Among the factors influencing tourist trail network development are political issues, including the presence of state borders, the possibility of crossing them and the accessibility of border zones. In the article, it...Among the factors influencing tourist trail network development are political issues, including the presence of state borders, the possibility of crossing them and the accessibility of border zones. In the article, it was decided to look at changes in the offer of tourist trails(hiking and cycling) along the entire border of the Czech Republic after the extension of the Schengen area(within this area, crossing the border is possible anywhere, and not only at official border crossings). It should be emphasized here that the borders of the Czech Republic over most of their length run through mountainous areas and, apart from political factors, natural features should have a major impact on the development of tourist routes. In order to determine the coherence of the current network of trails on both sides of the Czech Republic state border, modern tourist maps have been analyzed, determining the number of places where it is possible to cross the state border with the help of a marked tourist trail. Based on that, two indicators were introduced to determine the degree of openness with all neighboring countries as regards the opportunity to cross on a tourist trail. Changes in the historical situation, a comparison of the accessibility of the border area before entering the Schengen area and 2019, were analyzed for two study areas using archival maps. Over a decade after the extension of the Schengen area, the number of places where tourist trails of neighboring countries approach the border has clearly increased. Crossing is more often made possible using hiking trails than cycling routes(trails of the first type cross the border every 7.91 km, while the latter every 13.3 km), but considering the speed of movement, it can be assessed that the openness for cyclists is higher than for hikers. Moreover, in many places there is still significant potential for further integration of tourist trail networks as trails created in one country often do not have a continuation on the other side of the border.展开更多
Wheat yellow dwarf disease(BYD),caused by different species of barley/cereal yellow dwarf viruses(B/CYDVs),is one of the most serious cereal diseases in China and the Czech Republic.Because genetic diversity of the vi...Wheat yellow dwarf disease(BYD),caused by different species of barley/cereal yellow dwarf viruses(B/CYDVs),is one of the most serious cereal diseases in China and the Czech Republic.Because genetic diversity of the virus directly influences disease epidemiology,the molecular diversity and population structure of 24 Chinese isolates and 16 the Czech Republic isolates of BYDV-PAV from different regions in two countries were analyzed by sequencing their coat protein(CP)and readthrough protein(RTP)domain(RTD)genes and comparing the sequences with six CP and 16 RTP sequences of BYDVPAV isolates from the NCBI database based on nucleotide identity position,phylogenetic analysis and nucleotide diversity.Nucleotide identities between the Chinese and the Czech Republic isolates for the CP were 76.6–99.4%,73.9–89.1%for RTD(ORF5),respectively.The Chinese and the other country isolates showed 74.7–99.2%nucleotide identity for RTP(ORF3+ORF5).Phylogenetic analysis of CP sequences showed that 20 Chinese isolates clustered in the same clade,but the other four Chinese isolates clustered in another clade with the isolates from the Czech Republic and other counties.The population of BYDV-PAV in China had greater nucleotide variability and was more divergent than that in the Czech Republic.Geographical and ecological factors but not hosts might contribute to the population differences in the two countries.展开更多
AIM:To study possible decrease in prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in the Czech Republic within a 10-year period.METHODS:A total of 22 centres entered the study.The catchment areas of these centre...AIM:To study possible decrease in prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in the Czech Republic within a 10-year period.METHODS:A total of 22 centres entered the study.The catchment areas of these centres covered cities and towns with more than 20 000 inhabitants,smaller towns(≤ 20 000 inhabitants) with surrounding villages and rural areas,and were spread over the whole country,corresponding well to the geographical distribution of the Czech population.A total of 1 837 subjects(aged 5-98 years) took part in the study,randomly selected out of 38 147 people from the general population.H.pylori infection was investigated by means of a 13 C-urea breath test.Breath samples in duplicates were analysed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry.The cut-off point was 3.5.Social and demographic characteristics were based on data from self-completed questionnaires.RESULTS:The overall prevalence of H.pylori infection was 23.5%(430/1826),and 4.8%(20/420) in children aged 15 or less.There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence between males(24.3%;208/857) and females(22.9%,222/969,P = 0.494).H.pylori infection was strongly associated with higher age,among subjects aged 55+ years,prevalence of H.pylori infection was 39.8%(252/633,P < 0.001).The highest prevalence of H.pylori infection was found among persons aged 55-64 years(43.9%,97/221) and 75+ years(37.9%,58/153).Among study subjects aged 15+ years,prevalence of H.pylori infection was significantly increased in those with lowest education(odds risk 3.19,95% CI 1.87-5.47).Compared to never married(14.1%),the prevalence of H.pylori infection was statistically significantly higher among married(35.4%,246/694,P < 0.001),divorced(36.8%,49/133,P < 0.001) and widowed study subjects(40.2%,45/112,P < 0.001),both in minimally and fully adjusted analysis.There was no significant difference in the prevalence of H.pylori infection between married and widowed subjects(35.4%,246/694 vs 40.2%,45/112,P = 0.389).There was little variation in smoking prevalence across categories of smoking and there was no evidence of an increased risk ofH.pylori infection among current or past smokers in our data(odds risk 1.04 with 95% CI 0.78-1.40 for current smokers;odds ratio 0.83 with 95% CI 0.60-1.16 for former smokers).The current prevalence of H.pylori in 2011 was significantly lower compared to the prevalence reported from identical geographical areas in 2001(23.5%vs 41.7%,P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:The overall prevalence of H.pylori infection in the general population has fallen substantially in the Czech Republic over the past 10 years.展开更多
