The article examines ideological and institutional role of the “greening” policy in the Soviet urban planning practice of 1920-1930s. Relying on the example of the socialist city of Uralmash in Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) the author traces how the idea of the “green city” affected the development of the urban settlement in terms of its functional mechanism and symbolic transformation. By analyzing the logic of the Uralmash “green” policy and its main narratives he argues that successful improvement of the post-Soviet green zones depends not so much on the new urban city-planning initiatives as on the new symbols and meanings that could give a clear vision of these spaces in the current social and cultural context.
This paper provides an overview of developments affecting Slovenian social housing after the country’s transition to a market economy. It analyses the Slovenian institutional framework, its functioning and critically evaluates its sustainability. The economic and social impacts of the global financial crisis saw the sector face strong challenges and revealed its weaknesses. A new strategic document was adopted in 2015 to respond to the situation. Although this new document offers a transition to the more sustainable and better provision of social housing in practice, it is still too early for optimism since it would not be the first time in Slovenia that a strategic document has primarily remained only on the declaratory level.
The revival of the UN Security Council’s regulatory powers after the end of the Cold War as well as new challenges to international peace and security have led to the development and diversification of UN operational tools. In the absence of United Nations’ own material capacities to undertake necessary military action, due to the non-conclusion of agreements provided for in Article 43 of the UN Charter by which UN Member States would commit to provide the necessary force and other assistance to the Security Council upon its call, the latter developed other means. Today, there co-exist two mandated operations by the Security Council vested with the power to use force, each however within a different scope, limits and objective: UN-led “Blue Helmets” and UN-authorized military operations. This functional rapprochement causes nevertheless a great confusion, both in practice and recently in the judicial sphere. Hence, the clarification of the legal regime of each is essential. While the UN-led Blue Helmets vested with the limited power to use force represent the new generation of peacekeeping operations, the UN-authorized operations constitute a decentralized execution of the Council’s enforcement measure. In the latter case the Security Council turns to UN Member States or regional organizations and delegates them its exclusive power to use force under Article 42 of the UN Charter to execute it under set conditions. The limitation of the use of force by the UN-led operation to the strict defence of its civilian mandate does not exempt it from the regime of coercion established under Chapter VII of the UN Charter either. This raises a question of the legal status of this UN-led operation and whether possibly such tool approaches the original concept of UN enforcement forces laid down in Article 43. Analysis of the converging and diverging elements of both operations shows the complexity of this operational domain, the clarification of which is proposed in this article via a legal perspective.
The article deals with the regulation of the use of Czech, German and classical languages in the administrative, school and Church spheres as it appears in the decrees published during Joseph II’s reign for the lands of the Bohemian crown. The author attempts to reconstruct the emperor’s vision of the usage of the different languages in the Czech lands, find the reasoning behind it, and identify the methods of this regulation. He also asks whether, in Joseph II’s case, one can speak about a "language policy" as a deliberate strategy to change the language situation in the Czech lands., Dmitrij Timofejev., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Egypt is considered to be one of the few countries in which Arab culture flourished among the Jews, in both the popular and the canonical fields. Some of Jews, such as Yacqūb Ṣanūc (James Sanua) (1839-1912), Togo Mizraḥī (1901-1987), and Laylā Murād (1918-1995), rose to prominence. However, on the whole, Jewish involvement was relatively limited in comparison to Iraq, probably because Arabic had low status among Egyptian Jews. A Jew as “a carbon copy of ibn al-balad” was never a desired option for most of the Egyptian-Jewish writers, artists, and intellectuals. Due to the peculiar demographic structure of Egyptian Jewry, the dreams of its members were much more infused with the spirit of Alexandrian cosmopolitanism, which was the product of a limited period and singular history – that of the crumbling Ottoman Empire.
The 48-hour "Aladin" forecast model can predict significant meteorological quantities in a middle scale area. Neural networks could try to replace some statistical techniques designed to adapt a global meteorological numerical forecast model for local conditions, described with real data surface observations. They succeed commonly a cut above problem solutions with a predefined testing data set, which provides bearing inputs for a trained model. Time-series predictions of the very complex and dynamic weather system are sophisticated and not any time faithful using simple neural network models entered only some few variables of their own next-time step estimations. Predicted values of a global meteorological forecast might instead enter a neural network locally trained model, for refine it. Differential polynomial neural network is a new neural network type developed by the author; it constructs and substitutes for an unknown general sum partial differential equation of a system description, with a total sum of fractional polynomial derivative terms. This type of non-linear regression is based on trained generalized data relations, decomposed into many partial derivative specifications. The characteristics of composite differential equation solutions of this indirect type of a function description can facilitate a much greater variety of model forms than is allowed using standard soft-computing methods. This adjective derivative model type is supposed to be able to solve much more complex problems than is usual using standard neural network techniques.
