovascular cause. Patients with MetS by modified NCEP-ATPIII (n = 1066, 63.0% of the whole sample) had significantly higher 5-year cardiovascular mortality [adjusted hazard risk ratio (HRR) 2.01 [95%CI:1.26–3.22]; p = 0.003] than subjects without MetS. However, when testing single MetS component factors, the majority of attributable mortality risk was driven by increased fasting glycemia (≥ 5.6 mmol/L) [HRR 2.69 (95%CI:1.29–5.62), p = 0.009] and the significance of MetS disappeared. None of the other MetS definitions, i.e., standard NCEP-ATPIII (n = 1210; 71.5%), “hypertriglyceridemic waist” (n = 455; 26.9%) or “atherogenic dyslipidemia” (n = 223; 13.2%) were associated with any significant mortality risk. Conclusions The co-incidence of MetS has a limited mortality impact in CHD patients, while an increase in fasting glycemia seems to be more a specific marker of mortality risk.

Enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) and satisfaction of mobile phone user are major concerns of a service provider. In order to manage network efficiently and to provide enhanced end to end Quality of Experience (QoE), operator is expected to measure and analyze QoS from various perspectives and at different relevant points of network. The scope of this paper is measurement and statistically analysis of QoS of mobile networks from end user perspective in Afghanistan. The study is based on primary data collected on random basis from 1,515 mobile phone users of five cellular operators. The paper furthermore proposes adequate technical solutions to mobile operators in order to address existing challenges in the area of QoS and to remain competitive in the market. Based on the result of processed data, considering geographical locations, population and telecom regulations of the government, authors recommend deployment of small cells (SCs), increasing number of regular performance tests, optimal placement of base stations, increasing number of carriers, and high order sectorization as proposed technical solutions., in AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics' and Informatics. December 2016

Aim: The definition of metabolic syndrome (MetSy) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) remains problematic because of concomitant treatment. We speculate, which definition is suitable in terms of long-term glycemic status. Methods: We analyzed 979 patients with stable CHD. Four different MetSy definitions were used: ‘standard Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP)’, ‘modified ATP’ (not using antihypertensive treatment as an alternative criterion), ‘atherogenic dyslipidemia’ or ‘hypertriglyceridemic waist’. Results: The presence of ‘hypertriglyceridemic waist’ was associated with almost twofold higher risk (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.19 – 2.68) of hemoglobin A1c ≥48. Predictive power of standard or modified ATP definitions diminished after adjustment. Conclusion: In CHD patients, the simplified MetSy definition using ‘hypertriglyceridemic waist’ provides better prediction for glycemic control than ATP definition.

Background: Vitamin K is the essential co-factor for activation of matrix Gla-protein (MGP), the natural inhibitor of tissue calcification. Biologically inactive, desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP) is a marker of vascular vitamin K status and is described to predict mortality in patients with heart failure and aortic stenosis. We hypothesized that increased dp-ucMGP might be associated with mortality risk in clinically stable patients with chronic vascular disease. Materials and methods: We examined 799 patients (mean age 65.1 +/- 9.3 years) who suffered from myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization or first ischemic stroke (pooled Czech samples of EUROASPIRE III and EUROASPIRE-stroke surveys), and followed them in a prospective cohort study. To estimate the 5-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality we ascertained vital status and declared cause of death. Circulating dp-ucMGP and desphospho-carboxylated MGP (dp-cMGP) were measured by ELISA methods (IDS and VitaK). Results: During a median follow-up of 2050 days (5.6 years) 159 patients died. In the fully adjusted multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, the patients in the highest quartile of dp-ucMGP (>= 977 pmol/L) had higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular 5-year mortality [HRR 1.89 (95% CI, 1.32-2.72) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.22-2.90)], respectively. Corresponding HRR for dp-cMGP were 1.76 (95% CI, 1.18-2.61) and 1.79 (95% CI, 1.12-2.57). Conclusions: In patients with overt vascular disease, circulating dp-ucMGP and dp-cMGP were independently associated with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Since published results are conflicting regarding the dp-cMGP, we propose only circulating dp-ucMGP as a potential biomarker for assessment of additive cardiovascular risk.

Elevated lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity (aLp-PLA2) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. In patients with stable atherovascular disease, we aimed to investigate whether impaired glucose metabolism might be associated with higher risk of elevated aLp-PLA2.We conducted a cross-sectional study in 825 stable patients after acute coronary syndrome, coronary revascularization or after first ischemic stroke (Czech part of EUROASPIRE III surveys). We measured aLp-PLA2 using diaDexus commercial kit.In multiple step-wise regression analysis, the aLp-PLA2 was significantly positively associated with male gender, current smoking, LDL cholesterol and metabolic syndrome and negatively with statin treatment, body mass index and LDL/apoB ratio. After adjustment for these confounders, we observed an inverse relationship between aLp-PLA2 and fasting glycemia [β coefficient -2.18 (p0.0001)] or glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) [β coefficient -5.89 (p0.0001)]. Moreover, we found a positive association between aLp-PLA2 and pancreatic β cell function [β coefficient +0.10 (p0.0001)], but not with an insulin sensitivity.In present study, we cannot confirm any additive risk of impaired glucose metabolism in terms of increased activity of Lp-PLA2. On the contrary, presence of inadequately controlled diabetes mellitus was independently associated with lower risk of elevated aLp-PLA2 .