Terrestrial plants and insects currently account for the majority of the Earth's biodiversity, and approximately haft of insect species are herbivores. Thus, insects and plants share ancient associations that date ba...Terrestrial plants and insects currently account for the majority of the Earth's biodiversity, and approximately haft of insect species are herbivores. Thus, insects and plants share ancient associations that date back more than 400 Myr. However, investigations of their past interactions are at the preliminary stages in Western Europe. Herein, we present the first results of our study of various feeding damage based on a dataset of nearly 3500 examined plant specimens from the Lower Miocene of the Lagerstaette Bflina Mine in the Most Basin, Czech Republic. This site provides a unique view of the Neogene freshwater ecosystems. It has long been studied by scientists working in different branches of sedimentology, paleobotany, and paleozoology. The fossils are preserved in three characteristic horizons overlaying the coal seam (Clayey Superseam Horizon, Delta Sandy Horizon, and Lake Clayey Horizon), reflecting paleoenvironmental changes in a short time period of development. The trace fossils are classified as functional feeding groups or "guilds", without searching for a direct cause or a recent analog host relation. Approximately 23% of specimens of dicotyledonous plant leaves were found to be damaged and associated with some leaf "morphotypes". Deciduous plant-host taxa, and those with a chartaceous texture typical of riparian habitats, were frequently damaged, such as Populus, recorded with two species Populus zaddachii and Populus populina (57.9% and 31% herbivory levels, respectively), followed by Acer, Alnus, and Carya, averaging almost 30% of damaged leaves/leaflets. There has been evidence of 60 damage types (DT) representing all functional feeding groups recorded at the Bflina Mine, including 12 types of leaf mines and 16 gall- type DT. In total, Lower Miocene of the Lagerstaette Bilina Mine exhibits a high level of external foliage feeding types (23.7%), and a low level of more specialized DT, such as galls (4.3%) and leaf mines (〈1%). A broader comparison based on DT of the main sedimentary environments shows significance supporting different biomes by frequency of damage levels and DT diversities.展开更多
The Moravian karst belongs to one of the famous karst regions in Central Europe. It is situated in Moravia in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. According to the geology it is of Devonian age and the main rocks a...The Moravian karst belongs to one of the famous karst regions in Central Europe. It is situated in Moravia in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. According to the geology it is of Devonian age and the main rocks are of different types of limestones. The process of karstification is still active. They are many caves with rich stalagmites and stalactites and the Macocha abyss, the depth of which is 138.5 m. The underground Punkva River flows through the main part of the karst, forming beautiful underground lakes. Typical karst phenomena, such as sinkholes and deep canyons, may be observed on the surface of the terrain. Because of the karstification, water erosion and frost weathering, many steep unstable slopes and walls originated. To solve the stability from a geotechnical point of view is not easy. This requests a special engineering-geological knowledge and experience.展开更多
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate necessity to inform relevant parties about engineering-geological conditions for various practical purposes, especially including appropriate land-use planning. However, t...The objective of this paper is to demonstrate necessity to inform relevant parties about engineering-geological conditions for various practical purposes, especially including appropriate land-use planning. However, the relationship between relevant geological information and the geological environment is vital for foundation engineering purposes, especially where demanding structures are involved. This information is most conveniently structured when accumulated information concerning engineering-geological zones is utilized. This necessarily includes knowledge of rock workability and also of the pre-Quaternary bedrock, and these characteristics were then related to the current built-up area and future development according to the land-use plans in a case study are from the Petrvald Region (Czech Republic). The geological environment of area has been severely influenced by anthropogenic effects of deep black coal mining. Results of this research showed that future development should be founded on spoil banks, dumps, and settling basins. According to the land-use plan, this zone occupies 44.9% of the area of interest, and its materials predominantly emanate from mining in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District. For future foundation structures planned there, it is imperative to consult detailed engineering-geological study. However, attention to and reliance on this necessity is not reflected in the existing land-use plan.展开更多
The contribution of this paper is threefold. Firstly, it develops a typology of corporate group development in terms of the pattern of corporate group formation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It identifies briefl...The contribution of this paper is threefold. Firstly, it develops a typology of corporate group development in terms of the pattern of corporate group formation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It identifies briefly three important types of corporate groups--industrial groups (type I groups), pyramid-like (type II) groups, and financial (type IIl or FIGs) groups. Using original typology for corporate groups, the paper examines development trajectory of some of the biggest FIGs and shows what effects their existence have in the two economies. Finally, some lessons resulting from this corporate group-related type of ownership concentration for other pre-transitive countries are mentioned.展开更多
