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The main objectives of organizational audits include critical and independent evaluations of the appropriateness/purposefulness of the companies' organizational layout and personnel organization with regard to their function and strategy, as well as identifying and eliminating possible performance weaknesses, mainly bottlenecks and overemployment, related to its organizational structure and work-flows. Their purpose, at the same time, is to provide an objective recommendation concerning the possibilities of a better alignment of company structure and strategy, simplifying the flow of main company processes, increasing the effectiveness of its management, and thus promote the overall company performance. The goal of the article is to survey the criteria and methods that organizational audits use for company structure evaluation and, using the method of a qualitative survey, conducted in mid-sized companies in the Czech Republic, analyse the results and recommendations of organizational audits carried out in these companies including their contribution to their performance and management efficiency. Also, the article seeks to identify the main preconditions for a successful organizational audit as well as the main requirements concerning the use of its results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Soft" skills training and development courses often have a limited impact, even if employees are satisfied with the results. The reason is the nature of such skills, which may require employees to shed deeply rooted habits before developing new skills. The lack of efficacy of such training courses is often related to their poorly defined focus and content, as well as to the unprofessional methods applied, which in some cases is associated with the low quality of the lecturers. These factors, acting in combination, can sometimes lead to the illusion, on the side of companies or their managers, that those employees who have completed such training courses have mastered certain soft skills, while in truth the situation is very different. The article deals with the specific features of soft skills compared to their "hard" counterparts, how this affects the efficacy of such training courses, the most common reasons why soft skills training courses do not deliver the expected results, as well as ways how to tackle the problem. A qualitative survey was conducted to determine to what extent medium-sized and larger Czech companies are aware of the potential flaws and the lack of efficacy of soft skills training courses and what methods can be applied to resolve this and with what results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Human capital" is not only an important part of a company's intangible assets, but also a value whose share in the structure of total company assets is growing over the long term. Professional management of human resources, which contributes to its formation, thus increasingly acquires the role of an important function capable of both directly and indirectly contributing to increasing the market value of the company. The prerequisite is his ability to focus investments in human resources in the right direction and guarantee their effectiveness, i.e., the return on human resource investment. The article deals with the growing importance of human capital and its reasons, its components and methods of its creation. Its main focus lies on factors promoting the effectiveness of human resource investments, its indicators as well as on conditions and circumstances contributing to its increase. Using the method of a qualitative survey, it aims to find out, to what extent is the issue of HR investments´ effectiveness taken into consideration by mid-sized and bigger companies in the Czech Republic in their HR capital formation and which methods do these companies use to promote these characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance remuneration of managers using the balanced scorecard (BSC) method has two main advantages. The first is the motivational criteria derived directly corporate strategy, the second is the "balanced" nature of remuneration based on other performance targets in addition to “traditional” financial indicators. However, the prerequisite for the effectiveness of this method is its correct use, which assumes that the essence of the method and the individual components of its methodology are correctly understood and applied. The article deals with the extent of occurrence of this method as a tool for performance remuneration in Czech companies, and the extent to which its practical application corresponds to its methodological assumptions and requirements. The paper uses a qualitative survey carried out in mid-size and large enterprises in the Czech Republic to determine to what extent the prevailing way in which the method is used can be regarded as a tool increasing the value added of performance-based management compensation, what are the basic prerequisites for an effective use of this method, and what main modifications/adaptations leading to its higher effectiveness the method allows without losing its rationale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have shown that moral licensing by observers makes observers more lenient in their judgment of subsequent immoral behaviors committed by a person. Environmental behavior is generally perceived as moral behavior, but it is not known whether it can trigger moral licensing by observers. In two pre-registered experimental laboratory studies (N 1 = 198, N 2 = 501), we have tested whether prior engagement in pro-environmental behavior triggers licensing by observers and thus makes observers judge more positively actors' subsequent immoral behavior (Study 1) and their subsequent anti- and pro-environmental behaviors (Study 2). We found that people engaging in pro-environmental behavior were subsequently rated as more pro-environmental and moral, and their subsequent pro- and anti-environmental behaviors (but not outright immoral behavior) were rated as more moral by observers. As these effects also concern subsequent pro-environmental behaviors, they are broader than what licensing theory suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the testing of hand and skin disinfectants for antimicrobial activity against the highly contagious bacterium Bordetella pertussis which causes pertussis or whooping cough. Topics include the rising cases of pertussis worldwide, the survival time of B. pertussis on different surfaces, and the effectiveness of three test products against the bacterium with ethanol-based product.