Cíl studie: Výsledek každé analýzy DNA je do značné míry závislý na typu biologického materiálu použitého pro extrakci nukleových kyselin. Cílem naší studie je porovnat vlastnosti DNA extraktů získaných dvěma různými izolačními postupy z buněk bukální sliznice, močového sedimentu, nehtů, vlasových kořínků a periferních krevních buněk. Materiál a metody: Biologické vzorky byly získány od 24 dobrovolníků s mediánem věku 31 let (25–54 let). Izolace DNA byla provedena fenol-chloroformovou extrakcí a pomocí separačních mikrokolonek (Qiagen). Eluční objem byl v obou případech 50 μl. Extrakty byly charakterizovány spektrofotometricky, fluorimetricky, elektroforeticky a z hlediska účinnosti následné PCR amplifikace. Výsledky: Nejvyšší koncentrace DNA obsahovaly extrakty z buněk periferní krve a bukální sliznice; nejnižší koncentrace DNA byly izolovány z vlasových kořínků. Všechny typy extraktů měly uspokojivou čistotu (mediány v rozmezí 1,7–1,9). Podíl nefragmentované DNA ve vzorcích získaných mikrokolonkovou metodou byl téměř dvojnásobný v porovnání s fenolovou extrakcí. Procentuální zastoupení nefragmentovaných molekul klesal podle biologického zdroje v následující řadě: krev (73,3 %) > bukální sliznice (63,5 %) > močový sediment (31,3 %) > nehty (25,3 %) > vlasy (20,4 %). Amplifikační účinnost u extraktů z periferní krve, bukálního stěru a močového sedimentu byla vyšší než u extraktů z nehtů a vlasů. Závěr: Všechny analyzované extrakty pocházející z krevních buněk, bukální sliznice, močového sedimentu, nehtů a vlasů poskytly dostatek DNA molekul k provedení molekulárně biologických vyšetření. Nejvhodnějšími materiály byly krevní buňky a buňky bukální sliznice. Z nich připravené extrakty měly nejvyšší koncentraci a čistotu DNA bez ohledu na použitou izolační metodu, nejnižší podíl degradované DNA a nejvyšší účinnost amplifikace krátkých i dlouhých amplikonů., Objective: Results of DNA testing depend in many cases on the type of biological material used for extraction of nucleic acids. The aim of the study is to compare properties of DNA extracts prepared using two different isolation procedures from buccal cells, urine sediment, nails, hair roots, and peripheral blood cells. Material and Methods: Biological material was collected from 24 volunteers at median age of 31 years (range 25–54 years). Phenol–chloroform extraction and spin microcolumn extraction method (Qiagen) were used for DNA isolation. In both the procedures, the elution volume was 50 μl. The extracts were characterized optically (UV spectrophotometric and fluorimetric analyses), electrophoretically, and by PCR amplification efficiency. Results: The highest DNA concentrations were found in extracts from peripheral blood and buccal cells; the lowest DNA concentrations were in hair extracts. All types of the extracts had acceptable purity (medians 1.7–1.9). The content of nonfragmented DNA molecules in the microcolumns extracts was almost twofold higher in comparison to the phenol ones. The percentages of non-fragmented DNA decreased as follows: blood (73.3 %) > buccal cells (63.5 %) > urine sediment (31.3 %) > nails (25.3 %) > hair roots (20.4 %). The amplification efficiency in the peripheral blood, buccal swab, and urine extracts was significantly higher than in the nail and hair extracts. Conclusion: All analyzed DNA extracts received from blood, buccal cells, urine sediment, nails, and hair roots provided a sufficient number of integral DNA molecules for following DNA testing. The best quality of DNA was found in extracts from blood and buccal cells (high concentrations and purity, low degree of fragmentation, and high efficiency of amplification for either short or long PCR amplicons)., Beránek M., Hegerová J., Drastíková M., and Literatura 25
In the wake of the national and political conflict in the Middle East, Arab-Jewish culture has undergone a process of marginalization and negligence, as well as a gradual descent into utter oblivion, owing to both Arab-Musim and Hebrew-Jewish-Zionist national and culural systems. Both sides, each with its own form of limited reasoning and particularistic considerations, have refused to accept the legitimacy of Arab-Jewish hybridism highlighting instead "pure" nationally, culturally, and religiously exclusive identities. The article explores the gradual demise of Arab-Jewish cultural hybridism, which, from a historical point of view, coexisted with Arab-Muslim and Arab-Christian hybridisms during some periods. Following a short era in the twentieth century during which Arab-Jewish culture flourished, especially in Egypt and Iraq, we are currently witnessing the demise of that culture. Consequently, Israeli-Arab Jews, or those seen as their offspring, currently have, or will have in the near future, three man cultural options. The first - the revival of active Jewish involvement in Arab canonical culture - is probably impossible. The second option is involvement in popular Israeli culture; this option is characterized by a strong longing for legitimacy - Jewish musicians and singers of Arab origin have accomplished a great deal in this field. The third option is participation in the activities of the canonical Hebrew culture.