The main focus of this scientific article is organizational culture that represents very complicated and complex social phenomenon. Organizational culture is understood as the set of basic assumptions, values, standar...The main focus of this scientific article is organizational culture that represents very complicated and complex social phenomenon. Organizational culture is understood as the set of basic assumptions, values, standards, and artifacts, shared in the company in long-term horizon. The main objective of empirical research was to map organizational culture content in manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic and Austria. The content of organizational culture in the selected level of analysis was identified by means of qualitative methods--individual interviews and focus group discussions. With respect to specified objective, research was implemented in the sample of 10 companies in the Czech Republic and Austria. Data acquired by qualitative method of focus group were processed by means of content analysis. The main result of this part of empirical research was to describe the organizational culture content in the manufacturing companies operating in Austrian and Czech environment.展开更多
Using a monetary model of exchange rate determination that suggests a strong link between the nominal exchange rate and a set of monetary fundamentals, exchange rate dynamics for the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Polan...Using a monetary model of exchange rate determination that suggests a strong link between the nominal exchange rate and a set of monetary fundamentals, exchange rate dynamics for the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland is studied. As the cointegration relationship among exchange rate, output, and the monetary fundamentals (money supply and interest rate) is found, vector autoregressions (VAR)/vector error-correction (VEC) and two-stage least squares (2SLS) error-correction models are used in this context, since both approaches allow estimating short-run correlations between exchange rates and fundamentals while taking into account the existent long-run exchange rate constraints. Based on the quarterly data for the period of 1998-2012, it is found that for all countries, an increase in the money supply, domestic output slowdown, or stronger growth abroad are factors behind a nominal exchange rate depreciation, just as predicted by the monetary model of exchange rate. However, the effects of domestic-foreign interest rate differential are quite heterogeneous, being in line with theoretical predictions of a standard monetary model for Poland only. According to the decomposition of variance, money supply and interest rates account for 30%-46% of the exchange rate variation in the Czech Republic, from 10% to 14% in Hungary, and from 23% to 42% in Poland.展开更多
Maritime transportation is one of the most important and extensive transportation modes in the world. Maritime transportation is the backbone of contemporary world trade and therefore special attention should be paid ...Maritime transportation is one of the most important and extensive transportation modes in the world. Maritime transportation is the backbone of contemporary world trade and therefore special attention should be paid to all subjects concerning this mode of transportation. It is also necessary to complement maritime transportation by other modes, such as rail and/or truck (road). This article deals with the problems of maritime transportation and provides the summary of recent developments, trends and statistics mainly on transatlantic maritime routes (Europe to US). Besides maritime transportation, this thesis also reviews the trends and statistics of rail and truck (road) transportation in US and Europe. The authors considers four Czech biggest cities (points of origin), five European ports, eight US ports and 10 biggest cities in US (points of destination). The adapted TCMMSP (transnational collaborative multi-mode shipping problem) is applied to this case study and it seeks to solve the transportation of a set of five shipments with unique O-D (origin-destination) pairs and volume. The end of the thesis summarizes the results and analyses the average costs, optimal set volume, optimal shipment routing and port analysis.展开更多
This study aims to investigate the main factors driving technological innovation within firms in the manufacturing and service sectors of the Czech Republic.We apply a binary logistic regression model to cross-section...This study aims to investigate the main factors driving technological innovation within firms in the manufacturing and service sectors of the Czech Republic.We apply a binary logistic regression model to cross-sectional data from 502 firms,obtained from the World Bank Enterprise Survey.The results of our empirical investigation show that certain elements of the business environment,such as the tax rate,serve as significant obstacles to firms’product innovations.The results also confirm that international technological linkagesdmeasured by international quality certificates and foreign technology licensesdaffect technological innovations.Moreover,we found that internal R&D activities positively impact technological innovation across all sectors;contrarily,we found that process innovation in the manufacturing sector is positively influenced by foreign technology licenses and business association membership.Process innovations in the service sector are positively correlated with external R&D and financing from banking institutions.Finally,business association membership does not positively influence technological innovation in the service sector.Our findings have salient implications for firm managers,policymakers,and scholars aiming to explore and improve innovation outcomes in transitional economies.展开更多
Detailed rock magnetic investigations and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out on loess-paleosol sequences of the last interglacial-glacial at Znojmo section in Czech Republic. The results indicate that pedogenesi...Detailed rock magnetic investigations and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out on loess-paleosol sequences of the last interglacial-glacial at Znojmo section in Czech Republic. The results indicate that pedogenesis causes susceptibility enhancement in the paleosols, which is similar to that observed in the Chinese Loess Plateau. κ-T curves, IRM, and XRD show that magnetite is the dominant magnetic mineral in the loess-paleosol sequences at the Znojmo section, while maghemite, hematite, and pyrite/pyrrhotite are minor minerals. Measurements of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) indicate that the magnetic lineation is smaller than the foliation. The susceptibility ellipsoids are oblate and the directions of the maximum principal axes (κmax) are distributed randomly, and cannot be used to determine the paleo-wind direction.展开更多