The article offers information on pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes morbidity and mortality in children under 5. Although pertussis vaccination has reduced its incidence, cases have been increasing in recent years. The article examines the survival time of the Bordetella pertussis bacterium on surfaces and the efficacy of various disinfectants against it, as proper disinfection is crucial in preventing the spread of the disease in healthcare settings.

Several studies have suggested that people might be less likely to engage in proenvironmental behavior subsequent to their prior engagement in proenvironmental behavior. We have conducted a preregistered replication of one such recent study of within-domain licensing in the area of environmental protection. Our replication was extended with an analysis of self-perception as a potential mediator of licensing and environmental attitude as its moderator. The results of our web-based experiment (N = 1,765) show that recollection of past proenvironmental behavior does not diminish subsequent support of a proenvironmental energy policy or proenvironmental intention, and that environmental attitude does not moderate licensing. We only found some evidence of an indirect effect of recollection on subsequent policy support and proenvironmental intention, mediated by self-perception; the pattern of mediation is, however, inconsistent with the licensing theory. We have not replicated the licensing effect observed in the original study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of subsurface karst caves can cause the development of superficial depressions which, in turn, may pose a construction hazard. Identifying such a substratum requires integrated non-invasive measurement methods. The main objective of the study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the non-invasive ERT, TLS, and GPR survey techniques in identifying the karst floor and determining the direction of discontinuities around the cave. The paper analyzes the limitations of the methods used in the study of heterogeneous media. These limitations are related to the methodology and measurement conditions, data processing, and interpretation in the context of the resolution and depth range. The study was conducted using the example of the Jaskinia pod Świecami cave, formed in the Sarmatianal calcarenites in Poland. The research confirmed its complex karst-anthropogenic genesis. The cave was formed as a result of the infiltration of rainwater and the dissolution of limestone by groundwater, while the paleokarst forms that are characteristic of it and of the surrounding caves and occur in their vicinity, i.e., narrow ridges called "karst candles", were formed as a result of water circulation during the local permafrost degradation in the middle Pleistocene. However, these forms were modified in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene, as indicated by ERT images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a crossed electron/molecule beam technique the dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to gas phase L-valine, (CH3)2CHCH(NH2)COOH, is studied by means of mass spectrometric detection of the product anions. Additionally, ab initio calculations of the structures and energies of the anions and neutral fragments have been carried out at G2MP2 and B3LYP levels. Valine and the previously studied aliphatic amino acids glycine and alanine exhibit several common features due to the fact that at low electron energies the formation of the precursor ion can be characterized by occupation of the π* orbital of the carboxyl group. The dominant negative ion (M–H)- (m/Z=116) is observed at electron energies of 1.12 eV. This ion is the dominant reaction product at electron energies below 5 eV. Additional fragment ions with m/Z=100, 72, 56, 45, 26, and 17 are observed both through the low lying π* and through higher lying resonances at about 5.5 and 8.0–9.0 eV, which are characterized as core excited resonances. According to the threshold energies calculated here, rearrangements play a significant role in the formation of DEA fragments observed from valine at subexcitation energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of non-karst caves in the Flysch Carpathians confirms the connection between the tectonic evolution of this orogen and the initial phase of cave formation. The compressional-extensional regime during the tectonic stages of the evolution of the Carpathians is the foundation of subsequent gravitational stresses within the slopes, which brought about various deformations of rock massifs, producing diverse types of subsurface cavities – caves. Therefore, most caves that occur in the Carpathians, represent forms of the opening and widening of joints and stress zones originated much earlier. Classification based on the chronology and mechanisms of these caves is proposed. A chronological approach requires understanding the relationship of cave development to the stages of slope evolution and enables the construction of the morphogenetic classification, whereas consideration of the processes affecting the rock massif structure allows geomechanic classification. Using the morphogenetic criterion, three categories of caves can be distinguished: initial caves developed during slope deformations preceding the principal slope failures (landslides), subsequent caves formed during the main slope failure, and intermediate caves related to the main scarp formation. On the basis of the geomechanic criterion the following types of caves can be distinguished: dilational caves formed due to tensional fractures widening, dilatancy caves formed due to the fissure macrodilatancy, and boulder caves , which represent chaotic cavities. In order to illustrate this classification, type localities of the various cave types are presented. The radiocarbon dating of secondary formations (speleothems) occurring in