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The pore space characteristics of geological materials are closely related to their mechanical, transport and hydraulic properties. In geomorphology, pore size distribution (PSD) is an important characteristic in rock weathering, evaporation and other studies. In an effort to find novel methods to determine the PSD, perhaps to bypass the disadvantages of the current techniques, there has been a growing interest in the use of non‐Newtonian fluids. In this contribution, we are particularly interested in the method recently introduced by Abou Najm and Atallah (the ANA method), which exploits the way in which the flow of different shear‐thinning fluids distributes differently in the pore space to compute the functional PSD estimation. We performed a set of saturated flow experiments with aqueous xanthan gum solutions of different concentrations, using as simple as possible laboratory settings, and we implemented a modified version of the previously introduced numerical model to obtain the PSDs of four sandstone and one tuff samples. The results are compared with conventional mercury intrusion porosimetry, showing a good agreement regarding the dominant pore size and a notable similarity in the distributions. Several limitations were identified as well, such as the lack of information on relatively small pores (<5–10 μm for the samples studied) and the potential issues in obtaining a more detailed distribution. We conclude that the ANA method is promising for geomorphological evaporation and rock durability studies, particularly for coarser materials such as sandstone, but it also encounters challenges for certain applications, especially for fine‐grained rocks. It must be acknowledged that the ANA method has been tested on a limited range of materials and further investigation is required to fully explore its capabilities and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permanent Structured Cooperation in Defence (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF) constitute another attempt to consolidate the European defence market. In this article, we explain the different engagements of Czechia and Portugal in the two initiatives until 2021 through the evolution and reform of the domestic institutions governing their defence industrial policies. We trace how the institutions were established, how they contributed to the national position on PESCO and EDF and how the two countries' defence industries became involved. The article shows how the different institutionalisation of the defence sector allowed Portugal and its companies to participate more than their Czech counterparts. We contribute to historical institutionalist scholarship by evidencing the critical role of ideas in promoting and preventing policy change. We also offer an insight into the practice of European defence co‐operation and identify processes that challenge further integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the groundwater around Prague Castle as an example of an extreme urban environment that has been influenced by human activity since the Neolithic period. The longterm human activity, including several stillfunctioning drainage adits, resulted in a number of aggradation and degradation processes that have significantly impacted the groundwater regime. Furthermore, building development, particularly largescale concrete structures, has had a notable effect on groundwater chemistry. This paper presents results of available archival chemical analyses from the area of interest (Fig. 1), along with our own groundwater chemical analyses. The results of recovery test in the anthropogenic alluvium well underneath the courtyard III of Prague Castle (Weiss et al. 2024) indicate that the transmissivity of saturated alluvium is low (8-10 m²/day). However, it is reasonable to assume a higher transmissivity for the entire area. The clayey anthropogenic alluvium near the surface likely has a much lower permeability than the underlying fractured zone of the Letná Formation made of shales (Late Ordovician). Field reconnaissance in the drainage adits indicates that groundwater flows directly from the historic alluvium (presence of bones and other organic remains) into the Ordovician strata. The existence of a clay aquitard, as mentioned by some authors (e.g. Kos 1965), between the historical alluvium and the underlying Ordovician is thus unlikely. The analysed water samples from selected objects can be classified into three distinct groups based on their pH levels: slightly acidic (precipitation water, and the well in the St. George's Convent -- V4), neutral (majority of samples), and alkaline (the environment underneath the courtyard III of Prague Castle). Slightly acidic pH level only applies to samples from precipitation or probable seepage (V4). The concentration of Clin the majority of the analysed groundwater samples is higher than the natural background level of around 8-10 mg/l, which indicates an anthropogenic source. The major source of these ions in the area is likely the use of NaCl to salt roads and sidewalks during the winter months, which has been a common practice for decades. The overall analysis of the studied samples identified two main hydrochemical types of water: Type A and Type B. Type A is represented by moderately alkaline water that is rich in sulphate and calcium/magnesium. Type B, on the other hand, is represented by strongly alkaline water rich in hydrogencarbonate and calcium, found mainly under the courtyard III of Prague Castle, which stands on a concrete structure. Type A is the predominant type and is typical of water originating in the pyritebearing shales of the Letná Formation. The high sulphate content of these waters may cause "sulphate attack" of concrete, leading to its decomposition and thus affecting the durability of building structures. This study provides valuable insights into groundwater chemistry in urban environments that can be applied to other similar sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the end of December 2002, the Czech EU Council presidency came to an end. Czechia was holding the rotating Council presidency for the second time and like in 2009 its presidency trio was rounded out by the preceding French presidency and the following Swedish one. The key difference between the two Czech presidencies was the changed institutional context. While the 2009 presidency took place on the verge of the entrance into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the Treaty nevertheless only came into effect in December 2009, a couple months after the Czechs passed the presidency baton to the Swedes. The 2022 Czech presidency was thus the first that the country held under the Lisbon rules. These rules curtailed the role of the rotating presidency in terms of presiding over the European Council as well as the Foreign Affairs Council. Most importantly, the practicalities of the Czech presidency were affected by the suddenly changed international context following the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Czech presidency as well as the presidency trio had to revise their priorities and the entire EU was primarily focused on the war in Ukraine and its consequences. This special forum containing seven articles provides an early analysis that engages the existing scholarly literature on the performance of Czechia at the helm of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article is an exploratory study of the Czech response to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It employs the perspective of the small state literature to analyse the activities of a small European Union (EU) member state's government that had to face a mismatch between its policy priorities and policy framing at the EU and domestic level. The article focuses on the arguably common situation of a small state's government failing to shape a policy internationally and facing a backlash at home. On the basis of a qualitative study of primary and secondary sources as well as semi-structured interviews, the article explores how the Czech debate on GDPR prioritised the bureaucratic burden and costs resulting from the GDPR implementation over the need for privacy as an integral part of human dignity highlighted at the EU level. The article identifies two crucial factors as the basis of the popular backlash against GDPR in Czechia, the lack of prioritisation and the insufficient bureaucratic capacity. These two factors, widely identified in the literature as factors influencing small states' performance, contributed to the Czech inability to shape GDPR at the European level, as well as the lacking information campaign and implementation domestically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brexit will profoundly change politics in the European Union, and all countries will have to adjust to the new situation. But the issue is more pressing for small member states that are more dependent on international organisations than big states. This article studies how the institutional setting affects a small state's preparations for Brexit in the areas of the common security and defence policy and internal market. Contrary to the expectations, it shows that the Czech Republic, the small state under scrutiny, has invested more effort into a preventive adjustment in the internal market policy than to the CSDP. This result is explained by the existence of alternative institutional frameworks that are expected to mitigate the impact of Brexit on EU's security and defence policy. It also suggests that while small states profit from the existence of strong institutions, they also face the risk of unmitigated impact when these institutions change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]