This study aims to analyze how changes in land use influenced the delivery of ecosystem services in Cezava,a South Moravian agricultural region in the Czech Republic,in the period of 1845–2010.An observation of this ...This study aims to analyze how changes in land use influenced the delivery of ecosystem services in Cezava,a South Moravian agricultural region in the Czech Republic,in the period of 1845–2010.An observation of this period covering more than 160 years made it possible to reflect on social forces driving processes of transformation in the country.To capture the landscape multifunctionality and to indicate the environmental quality of the area under study,seven services provided in parallel by arable land,forests,and bodies of water were studied.The quantification of ecosystem services is based primarily on the transfer of values from the existing literature and on chronicle reviews and map analysis.Because looking back to the more distant past is a challenge and reliable information resources are lacking,a simple scoring method defining the functional features of the ecosystems was applied in order to evaluate the change of qualitative characteristics of the observed ecosystems.Besides that,the findings of these integrated assessments were supported by an analysis performed using landscape metrics.A comparison of service provision over the decades revealed that regulating and cultural services were significantly reduced,while provisioning services increased due to the proliferation of arable land,land consolidation,and agricultural intensification.However,a trend of improvement in the delivery of ecosystem services was introduced after 1990.Despite several uncertainties,this study demonstrates that it is possible to analyze long-term land-use trends to generate more meaningful,spatially explicit information,which can form the basis for landscape planning and ecosystem management.展开更多
Ecosystem services,defined as benefits provided by ecosystem functioning to society,are essential to human well-being.Due to global environmental change and related anthropogenic drivers,ecosystems are often degraded,...Ecosystem services,defined as benefits provided by ecosystem functioning to society,are essential to human well-being.Due to global environmental change and related anthropogenic drivers,ecosystems are often degraded,which hinders the delivery of ecosystem services.This study aims to quantify the impacts of land use and climate change on two regulating ecosystem services-carbon sequestration and water purification in terms of nitrogen retention in the Czech Republic.While employing approaches of scenarios and modeling,we illustrate current and potential future status of these ecosystem services.Our results show that among the ecosystem change drivers,one of the dominant domestic land-use change of ALARM BAMBU(Business-As Might Be Usual)scenario is change of arable land and grassland to forest area that increases by 4.5%in 2080 compared to 2000.The results of ecosystem service modeling based on BAMBU scenario for the years 2050 and 2080 indicate that the highest yearly carbon sequestration rate occurred in 2000-2050,reaching 640 GgC·yr^(−1),2000-2080 shows decline in this regulating service by 16%.Average nitro-gen leaching to water streams reached 0.75 kgN·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1)for BAMBU in 2050 scenario and 0.80 kgN·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1)for BAMBU in 2080 scenario as a result of decreasing nitrogen load,which suggested a decrease in nitrogen pollution compared to 2000.Since ecosystem services have not been extensively mainstreamed into research and policies in eastern European countries,we aim to contribute to improvement of knowledge on current status and potential future pathways of the provision of regulating ecosystem services in the Czech Republic.展开更多
The identity of man-made landscapes is based on the balance among their ecological,cultural,and economic dimensions.Since the 1950s,short-term economic benefits have globally often outweighed long-term interests.This ...The identity of man-made landscapes is based on the balance among their ecological,cultural,and economic dimensions.Since the 1950s,short-term economic benefits have globally often outweighed long-term interests.This results in decreased landscape quality manifested as increased erosion of agricultural land,decreased water retention capacity,increased landscape uniformity,and loss of biodiversity.A new phenomenon influencing the condition of man-made landscapes is climate change.Extreme fluctuations of temperature and precipitation have been causing repeated floods and also periods of drought in Europe.Landscapes damaged by inappropriate management are unable to offset these impacts.It is necessary to stop this development by changing land use and management methods to restore the balance among landscape functions.For the Czech Republic,we propose to develop a long-term landscape vision and to formulate a responsible landscape policy with regional strategic goals,including subsidies and penalties(carrots and sticks),based on the principles of the European Landscape Convention.To promote ecological stability,we recommend allocating funds from the Common Agricultural Policy to both the restoration and maintenance of valuable habitats.Landscape research and management(based on habitat/species monitoring in cooperation with stakeholders)must be strengthened in order to play a proper role in the transformation.It is time for clear communication with the public and the training of state officials and land users in spatial and landscape planning.To fill this gap in interdisciplinary cooperation,we call for the establishment of a platform on sustainable landscape management in the Czech Republic.展开更多