the caves indicate that they initially formed in the Weichselian (Upper Plenivistulian), Late Glacial and Early Holocene and underwent various transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various morphologies of cliffs built of different quartzose rocks in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mts. (upland region, central Poland) – from Cambrian quartzites and Devonian quartzitic sandstones to Triassic and Jurassic porous sandstones – were described in order to examine the constraints of their lithological and spatial occurrence. The quantitative study of the occurrence of these morphologies on cliffs makes it possible to distinguish two principal groups of morphologies: angular relief produced by rock splitting (crumbling), typical of quartzites indurated in silica and of open porosity less than 1.5%, and morphologies developed due to granular disintegration and exfoliation of sandstones of open porosity higher than 1.5%. Among the relief types of this second group, morphology reflecting sedimentary and diagenetic structures as well as smooth surfaces are the most common and are referred to sandstones of a wide range of porosity, whereas honeycombs and surfaces suffering fast granular decay and scaling are characteristic of rocks of specific porosity (respectively: 5–8% and 3.5–8%). The occurrence of honeycombs on rock surfaces is also conditioned by exogenic factors: sun, wind and rain, since this morphology tends to occur on cliffs with aspects ranging from south-east, through south, to west-north-west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Czech Republic, increases in the area sown with oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and shifts to intensive crop farming systems have contributed to increased incidence and harmfulness of phoma stem canker. This study comprised a large-scale survey of the occurrence of two closely related causal agents of the disease, Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa, in oilseed rape tissues and the country-wide distribution of each fungal species. In the 2007-11 growing seasons, 1132 leaves with phoma leaf spot symptoms were sampled; from those, 977 L. maculans-type and 477 L. biglobosa-type leaf spots were sampled and analysed by species-specific PCR without pathogen isolation. There were 1159 leaf spots confirmed as infected by Leptosphaeria spp., with 65% of 907 L. maculans-type leaf spots infected by L. maculans only and 35%co-infected by both species; and with 88%of 252 L. biglobosa-type leaf spots infected by L. biglobosa only and12%coinfected by both species. Furthermore, 217 monopycnidial isolates were collected from selected leaf spots and identified based on pigment production during solid- and liquid-media culture and PCR assay. Most (82%) isolates originating from L. maculans-type leaf lesions were L. maculans, and most (69%) isolates collected from L. biglobosa-type leaf lesions were L. biglobosa. Co-infection by both species was found in both L. maculans-type and L. biglobosa-type leaf lesions. In 2007-12, 708 stems with phoma stem canker symptoms and 2635 plant tissues from upper stem, stem base, root collar and taproot of each stem were sampled for PCR; symptoms on the four parts of each stem were assessed before taking tissue samples. There were 1495 plant tissues confirmed as infected by Leptosphaeria spp., with the proportion of plant tissue in which only L. biglobosa DNA (62%) was amplified greater than that with only L. maculans DNA (11%) or with both L. maculans and L. biglobosaDNA(27%). Although both species were detected in leaf samples in autumn, L. biglobosa was the more frequently detected species in stem samples in summer, suggesting that L. biglobosa is the more successful in colonising oilseed rape tissues in later growth stages of the plant in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty sites of crag groups and individual crags occurring in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mts., upland situated in central Poland, were described in detail in order to examine the lithological, structural, mechanic properties and the tectonic features of sandstones and quartzites representing six crag-forming lithostratigraphic units: Cambrian quartzites, Devonian quartzitic sandstones, Triassic and Jurassic sandstones. Specific features of these rocks are: their occurrence within the sequences consisting of different rock series, high energy depositional environments and siliceous composition. The cragforming rocks differ in the amount of cement (from strongly cemented quartzites to very porous sandstones with poor cement), which determines the diverse mechanical properties (from very strong to friable rocks). The crucial feature enabling formation of crags built of porous and friable sandstones is very dense grain packing due to chemical and mechanical compaction. Regarding the principal role of the gravitational disintegration of rock massifs under the periglacial conditions in the Late Pleistocene, other factors constraining the crag formation and shaping are: the tectonic situation of rocks (the orientation of strata and joints) as well as adequate joint spacing and bed thickness. Petrographic, structural and tectonic features are interrelated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to test the Campbell paradigm (Kaiser et al. 2010) as a novel theoretical framework for the measurement of concern about global climate change and to compare this measurement approach with conventional assessment of GCC concern which is based exclusively on evaluative rating of global climate change concern. Using survey data from 28 European countries ( N = 27,919), we find that GCC concern can be inferred not just from evaluative statements related to GCC, as is done in conventional measures, but also from other types of attitude-relevant responses (such as self-reports of mitigation activities and evaluation of mitigation