This article explores the trajectory of so-called guaranteed social housing in the Czech Republic as an example of penetrating financial instruments into the public policy realm. The project, promoted by the government’s Agency for Social Inclusion, was intended to encourage private landlords to rent their properties to people in need through commercial insurance against the risk of rent defaults. Using policy documents, media and interviews with governmental officers, the article describes the performative strength of financial instruments in the sphere traditionally occupied by the welfare state. In financialisation literature, the proliferation of financial instruments is often described as a one-way process in which these instruments colonise public domains. However, the empirical case discussed in the article shows that this process is much more complex and contingent, and financial instruments are not used as the best option but rather as a last resort in a situation marked by weak policies.
Ligula intestinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a tapeworm parasite with a worldwide distribution that uses a wide variety of fish species as its second intermediate host. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence and population genetic structure of plerocercoids of L. intestinalis in five common cyprinoid species, roach Rutilus rutilus (Linnaeus), freshwater bream Abramis brama (Linnaeus), white bream Blicca bjoerkna (Linnaeus), bleak Alburnus alburnus (Linnaeus), and rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus), collected in six water bodies of the Czech Republic (Milada, Most, Medard, Jordán, Římov and Lipno). Of the six study sites, the highest frequency of parasitism was recorded in Lake Medard (15%). The overall prevalence rate among the species was as follows: roach > rudd ≥ freshwater bream > bleak > white bream. Two mitochondrial genes (cytb and COI) were used to compare the population genetic structure of parasite populations using selected samples from the five fish species. The results of the phylogenetic analysis indicated that all populations of L. intestinalis were placed in Clade A, previously identified as the most common in Europe. At a finer scale, haplotype network and PCoA analyses indicated the possible emergence of host specificity of several mtDNA haplotypes to the freshwater bream. Moreover, pairwise Fixation indices (FST) revealed a significant genetic structure between the parasite population in freshwater bream and other host species. Parasite populations in roach not only showed the highest rate of prevalence but also depicted a maximum number of shared haplotypes with populations from bleak and rudd. Our results suggest that recent ecological differentiation might have influenced tapeworm populations at a fine evolutionary scale. Thus, the differences in prevalence between fish host species in different lakes might be influenced not only by the parasite's ecology, but also by its genetic diversity.
Objectives.This study attempts to introduce the Driving Locus of Control (DLoC), a method focused on the internal or external source of at-tribution of the driving behaviour, to the Czech context. This study also relates DLoC to atti-tudes towards autonomous vehicles (AVs).Participants and setting.Out of the general population, 59 inquirers personally interviewed (CAPI) 1 065 respondents (49% women) in the age range between 15 and 92 years (M = 50, SD = 17). The respondents were sampled via multi-stage random sampling procedure, based on the list of addresses in the Czech Republic.Hypotheses.The authors hypothesised to rep-licate the original two-factor structure of the DLOC Scale and that the higher levels of inter-nal DLoC result in not considering the improve-ment in traffic safety as the AVs replace human drivers.Statistical analysis.Confirmatory factor analy-sis was used to analyse the factor structure of DLoC Scale. Hypotheses related to the empiri-cal validity of the method were assessed via structural equation modelling. Reliability of DLoC Scale was calculated in terms of internal consistency (McDonald coefficient).Results.Confirmatory factor analysis revealed reasonably good support for structural valid-ity of the one-dimensional DLoC-CZ15 factor model (χ2 = 426.967, df = 90, CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.958, SRMR = 0.066, RMSEA = 0.065). In addition, the one-dimensional DLoC-CZ15 factor model showed acceptable internal con-sistency - ω = 0.9 (95% CI [0.89, 0.91]). The structural equation modelling found a relation-ship between DLoC and some of the items cap-turing attitudes towards AVs, too.Study limitations.The analysed data were ob-tained via interviews between respondents and inquirers. As a result, the study does not contain indicators of empirical validity measured by a methodologically different approach, such as an observation of driving behaviour. and Problém. Tato studie uvádí Driving Locus of Control (DLoC), metodu zaměřenou na atribu-ovaný zdroj chování při řízení, do českého kon-textu. Dále pak tato studie ověřuje vztah DLoC k postojům k autonomním vozidlům (AV).Metoda. 59 tazatelů osobně oslovilo (metoda CAPI) 1 065 respondentů z obecné populace (49% žen) ve věkovém rozmezí od 15 do 92 let (M = 50, SD = 17). Respondenti byli vybráni pomocí vícestupňového náhodného výběru na základě seznamu adres v České republice.Hypotézy.Autořipředpokládali replikaci pů-vodní dvoufaktorové struktury škály DLoC. Současně předpokládali, že vyšší úroveň inter-ního DLoC nesouvisí s očekáváním zlepšení bezpečnosti provozu, když AV nahradí lidské řidiče.Analýza dat. K analýze faktorové struktury metody byla použita konfirmační faktorová analýza. Hypotézy týkající se empirické vali-dity metody byly ověřeny pomocí strukturního modelování. Reliabilita škály DLoC ve smyslu vnitřní konzistence byla vypočítána pomocí Mc-Donaldova koeficientu.Výsledky. Konfirmační faktorová analýza při-nesla adekvátní podporu strukturní validity jednorozměrného faktorového modelu DLoC--CZ15 (χ2 = 426,967, df = 90, CFI = 0,964, TLI = 0,958, SRMR = 0,066, RMSEA = 0,065). Navíc jednorozměrný faktorový model DLoC--CZ15 vykázal přijatelnou vnitřní konzistenci – ω = 0,9 (95% CI [0,89; 0,91]). V rámci struktur-ního modelování byla zjištěna souvislost mezi DLoC a částí položek zachycujících postoje k AV.Limity studie.Analyzovaná data byla získána prostřednictvím rozhovorů mezi respondenty a tazateli. V důsledku toho studie neobsahuje indikátory empirické validity měřené metodolo-gicky odlišným přístupem, například pozorová-ním chování při řízení.