AIM To examine the incidence and trends in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs) over 2000-2015 and project the incidence to 2018. METHODS A 16-year prospective study of IBD patients < 19 years of age was con...AIM To examine the incidence and trends in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs) over 2000-2015 and project the incidence to 2018. METHODS A 16-year prospective study of IBD patients < 19 years of age was conducted in the Czech Republic(the Pilsen region). All incident IBD cases within a well-defined geographical area were retrieved from a prospectively collected computerized clinical database. Historical Czech data were used for comparison(1990-2001). Our catchment population was determined from the census data. We calculated the incidence by relating the number of newly diagnosed cases to the size of thepediatric population-at-risk in each calendar year. Age/sex, disease type, place of residence, and race/ethnicity were identified. RESULTS In total, 170 new IBD cases [105 Crohn's disease(CD), 48 ulcerative colitis(UC), and 17 IBD-unclassified(IBD-U)] were identified. The median age at IBD diagnosis was 14.2 years, 59.4% were males, and 97.1% were Caucasians. A male preponderance of IBD(P = 0.026) and CD(P = 0.016) was observed. With 109209 person-years in the catchment area, the average incidence of IBD per 100000 person-years was 10.0(6.2 for CD, 2.8 for UC, and 1.0 for IBD-U) for children aged 0 to 19 years; for those aged 0 to 15 years, the incidence rate was 7.3(4.6 for CD, 2.0 for UC, and 0.7 for IBD-U). An increase in incidence with age was observed(P = 0.0003). Over the 16-year period, the incidence increased for IBD patients(P = 0.01) and CD in particular(P < 0.0001), whereas the incidence for UC(P = 0.09) and IBD-U(P = 0.339) remained unchanged. IBD-projected data from 2016 to 2018 were 12.1, 12.3 and 12.6 per 100000 personyears, respectively.CONCLUSION Pediatric-onset IBD incidence is around its highest point. The increase, which is particularly pronounced for CD, may be challenging to relate to causes of pediatric disease.展开更多
The presented paper analyses competencies of project manager of the enterprises operating on Czech lottery market. The contribution of the paper consists of two parts. The first part focuses on the basic terminology i...The presented paper analyses competencies of project manager of the enterprises operating on Czech lottery market. The contribution of the paper consists of two parts. The first part focuses on the basic terminology issues and anchors concepts such as project manager and competencies. The second part is dedicated to the analyzing and evaluation of the competencies of ideal project manager of the enterprises operating on Czech lottery market and subsequent presentation and verification. For the analyzing and evaluation of the competencies of ideal project manager, the questionnaire of the scale type with the grade valuation 1-6 was applied within the frame of 20 enterprises operating on the lottery market in Czech Republic. The respondents were from the AG CZ, Ltd. and the competitors of this enterprise. Analyzed data were after the evaluation worked up into the form of graphs. The final output of this paper is the definition of the competencies of ideal project manager operating on Czech lottery market. The paper arose thanks to the project supportted by The Ministry of Education, Slovakia (Project KEGA No. 001DTI-4/2015, proposal of behavior strategies in the difficult social situations in the management of secondary school using the innovative predictive software tools) in cooperation of Dubnicky, Technological lnstitut in Dubnica nad Vahom with AG CZ, Ltd. and The Institute of Technological and Business in Ceske Budejovice.展开更多
This paper deals with the development of the wage distribution in the Czech Republic since 2003, according to gender. It is a development of descriptive characteristics of location, differentiation and shape of wage d...This paper deals with the development of the wage distribution in the Czech Republic since 2003, according to gender. It is a development of descriptive characteristics of location, differentiation and shape of wage distribution, but also the development of concentration characteristic of wage distribution. Gross monthly wage of Czech employees represents the variable under research. Emphasis is placed on changes in the development of wage distribution since 2009 in connection with the onset of economic recession. The economic crisis has greatly influenced the development of the wage distribution in the Czech Republic, wage growth virtually stopped at this time. Differences in the development of wage distribution between men and women in the Czech Republic are also under this research. Development of wage distribution has been studied by modelling the distribution. Three-parametric lognormal curves are served as a theoretical probability distribution whose parameters were estimated using the L-moment method of point estimate of parameters. Dependence of gross monthly wage on gender has been the subject of research as well. This dependence was researched using one-way analysis of variance. Forecast of wage distribution of men and women in the Czech Republic for the years 2012 and 2013 is included in this research.展开更多
To evaluate vital signs and body indices in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) positive and negative persons. A total of 22 centres entered the study. They were spread over the whole country, corresponding well to the ge...To evaluate vital signs and body indices in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) positive and negative persons. A total of 22 centres entered the study. They were spread over the whole country, corresponding well to the geographical distribution of the Czech population. A total of 1818 subjects (aged 5-98 years) took part in the study, randomly selected out of 38147 subjects. H. pylori infection was investigated by means of a 13C-urea breath test. Data on height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were collected at the clinics of general practitioners. The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 30.4% (402/1321) in adults (≥ 18 year-old) and 5.2% (26/497) in children and adolescents (≤ 17 year-old). Once adjusted for age and gender, only a difference in body mass index remained statistically significant with H. pylori positive adults showing an increase of 0.6 kg/m<sup>2</sup> in body mass index. Once adjusted for age and gender, we found a difference in height between H. pylori positive and H. pylori negative children and adolescents. On further adjustment for place of residence, this difference became statistically significant, with H. pylori positive children and adolescents being on average 3.5 cm shorter. H. pylori positive adults were significantly older compared to H. pylori negative subjects. Once adjusted for age and gender, H. pylori infection had no impact on body weight, body mass index and vital signs either in adults or children and adolescents. Chronic H. pylori infection appeared to be associated with short stature in children. H. pylori infection did not influence blood pressure, body weight and body mass index either in adults or children and adolescents.展开更多
基金funded by the University of Wroclaw(Grant no.0420/2667/18).