policies). In addition, we also find that even though Campbellian measure is related in a theoretically expected way to conventional evaluative scale of GCC concern, and both measures assess the same latent construct, the former measure can predict difficult mitigation activity whereas the evaluative scale fails in this test of criterion validity. The poor performance of the conventional evaluative measure of GCC concern is due to the relative easiness of evaluative items that makes this measure insensitive to higher levels of GCC concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations facing the question of whether to adopt an ethical management programme not only face this question, but also that of which tools to apply to achieve this. Although having a code of ethics is usually the main tool through which an organisation accomplishes this, it is not the only tool available. For an organisation's ethical management programme to be effective, the tools applied must form an interconnected whole, which is often referred to as a company’s “ethical infrastructure”. This infrastructure usually includes, among other things, ethical leadership, ethics training and communication for management and employees alike, an internal ethics committee, an ethics officer, etc. The aim of this paper is to describe, analyse and evaluate the main tools organisations use to implement ethical management programmes in addition to a code of ethics. Within this context, the research sought to determine how widespread certain ethical management tools are among Czech companies, what the main factors are that influence their prevalence and structure, and to evaluate how effective these tools are. The results presented in the article are based on an extensive quantitative, as well as qualitative analysis, of a sample of Czech companies of various types and sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term precision of a value describes the total number of significant digits that are used to express that value. False precision is presented in data, where the sampling and chosen data file format coding return values with extra non-valid digits. The proper precision in value thus depends on so-called magnitude in digital data coding. The presence of the false precision is file format dependent. The amount of dataset points could be decreased by removing false precision (where it is present) to almost 10% of the raw measurement without loss of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine whether we can find, behind the richness of energy-saving behavior, more general behavioral patterns. Specifically, this study compares the one-factor confirmatory model, the two-factor confirmatory model, and the Rasch model, which embody alternative assumptions about the dimensionality of energy-saving behavior. Unlike previous studies, this study uses a confirmatory approach to the testing of alternative models, and covers 10 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (N = 10,251). This makes our tests rigorous and generalizable beyond a country-specific context. Our results indicate that energy saving is a one-dimensional class of behavior that is a function of individual’s propensity to engage in energy saving and the difficulty of energy-saving behavior. The Rasch model provides a valid and parsimonious representation of energy-saving behavior that outperforms the one- and two-factor models. We also show that the curtailment–efficiency dichotomy is not empirically valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep seated gravitational deformations of slopes are commonly observed and described in mountains, but faintly manifested and thus neglected in upland areas. Thanks to the geophysical methods (e.g. ERT) as well as detailed surface surveys and studies in caves, such deformations have been discovered and described in the region of the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains, Central Poland, which is an upland area of usually gentle slopes of a height of several tens of metres. The deformations, which have been studied on 20–30-m-high slopes formed of sandstone series alternating with claystone, siltstone and heterolithe series, represent various movements: from slight rotational and translational (ca 1 m) movements, through horizontal and vertical shifts of several metres to significant dislocations of sandstone ‘corestones’ embedded within the regolith forming the slopes. The last mentioned structures are currently relics, completely masked by subsequent slope processes and their origin should be related to specific periglacial and even sub-glacial conditions of the Pleistocene. On the other hand, as confirmed by radiocarbon dating and other mapping, slight movements of relatively low slopes can even be active nowadays. These deformations that occur in regions of a relatively low relief and have so far been neglected or considered to be unique are possibly even more frequent and should be studied using modern geophysical and other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New language version of the CAFPAS developed. • Validity of the translated scale is comparable to the original. • Applicability of the scale tested within representative survey. • Food agency is influences by gender, age, income and marital status. • Place of residence is a specific predictor of food agency in the Czech Republic. The aim of this study is to verify the validity and empirical applicability of the CAFPAS (Cooking and Food Provisioning Action Scale), which was created in the USA in 2017 (Lahne et al., 2017; Lahne et al., 2019). The international application of standardized scales requires the creation of more than one language version of the measuring instrument. The scale was translated into Czech in several systematic steps, piloted and then incorporated into a large quantitative survey, which was carried out between January and April 2021. Data in the survey