Between 2014 and 2019, Central Europe was subject to unusually high temperatures and periods of drought due to climate change, with a subsequent occurrence of low and zero flows. As aquatic organisms ...have shaped their life strategies in direct relation to natural hydrological regimes, any changes to these regimes necessarily lead to a cascade of responses in biota species composition in the ecosystem concerned. Here, we examine changes in aquatic macroinvertebrates assemblage composition and diversity in a small fishless headwater brook in a highland area of the Czech Republic that took place between 2010 and 2019. While flow rates were relatively constant prior to 2014, the hydrological regime was significantly influenced by periods of severe drought between 2017 and 2019, with periods of zero discharge and dry riverbed. The shift from a perennial to an intermittent stream led to an increase in generalist taxa abundance and a decline in lotic taxa, while the abundance of lentic and semi-aquatic taxa was subjected to fluctuations non-related to the hydrological regime (drought occurrence). During the period of droughts, the abundance of taxa recognised as indicators of good quality water declined, while the numbers of those indicating moderately to heavily polluted environments increased.
In the projects of anti-erosion protection in the Czech Republic, USLE was used as a standard tool for evaluating the risk of water erosion. The precision of the resulting USLE values is defined by ...the quality of input data and algorithms used. Two methods for LS factor calculation are recommended for use in the planning practice in the Czech Republic: the computing method based on the USLE 2D software and the other computing methods. Various methods can assess the LS factor; however, their results differ. On the example of the Starovice – Hustopeče study area (Czech Republic), strongly threatened by erosion, this report aimed to show the differences brought using these differing methods of LS factor assessment, all in two variants before and after application of anti-erosion measures (retention grass belts, grassed thalweg). Changes in the calculation of the LS factor were directly reflected in the calculation of the long-term average soil loss by water erosion.
The water retention capacity of a territory is mainly defined by the land conditions, type of soil cover and manner of land management. The manifestations of the climate change reflect the need for ...better water capture from precipitation in agricultural catchment areas. The effect of the soil cover on the water retention capacity was studied in two localities with different soil types (chernozem and cambisol). The results have shown significant effects of permanent grass covers on increasing the water retention capacity. The mean retention capacity measured at permanent grass covers was 1.7-fold higher than at arable land. The soil type did not play a significant role. To some extent, the retention capacity is also influenced by the used agro-technology. After stubble-tillage, the water from precipitation was better infiltrated by arable land than by permanent grass cover. However, during a major part of the vegetation period, arable land is at the rest, and the short-term increase of its retention capacity has no impact on the overall outcome.
Small reservoirs, as the preferred blue-green engineering infrastructure for use against intensive runoff processes, have risen in number in Central Europe during the past three decades. However, the ...modelling of sediment siltation is not included in reservoir planning. The unknown temporal sedimentation of a reservoir can lead to the lifespan of the construction being uncertain. The aim of this study is to present a relatively simple process for local managers to model siltation and, consequently, accurately estimate the lifetime of a small reservoir. Three empirical models (USLE, RUSLE and USPED) were applied to two small catchments in Central Europe. This paper takes advantage of real measured and modelled sedimentation during 2012 and 2017, presenting two different terrain measurement approaches. Our study emphasizes the importance of the R-factor value. The temporal development of the R-factor is dependent on climate change, and the R-factor value has been rising steadily during the last decades. The annual mean R-factor has increased 1.04-times due to changes in precipitation patterns between the periods 1961–1980 and 1997–2016. These changes can explain possible growth in the levels of incoming sediment into reservoirs. We identified the correlation (R > 0.7) between observed sedimentation, the R-factor, and precipitation, and we concluded that the supposed rise of precipitation in Central Europe due to climate change will lead to an increase in the levels of stored sediment in reservoirs. Therefore, it is recommended for reservoir managers to use USPED model and to include the estimation of modelling of siltation rate into reservoirs’ maintenance projects.