文摘Among the factors influencing tourist trail network development are political issues, including the presence of state borders, the possibility of crossing them and the accessibility of border zones. In the article, it was decided to look at changes in the offer of tourist trails(hiking and cycling) along the entire border of the Czech Republic after the extension of the Schengen area(within this area, crossing the border is possible anywhere, and not only at official border crossings). It should be emphasized here that the borders of the Czech Republic over most of their length run through mountainous areas and, apart from political factors, natural features should have a major impact on the development of tourist routes. In order to determine the coherence of the current network of trails on both sides of the Czech Republic state border, modern tourist maps have been analyzed, determining the number of places where it is possible to cross the state border with the help of a marked tourist trail. Based on that, two indicators were introduced to determine the degree of openness with all neighboring countries as regards the opportunity to cross on a tourist trail. Changes in the historical situation, a comparison of the accessibility of the border area before entering the Schengen area and 2019, were analyzed for two study areas using archival maps. Over a decade after the extension of the Schengen area, the number of places where tourist trails of neighboring countries approach the border has clearly increased. Crossing is more often made possible using hiking trails than cycling routes(trails of the first type cross the border every 7.91 km, while the latter every 13.3 km), but considering the speed of movement, it can be assessed that the openness for cyclists is higher than for hikers. Moreover, in many places there is still significant potential for further integration of tourist trail networks as trails created in one country often do not have a continuation on the other side of the border.
基金This research was supported by the Inter-Governmental S&T Cooperation Project of China(2016YFE0131000)the Research Program of the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic(LTACH-17010).
文摘Wheat yellow dwarf disease(BYD),caused by different species of barley/cereal yellow dwarf viruses(B/CYDVs),is one of the most serious cereal diseases in China and the Czech Republic.Because genetic diversity of the virus directly influences disease epidemiology,the molecular diversity and population structure of 24 Chinese isolates and 16 the Czech Republic isolates of BYDV-PAV from different regions in two countries were analyzed by sequencing their coat protein(CP)and readthrough protein(RTP)domain(RTD)genes and comparing the sequences with six CP and 16 RTP sequences of BYDVPAV isolates from the NCBI database based on nucleotide identity position,phylogenetic analysis and nucleotide diversity.Nucleotide identities between the Chinese and the Czech Republic isolates for the CP were 76.6–99.4%,73.9–89.1%for RTD(ORF5),respectively.The Chinese and the other country isolates showed 74.7–99.2%nucleotide identity for RTP(ORF3+ORF5).Phylogenetic analysis of CP sequences showed that 20 Chinese isolates clustered in the same clade,but the other four Chinese isolates clustered in another clade with the isolates from the Czech Republic and other counties.The population of BYDV-PAV in China had greater nucleotide variability and was more divergent than that in the Czech Republic.Geographical and ecological factors but not hosts might contribute to the population differences in the two countries.
基金Supported by Research Project PRVOUK P37-08 from Faculty of Medicine at Hradec Králové,Charles University in Praha,Czech Republic
文摘AIM:To study possible decrease in prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in the Czech Republic within a 10-year period.METHODS:A total of 22 centres entered the study.The catchment areas of these centres covered cities and towns with more than 20 000 inhabitants,smaller towns(≤ 20 000 inhabitants) with surrounding villages and rural areas,and were spread over the whole country,corresponding well to the geographical distribution of the Czech population.A total of 1 837 subjects(aged 5-98 years) took part in the study,randomly selected out of 38 147 people from the general population.H.pylori infection was investigated by means of a 13 C-urea breath test.Breath samples in duplicates were analysed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry.The cut-off point was 3.5.Social and demographic characteristics were based on data from self-completed questionnaires.RESULTS:The overall prevalence of H.pylori infection was 23.5%(430/1826),and 4.8%(20/420) in children aged 15 or less.There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence between males(24.3%;208/857) and females(22.9%,222/969,P = 0.494).H.pylori infection was strongly associated with higher age,among subjects aged 55+ years,prevalence of H.pylori infection was 39.8%(252/633,P < 0.001).The highest prevalence of H.pylori infection was found among persons aged 55-64 years(43.9%,97/221) and 75+ years(37.9%,58/153).Among study subjects aged 15+ years,prevalence of H.pylori infection was significantly increased in those with lowest education(odds risk 3.19,95% CI 1.87-5.47).Compared to never married(14.1%),the prevalence of H.pylori infection was statistically significantly higher among married(35.4%,246/694,P < 0.001),divorced(36.8%,49/133,P < 0.001) and widowed study subjects(40.2%,45/112,P < 0.001),both in minimally and fully adjusted analysis.There was no significant difference in the prevalence of H.pylori infection between married and widowed subjects(35.4%,246/694 vs 40.2%,45/112,P = 0.389).There was little variation in smoking prevalence across categories of smoking and there was no evidence of an increased risk ofH.pylori infection among current or past smokers in our data(odds risk 1.04 with 95% CI 0.78-1.40 for current smokers;odds ratio 0.83 with 95% CI 0.60-1.16 for former smokers).The current prevalence of H.pylori in 2011 was significantly lower compared to the prevalence reported from identical geographical areas in 2001(23.5%vs 41.7%,P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:The overall prevalence of H.pylori infection in the general population has fallen substantially in the Czech Republic over the past 10 years.