were collected by a professional research agency, using the IBM Data Collection system. The target population of the study were adults in the Czech Republic. The research sample included 1122 respondents with three quota variables – gender, education and age, which reflected the structure of the target population. The analysis demonstrated that food agency is significantly influenced by gender, age, income and marital status. In the context of the Czech Republic, the place of residence (or type of housing) was also identified as an important predictor. The Czech version of the scale confirms its wider applicability outside the US cultural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Resolution and resolving power are often defined in opposing ways. [•] Resolution is the theoretical ability of the detector. [•] Distinguishability is the ability of the detector achieved in practice. [•] The distinguishability of a detector cannot be better than its resolution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Responsivity is a conversion qualification of a measurement device given by the functional dependence between the input and output quantities. A concentration-response-dependent calibration curve represents the most simple experiment for the measurement of responsivity in mass spectrometry. The cyanobacterial hepatotoxin microcystin-LR content in complex biological matrices of food additives was chosen as a model example of a typical problem. The calibration curves for pure microcystin and its mixtures with extracts of green alga and fish meat were reconstructed from the series of measurement. A novel approach for the quantitative estimation of ion competition in ESI is proposed in this paper. We define the correlated responsivity offset in the intensity values using the approximation of minimal correlation given by the matrix to the target mass values of the analyte. The estimation of the matrix influence enables the approximation of the position of a priori unknown responsivity and was easily evaluated using a simple algorithm. The metho d itself is directly derived from the b asic attributes of the theory of measurements. There is sufficient agreement between the theoretical and experimental values. However, some theoretical issues are discussed to avoid misinterpretations and excessive expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der EuGH hat in seinen Urteilen vom 8. September 2010 zum deutschen Sportwettenmonopol seine Judikatur zur Auslegung der Niederlassungs- und Dienstleistungsfreiheit im Zusammenhang mit Glüücksspielen konsequent weitergefüührt. Dabei hat er die unionsrechtlichen Vorgaben füür die Zuläässigkeit solcher Monopole konkretisiert, die sich im dogmatischen Kern auf ein Kohäärenzgebot im Rahmen der Verhäältnismääßßigkeitsprüüfung konzentrieren. Hinzu kommen Vorgaben füür die Gestaltung von Genehmigungsverfahren. Die praktischen Folgen der Rechtsprechung füür das Glüücksspielrecht in Deutschland sind offen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report objective analysis of information in the microscopic image of the cell monolayer. The process of transfer of information about the cell by the microscope is analyzed in terms of the classical Shannon information transfer scheme. The information source is the biological object, the information transfer channel is the whole microscope including the camera chip. The destination is the model of biological system. The information contribution is analyzed as information carried by a point to overall information in the image. Subsequently we obtain information reflection of the biological object. This is transformed in the biological model which, in information terminology, is the destination. This, we propose, should be constructed as state transitions in individual cells modulated by information bonds between the cells. We show examples of detected cell states in multidimensional state space. This space is reflected as colour channel intensity phenomenological state space. We have also observed information bonds and show examples of them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report objective analysis of information in the microscopic image of the cell monolayer. The process of transfer of information about the cell by the microscope is analyzed in terms of the classical Shannon information transfer scheme. The information source is the biological object, the information transfer channel is the whole microscope including the camera chip. The destination is the model of biological system. The information contribution is analyzed as information carried by a point to overall information in the image. Subsequently we obtain information reflection of the biological object. This is transformed in the biological model which, in information terminology, is the destination. This, we propose, should be constructed as state transitions in individual cells modulated by information bonds between the cells. We show examples of detected cell states in multidimensional state space reflected in space an colour channel intensity phenomenological state space. We have also observed information bonds and show examples of them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The methodological assessment of the quality and the usefulness of borehole logs for karst analysis versus the use of data obtained via direct observation is the first objective of this paper. The second objective of the paper is to present — in the form of a case study — regional analysis of karst in Devonian carbonates of the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains, south-central Poland. The subjects of the discussion are karst evolution stages, karst horizons, and their relationship to relief development. The analyzed examples (sites) presented herein, where the reliability of borehole data has often been verified by field observations, prove that descriptions of borehole logs can be