•The USPED erosion model is suitable for the assessment of reservoir siltation rate.•The infilling process in small reservoirs is relatively slow.•The current rate of climate change potentiates erosion processes.•The R-factor is rising, with significant disturbances in year-on-year comparisons.
Generally, pesticides are the products containing at least one chemical substance which should protect plant or plant products against pests/diseases. Among them, the most important ones are ...herbicides, followed by insecticides and fungicides. As a result of intensive agriculture techniques, large amounts of pesticides are applied on agricultural soil. They remain and degrade in soil, but they can enter water bodies and negatively affect water quality and the aquatic ecosystem. The article deals with the level of pesticide load in soil, bottom sediment and surface water in chosen agriculture catchments in the Czech Republic. Results revealed that the main general problem is glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA, although their application has been constrained for several years. Furthermore, the difference in contents of chosen parent pesticide substances and their metabolites in soils and waters was pointed out.
A careful analysis of rainfall-runoff events and patterns of sediment and pollution load to water bodies is crucial for the proper management of agricultural land. This study simultaneously employed ...the WaTEM/SEDEM long-term erosion model and the HEC-HMS episodic hydrological and erosion model to describe the runoff and sediment load evoked by extreme rainfall events in a small agricultural catchment in Czechia, using the long-term monitoring discharge and water quality episodic data. WaTEM/SEDEM helped to delineate the runoff and sediment critical source areas, subsequently incorporated into HEC-HMS. The acquired results showed that the spatial distribution of land use is a fundamental factor in the protection of watercourses from diffuse pollution sources and the transport and delivery of sediment profoundly depends on the status of crop cover on arable land near a watercourse. Integrating both models, it was shown that the tabulated Curve Number (CN) values as well as the average C-factor values had to be lowered for the majority of the modelled events to match the monitored data. A noticeable role of catchment runoff response most probably played tile drainage, which appeared to profoundly modify the episodic runoff pattern. This study showed a promising approach for the simulation of different rainfall-runoff responses of small agricultural catchments and could be applied for the delineation of areas where soil conservation measures or protective management is of high priority. The results further revealed the obvious need to revise the CN values for tile-drained catchments.
Land consolidations represent a unique tool for managing problems of the rural space. They help to settle land property rights and meet the current requirements associated with protection and ...formation of a stable, permanently sustainable rural landscape. In the Czech Republic, complex land consolidations have been completed in 1,965 cadastral areas of the total number 13,100, and in 2,134 more they are in the preparation phase (up to 1st September 2015). It means that about 60 % of cadastral areas in CR still await land consolidation. Our study aimed to localize priority localities (cadastral areas and regions) for preferential implementation of land consolidation. We selected three thematic factors to determine the risk of their occurrence in particular localities and, consequently, the need to initiate the land consolidation. Our analysis is based on the assumption that cadastral areas where land consolidations have been completed or are under way have already dealt with the above-mentioned risk factors or will do so soon. Such areas have therefore not been included into our study. The key selected thematic factors relevant for preferential implementation of land consolidation include: the risk of water and wind erosion in arable land, water management, and water retention in the landscape. For each of these three factors we processed a map of preferential localities (based on the degree of risk/suitability) for initiation of land consolidation. At the same time, a simple multi-criteria analysis of the extent of the Czech Republic's erosion (water and wind) has been prepared. The result of this analysis is the ranking of regions according to the degree of risk of erosion. The most vulnerable regions of the Czech Republic's Jihomoravský (South Moravian Region), Středočeský (Central Bohemia) and Pardubice.
Purpose
Providing high‐quality end‐of‐life care is a challenging area in intensive care practice. The aim of the current study was to assess the practice of registered nurses (RNs) with respect to ...dying care and spiritual support interventions in intensive care units (ICUs) in the Czech Republic (CR) and find correlations between particular factors or conditions and the frequency of NIC interventions usage.
