Search

Introduction: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common diagnoses in the current adult population and has been therefore subject to extensive scientific research. However, the design of individual scientific studies differs fundamentally in many respects, which makes it impossible to compare their results. Based on a detailed research of recent papers published in international journals with impact factor, this article offers guidelines how to appropriately design studies evaluating the effect of therapeutic procedures in LBP. Methods: Clinical studies published from March 2014 to June 2019 in journals ranked in the first half of the impact factor ranking in the Rehabilitation category according to the Journal Citation Reports were selected in the PubMed database. The main search MeSH (Medical Subjects Headings) parameter was "low back pain". The following data were analysed: number of participants in the experimental and control group, inclusive and exclusive criteria, definition of the control group, intervention design, measured parameters and measurement tools. Results: A total of 66 original works were included in the final analysis. The median number of participants included in a study was 72.5. The most frequently evaluated interventions were exercise programs (29/66). The most common duration of intervention was 4-8 weeks (28/66), the most common frequency of intervention was twice a week (15/40). The control group received less care than the intervention group in almost half of the studies (25/55). A questionnaire survey (65/66) was most often used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Instrumental evaluating methods (18/66) and clinical tests (11/66) were applied less frequently than patient reported outcome measures (65/66). The parameters that were evaluated by questionnaire methods were most often pain (58/66) and disability (58/66). Pain was most often assessed via numeric pain rating scale (28/66) or visual analogue scale (22/66). Disability was most often evaluated by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (28/65) and the Oswestry Disability Index (18/65). Conclusion: Based on the literature search, this paper recommends procedures to optimally design studies objectifying different types of treatment methods in LBP patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of an object, non-superimposable on its mirror image, constitutes the phenomenon of chirality. This phenomenon is often treated as a curiosity without broader practical consequences. This paper aims to show the significant implications of chirality for chemistry and biology. Chirality is inherent to all living organisms and is essential for their function. For instance, biomolecules are composed of chiral building blocks (amino acids, monosaccharides), which are chiral and occur predominantly with one sense of handedness (homochirality of life). The explanation of the evolution of the homochirality of life therefore helps answer one of the important questions connected with the origin of life.. The paper concludes with a section devoted to current Czech stereochemical terminology. An experimental procedure describing the isolation of carvone enantiomers from natural sources is also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper airway naturally warms and humidifies inspired air. For patients with artificial airways, this function is assumed by respiratory care devices, utilizing passive (HME, Heat and Moisture Exchangers) or active humidification. Despite no observed differences in clinical outcomes between these methods in randomised trials with critically ill patients, each has its particular benefits. HME, being technically simpler, is favoured in patients without respiratory pathologies, who are expected to be on only short-term mechanical ventilation (< 4 days). For other ventilated patients, active humidification might be more appropriate, especially when HME’s efficacy is limited due to high inspiratory flow, patient hypothermia, contamination risk, or in patients sensitive to increased dead space, such as in ARDS. This paper explores the physiological principles, experimental findings, and clinical data regarding respiratory humidification in intensive care. It also highlights the disparity in recommendations on the frequency of filter changes. Manufacturers’ guidelines often do not consider the risks associated with frequent circuit disconnection, and there is a noticeable absence of experimental data on this topic. This paper seeks to offer a holistic understanding of respiratory humidification in intensive care, coupled with actionable recommendations for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Text deals with data mining used in libraries. It focuses on „physical“ libraries as they can use data mining in many processes but chooses its scope opposite to digital libraries where data mining has different variety in usage. This is why papers concerning digital libraries are excluded from this summarizing study. All the papers were selected based on concern with Library and Information Science and were divided into several groups. Most of the studies come from academic environment. Papers from czech and slovak environment are described separately. Time limitation for inclusion of the papers is up to year 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bronchial asthma, a chronic pulmonary disease, has a major impact on the patient‘s daily life. Medication adherence and correct inhalation technique are essential to achieve the goals of therapy. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of published literature evaluating the effect of pharmacist-led interventions on medication adherence or inhalation technique in adult patients with bronchial asthma. A total of 23 studies were identified by a literature search of PubMed and Scopus databases. The analysis of the selected studies suggested that pharmacist-led intervention in any form had a positive impact on both above mentioned oberved phenomena and clinical outcomes of bronchial asthma therapy and can significantly contribute to improvement of patients´ quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma in childhood is likely to be a causal factor in psychotic disorders, and trauma in adulthood negatively contributes to the course of these disorders. However, the detection of trauma in clinical practice is inadequate. Our paper builds on the 2014 systematic review by Látalová, Kamarádová and Praško and focuses on data on specific types of victimization in patients with psychotic disorders. In the first part, we present data on victimization in patients with psychotic disorders. Prevalence of victimization in patients with psychosis varies from 30.4 to 74.1%. This range is wide. In our opinion, the main reasons for this are (I) inaccuracies in the definition of victimization, (II) heterogeneity of the cohorts studied, and (III) reporting of victimization over different time periods. A quarter of patients (weighted mean 24.8%) with psychotic disorder were victims of violent victimization during the 12 months. One-fifth and one-sixth of patients with psychosis experienced physical and sexual victimization in childhood (21.2% and 16.4%, respectively). Between 15% and 20% of patients suffered from comorbid PTSD. However, these comorbidities are not diagnosed in Czech clinical practice. Diagnosis of comorbidity of psychotic disorders, victimization and its consequences is an important task that path the way to improve the prognosis of psychotic illness. Unfortunately, the treatment of PTSD as a comorbidity of psychosis is not established in the Czech Republic and its effectiveness has not been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article deals with the indications for revascularization of chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the coronary arteries. The introduction section briefly summarizes the history and development of CTO PCI. The main content of the paper is divided into three sections: the first one summarizes the current American and European societies of cardiology guidelines on CTO PCI; the second one provides a reflection on the most important aspects of the indication process from the most recent expert consensus; and the third one conveys the author’s personal experience with indicating patients for CTO recanalization. The paper also includes an overview of randomized trials on CTO PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of an object, non-superimposable on its mirror image, constitutes the phenomenon of chirality. This phenomenon is often treated as a curiosity without broader practical consequences. This paper aims to show the significant implications of chirality for chemistry and biology. Chirality is inherent to all living organisms and is essential for their functioning. For instance, biomolecules are composed of chiral building blocks (amino acids, monosaccharides), which are chiral and occur predominantly with one sense of handedness (homochirality of life). The explanation of the evolution of the homochirality of life is therefore one of the important questions connected with the origin of life. The paper also shows why asymmetry with respect to mirror reflection is a general attribute of our world. Historical milestones in the scientific reflection on chirality are also presented, starting with the French crystallographers of the late 18th century, through the work of Pasteur, the fundamentals of organic stereochemistry postulated by van 't Hoff and Le Bel, the elucidation of a structure of monosaccharides by Fischer, and ending with the discovery of the absolute configuration of a molecule and the confirmation of parity violation of weak interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with problems of papers degradation by reason of acidity with reference to the legal duty of libraries to preserve papers funds for the future generations. In lots of efforts to protect its collections, the Moravian library study all the preservative technology including of the mass deacidification technology. The merit of this text is a summarization of project efforts of the Moravian library and the National archives make up the papers protection to deacidification technology in the Czech Republic. The article warms that the acidity of paper research and its conservation depends fully on political environment and the sufficient financial resources. In short there is technique demonstrated that was considered as a purchase for libraries and archives in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, teleological thinking in Renaissance anatomy is presented by the example of the Wittenberg anatomist Johannes Jessenius (1566-1621), who performed the first public dissection in Prague in 1600 and published a description of it in Wittenberg in 1601. Jessenius, a graduate of the University of Padua, is also concerned with teleology, which he uses both to justify anatomical practice and to incorporate it into his own interpretation of anatomical acts. In my article, I focus primarily on the dedication and introduction to Jessenius's Prague Anatomy, where teleological thinking is most clearly manifested. I present the teleology in Jessenius in two stages with reference to the passage in the dedication to the Prague Anatomy. In keeping with contemporary practice, Jessenius interprets the Delphic oracle “Know Thyself” as a call to anatomical knowledge of the human body. At the same time the self-knowledge is the knowledge of God in the sense of the connection between cognitio sui and cognitio Dei. The knowledge of the principle of purposefulness thus seems to be the culmination of all anatomical study. In terms of teleology, Jessenius focuses on the points in which the human being differs from other creatures: mind, hand, upright figure. Special attention is paid in my paper to the anatomy of the hand, in which Jessenius follows specifically Andreas Vesalius, who adopts a teleological understanding of the hand from Aristotle and Galen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most woody plants belonging to the order Pinales have needles. Their anatomy has adapted to external conditions – mainly the deficit of water during winter. In cross section, the needles are different in shape, but the leaf anatomy of coniferous species is quite similar. However, there are inter-species differences in arrangement of hypodermis, in the type of mesophyll, in the number and arrangement of resin ducts, and in the number of vascular bundles. Needles are a suitable material for Biology lectures. Their advantage is their availability every season of the year. This paper offers some options for the observation of needle anatomy, recognition of species differences, and the use of an anatomical identification key. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the spatial layout of adult intensive care units (ICUs) that were built in the Czech Republic in 2023 under the REACT 98 call. A comparative evaluation was performed to compare the design features of these units with the latest recommendations of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine from 2011. The investigation focuses on key parameters such as spatial layout, bed capacity, area dedicated around the patient’s bed, access to natural light, availability of toilet facilities for the patient, family areas. The study concludes that most of the evaluated projects do not fulfil the proposed recommendations in the parameters studied and cannot be seen as examples of ideal practice or models of architectural evolution. For the future, it is important that the evolution of ICU layout responds to current medical knowledge, respects the recommendations, and helps in achieving an optimal ICU environment, which is crucial for improving patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of technical concepts is a prerequisite for science education. Education cannot proceed satisfactorily unless the teacher and the pupil have the same (or at least very similar) conceptions of the same content under the same word. The process of concept acquisition (crystallization) starts with motivation (the pupil’s willingness to acquire the concept), proceeds through isolated models and their generalization to generic models and abstraction. In this paper, one of the pathways by which crystallization can be fostered, i.e., systematic work with isolated models, is presented. Examples representing typical models, atypical models and apparent models are sought for basic systematic categories (classification of birds, fish, etc.). For reference purposes, QR codes linking to worksheets for teachers and pupils are embedded in the paper. This method can be recommended for practicing the understanding of all taxonomic categories as well as other abstract scientific concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Bohemian Massif, there are many localities with the occurrence of secondary phosphates bound to the fissures of the host rocks. The type of these rocks partly determines the character of individual phosphate associations. As part of this comprehensive work, based on the author’s PhD thesis, the main host rock types have been classified and selected mineral associations have been studied in detail. This paper is a summary not only of the author’s research, but also of the historical knowledge in the field of secondary fissure phosphates in the Bohemian Massif. The paper concludes with a brief outline of the likely conditions for the formation of fissure phosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the following paper on the ecofeminist dimension of the considerable work of the feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether, I will limit myself to questions and themes that are not purely theological, but which at the same time resonate with the themes and questions addressed in contemporary (eco)feminist philosophy, which revolve around issues of structural inequality and structural or systemic violence on the one hand, and the interdependence of lives, precariousness, and vulnerability on the other. Of the classic questions of systematic theology, two seem to me particularly relevant in this regard, namely the question of structural sin and the very understanding of who God/dess is. Structural sin is the subject of the first part of this paper. God/dess in an ecofeminist perspective is the subject of the second part. The third part focuses on theological ethics and specifically on the articulation between the ethics of the 'preferential option for the poor', based on liberation theology, and the ethics of ecological sustainability. Finally, I devote the fourth and final section to examples of the concrete everyday spiritual practices of lived Christian ecofeminist spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the topic of the Jewish religious spatial practice of a mechitza -the physical separation of women and men in synagogues. At first glance, the mechitza appears to be an indisputable given as a normal part of Orthodox Judaism. At second glance, however, it poses a problem: through the mechitza, women tend to be marginalised not only within the space itself but also on a symbolic level as subjects of religious practice. Using a feminist post-structuralist discourse analysis, the paper investigates how the practice of mechitza is negotiated and what meanings and symbolism it takes on for its religiously gendered subjects. The analysis is conducted on selected articles regarding mechitza as a theme, published by the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance's Jofa Journal. The identified discourses are as follows: mechitza as a limitation and barrier, mechitza as a possibility and opportunity, and mechitza as a symbol and metaphor. The identified discourses are then transferred in the conclusion of the paper to the discussion about the implicit heteronormativity and binarity of being male and female and the possibility of a subversive appropriation of a mechitza practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The electronic health record (EHR) is a computerized health information system where provider record detailed encounter information such as patient demographics, encounter summaries, medical history allergies, intolerances, and lab test histories [9]. The EHR will be used in future diagnostic and treatment decision making. The decision is always taken by a physician or dentist. Medical documentation contains information about treatment, communication with insurance service system and statistical data evaluation. The EHR may support and improve future diagnostics and therapy in general. The data can be used in statistics and other scientific purposes. Aim: The aim of study is to verify the simplicity of data process implementation and time of data storing for modification of classical paper WHO dental card, lifetime dental EHR controlled by keyboard and lifetime dental EHR controlled