The author examines the clientele of the Bratislava booksellers Anton Löwe and Philip Ulrich Mahler in the context of the Hungarian book trade from 1770 to 1800. By analysing the extant correspondence of Michal Institoris Mošovský, a protestant pastor in Bratislava, she was able to partially identify one segment of their customer base - protestant clergymen. For many years these members of the petty intelligentsia purchased from the Bratislava booksellers, in particular imported works by the German pietists and Enlightenment theologians. The author also investigated the social and geographical limits of the distribution process, some of the contact and distribution networks, and the identity of key figures., Petronela Križanová., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
This study examines how South Africans construct and negotiate racial identities in written commentaries via a forum of the Mail@Guardian website Thought Leader in response to a blog by Ndumiso Ngcobo entitled “I’m a coconut and I am proud of it – say it with me.” Ngcobo’s ironic opinion piece, written in 2008, which plays with the label “coconut” (frequently employed in South Africa among “black” people in reference to another “black” person who seemingly behaves “white”), triggered 163 responses from individual readers. An essential point made by Ngcobo is that perceptions and attitudes around “whiteness” and “blackness,” or what can be considered “white” or “black” in racial terms, vary greatly, depending on circumstances and perspective. However, the author’s irreverent and ironic style is misunderstood and misinterpreted by many of the comment writers. Relying partially on the methodological framework of Critical Discourse Analysis, I analyze the commentary texts and interpret the categories people use in their discursive constructions of race and identity by examining their stylistic choices and content markers and focusing on sociolinguistic and cultural issues. It is argued that the analyzed comments are representative not only of the pervasiveness of “rigid” race thinking but also of how intra-racial boundaries are constructed in the post-apartheid state.
The sequence diversity in the mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase I (COI) gene was evaluated as a tool for resolving differences among species of European adelgids collected from several localities across the Czech Republic. Members of 7 genera and 16 species were examined, and as outgroups, two species of Phylloxeridae were used. Sequence divergences within species were on average less than 0.15%, whereas divergences between species ranged from 0.0 to 4.12% for congeneric and to 13.24% for intergeneric comparisons. It is concluded that DNA barcoding of Adelgidae is a powerful tool for identifying genera, but at the species level it works only in those cases where there are no species complexes. Nevertheless, it can be used as a complement to traditional, morphological taxonomy.
