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Our research seeks to evaluate the utility of intraoperative frozen analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in the lateral cervical compartment (LCC) as a tool to inform decision-making regarding therapeutic neck dissection in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). This is particularly relevant due to the variability observed in guidelines regarding the indication for lateral neck dissection in this patient population. The study comprised 64 patients (25 males, 39 females) aged between 29 and 81 years, with a median age of 59, who underwent surgery for MTC at stage T1-3N0-1M0 between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2020. A standardized surgical approach involving total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection was adopted. LCC dissection was reserved for patients with clinically apparent nodal metastases. In patients lacking clinical evidence of nodal involvement, SLNs were identified using patent blue dye, excised, and subjected to intraoperative frozen analysis. If metastasis was confirmed, LCC dissection was subsequently performed. Among the study participants, 14 individuals (21.9%) underwent therapeutic LCC dissection due to clinical lymph node (LN) metastases. This intervention resulted in clinical remission for 9 patients, while disease progression was observed in 5 cases, leading to 2 fatalities. In the remaining cohort of 50 patients clinically negative for nodal involvement, SLNs were successfully identified and examined in 38 cases, revealing metastases in 6 patients (15.8%). Among both subsets of patients with analyzed SLNs, irrespective of metastatic status, one patient each required repeat surgery due to disease recurrence; however, all patients eventually achieved clinical remission. Lymphatic mapping in the LCC plays a pivotal role in detecting early metastases, thereby aiding in the avoidance of unnecessary repeat neck surgeries, and ultimately improving the prognosis in patients with MTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the sciurid (Rodentia, Sciuridae) remains from the early Miocene (MN4) Mokrá-Quarry sites, Moravia, Czech Republic. The sciurid assemblage in the different fissures ranges from one genus in MWQ4/2018 to three different genera in MCQ3/2005. Regarding subfamily Sciurinae, the dentognathic remains are referred to Palaeosciurus aff. fissurae, which shows an intermediate stage of evolution between Palaeosciurus fissurae and Palaeosciurus sutteri according to the development of conules in both upper and lower molars. Although the sciurid postcranial remains are left unassigned, several calcanei show strong morphological features belonging to ground squirrels, and, are therefore attributed to cf. Palaeosciurus. As for Pteromyinae subfamily, three genera were recovered (Miopetaurista, Blackia and Aliveria), including a new species: Aliveria mojmiri sp. nov. The new species shows a more specialised dental pattern and could further represent the ancestral species from which several middle Miocene genera evolved. Furthermore, some of the recovered calcanei have been here identified as cf. Aliveria, representing the first postcranial remains ever belonging to the genus, and confirm its attribution as a flying squirrel. The presence of both ground and flying squirrels is in concordance with an open landscape with patches of woodland proposed for Mokrá-Quarry sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International chronostratigraphic chart showing division of geological time and its numerical ages is regularly updated by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). The Slovak chronostratigraphic chart has not been updated since the end of the 1980s. This paper provides an overview of standard procedures for deriving Slovak terms; introduces Slovak translation of the latest version of International chronostratigraphic chart (v2021/10), and encourages the use of the new and/or updated chronostratigraphic terminology in all publications written in Slovak language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mokrá-Quarry (South Moravia, Czech Republic) represents a unique fossil site with an extraordinary abundance and diversity of vertebrate fossil remains. Most research on Mokrá-Quarry localities was focused on herpetofauna. Despite its relevance, the mammal fauna has not been yet studied in detail. In this work, the small mammals from one of the karstic fissures, Mokra'-Western Quarry (1/2001 Turtle Joint), are thoroughly described for the first time, including eight different taxa: Prolagus schnaitheimensis, Prolagus cf. vasconinensis, Rhinolophus cf. cluzeli, Rhinolophus cf. grivensis, Galerix sp., Aliveria aff. luteyni, Megacricetodon sp., and Melissiodon dominans. The Megacricetodon finds represent one of the first appearances of this cricetid in Central Europe and sheds light on the early evolution of the genus. Moreover, the small mammal assemblage confirms an early Miocene age (Burdigalian, MN4) for MWQ1/2001. The paleoenvironment inferred shows a dry karst landscape, with patches of woodlands and open steppe, together with marshy areas. • Key words: Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla, Carpathian Foredeep Basin, Moravian Karst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prepoštská jaskyňa Cave (Bojnice I) near Prievidza is an archaeological site with confirmed Neanderthal settlements. The discovered fossil material, including also osteological remains of avifauna, comes from trenches II and III excavated by Juraj Bárta in 1965–1967. The evaluated fossil and subfossil bird remains from the Last Glacial Period to Holocene demonstrated a presence of 37 species from 11 orders. The studied material was divided into four assemblages, from which the most important is the northern Lagopus-assemblage typical for cold climatic conditions of the Last Glacial. Identified bird assemblages helped to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental and climatic conditions at the site and in its vicinity. The osteological material was also taphonomically evaluated indicating activity of various taphonomic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, no fossils of cave lion (Panthera spelaea) from Slovak sites were dated by the radiocarbon method (AMS - 14C dating). The rib fragment of cave lion prime adult from Medvedia jaskyňa Cave in the Západné Tatry Mts. is the first cave lion fossil from Slovakia dated by this method in the Curt-Engelhorn-Centre Archaeometry (CEZA) in Mannheim. The analysis showed its age 44,350 ± 730 yrs BP, what is in good agreements with age of cave bear fossils from the same site, dated at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator Laboratory in Vienna. The obtained date corresponds well with the MIS 3 period, the warmer climate of which allowed also the cave lion penetration into the mountains areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The external brain morphology of a juvenile cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) from the Jasovská jaskyňa Cave is described and compared with virtual endocasts of adult specimens of cave and modern spotted hyenas. Apart from differences in the development of olfactory tubercles and posterior endocast portion, the virtual endocast of the adult cave hyena has predominantly more developed sulcal and gyral impression patterns than the juvenile specimen. The smaller change in brain size during ontogeny compared with the increasing of the skull size is also observed. Additionally, the adult C. c. spelaea has a smaller anterior cerebrum volume in comparison with modern C. crocuta. Data obtained by these comparisons are discussed from the viewpoint of differences in social behaviour development and foraging strategies in extinct cave hyenas and extant spotted hyenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary filling of two Slovak Neanderthal sites - the Prepoštská Cave near Prievidza (Micoquian) and the Čertova Pec Cave near Radošina (Szeletian, Mousterian) was investigated, while archaeological and palaeontological studies have shown these caves are very important sites from the viewpoint of the ancient man settlements. No geophysical research had previously been conducted here, therefore ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) geophysical methods were applied in order to expose its depths for future archaeological and palaeontological field campaigns. The GPR survey at the Prepoštská Cave revealed a disrupted zone in the southwest (SW) corner of the investigate area, encapsulated in travertine surrounding the bedrock layer identified at a depth between 0.4 to 2.4 m. This discovered zone is assumed to be an undocumented recent excavation zone. The combined ERT and GPR survey also identified at the Čertova Pec Cave, aside from some main structures (large limestone blocks, loamy-clayey sediment in the central part and debris), intact cave sediments, deposited under the debris filling and large limestone block, located at approximately 2 m depth in the back part of the cave, close to its northeast (NE) entrance. These unconsolidated intact deposits represent the lower part of the Mousterian horizon. Thus, the geophysical survey supported previous hypotheses on the assumed existence of deeper layers with potential archaeological and/or palaeontological content, which have since been spatially defined. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]