Studie představuje výsledky výzkumu zaměřeného na psychologické dopady spojené s epidemií covid-19 v České republice v průběhu měsíců březen–květen 2020. Cílem studie je sledovat a popsat dynamiku psychologických ukazatelů v čase, s ohledem na vývoj situace v ČR – od prvního nárůstu počtu nakažených a výrazných restrikcí, přes kulminaci a ústup první vlny epidemie, až k pomalému návratu do stavu uvolněných restrikcí. Výzkum pracuje se souborem 2716 respondentů ve věku 18–89 let, kteří se zúčastnili on-line dotazníkového šetření, případně byli dotazováni trénovanými výzkumnými asistenty (zejm. v případě seniorů a dalších osob, kteří neměli přístup k internetu). Výzkumná data zahrnovala deskriptivy účastníků a výsledky psychologických testů zaměřených na emoční stavy respondentů, jejich psychický nepokoj (distres) a přítomnost úzkosti a deprese. Tyto psychologické ukazatele byly sledovány jak v celém souboru, tak ve skupinách podle pohlaví a věku. Výsledky dokládají, že nastalá epidemická situace souvisela s výrazným nárůstem negativního emočního prožívání, se symptomatikou psychického nepokoje, úzkostí a depresí, a to až do období kulminace. Poté bylo zaznamenáno postupné zlepšování psychického stavu dotazovaných osob. Negativní dopady byly výraznější v populaci mladších dospělých a v populaci žen. Výsledky poukazují také na rozdílnosti v míře reportovaného stresu u izolovaných osob, které byly dotazovány zprostředkovaně (asistenty), oproti osobám, které reportovaly svůj stav přímo do dotazníku. V případě nezprostředkovaného dotazování byly hodnoty negativních psychických ukazatelů vyšší, oproti osobám, které byly dotazovány asistenty. and The study presents the results of a screening focused on the psychological impact associated with the outbreak and further development of COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech population during March – May 2020. The aim of the study was to investigate temporal dynamics of psychological impact covering the first wave of the epidemic, i.e., first phases of the epidemic growth, culmination, decrease, and slow return to a normal lifestyle. The sample of 2716 respondents aged between 18 and 89 years participated in an online survey from March 18th to May 25th, 2020; part of them (typically seniors and others, who had not access to the internet) were assisted in entering the data by trained interviewers. The survey comprised questionnaires capturing emotional states, psychological disturbance, anxiety, and depression. The changes in the scores by pandemic phase (time frame) were studied for the whole sample and for gender and age groups. The results show that the threat of COVID-19 caused a significant increase in negative emotional experience and in the symptoms of psychological disturbance, anxiety, and depression in the Czech population in time of infection culmination, even when the spread of the pandemic was well controlled, and then a gradual decline over time. The data indicated that the pandemic situation had a more pronounced impact on women and younger adults. The study also showed that in situations of pandemic stress associated with isolation, when isolated people are interviewed about their mental state, their reports on negative experiencing might be significantly reduced compared to direct anonymous selfreports data entry.
Parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 are one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. Faecal samples from 179 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes [Linnaeus]), 100 grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus), 11 golden jackals (Canis aureus Linnaeus), and 63 brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) were collected in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. using microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU), actin and 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes using the maximum likelihood method revealed the presence of Cryptosporidium tyzzeri Ren, Zhao, Zhang, Ning, Jian et al., 2012 (n = 1) and C. andersoni Lindsay, Upton, Owens, Morgan, Mead et Blackburn, 2000 (n = 2) in red foxes, C. canis Fayer, Trout, Xiao, Morgan, Lai et Dubey, 2001 (n = 2) and C. ubiquitum Fayer, Santín et Macarisin, 2010 (n = 2) in grey wolves, and C. galli Pavlásek, 1999 in brown bears (n = 1) and red foxes (n = 1). Subtyping of isolates of C. ubiquitum and C. tyzzeri based on sequence analysis of gp60 showed that they belong to the XIId and IXa families, respectively. The presence of specific DNA of C. tyzzeri, C. andersoni and C. galli, which primarily infect the prey of carnivores, is probably the result of their passage through the gastrointestinal tract of the carnivores. Finding C. ubiquitum XIId in wolves may mean broadening the host spectrum of this subtype, but it remains possible this is the result of infected prey passing through the wolf - in this case deer, which is a common host of this parasite. The dog genotype of C. canis was reported for the first time in wolves.