A hybrid approach to elephant trunk technique for treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms combines a conventional surgical and endovascular therapy. Compared to surgery alone, there is a presumption that mortality and morbidity is reduced. We present a case report of a 42-year-old man with a giant aneurysm of the entire thoracic aorta, significant aortic and tricuspid regurgitation and ventricular septum defect. The patient underwent multiple consecutive operations and interventions having, among others, finally replaced the entire thoracic aorta with the use of the hybrid elephant trunk technique. and T. Holubec, J. Raupach, J. Dominik, J. Vojácek
This study examines the possibilities and limitations of centralizing reforms within the western part of the Habsburg monarchy, as illustrated by the problematic issue of ennoblement in the Czech lands. The administrative reforms of 1749 resulted in the administrative union of both state entities in a single whole of (all) so-called Hereditary Lands. They also led to the closure of separate offices at court representing the Czech and Austrian lands, replacing them with a single Directorium in publicis et cameralibus, which took over the ennoblement programme hitherto operated by those two offices. Despite the apparently centralizing tendency of the reforms, this did not extend to any unification of entitlements to ennoblement, which continued to be based on particular ranks and titles specific to either the Kingdom of Bohemia or the Archduchy of Austria. It was not until 1752 that, on the urging of Maria Theresa herself, a unified, legally binding system for dispensing preferment and privilege, including a unified scale of aristocratic titles for all the Hereditary Lands, was introduced. In practice, ennoblement rights in the two state entities remained differentiated as to specific titles up until the early 19th century, when the two systems were superseded by a new Austrian Imperial ranking. Thus one of the last relics of the conception of the Czech Crown Lands as an autonomous historical entity finally ceased to exist., Jiří Brňovják., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The concept of "Exclusivism" is considered to represent one of the most characteristic features of International Nuclear Law. This concept is reflected by regulating matters of uses of nuclear energy and ionising radiation exclusively by distinct principles, that govern legal relations arising in these matters. The concept of "Exclusivism" has been widely reflected in the provisions of international conventions, which have been adopted since the 1960s. This article aims to revisit this concept, taking the most recent developments in international and European law into regard. The article is dealing with the reasons and origins of the concept of "Exclusivism" in International Nuclear Law, with reflections of this concept in existing international treaties and at last but not at least, with most recent tendencies, that aim at jeopardising this concept., Jakub Handrlica., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Autoři prezentují případ vzácného ?inverzního? syndromu Fostera-Kennedyho, který byl zpočátku zdrojem diagnostických rozpaků. Na základě klinických příznaků a výsledků grafických vyšetření autoři diskutují původ klinických projevů, jehož příčinou byl nitrolební meningeom. Pokud se nepodaří uspokojivě vysvětlit klinické příznaky ? centrální skotom s atrofií papily nebo druhostranné městnání na očním pozadí očním původem, je třeba včas indikovat grafická vyšetření mozku a vyloučit intrakraniální tumor., Zlatica Dúbravská, S. Řehák, V. Korda, H. Langrová, J. Studnička, J. Řehák, R. Malec, and Lit.: 10
From the 1780s on, the court of the Princes of Schwarzenberg generally maintained four or five personal doctors. These privileged positions were frequently held by individuals who also practised as municipal or county physicians. In their castles in Bohemia the Schwarzenbergs also employed surgeons and apothecaries, and in line with the professionalization of medical care during the Enlightenment they attached great importance to the training of health workers. In the first three decades of the 19th century health care in the context of the Schwarzenberg primogeniture became even more specialized and the number of medical staff on the various Schwarzenberg estates increased. In addition to their own physicians, the Schwarzenbergs also entrusted their health needs to eminent medical experts drawn primarily from the Habsburg court and the University of Vienna and later, from the 1830s on, to many doctors working in the Czech Lands. This study considers the relationship between the high nobility as representatives of social elites on the one hand and the Enlightenment medicalization of society with its professionalization of health care on the other. It maps the structure of medical care within one aristocratic family and their estates and its transformation over a fifty‐year period. It also attempts to discover who the Schwarzenbergs’ doctors were and what socio‐cultural background they came from., Václav Grubhoffer., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Úvod: U 60 % nemocných s kolorektálním karcinomem jsou diagnostikovány jaterní metastázy (JMKRK), ať už v době stanovení diagnózy, nebo v průběhu léčby. Chirurgická léčba je jedinou potenciálně kurabilní metodou s pětiletým přežíváním dosahujícím cca 50 %. Jaterní resekci však podstoupí méně než 20 % pacientů s JMKRK. Společnou snahou onkologů a chirurgů je navýšit počet resekovaných pacientů. Jedním z postupů, jak navýšit resekabilitu JMKRK, je „liver first approach“ (LFA). Autoři prezentují vlastní