by voice. Methods: All three methods were applied on 126 patients. The dental status of patients was examined and the data recorded in classical way into the paper WHO dental card. The same person recorded all data to lifetime dental EHR using keyboard and using voice. Then we compared the time, which was needed for recording the data using these three methods. Using Friedaman test we found very significant differences in time of recording among three methods (p<0.001). We can see that the paper WHO dental card was recorded quickly, but its reuse due to missing electronic form is difficult. Times for recording data using keyboard or voice in lifetime dental EHR were not significantly different (Wilcoxon pair test for statistical comparison reached the value p=0.09). Conclusion: The clinical practice demanded to find ways to eliminate the need to touch peripherals like keyboard, mouse and touch screen. Therefore the automatic speech recognition was added to enable dentist to use the software without a single touch. This way we eliminated the need for computer operator and unnecessary hygienic procedures (washing hands, changing gloves etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper has the goal of informing on the phenomenon of Catholic pilgrimage treasuries that are set in significant pilgrimage locations. The tradition of creating collections of votive donations goes back to pre-Christian times. The bringing of sacrificial gifts has continued to this day in connection with pilgrimages, reaching its peak in the Baroque era. We will concentrate our attention on Marian pilgrimage treasures within the Central European environment, among which the defunct pilgrim and monastery treasury in Marianka also belonged. In the 18th century, Marianka enjoyed a versatile development that was also reflected in the frequency of treasury collections. Specific collections of the wide spectrum of devotional donations included objects of a sacral and worldly nature. Treasury collections were deposited in secured premises, where they were divided into groups according to their type. In some locations, the collections have survived until the present day and were transformed into museums. As a result of historic events, others were broken up and destroyed. We know about the extensive treasury in Marianka only on the basis of a register created during the destruction of the Paulist monastery. As a result of the reforms under Jozef II, the monastery’s property, along with the treasury collections, were sold at public auction in 1786. From an extensive register of briefly described items, we recognize several selected records, along with a translation of the original register in German. From the number of objects that, according to the register, were stored in the treasury, apparently nothing remained. In this paper, however, we present several objects of which we can say with confidence belonged to the destroyed treasury. Among them figures a rare monstrance, which at present resides in Stupava, along with small votive gifts resembling parts of the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has caused a significant change in the treatment of aortic stenosis. It has expanded treatment to include patients not previously indicated for surgical intervention. Despite the tremendous benefit of this method, there are patients who do not benefit from treatment and in whom TAVI is considered unnecessary. In pivotal studies of high-risk patients, one-third either died, or their quality of life failed to improve and their symptoms persisted. The futility of TAVI in such patients thus leads to their unnecessary exposure to risk. Factors that lead to poor outcomes after TAVI and increase the risk of death despite successful implantation include patient frailty and certain cardiac and non-cardiac diseases. These comorbidities may prevent improvement in symptoms and quality of life. On the other hand, some comorbidities may be reversible after the TAVI procedure. This article provides an overview of the main associated comorbidities that may contribute to poor outcomes, identifying reversible factors and looking at frailty assessment. The latter is crucial for TAVI futility. The paper also highlights the need for a systematic approach to patient assessment so that the potential futility of TAVI could be assessed more accurately and comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the order Neuroptera (net-winged insects), we find aquatic larvae in two families: lance lacewings (Osmylidae) and spongillaflies (Sisyridae). The giant lacewing (Osmylus fulvicephalus) is the only species of the Osmylidae in the Czech Republic. The adults are diurnal or crepuscular weak-flying insects which mostly prey on small invertebrates, supplementing their diet with some pollen. Eggs are deposited in damp places, usually near fresh water. Adults have transparent spotted wings, and short, thin antennae. They have two compound eyes, as well as three ocelli in-between. Giant lacewing larvae have peculiar mouthparts which look like a thin forceps with the ends bending outwards. The body is elongated and slender and terminates in two extensible graspers bearing tiny hooks; these are used to aid in locomotion and to grasp prey. The larvae are associated with damp, mossy habitats and are amphibious. They hunt small invertebrate prey, from which they suck the body fluids with their mouthparts. Giant lacewing larvae are best collected by picking through mosses and stones along the edges of streams. The forewings of adult spongillaflies (Sisyridae) have a span of 4-10 millimeters, and their wings are grayish or brownish, folded like a roof The sessile eggs of Sisyridae are laid singly, or in groups, on objects that overhang water. Their water larvae have spindly legs, long antennae, and flexible, threadlike mouthparts. However, the second and third instars carry seven pairs of jointed, movable tracheal gills beneath their plump abdomens. Sisyridae larvae probe sponges with their long, flexible mouthparts. They are believed to feed exclusively on freshwater sponges, and they are unique among the Neuroptera in having segmented abdominal gills that function for breathing. After feeding and development, the mature larvae swim to the shore, attach to objects close to the water, and spin double-layered