Nineteenth-century land use shapes the current occurrence of some plant species, but weakly affects the richness and total composition of Central European grasslands.

Context: Historical land use is thought to have influenced plant community diversity, composition and function through the local persistence of taxa that reflect ecological conditions of the past.

Objectives: We tested for the effects of historical land use on contemporary plant species richness, composition, and ecological preferences in the grassland vegetation of Central Europe.

Methods: We analyzed 6975 vegetation plots sampled between 1946 and 2021 in dry, mesic, and wet grasslands in the borderland between Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Basic pharmacological evaluation of modified phenyl carbamic acid derivatives on cardiovascular functions under in vitro conditions in rats.

The study aimed to evaluate the basic pharmacological effects of modified phenyl carbamic acid derivates with a basic part made of N-phenylpiperazine (compounds 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) in Wistar rats. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to decrease the phenylephrine-induced contraction of the aortic strips of rats after repeated administration of the compounds and their ability to inhibit the positive chronotropic effect of isoproterenol on spontaneously beating rat atria. The ability to inhibit the vasoconstriction effect of phenylephrine was confirmed in all compounds in the range from 10.

Senescence in neural cell lines: comparative insights from SH-SY5Y and ReNcell VM.

Senescence, a crucial yet paradoxical phenomenon in cellular biology, acts as a barrier against cancer progression while simultaneously promoting aging and age-related pathologies. This duality underlines the importance of precise monitoring of senescence response, especially with regard to the proposed use of drugs selectively removing senescent cells. In particular, little is known about the role of senescence in neurons and in neurodegenerative diseases.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: Clinical and morphological overview of a rare disease associated with macrophage dysfunction.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease characterised by excessive accumulation of surfactant components in alveolar macrophages, alveoli, and peripheral airways. The accumulation of surfactant is associated with only a minimal inflammatory response but can lead to the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Three clinical forms of PAP are distinguished - primary, secondary and congenital.

Artificial intelligence-based biomarkers for treatment decisions in oncology.

The development of new therapeutic strategies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and targeted therapies has increased the complexity of the treatment landscape for solid tumors. At the current rate of annual FDA approvals, the potential treatment options could increase by tenfold over the next 5 years. The cost of personalized medicine technologies limits its accessibility, thus increasing socioeconomic disparities in the treated population.

Modelling of online shopping behavior in the Czech online environment.

The online environment has its own specifics, which shape the specific behavior of all market subjects, both customers and companies that trade electronically. The aim of the paper is to create, quantify and verify a conceptual comprehensive model of relationships between determinants that influence consumers when shopping online. The impetus for the conducted research was the discovery of the non-existence of a comprehensive model of online shopping behavior that reflects the specifics of the online environment.

Recent advances in organocatalytic atroposelective reactions.

Axial chirality is present in a variety of naturally occurring compounds, and is becoming increasingly relevant also in medicine. Many axially chiral compounds are important as catalysts in asymmetric catalysis or have chiroptical properties. This review overviews recent progress in the synthesis of axially chiral compounds via asymmetric organocatalysis.

Hot press sintering of YO-AlO glasses: Impact of particle size on thermal behaviour, sintering ability and mechanical properties of sintered bodies.

The impact of grinding on particle size, thermal behaviour, and sintering ability of yttrium aluminate glass microspheres with eutectic composition (76.8 mol % AlO and 23.2 mol % YO) was studied.

Association Between Self-Reported Lactose Intolerance, Additional Environmental Factors, and Bone Mineral Density in Young Adults.

Objectives: This study examines the relationship between self-reported lactose intolerance (LI), environmental factors, and their effects on bone mineral density (BMD) in young adults from Slovakia.

Methods: We assessed 985 adults aged 18-30 years, with an average age of 21.61 ± 2.

Indication of the sensitivity of Pinaceae species growing in Eastern Central Europe to ground-level ozone pollution.

This study focused on testing the response of the assimilation apparatus of evergreen Pinaceae species to increasing levels of oxidative stress simulated in manipulative experiments. Needles were collected from mature individuals of Pinus mugo, Pinus cembra, Pinus sylvestris, Abies alba, and Picea abies at the foothill (FH) and alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) in the High Tatras (Western Carpathians). The injury index (INX), quantified by the modified electrolyte leakage (EL) method, indicated severe needle damage due to exposure to extremely high levels of O.

Multidimensional well-being and income inequality in Central and Eastern Europe: A comparative analysis of CEE North and CEE Continental countries.

Central Eastern European countries (CEEc) are characterized both by huge diversity in income inequality and, on average, by lower levels of well-being than in the other European Union (EU) countries. Given that income inequality may affect well-being negatively, the present study aims to explore the links between income inequalities and different dimensions of well-being in the eight CEEc, i.e.

A community-based intervention (the Omama Project) improves neurodevelopment in impoverished 2-year-old Roma children: a quasi-experimental observational study.

Unlabelled: High rates of childhood neurodisability are reported among the Roma, Europe's largest ethnic minority community. Interventions targeting early child development (ECD) during the first 2 years of life can improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in vulnerable children; however, evidence from Roma preschoolers is scarce. In a quasi-experimental observational study, we compared neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2 years, measured on the INTERGROWTH-21st Project Neurodevelopmental Assessment (INTER-NDA), between Roma children receiving a community-based ECD intervention (RI, n = 98), and age- and sex-matched Roma and non-Roma children (RC, n = 99 and NRC, n = 54, respectively) who did not receive the intervention in Eastern Slovakia.