used for karst analysis. However, borehole log data analysis is subject to many limitations and requires extensive validation. The basic condition that has to be met is the explicitness of the descriptions of karst forms in borehole logs. The number and the length of logs (“macro-records”) as well as the number and the size of karst forms (“micro-records”) are other important factors that affect log interpretation quality. Nevertheless, the principal general advantage of borehole log analysis is the representative nature of the obtained information. The formation of karst horizons independent of the lithology and the stratigraphy of the Kowala Fm in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains but controlled by external morphological factors suggests an isotropic character of this formation. Two general vertical types of karst systems are distinguished in this formation: (1) karst horizons, and (2) extensive karst development without distinct differentiation. The former could have been connected with fluvial base levels whereas the latter represents systems formed within the vadose zone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mass spectrometers are sophisticated, fine instruments which are essential in a variety applications. However, the data they produce are usually interpreted in a rather primitive way, without considering the accuracy of this data and the potential errors in identifying peaks. Our new approach corrects this situation by dividing the LC-MS output into three components: (i) signature of the analyte, (ii) random noise and (iii) systemic noise. The systemic noise is related to the instrument and to the particular experiment; its characteristics change in time and depend on the analyzed substance. Working with these components allows us to quantify the probability of peak errors and, at the same time, to retrieve some peaks which get lost in the noise when using the existing methods. Our software tool, Expertomica metabolite profiling, automatically evaluates the given instrument, detects compounds and calculates the probability of individual peaks. It does not need any artificial user-defined parameters or thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ethanol extracts of 16 Czech medicinal plants, namely, Allium sativum L. (Alliaceae), Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), Artemisia vulgaris L. (Asteraceae), Carum carvi L. (Apiaceae), Consolida regalis Gray (Ranunculaceae), Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae), Daucus carota L. (Apiaceae), Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott (Dryopteridaceae), Erigeron canadensis L. (Asteraceae), Hedera helix L. (Araliaceae), Inula helenium L. (Asteraceae), Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae), Satureja hortensis L. (Lamiaceae), Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae), Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae), and Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae), have been tested for their potential in vitro anthelmintic effect against eggs Ascaris suum and infectious larvae Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The extracts of A. sativum, A. absinthium, C. carvi, D. carota, and J. regia possessed the strongest anthelmintic effect on the embryonating eggs at all concentrations tested (62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 μg/mL). The best results, showing a higher effect against the infective third-stage larvae in comparison with synthetic anthelmintic Zentel (albendazole), have been obtained for A. sativum, A. absinthium, C. carvi, C. regalis, I. helenium, J. regia, S. hortensis, and V. officinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryogenic cave calcite (CCC), formed by segregation of solutes during water freezing, was found in three Central European caves. This calcite type forms accumulations of loose calcite grains on cave floor. The calcite grains are of highly variable crystal morphology, and of sizes ranging from less than 1 mm to over 1 cm. The most typical feature is their accumulation as loose (uncemented) crystals. U-series dating indicates the formation of CCC in the studied caves during several climatic oscillations of the Weichselian (between 61 and 36 ka BP in the Chelsiowa Jama–Jaskinia Jaworznicka cave system in Poland, between 34 and 26 ka BP in the BUML Cave in the Czech Republic, and between 26 and 21 ka BP in the Stratenska´ Jaskynˇa cave system, Slovakia). At the time of CCC formation, the studied caves were lying in a periglacial zone.Detailed C and O stable isotope study of CCC samples revealed that slow water freezing under isotope equilibrium was the dominant formational process in the studied Polish and Czech caves. Significantly higher δ13C values of CCC in the Stratenska´ Jaskynˇa Cave indicate either water freezing in a more opened system with continuous CO2 escape (Rayleigh fractional separation), or participation of another CO2 source. The model of slow water freezing under isotope equilibrium is supported by isolated character of the caves having limited ventilation.In contrast, modern cryogenic cave calcite powders sampled directly on the ice surface of two recently iced caves in Slovakia with high ventilation showed much higher δ18O and δ13C data, similar to cryogenic calcites obtained in experimental rapid water freezing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Crevice-type caves, formed along joints, are very common in the Polish Flysch Carpathians (more than 600 have been recorded). The caves represent accessible parts of the widened cracks, which are basic, initial forms of development of deep-seated rock landslides. Structural features of four selected caves (situated in different parts of the Carpathians) were studied in order to determine relations between joint systems and landslide formation. The studies prove that the main rock scarps often represent effects of earlier