cocoons within which they pupate. Rearing Sisyridae larvae in the lab can be complicated due to the difficulty of keeping their sponge host and food source alive. Larval Sisyridae can be collected via a variety of methods, including taking them by hand from sponges, using benthic samplers in lo tic habitats. This paper describes the conditions for rather short-term rearing of the larvae of lance lacewings and spongilla flies and some ideas for experiments and observations in a school aquarium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper examines the metadata practices of various types of memory institutions digitizing audio documents. Sound cultural heritage is not under the responsibility of any one Czech national memory institution to identify, describe, collect and preserve it, and so its digitization is carried out in different ways in different types of institutions. The theoretical basis of the present research study is the memory practices of G. C. Bowker. Through their perspective, we observe how the societal memory, represented as a digitized sound recording, is stored. Design / methodology / approach - Information on metadata practices was gathered through an online survey and from content analysis of a metadata sample. Four archives, two libraries, one museum, and one research organization participated in the research from a total of 20 contacted relevant institutions. Results - Memory institutions are building their digital collections and holdings based on two different variants of the modern concept of time. These are reflected both in their different missions and in the subsequent application of metadata practices and standards. The deterministic mechanical conception forms the computer memory regime; the transformative conception forms the database memory regime. Standards and rules for describing audio documents are as diverse as the mission of memory institutions, but again, one or the other variant of the concept of time can be identified behind them. Universal among institutions is the desire to preserve provenance information. The preservation of provenance information of the original physical media is widespread, involving in particular identification and basic description; context relating to specific features of the recording is more rarely preserved. The authenticity of digital documents does not receive much attention from memory institutions; the actual process of transformation of a digital document after digitization is unrecorded. Despite the fact that memory institutions digitize holdings primarily for research use, they do not create sufficient conditions for quality digital research. Originality / value - The paper highlights the importance of preserving provenance and contextual information about digitized sound documents, which is central not only to confirm the authenticity of the recording, but also to reconstruct historical events related to music and sound and to the establishment of the sound industry in our country. The paper also opens a perspective on the theory of memory practices that have not been introduced in the Czech environment yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the application of the theoretical concept of the recently deceased American psychologist Susan Carey. Carey was devoted to the study of the development of cognitive functions in early and school-age children, as well as the cognitive processes that make scientific knowledge possible. The theory is part of the conceptual apparatus used by the quoted author. It is based on the assumption that children, as they develop cognitively, form theories about how the world works and, to some extent, test them in a similar way to scientific theories. One of the most important results of her research is what we now know about the origin of concepts. According to her, concepts are not just aggregate ideas about a particular class of entities, events, relations, etc., as is usually claimed. They are tools and as such make knowledge possible. Understanding concepts in Susan Carey's terms makes it possible, among other things, to understand how it is that some people persist in beliefs that are obviously contrary to reality for others, such as the belief in a flat earth. The concept also has interesting methodological implications. Aristotelian logic, as it was practically developed until the end of the nineteenth century, was understood as the rules of right thinking. As such, it included psychological and ethical questions. The conception described here precisely develops the psychological component of the former logic. The final section of the paper then proposes hypotheses on which to base the study of adults, including those who hold some extreme views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper presents the first monitoring of recent distribution and estimated population size of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) in the Boletice military training area (South Bohemia, Czechia) during the winter season of 2021/2022. In the entire monitored area of 165.6 km², we found six territories of Eurasian beaver with an estimated population of 34 individuals in the Boletice military training area. Additionally, we evaluated nineteen hunted beavers in the monitored area over the last six years. Our paper also presents the selected tree species and preferred diameter of the tree trunks by beavers in individual territories. The most frequently consumed genera were Salix spp. with tree diameters up to 6 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Slavism in the history of Czech and Slovak nations has often been underestimated in past years. Any contemporary research focuses primarily on the 19th century, where the role of Slavism is recognised as a part of the formation of the modern Czech and Slovak nations. Alternately, it is also mentioned in the context of so-called Neo-Slavism that gained popularity at the brink of the 20th century, before the First World War. For the time of interwar Czechoslovakia and the years prior, the role of Slavism is largely overlooked. The aim of this paper is to introduce Slavism as a collection of ideas and opinions that played an important part and, regarding the years prior, had a specific position amongst the ideas and ideology of the Czechoslovak state, re-establishing after the