předběžné výsledky této metody. Metody: Do multicentrického grantu IGA MZ NT 13660 – Hodnocení kvality multimodální péče u nemocných s jaterními metastázami kolorektálního karcinomu – bylo od září 2012 do ledna 2015 zařazeno v ÚVN 102 pacientů. LFA jsme použili u 12 pacientů (12 %). Po příznivé léčebné odpovědi neoadjuvantní systémové léčby jsme pacienty indikovali k resekci jater. U 11 pacientů se jednalo o mnohočetné (>4 meta) bilobární postižení. V jednom případě se jednalo o objemnou solitární metastázu pravého jaterního laloku. Primární tumor byl u 9 nemocných v rektu, u 3 v oblasti rektosigmatu, 3 pacienti měli derivační kolostomii, ostatní byli bez poruchy pasáže. Výsledky: U 11 pacientů jsme provedli R0 resekci jaterních metastáz, 3x jsme indikovali dvoufázovou hepatektomii s portální embolizací (PVE), 1x jsme pro progresi po PVE ustoupili od 2. fáze). Velkou resekci jsme provedli 7x, neanatomickou resekci včetně RFA 11x (6x v kombinaci s velkou resekcí). Perioperační mortalita byla nulová, morbidita 33 % (Dindo-Clavien >2). 10 pacientů absolvovalo adjuvantní chemoterapii, 7 z nich včetně radioterapie malé pánve pro lokálně pokročilý tumor rekta. U 7 pacientů (58 %) jsme doplnili resekci primárního tumoru. V současné době zemřeli na progresi onemocnění 2 pacienti (17 %), progresi onemocnění jsme zaznamenali u 6 pacientů (50 %). Závěr: LFA považujeme za vhodný především u pacientů s generalizovaným tumorem rekta, kdy lze po resekci jater adjuvantní systémovou léčbu kombinovat s radioterapií malé pánve. Otázkou zůstává načasování operace primárního tumoru, kdy je nutné vyloučit recidivu jaterních metastáz, která se objevuje u více než 50 % pacientů. Profit LFA musí být prokázán randomizovanými studiemi., Introduction: Liver metastases are diagnosed in 60% of patients with colorectal cancer, both at the time of diagnosis or later in the course of their management. Surgical treatment is the sole potentially curable method with 5–year overall survival of approximately 50%. However, only less than 20% of patients underwent liver resection. A joint effort of medical oncologists and surgeons is to increase the numbers of resected patients. The “liver first approach” (LFA) is one of approaches aimed at increasing resecability. The authors present their preliminary results using this method. Methods: 102 patients were included in the multicentre study supported by the grant IGA NT 13660 − Evaluation of quality of multimodal treatment for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases – conducted at the Central Military Hospital between September 2012 and January 2015. We used LFA in 12 patients (12%). Patients were indicated for liver resection based on good response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy. Multiple bilobar liver involvement (>4 metastases) was present in 11 cases and one large solitary metastasis in the right liver lobe in one case. The primary tumor was located in the rectum in 9 patients, in the rectosigmoid in 3 patients; 3 patients had a colostomy. Others showed no signs of bowel obstruction. Results: We have performed R0 resections in 11 cases, and two-stage hepatectomy with portal vein embolisation was indicated 3 times (in one case we did not finish the second stage due to quick progression after PVE). We performed major resections 7 times, along with sever extraanatomic resections, incl. 11 RFA (6 times in combination with major resections). Perioperative mortality was 0%, morbidity 33% (Dindo-Clavien >2). Ten patients underwent adjuvant chemotherapy, in 7 cases including radiotherapy of the small pelvis due to a local advanced primary tumor. Resection of the primary tumor was done in 7 patients (58%). Two patients died recently because of disease progression (17%); progression was observed in 6 patients (50%). Conclusion: We deem the LFA suitable especially for patients with metastatic rectal tumors where adjuvant systemic therapy can be combined with radiotherapy. The timing of the resection of the primary tumor still remains a question: it is necessary to rule out potential recurrence of liver metastases, which affected more than 50% of the patients. The benefit of LFA must be confimed by randomised studies., and J. Pudil, S. Batko, K. Menclová, M. Bláha, M. Ryska
This paper uses a corpus of 14 hours of recorded interactions to analyze the “normative” and “strategic” honorifics usage of speakers of Korean as a second language. I define “normative” honorifics as usage that reflects recognized “power”, “distance” and “formality” factors. “Strategic” honorifics usage breaks from these norms, is pragmatically “marked” and is motivated by interactional goals. Previous studies into the honorifics usage of speakers of Korean as a second language focus on analysis of “errors” judged against prescriptive norms. However, the current paper adopts an interactional socio-pragmatic perspective and looks at the ideology and specific intentions that underlie second language usage. According to my data, in comparison with native interaction, second language speaker discourse displays less variation according to normative factors but may show more marked strategic alterations. Regarding normative usage, speakers prefer to establish equal relationships and minimize “power” differences. As for strategic use, speakers may alternate honorific levels according to the sensitivity of the situation or the illocutionary force of particular utterances. I explain these differences with reference to conflicting ideologies as to language usage between Korean and “Western” cultures, prevalent during the interview process. I conclude the paper by discussing the implications for Korean applied linguistics.