50 years of the Czech and Slovak Society of Experimental Cardiology - historical background and scientific benefit.

The history of the Czech and Slovak experimental cardiology describes a completely unusual curve. The personality of J.E.

Survival of Eurasian lynx in the human-dominated landscape of Europe.

Survival and cause-specific mortality rates are vital for evidence-based population forecasting and conservation, particularly for large carnivores, whose populations are often vulnerable to human-caused mortalities. It is therefore important to know the relationship between anthropogenic and natural mortality causes to evaluate whether they are additive or compensatory. Further, the relation between survival and environmental covariates could reveal whether specific landscape characteristics influence demographic performance.

Rice transcription factor bHLH25 confers resistance to multiple diseases by sensing HO.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is a ubiquitous signal regulating many biological processes, including innate immunity, in all eukaryotes. However, it remains largely unknown that how transcription factors directly sense HO in eukaryotes. Here, we report that rice basic/helix-loop-helix transcription factor bHLH25 directly senses HO to confer resistance to multiple diseases caused by fungi or bacteria.

Genetic Rescue of the Dinaric Lynx Population: Insights for Conservation From Genetic Monitoring and Individual-Based Modelling.

Inbreeding depression poses a severe threat to small populations, leading to the fixation of deleterious mutations and decreased survival probability. While the establishment of natural gene flow between populations is an ideal long-term solution, its practical implementation is often challenging. Reinforcement of populations by translocating individuals from larger populations is a viable strategy for reducing inbreeding, increasing genetic diversity and potentially saving populations from extinction.

Overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular disease in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry.

Background And Aims: Overweight and obesity are modifiable risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the general population, but their prevalence in individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and whether they confer additional risk of ASCVD independent of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) remains unclear.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 35 540 patients with HeFH across 50 countries, in the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry. Prevalence of World Health Organization-defined body mass index categories was investigated in adults (n = 29 265) and children/adolescents (n = 6275); and their association with prevalent ASCVD.

Prevalence of central sensitization and somatization in adults with temporomandibular disorders-a prospective observational study.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) comprise a group of conditions affecting the masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joints and associated structures, often manifesting as orofacial pain and functional limitations of the mandible. Central sensitization (CS) is gaining increasing attention in research focused on pain syndromes and somatization, playing a significant role in the pain experience. This study investigates the prevalence of CS and somatization among TMD patients, analyzing their relationships with TMD diagnoses and the intensity of chronic masticatory muscle pain (MMP).

Point of view: Challenges in implementation of new immunotherapies for Alzheimer's disease.

The advancement of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD), along with the approval of three amyloid-targeting therapies in the US and several other countries, represents a significant development in the treatment landscape, offering new hope for addressing this once untreatable chronic progressive disease. However, significant challenges persist that could impede the successful integration of this class of drugs into clinical practice. These challenges include determining patient eligibility, appropriate use of diagnostic tools and genetic testing in patient care pathways, effective detection and monitoring of side effects, and improving the healthcare system's readiness by engaging both primary care and dementia specialists.

Brain health in Norwegian female former top-level football players: a protocol for a longitudinal cohort study.

Introduction: Repetitive head impacts (RHI) in sports may represent a risk factor for long-term cognitive and neurological sequelae. Recent studies have identified an association between playing football at the top level and an elevated risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease. However, these were conducted on men, and there is a knowledge gap regarding these risks in female athletes.

Genetic diversity and intercontinental dispersal of temperate and subarctic populations of Dibothriocephalus dendriticus (Cestoda; Diphyllobothriidea), a causative agent of dibothriocephalosis.

The diphyllobothriid tapeworm Dibothriocephalus dendriticus, one of the causative agents of the fish-borne zoonosis dibothriocephalosis, is mainly distributed in the Arctic/subarctic and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, North America, and Asia), but also in the southern cone region of South America (Patagonia). The genetic structure and gene flow among 589 individuals of D. dendriticus, representing 20 populations, were studied using the mitochondrial cox1 gene as the first choice marker and 10 polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci as a dominant molecular tool.

Assessing the benzimidazole resistance in equine strongyles by in vitro methods.

The study aimed to conduct a survey on the occurrence of benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in strongyles by in vitro egg hatch test (EHT) and larval development test (LDT) and to identify the effective indicators of early resistance detection on horse farms with associated risk factors analysis appraisal. In total, 203 horses from 8 farms underwent the fecal sampling of which 77 horses were selected for in vitro testing. Simultaneously, 18 horses were chosen to analyse the results of in vitro tests compared to the in vivo fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT).

A lamb freshness detection model using a flexible optoelectronic in-situ sensing system and multi-input multi-label causal ensemble learning.

Efficient, non-destructive and real-time meat freshness assessment has always been a hot research topic. This paper presents a novel approach for detecting lamb meat freshness using a flexible optoelectronic sensing system combined with an integrated learning model. We developed a flexible impedance sensing system and a flexible optical sensing system through laser direct writing and transfer technology.

Effects of chamber restricted environmental stimulation therapy on state mindfulness, physiological regulation and emotional experience in young adults: Exploring variations by resting heart rate variability.

This exploratory study examines the effects of a single, brief (3-h) Chamber Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) session on emotional experience, state mindfulness, and physiological regulation in young adults. Previous research has shown preliminary evidence, that REST offers a range of benefits in managing stress and mental well-being. We focused on young adult population, a group particularly vulnerable to stress, digital dependence and immersion, who often lack time for self-reflection and contemplative activities, while navigating numerous distractions.