Design and Methods
A cross‐sectional, descriptive study was designed. A questionnaire with Likert scales included the particular activities of dying care and spiritual support interventions and an evaluation of the factors influencing the implementation of the interventions in the ICU. The group of respondents consisted of 277 RNs working in 29 ICUs in four CR regions. The Mann–Whitney U test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for statistical evaluation.
Findings
The most and least frequently reported RN activities were “treat individuals with dignity and respect” and “facilitate discussion of funeral arrangements,” respectively. The frequencies of the activities in the biological, social, psychological, and spiritual dimensions were negatively correlated with the frequency of providing care to dying patients. A larger number of activities were related to longer lengths of stay in the ICU, higher staffing, more positive opinions of the RNs regarding the importance of education in a palliative care setting, and attending a palliative care education course.
Conclusions
The psychosocial and spiritual activities in the care of dying patients are used infrequently by RNs in CR ICUs. The factors limiting the implementation of palliative care interventions and strategies improving implementation warrant further study.
Clinical Relevance
Assessment of nursing activities implemented in the care of dying patients in the ICU may help identify issues specific to nursing practice.
The agricultural land fund in the Czech Republic is strongly degraded by water erosion. The main reasons for this situation are changes in the landscape caused by large-area agricultural production ...in the second half of the 20th century. In the model locality Starovice – Hustopeče (223.5 ha) (South Moravia Region), we analysed changes in the landscape structure and land use for the period 1825 – 2018. In 1825, the mean size of a land block was 0.4 ha. In 1968, the studied locality consisted of just one land block of a size of 223.5 ha. This period marks the beginning of massive water erosion. In 2003, the locality was proposed for land consolidation. Its goal was to reduce erosion and risk of floods. To date, a number of protective measures have been applied in the locality. The risk of water erosion was assessed for the landscape state in 1968 and 2018 in GIS using the USLE method. The effect of the adopted measures was strongly manifested in reduction of the erosion risk (by 44 %). Transport of sediment out of the locality was assessed for 1968 and 2018 by the WATEM-SEDEM model. The protective measures resulted in a decrease of sediment transport out of the locality by 111 t/year (40% reduction). The economic balance of the soil loss showed a positive impact of the applied protective measures. Based on the mean price of arable land in the Czech Republic and costs of the soil relocation within the locality, the application of protective measures brought an economy of at least € 5,000 per year. This sum does not include losses caused by a potential decrease of agricultural crop yields due to the soil degradation, reduction of ecosystem services, and other factors in the past years. The real benefits of application of the protective measures aimed at reducing erosion and increasing water retention in the landscape are significantly higher.
Isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid is an important step in the molecular diagnostics of microorganisms. A high quality of isolated deoxyribonucleic acid is necessary for deoxyribonucleic acid ...amplification by the polymerase chain reaction. The conventional deoxyribonucleic acid isolation using phenol–chloroform extraction and deoxyribonucleic acid precipitation in ethanol is time-consuming and requires the use of toxic phenol. Magnetic separation techniques using magnetic solid particles are one of modern methods to speed up the nucleic acids isolation. The aim of this work was to use two different types of magnetic particles for solid-phase deoxyribonucleic acid extraction. The amounts of deoxyribonucleic acid in separation mixtures were measured using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The first experimental conditions were tested on chicken erythrocytes deoxyribonucleic acid. Phosphate buffer (pH 7, 7.6 and 8) was used for the adsorption of deoxyribonucleic acid on magnetic particles. Tested values of pH have no effects on deoxyribonucleic acid adsorption. It was shown that approximately almost one half of deoxyribonucleic acid was adsorbed to the particles. A number of different elution conditions (temperature, time and pH value of elution buffer) were investigated to determine their effect on elution efficiency. It was shown that only a small fraction of the bound DNA was released at 22 °C, while the release was more effective as the temperature was increased also the amount of elution deoxyribonucleic acid was more effective when time was increased. The higher amounts of deoxyribonucleic acid were eluted with TE buffer pH 9.0. Second, bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid was tested. This deoxyribonucleic acid eluted from the particles was in polymerase chain reaction ready quality.
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