基金the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic(No.205/09/J019)the German Science Foundation(No.WA 1492/4-1)(bilateral project)+1 种基金Ministry of Schools MSM 0021620828the support of his Masters study at Charles University Grant Agency(GAUK)(No. 46509/2009/B-Bio/PrF)
文摘Terrestrial plants and insects currently account for the majority of the Earth's biodiversity, and approximately haft of insect species are herbivores. Thus, insects and plants share ancient associations that date back more than 400 Myr. However, investigations of their past interactions are at the preliminary stages in Western Europe. Herein, we present the first results of our study of various feeding damage based on a dataset of nearly 3500 examined plant specimens from the Lower Miocene of the Lagerstaette Bflina Mine in the Most Basin, Czech Republic. This site provides a unique view of the Neogene freshwater ecosystems. It has long been studied by scientists working in different branches of sedimentology, paleobotany, and paleozoology. The fossils are preserved in three characteristic horizons overlaying the coal seam (Clayey Superseam Horizon, Delta Sandy Horizon, and Lake Clayey Horizon), reflecting paleoenvironmental changes in a short time period of development. The trace fossils are classified as functional feeding groups or "guilds", without searching for a direct cause or a recent analog host relation. Approximately 23% of specimens of dicotyledonous plant leaves were found to be damaged and associated with some leaf "morphotypes". Deciduous plant-host taxa, and those with a chartaceous texture typical of riparian habitats, were frequently damaged, such as Populus, recorded with two species Populus zaddachii and Populus populina (57.9% and 31% herbivory levels, respectively), followed by Acer, Alnus, and Carya, averaging almost 30% of damaged leaves/leaflets. There has been evidence of 60 damage types (DT) representing all functional feeding groups recorded at the Bflina Mine, including 12 types of leaf mines and 16 gall- type DT. In total, Lower Miocene of the Lagerstaette Bilina Mine exhibits a high level of external foliage feeding types (23.7%), and a low level of more specialized DT, such as galls (4.3%) and leaf mines (〈1%). A broader comparison based on DT of the main sedimentary environments shows significance supporting different biomes by frequency of damage levels and DT diversities.
文摘The Moravian karst belongs to one of the famous karst regions in Central Europe. It is situated in Moravia in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. According to the geology it is of Devonian age and the main rocks are of different types of limestones. The process of karstification is still active. They are many caves with rich stalagmites and stalactites and the Macocha abyss, the depth of which is 138.5 m. The underground Punkva River flows through the main part of the karst, forming beautiful underground lakes. Typical karst phenomena, such as sinkholes and deep canyons, may be observed on the surface of the terrain. Because of the karstification, water erosion and frost weathering, many steep unstable slopes and walls originated. To solve the stability from a geotechnical point of view is not easy. This requests a special engineering-geological knowledge and experience.
基金Czech Science Foundation for their support of project(GACR-105/09/1631)
文摘The objective of this paper is to demonstrate necessity to inform relevant parties about engineering-geological conditions for various practical purposes, especially including appropriate land-use planning. However, the relationship between relevant geological information and the geological environment is vital for foundation engineering purposes, especially where demanding structures are involved. This information is most conveniently structured when accumulated information concerning engineering-geological zones is utilized. This necessarily includes knowledge of rock workability and also of the pre-Quaternary bedrock, and these characteristics were then related to the current built-up area and future development according to the land-use plans in a case study are from the Petrvald Region (Czech Republic). The geological environment of area has been severely influenced by anthropogenic effects of deep black coal mining. Results of this research showed that future development should be founded on spoil banks, dumps, and settling basins. According to the land-use plan, this zone occupies 44.9% of the area of interest, and its materials predominantly emanate from mining in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District. For future foundation structures planned there, it is imperative to consult detailed engineering-geological study. However, attention to and reliance on this necessity is not reflected in the existing land-use plan.
文摘The contribution of this paper is threefold. Firstly, it develops a typology of corporate group development in terms of the pattern of corporate group formation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It identifies briefly three important types of corporate groups--industrial groups (type I groups), pyramid-like (type II) groups, and financial (type IIl or FIGs) groups. Using original typology for corporate groups, the paper examines development trajectory of some of the biggest FIGs and shows what effects their existence have in the two economies. Finally, some lessons resulting from this corporate group-related type of ownership concentration for other pre-transitive countries are mentioned.
文摘The main focus of this scientific article is organizational culture that represents very complicated and complex social phenomenon. Organizational culture is understood as the set of basic assumptions, values, standards, and artifacts, shared in the company in long-term horizon. The main objective of empirical research was to map organizational culture content in manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic and Austria. The content of organizational culture in the selected level of analysis was identified by means of qualitative methods--individual interviews and focus group discussions. With respect to specified objective, research was implemented in the sample of 10 companies in the Czech Republic and Austria. Data acquired by qualitative method of focus group were processed by means of content analysis. The main result of this part of empirical research was to describe the organizational culture content in the manufacturing companies operating in Austrian and Czech environment.
