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As the wife of President Edvard Beneš, Hana Benešová was effectively the First Lady of the ethnically diverse Czechoslovak community in exile in Britain from 1938 to 1945. Yet whilst her husband published copious male-dominated political memoirs, Hana, the smart, demure and frequently photographed public figure, remains an enigma. Through a kaleidoscope of commentaries and observations, this paper illuminates some aspects of her life within a socio-political context, focusing in particular on WW2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exiled women and the intersectionality of femininity and refugee status is introduced as the focus of articles in the 2016 and 2017 issues of the exile studies periodical "Yearbook of the Research Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies".

Evolving from the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia in 1939, the Czech Refugee Trust Fund (CRTF) had a chequered existence. It was in an invidious position, responsible for diverse and sometimes dissenting refugees, whilst remaining answerable to both the Treasury and Secretary of State for the Home Department regarding funding and management. Pressing needs often conflicted with shifting government policies throughout World War II and the early Communist era, and the Trust itself was obliged to adjust accordingly. This paper discusses the principal issues and problems, including onward migration, state security matters, welfare and accommodation (hostels/flats), and the 1948 extension of the Trust's remit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transient postnatal increase in circulating leptin levels, known as leptin surge, may increase later susceptibility to diet-induced obesity in rodents. However, the source of leptin during the surge needs to be better characterized, and the long-term effects of leptin are contradictory. Characterization of the interaction of leptin with the genetic background, sex, and other factors is required. Here, we focused on the impact of circulating leptin levels and several related variables, measured in 2- and 4-week-old (i) obesity-prone C57BL/6 (B6) and (ii) obesity-resistant A/J mice. In total, 264 mice of both sexes were used. Posttranscriptionally controlled leptin secretion from subcutaneous white adipose tissue, the largest adipose tissue depot in mice pups, was the primary determinant of plasma leptin levels. When the animals were randomly assigned standard chow or high-fat diet (HFD) between 12 - 24 weeks of age, the obesogenic effect of HFD-feeding was observed in B6 but not A/J mice. Only leptin levels at 2 weeks, i.e., close to the maximum in the postnatal leptin surge, correlated with both body weight (BW) trajectory throughout the life and adiposity of the 24-week-old mice. Leptin surge explained 13 and 7 % of the variance in BW and adiposity of B6 mice and 9 and 35 % of the variance in these parameters in A/J mice, with a minor role of sex. Our results prove the positive correlation between the leptin surge and adiposity in adulthood, reflecting the fundamental biological role of leptin. This role could be compromised in obese subjects.