Second World War. In this article, Slavism is described in the context of both wartime and post-war political implications. The role of Slavism is traced mainly through the statements of figures of influence in the political and ideological matters of the state. However, the interpretation also implies certain reflections of Slavism in the opinions of intellectuals aiming to establish Slavonic studies as the science of Slavic mutuality. The paper emphasizes the concept of so-called “cultural Slavism” that served to back the Czechoslovak “national way towards Socialism” during the Second World War and shortly after. The article illustrates how for some of the figures, this idea grew into a cult, also serving as an ideological instrument of peace or defence against the threat of Germanism. In this context, post-war Slavism is portrayed as a part of the political programme and strategic orientation. Methodologically, the paper primarily strives for a critical analysis of how figures like Edvard Beneš, Vladimír Clementis or Zdeněk Nejedlý approached Slavism and how some of the ideological imaginations carried Russophile (Sovietologic) patterns into the Czechoslovak social environment. Paradigmatically, the paper leans towards the traditional definition of Slavism as an important part of Czech (Czechoslovak) national identity. However, in the context of the time, it pinpoints its utilisation or even abuse, building of a cult and transition towards utilitarianism that included explicitly political Russophilia and Great Russian nationalism. In the late 1940’s, the cult of post-war Slavism dissipated, leaving Slavism exclusively to academic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Czech Republic is in the first place in the consumption of beer in the world, in 2022 this consumption was 140 l / person, beer culture and tradition is very deeply rooted here. Since 2010, there has been a significant increase in the number of mini-breweries in the Czech Republic and an expansion of domestic beer brewing. Production of mini-breweries represents for about two and a half percent of the total production of the Czech Republic. As the number of microbreweries grows, so does the competitive pressure in this segment. What marketing communication tools used at the point of sale are most important for owners of mini-breweries in connection with competitiveness is the area covered in this paper. The research took place in 2022, the data were obtained by the method of a questionnaire survey, using electronic questioning within the entire research sample, 504 mini-breweries as of 31 December 2021. The return of the questionnaire was 56%, surveyed sample consists of 282 mini-breweries. According to the research results, the most important tools of marketing communication in connection with the competitiveness of mini-breweries are glasses, labels, a signboard and excursions. On the contrary, sales, tablecloths and paid tastings are the least important for owners of mini-breweries in connection with their competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a few original papers on respiratory issues have been published so far in 2023. The vast majority are systematic reviews and meta-analyses of already published studies. In March 2023, the European Society for Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) issued recommendations for the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In the first part of this text, a very basic summary of recommendations according to individual domains is described. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an intervention that has received much attention in recent years, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last randomized trial (EOLIA trial) did not confirm a mortality benefit [1]. However, the subsequent Bayesian analysis of the data of this study brought a posterior probability of a mortality benefit of ECMO support compared to conventional therapy in a selected subgroup of patients with early use of ECMO in patients with severe ARDS [2]. In the second part of the article, we summarize publications related to the effect of ECMO support on several specific groups of diseases. These are patients with polytrauma, life-threatening bronchial asthma, burn trauma, and kidney transplant patients. The third part of the article deals with various aspects of anticoagulant therapy used in ECMO support, including its monitoring and comparison of the effect of heparin and bivalirudin. The fourth part describes a publication evaluating the effectiveness of extracorporeal CO2 removal (ECCO2R) from the point of view of enabling ultraprotective mechanical ventilation in patients with moderate to severe ARDS. The fifth part deals with the relationship of selected pathophysiological aspects to clinical practice and results. It is an investigation of exhaled air analysis for determining the clinical outcome of patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Furthermore, there is also a description of the relationship between dead space ventilation and the prognosis of patients with ARDS. The sixth part deals with the optimization of artificial lung ventilation settings based on the use of transpulmonary pressure measurement. The next part of the article, the seventh, deals with a meta-analysis of the comparison of the effectiveness of non-invasive forms of mechanical ventilation and other methods, such as high-flow oxygen therapy and conventional oxygen therapy. The penultimate section relates to the effect of various forms of nebulization therapy, such as the use of heparin in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, and in the general population of patients on mechanical ventilation, and the use of volatile anesthetics in patients with refractory bronchospasm. In the last section, the text deals with various aspects of interventions in patients with severe respiratory failure who remain conscious. This invloves the effect of the so-called awake prone position and awake extracorporeal oxygenation support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out of all the papers published in the last 12 months in anaesthesiology, this article presents a publication overview of three topic areas that the authors of this text consider significant - a comparison of the effects of general and regional