IntroductionThe main objectives of cardiovascular prevention are to maintain risk factor management through lifestyle changes and use of cardioprotective medicines to reduce morbidity and mortality, and to improve quality of life.ObjectivesTo determine, in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), whether the treatment goals as defined by the current European guidelines on secondary prevention are implemented in clinical practice.MethodsA total of 650 consecutive patients, men and women aged ≤80 years when hospitalized for any of the following first or recurrent discharge diagnoses or treatments for CHD were retrospectively identified from hospital records: (i) coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), (ii) percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), (iii) acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and (iv) acute myocardial ischemia. The starting date for identification was not less than 6 months and not more than 3 years prior to the expected date of the study interview. Data collection was based on a review of medical records and the interview.ResultsIn total, 493 respondents were interviewed. Among them, 17% were smokers, 42% were obese, 86% were overweight or obese, 69% had central obesity, 71% had low physical activity, 75% had raised blood pressure (≥130/80mmHg, according to the 2007 guidelines), 39% had elevated LDL-cholesterol (≥2.5mmol/l), and 48% had overt diabetes (declared diabetes treatment or fasting glucose >7.0mmol/l). At interview, 92% of patients were treated with aspirin or other antiplatelets, 85% with beta-blockers, 82% with ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and 93% with statins. Only a minority of the patients followed the non-pharmacologic secondary prevention recommendations.ConclusionAmong coronary patients, prevalence of overweight, obesity, and diabetes increased. Although pharmacotherapy is used in a majority of secondary prevention in patients, the recommended levels of blood pressure, lipid, and glucose metabolism are largely not achieved. Also, implementation of non-pharmacologic interventions of lifestyle factors remains unsatisfactory.

Diagnostic of silicon solar cells defects is permanently one of most important steps in production of solar cells. Specify of diagnostic methods leads to a better understanding and more detailed analysis of manufactured cells. Luminescence methods of solar cells are fast and some of the most common methods today. According to the excitation method of luminescence radiation from silicon solar cells we talk about electroluminescence or photoluminescence methods. Spectral response of using CCD camera with those methods is in band-gap infrared wave length area. The main idea of this paper is to analyze emitted infrared radiation silicon solar cell under the forward bias by polarization spectroscopy. This analysis opens up for potential next new questions in diagnostics defects silicon solar cells by luminescence methods.

A sequence of 98 teleseismically recorded earthquakes occurred off the east coast of Kamchatka at depths between 10-90 km around latitude 52.5°N and longitude 160°E on May 16–23, 2013. The swarm occurred along the northern limit of the rupture area of the 1952 Mw 9.0 great Kamchatka earthquake, the fifth largest earthquake in the history of seismic observations. On May 24, 2013 the strongest deep earthquake ever recorded of Mw 8.3 occurred beneath the Sea of Okhotsk at a depth of 610 km in the Pacific slab of the Kamchatka subduction zone, becoming the northernmost deep earthquake in the region. The deep Mw 8.3 earthquake occurred down-dip of the shallow swarm in a transition zone between the southern deep and northern shallow segments of the Pacific slab. Several deep aftershocks followed, covering a large, laterally elongated part of the slab. We suppose that the two described earthquake sequences, the May 16–23 shallow earthquake swarm and the May 24–28 deep mainshock-aftershock series, represent a single tectonic event in the Pacific slab having distinct properties at different depth levels. A low-angle underthrusting of the shallow part of the slab recorded by the shallow earthquake swarm activated the deep part; this process induced the deep mainshock-aftershock series only three days after the swarm. The domain of the subducting slab activated by the May 2013 earthquake occurrence was extraordinarily large both down-dip and along-strike.

Seismicity pattern in the Andaman Sea region has been analysed to interpret recent dynamics of regional submarine volcanic provinces. Hypocentral determinations and focal mechanisms of available global seismological data have been used. Frequent occurrence of earthquake swarms proved to be an important characteristic of seismicity pattern in the investigated region. Epicenters of the earthquake swarms are situated almost exclusively along a narrow belt forming the easternmost limit of the epicentral area of the Andaman Sea region. The southern zone of the belt between 6° and 10.5° N is trench parallel and coincides with the northward prolongation of the Sumatra volcanic arc. The northern zone of the belt between 10.5° and 13° N is deflected by about 45° northeast and precisely follows the complicated zigzag pattern of the rift system in the middle of the Andaman Basin. Earthquake occurrence in these two zones, the northern and the southern, differs by several aspects — by shape of the epicentral zones of individual swarms, by focal mechanisms and by response to the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman great earthquake. These differences, together with available information on composition of magmas found at the seafloor, lead us to the conclusion that the swarms of the southern zone are induced by intrusions of subduction-generated calc-alkaline magmas whereas the swarms in the northern zone by intrusions of basaltic magmas associated with the seafloor spreading. Earthquake swarm occurrence defines a brittle, seismogenic layer at depths between 9 and 35 km, excludes the existence of large magma reservoirs in respective depth interval and puts their hypothetical location to a greater depth. Episodes of magma ascent from deeper reservoir to shallow magma chamber (depth