propagation of the cracks (=cutting surfaces) due to loading and unloading shearing stress. The cracks are structural forms developed along joints or faults. The cutting surfaces represented by cracks (caves) develop a long time before the main gravitational mass movements, whereas the sliding surfaces (shearing zones) are formed or significantly modified ad hoc during the gravitational transport of rock masses. Occurrence of the deep initial cracks causes modification of shape of the sliding surfaces, which are noncircular. The mountain slopes cut by many cracks are permanently developed. Thus, the periodic increase of activity of external factors (floods, downpours, earthquakes, etc.) leads to common formation of the landslides earlier prepared by crack development. This model of slope evolution enables us to interpret the occurrence of the landslide phases (in the Holocene) during which increasing of frequency of the landslides is observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel α-addition of propiolates to urazoles followed by Michael addition of a variety of nucleophiles has been developed for rapid production and optimization of peptidomimetic drug leads. This technology has produced a number of highly potent and selective inhibitors of the serine protease, thrombin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is a unique chemokine that functions as a chemoattractant for effector cytotoxic lymphocytes and macrophages expressing fractalkine receptor CX3CR1. CX3CL1 exists in two forms—a soluble and a membrane-bound form. The soluble CX3CL1 is released from cell membranes by proteolysis by the TNF-α-converting enzyme/disintegrin-like metalloproteinase 17 (TACE/ADAM17) and ADAM10. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic relevance and potential roles of CX3CL1 and ADAM17 in the pathogenesis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs) in the human population. The concentration of CX3CL1 and ADAM17 was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of patients suffering from different DPLDs. The concentration of CX3CL1 was significantly higher in patients suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and hypersensitivity pneumonitis patients compared to the control group. A significantly higher concentration of CX3CL1 was measured in fibrotic DPLDs compared to non-fibrotic DLPD patients. We found a positive correlation of CX3CL1 levels with the number of CD8+ T cells, and a negative correlation with CD4+ T cells in BALF and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide. The concentration of ADAM17 was significantly lower in the IPF group compared to the other DPLD groups. We noticed a significantly higher CX3CL1/ADAM17 ratio in the IPF group compared to the other DPLD groups. We suggest that CX3CL1 has a distinctive role in the pathogenesis of DPLDs. The level of CX3CL1 strongly correlates with the severity of lung parenchyma impairment. The results suggest that high values of CX3CL1/ADAM17 could be diagnostic markers for IPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the concept of nationalism as a totalitarian ideology in the Central European setting. Growing importance of questions of national identity and national language in today's Central Europe; Substance of nationalism; Defense against nationalism.

Czechoslovakia has a long tradition of mining, and the existence of old mines early led to the construction of mining maps. These old maps, and especially those of the Bohemian silver mines, give a good deal of basle information about the ore deposits because they show the drifts opening up the deposit, and these drifts coincide with the ore veins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the beer brewing process, bitter tasting cis and trans iso‐α‐acids are generated from the precursor α‐acids found in hops. The absolute configurations of the α‐acid (−)‐humulone and several of its derivatives have now been elucidated by X‐ray crystallography, thus resolving decades of confusion over the humulone isomerization mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Während des Bierbrauens entstehen aus den α ‐ Säuren des Hopfens bitter schmeckende cis ‐ und trans ‐ Iso ‐ α ‐ Säuren. Die absoluten Konfigurationen der α ‐ Säure (−) ‐ Humulon und einiger ihrer Derivate wurden nun mithilfe der Röntgenstrukturanalyse bestimmt, was Jahrzehnte an Verwirrung über den Humulon ‐ Isomerisierungsmechanismus beendete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives In this study we examined the in vitro synergistic effect of baicalin, the flavone constituent of Scutellaria spp., in combinations with oxytetracycline and tetracycline on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Methods The MICs were determined by the broth microdilution method and the effect of combinations was evaluated according to the sum of fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs). Results Synergistic activity (FICI ≤ 0.5) was observed for combinations of baicalin with oxytetracycline or tetracycline against 4 of 10 strains tested, whereas the baicalin/oxytetracycline combination possessed the strongest synergistic effect (FICI = 0.418). Conclusions Baicalin acts synergistically with oxytetracycline and tetracycline, enhancing its antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, including methicillin- and tetracycline-resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article focuses on the developments in Czech Republic. The Czech Republic entered the European Union rather quietly and without any real signs of joy, as if ashamed to admit the historical significance of this step. True, there were the muted obligatory celebrations, with the politicians doing their best not to do so in the same place at the same time. Although Czechs spend over 70 billion of their own hard-earned crowns on betting every year, they expect everything else, including democracy, to come from the state.