anesthesia, a comparison of the suitability of inhalational and total intravenous anesthesia, and comparison of the effects of remimazolam versus propofol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with Petr Rezek's philosophy in relation to two of his central themes, matter-of-factness (Sachlichkeit) and conflict, through the prism of the problem of non-matter-of-fact (unsachlich) quoting and its manifestations. According to Rezek, these point to the defective forms of intersubjectivity. The dialectic of quoting reason begins with a critique of these forms in order to become a true dialectic of matter-of-factness, through contrasting structures and techniques of analysis, such as the so-called boundary approach or the method of repetition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on two so-called rock castles (Sloup and Jestřebí in northern Bohemia) and their presentation in the early modern topographies written by Mauritius Vogt. While today they are both perceived as former castles, for Vogt, only Jestřebí was an abandoned castle, while Sloup was mainly a hermitage. The relationship between both places leans on their bizarre appearance and connection to the underground. They both were rocks upon a lowland described as saxum vivum. Vogt's view is contextualized by Athanasius Kircher's Mundus subterraneus and other works on the underground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human existence is not just biological functioning, but a process and quest for identity and fulfillment: human beings are self-interpreting animals. It is argued in this paper that the search for sexual identity is a human universal, with regard to which transsexuality reveals how complex human sexuality is and how it comprehends different levels of human existence: biology, genetics, neurology, cultural concepts and the inner quest for authenticity. Human beings are thus neither identical with their genome nor with their brain and any concept of scientific naturalism falls short of adequately incorporating the different levels of human existence. From a Christian theological perspective, human beings are understood as God's creatures and images of God. This does not exclude but has to explicitly include the varieties of sexual identity which we find in human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical exercises should form an essential component of high-quality first aid courses. However, incorporating them into school curricula often encounters several challenges. Among the most prevalent issues are the insufficient availability of resources, primarily resuscitation mannequins, and the relatively large class sizes. These factors can result in limited space for effective hands-on exercises for every student within a single class session. To address this, one potential solution involves dividing the students into smaller groups. In this approach, the teacher can focus individually on guiding practical exercises for one group, while the remaining students engage in alternate activities, such as completing independent worksheets. The groups can subsequently rotate, ensuring that all students receive dedicated attention during the lesson. Consequently, the objective of our research was to develop a collection of educational tasks designed to be compiled into worksheets, facilitating independent work among students. We devised a total of nine distinct task types, presented in four different variations (yielding a total of 36 tasks), and organized them into four comprehensive worksheets. Subsequently, we evaluated the practicality of these worksheets through a trial involving 86 elementary school pupils. The assessment questionnaire indicated that the tasks were highly practical, comprehensible, suitably challenging, and relatively enjoyable, according to the feedback from the students. The paper contains more detailed information about the evaluation process, as well as a link to download all of the prepared worksheets, including the author’s solutions and methodological recommendations for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fieldwork education is a mandatory part of the educational process in Czechia. Within the framework of education, it is also recommended to use interdisciplinary (intersubject) relationships. However, such fieldwork education, which would ac- centuate this interdisciplinarity, is often absent from the conceptual strategy of schools in Czechia, or interdisciplinary links are often implemented randomly in fieldwork education. Their educational potential is used only to a small extent. The aim of this paper is to describe the didactic concept of the Geocamp summer school, which took place in July 2023 in the Ralsko National Geopark with the participation of experts from GeoCamp Iceland and, from a didactic point of view, focused precisely on the development of interdisciplinary relationships within the framework of fieldwork education and mainly in the educational area of Man and Nature at the elementary school level (ISCED level 2). Emphasis was also placed on the connection with the cross-cutting topic of Environmental Education (formation of a relationship to a place). The teaching is based on the constructivist concept; it is also based on the concept of inquiry-based learning and conceptual learning, uses various forms of fieldwork, and is aimed at fulfilling cognitive, conative, but also affective educational goals and the development of several important student competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of drug interactions in the critically ill is high, but these are often potential drug interactions of limited clinical relevance. This paper aims to describe the mechanism and management of not the most frequent but, according to the authors, the most clinically significant interactions. These top five interactions include carbapenems and valproate, CYP 3A4 inhibitors and ticagrelor, enteral nutrition and levodopa, combinations of QT prolonging drugs, and CYP 3A4 inhibitors and quetiapine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A very rare secondary Zn-Al phosphate, kleemanite, was found in association with Al-rich chalcosiderite and krásnoite on samples from the Huber stock in the Krásno deposit near Horní Slavkov (Karlovy Vary Region, Czech Republic). Kleemanite forms small