The paper deals with a general solution of semantic description related to various electronic data formats in the domains of agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, food industry, environment, horticulture and rural areas. The solution presented was developed on the basis of metadata formats analysis and then complemented with its own software superstructure. It is based on the VOA3R metadata application profile (AP) that was developed within the framework of the Virtual Open Access Agriculture and Aquaculture Repository project for the sake of describing research papers and scientific publications. However, thanks to its complexity and comprehensiveness, it is also suitable for different kinds of data and while combining it with the AGROVOC thesaurus, which is elaborated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it can become a robust and universal tool for data characteristics and semantic description. The potential of the proposed solution is illustrated by means of two examples. While the first example brings a metadata description of a photograph depicting anthocyanin pigmentation of barley straw caused by phosphorus deficiency, the second example is related to a research paper description. The developed system of metadata description is broadly applicable in agriculture such as in precision agriculture, in plant production or in ground cover monitoring and evaluation based on sensor or visual data.

Altogether 44 macroseismic maps for 26 weak and medium intensity earthquakes, which occurred in central Europe during the 19 th century, were found, collected and listed. Critical review shows that especially for stronger events, classified later by epicentral intensities Io ≥VI o of MSK-64 scale, advanced macroseismic maps were constructed in this region already before the settlement of macroseismic intensity scales and invention of the first seismograph at the end of 1870s. Four examples of the discussed macroseismic maps are reproduced.

The present paper is aimed at introducing a pilot study on the use of social networks in agricultural enterprises. It is focused in particular on using social media as a development tool with a view to increase the market competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. The primary data have been retrieved from a questionnaire survey of ICT use in agricultural enterprises of the Czech Republic (the so-called Exploration 2011). The questionnaire survey was targeted at agricultural enterprises farming at least the area of 100 hectares (a basic selection criterion of the complex survey). The survey dealt not only with monitoring social networks use in agricultural enterprises as such but as well with the promotional potential of social networks in agricultural enterprises with non-agricultural activities. The survey was focused on the Central Bohemian Region as it shows a high concentration of agricultural enterprises. The present view of social networks in agricultural enterprises within the framework of the above-mentioned complex survey has not been, as far as the authors are aware, neither researched nor published. The thematic focus of the paper follows recent development in this field and current world research trends. The data obtained in the survey were statistically processed and some of the interdependences were monitored.

The present paper is aimed at assessing the economic efficiency of organically farming agricultural enterprises in a chosen region of the Czech Republic. The results recorded in the organic farming sector were confronted both with conventional agriculture and FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) enterprises in the respective region. Economic efficiency has been evaluated firstly by means of a production base (equity, assets, and liabilities). Secondly, profit indicators (operating profit, accounting profit) have been employed while monitoring the share of profitable and loss-making farms. Different profitability ratios were calculated per one hectare of farmland in order to provide a thorough comparison with conventional farming. Last but not least, the research strived to assess the overall economic and financial situation of agricultural enterprises by means of the following ratios: profitability, liquidity, indebtedness, interest coverage and total assets turnover. Following the research findings, several suggestions related to the database improvement and subsequent profitability assessment in the sector were formulated. The findings presented in the paper were obtained as a result of the Research Program titled Economy of the Czech Agriculture Resources and Their Efficient Use within the Framework of the Multifunctional Agri-food Systems of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports number VZ MSM 6046070906 and Grant No. 20121057 of the Internal Grant Agency titled Organic Farming – Map Portal Presentation Opportunities.

Internal structure and recent tectonics of the geologically complex Banda Arc region (latitude 1–9°S, longitude 124–135°E) have been studied by means of the analysis of global seismological data. Relocated hypocentral determinations of the International Seismological Center (EHB data) and fault plane solutions of the Global Centroid Moment Tensor Project have been used together with previously published information on regional geology and dynamics. The analysis considered earthquakes in the lithospheric wedges above subducting slabs and earthquakes in the uppermost portions of the Wadati–Benioff zones (focal depth

This report presents the possible uses of programming equipment for creating map resources – a map portal for the development of regions (Map Portal for Region Development – MPRD 1.0). This system offers an overall solution for the presentation of maps for basically any suitable data base. The operation of the system was tested on data resources from the field of ecological agriculture – a quite wide and detailed database of organic farms and a database of biogas stations in the Czech Republic, in both cases this was a pilot project for the South Bohemia Region. The created map resources (maps) were certified by the authorised institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic.Besides supporting functions which are already considered standard today, in terms of quality the provided solution gives a new perspective on creating map resources and it includes a variety of original elements and functionalities. Equally, the data base for verification was generated and updated based on the detailed validation of the content and it aims to achieve a maximum amount of precision when locating objects on a map.