Examines the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union. Symbolic announcement of president Vaclav Klaus' presidential revision of history; Decline and disintegration of politics in the country; View that the increasingly disoriented society is ceasing to perceive politics as a space for dealing with common issues.

Reports on the European Union accession of the Czech Republic. Rejection of the government's foreign policy; Political leadership of President Václav Klaus; Call for transparency in the government

The paper relates the results of efficiency tests of specific application methods of surface and air remediation in the indoor environment of buildings, the scope and supply of which have significantly expanded in connection with the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. The tests were focused on the most frequently offered procedures, i.e. on the use of open and closed (air purifiers) sources of UV-C radiation, fumigation (use of biocides) and ozonation. Special attention is paid to fulfilling the wording of related EU laws and regulations and compliance with safety principles in the application of these procedures in the work and municipal environments. We also give examples of numerous problems and shortcomings in the application of these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenosine radicals tagged with a fixed‐charge group were generated in the gas phase and structurally characterized by tandem mass spectrometry, deuterium labeling, and UV/Vis action spectroscopy. Experimental results in combination with Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, ab initio, and excited‐state calculations led to unambiguous assignment of adenosine radicals as N‐7 hydrogen atom adducts. The charge‐tagged radicals were found to be electronically equivalent to natural DNA nucleoside radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenosine radicals tagged with a fixed‐charge group were generated in the gas phase and structurally characterized by tandem mass spectrometry, deuterium labeling, and UV/Vis action spectroscopy. Experimental results in combination with Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, ab initio, and excited‐state calculations led to unambiguous assignment of adenosine radicals as N‐7 hydrogen atom adducts. The charge‐tagged radicals were found to be electronically equivalent to natural DNA nucleoside radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The text is a research study in the field of image analysis using the information entropy function and represents an alternative to the non-transparent work with images using neural networks, which is currently dominant. At the same time, it refers to an important moment of the intersection of science and art in the field of abstract art of the early 20th century. Design/Methodology/Approach – It describes a research in which the work of František Kupka was used as input image information in an experiment involving an original method of image analysis using the function of information entropy (Rényi entropy). Results – The design of the experiment included not only the computation of a function of image information entropy, but also human perception and their mutual comparison by regression analysis, and was designed as a pilot survey focused on the relationship between natural and simulated complexity. Originality/Value – At the same time, it points to the current state of the field of machine vision, its increasing opacity, and the need to better grasp it theoretically and practically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the success of the Green Party in the last Czech parliamentary elections, gaining several seats in the lower house. Thus, it is considered that a more mature and responsible form of political discourse appears to be taking root in Czech Republic among the younger generation. However, the author stresses that their politicians have forgotten that the point of the elections is to ensure a clear and calm transition of power, and smooth functioning of state apparatus.

Comments on events during the third quarter 2005 in the Czech Republic and abroad. Escape of a Czech billionaire from the police by simply walking out of jail with his cuffs still on; Death of Pavel Dostal, actor, former dissident and Culture Minister; Reputation and nicknames of Czech Premier Jiri Paroubek; President Vaclav Klaus' attempt to defend the sovereignty of the nation-state while openly rejecting the European Union;p Documentary program on CNN dealing with the failure of the U.S. government and intelligent services, which were using claims about the imminent development of weapons of mass destruction as the main reason for toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Looks into the events in Czech Republic at the end of 2004. Celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution; Observation that the situation in the Czech Republic will only improve when two falsehoods are put right in its national debate, the beliefs that politics is the only and the over-riding solution to current issues and that all poultices comes down to issues of Left and Right; Conditions resulting to the perception that the Czech Republic in coming under the influence of politically-savvy business leaders.

The article reports that there probably isn't a more meaningful antithesis to the actions of a great statesman than the behavior of the Czech prime minister. Stanislav Gross knew from the moment a mutual acquaintance brought Pavel Pribyl to a "football kickabout" that Pribyl was a former commander of an elite unit of violent communist power. Unlike some, Pribyl was actually proud of his "professionalism" as a communist agent. So gross appointed this "loyal professional" to high office at the Ministry of the Interior, defending him even after journalists drew attention to this fact.