white needle-like to fibrous crystals clustering into urchin-like aggregates up to 2 mm in size. Individual crystals reach a length of up to 0.5 mm. The mineral grows on the walls of the corrosion cavity of the fluorapatite aggregate in quartz gangue. Its chemical composition corresponds to the empirical formula Zn1.02(Al2.04 Fe0.09)Σ2.13(PO4)2.00[(OH)2.41(F)0.04] Σ2.45·3H2 O. Kleemanite is monoclinic, unit-cell parameters refined from X-ray powder diffraction data are a 7.286(8), b 7.194(5), c 9.774(8) Å, β 110.2(6)° and V 480.9(7) ų . The Raman spectrum of kleemanite has not been published before and is included in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National sign languages, encompassing Czech Sign Language, are natural language systems and as such have typical properties of full-fledged natural languages. Linguistics dedicated to elucidating languages employs an array of methods and procedures for systematic investigation. Within this expansive domain, the subfield of quantitative linguistics defines specific linguistic laws, whose validity is subsequently verified. One of the quantitative laws observed in languages is Menzerath–Altmann law, which defines the relationship between hierarchical levels of language. This article endeavours to expound upon the conclusions of experiments aimed at verifying validity of this law, specifically on utterances in Czech Sign Language. It should be emphasized that this is the pioneering study representing the attempt to apply quantitative linguistic laws to a language other than spoken language. The results disseminated in the paper show that while the validity of Menzerath–Altmann law has been proven at higher hierarchical levels, at levels lower than sign, a revision of the hitherto considered hierarchical structure is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical analysis and synthesis of the current status and emerging developments in contemporary couple therapy. Its narrative centers on the evolution of couple therapy into a prominent intervention modality and coherent body of practice. The review begins with the consideration of the field's strong empirical underpinnings derived from research on couple therapy and basic relational science. Couple therapy comprises the widely accepted method for reducing relationship distress and enhancing relationship quality. Moreover, both as a stand-alone intervention and in conjunction with other treatment formats, couple-based interventions have garnered considerable empirical support for their effectiveness in addressing a broad spectrum of specific relational dysfunctions as well as individual emotional and physical health problems. We highlight the convergence of methods through common factors, shared strategies, and remarkably similar arrangements across approaches. Our review also points to key differences among approaches, the importance of recognizing respective strengths and limitations linked to these differences, and building on differences across models when selecting and tailoring interventions for a given couple. The discussion concludes with a consideration of recent trends in the field including the impact of telehealth and related digital technologies, the expansion of specific treatments for specific problems and diverse populations, the interface of couple therapy with relationship education, and enduring challenges as well as new opportunities addressing broader systemic and global dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the evolution of endoscopic prostate enucleation is reviewed in chronological order based on energy technology starting first with holmium laser, then bipolar electrocautery, following by thulium laser and finally greenlight laser enucleation of the prostate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paros is with the area of almost 200 km² the third largest island in the Cyclades (ca. 15.000 permanent inhabitants). Although this island is very favourite summer destination for many Greeks and foreigners, the availability of medical care is not ideal here even at the beginning of 21st century, especially from the perspective of the citizens of the central European inland state with a dense network of medical facilities. The paper is presenting some aspects of medical history and availability of medical care on Paros from 20th century until the present day. It is focusing mostly on the life and work of the local native, doctor Georgios Patelis (1910-1991), who worked from 1940s until the end of 1970s as the only graduated medical practitioner on the island. With respect to his credits for the public health and the general development of the island a small Medical museum was dedicated to him in the centre of Parikia, where his daughter Katerina is caring for his memory and legacy. The second part of this paper describes the history of medical care on Paros - and in general, on the Cyclades - in the last 50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the usage of online text mining in economic forecast modelling and in research of innovation milieu and tacit investment attitudes. Firstly the basics of online text mining algorithms and its statistical relevancies are presented, especially the uprising problem of statistical categorization of word clouds and/or textual profiles. The last part of the paper contains short research about GDP and text mining forecast models in four USA states between 2010 and 2015, focusing on the forecast accuracy of time series models and panel regressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the results of the application of the theories of D. Winnicott and K. Horney on historical data. The data was acquired by analysis of the book texts published in the range of 1918 and 1943 by Emanuel Moravec – a Czech collaborator in World War II. The total number of pages of the analyzed materials counts as 4062. The data was completed by the major life events of Moravec, as they were pictured in his biographies. Using the object-related and neo-psychoanalysis theories the paper outlines: a) possibilities of application of the depth theories on historical data; b) results acquired by application of the mentioned theories; c) possibilities of psychobiography to explain the behaviour of historical popular figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]