文摘Using a monetary model of exchange rate determination that suggests a strong link between the nominal exchange rate and a set of monetary fundamentals, exchange rate dynamics for the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland is studied. As the cointegration relationship among exchange rate, output, and the monetary fundamentals (money supply and interest rate) is found, vector autoregressions (VAR)/vector error-correction (VEC) and two-stage least squares (2SLS) error-correction models are used in this context, since both approaches allow estimating short-run correlations between exchange rates and fundamentals while taking into account the existent long-run exchange rate constraints. Based on the quarterly data for the period of 1998-2012, it is found that for all countries, an increase in the money supply, domestic output slowdown, or stronger growth abroad are factors behind a nominal exchange rate depreciation, just as predicted by the monetary model of exchange rate. However, the effects of domestic-foreign interest rate differential are quite heterogeneous, being in line with theoretical predictions of a standard monetary model for Poland only. According to the decomposition of variance, money supply and interest rates account for 30%-46% of the exchange rate variation in the Czech Republic, from 10% to 14% in Hungary, and from 23% to 42% in Poland.
文摘Maritime transportation is one of the most important and extensive transportation modes in the world. Maritime transportation is the backbone of contemporary world trade and therefore special attention should be paid to all subjects concerning this mode of transportation. It is also necessary to complement maritime transportation by other modes, such as rail and/or truck (road). This article deals with the problems of maritime transportation and provides the summary of recent developments, trends and statistics mainly on transatlantic maritime routes (Europe to US). Besides maritime transportation, this thesis also reviews the trends and statistics of rail and truck (road) transportation in US and Europe. The authors considers four Czech biggest cities (points of origin), five European ports, eight US ports and 10 biggest cities in US (points of destination). The adapted TCMMSP (transnational collaborative multi-mode shipping problem) is applied to this case study and it seeks to solve the transportation of a set of five shipments with unique O-D (origin-destination) pairs and volume. The end of the thesis summarizes the results and analyses the average costs, optimal set volume, optimal shipment routing and port analysis.
文摘This study aims to investigate the main factors driving technological innovation within firms in the manufacturing and service sectors of the Czech Republic.We apply a binary logistic regression model to cross-sectional data from 502 firms,obtained from the World Bank Enterprise Survey.The results of our empirical investigation show that certain elements of the business environment,such as the tax rate,serve as significant obstacles to firms’product innovations.The results also confirm that international technological linkagesdmeasured by international quality certificates and foreign technology licensesdaffect technological innovations.Moreover,we found that internal R&D activities positively impact technological innovation across all sectors;contrarily,we found that process innovation in the manufacturing sector is positively influenced by foreign technology licenses and business association membership.Process innovations in the service sector are positively correlated with external R&D and financing from banking institutions.Finally,business association membership does not positively influence technological innovation in the service sector.Our findings have salient implications for firm managers,policymakers,and scholars aiming to explore and improve innovation outcomes in transitional economies.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49425405).
文摘Detailed rock magnetic investigations and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out on loess-paleosol sequences of the last interglacial-glacial at Znojmo section in Czech Republic. The results indicate that pedogenesis causes susceptibility enhancement in the paleosols, which is similar to that observed in the Chinese Loess Plateau. κ-T curves, IRM, and XRD show that magnetite is the dominant magnetic mineral in the loess-paleosol sequences at the Znojmo section, while maghemite, hematite, and pyrite/pyrrhotite are minor minerals. Measurements of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) indicate that the magnetic lineation is smaller than the foliation. The susceptibility ellipsoids are oblate and the directions of the maximum principal axes (κmax) are distributed randomly, and cannot be used to determine the paleo-wind direction.
基金We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable observations and suggestions,which helped improve the previous version of the manuscript.The study was supported by Grant No.GA13-16084S,Social and economic driving forces of agricultural land losses in Czechia since 1990 from a regional perspective,Grant No.GA205/09/0995,Regional differentiation and possible risks of land-use as a reflection of functional changes of landscape in Czechia 1990-2010,Grant No.LD13033Challenges of urban agriculture challenge in Europe,Grant No.LD13032,Climate change and migration as adaptation,and Grant No.LO1415 from the National Sustainability Programme I(NPU I),the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.
文摘This study aims to analyze how changes in land use influenced the delivery of ecosystem services in Cezava,a South Moravian agricultural region in the Czech Republic,in the period of 1845–2010.An observation of this period covering more than 160 years made it possible to reflect on social forces driving processes of transformation in the country.To capture the landscape multifunctionality and to indicate the environmental quality of the area under study,seven services provided in parallel by arable land,forests,and bodies of water were studied.The quantification of ecosystem services is based primarily on the transfer of values from the existing literature and on chronicle reviews and map analysis.Because looking back to the more distant past is a challenge and reliable information resources are lacking,a simple scoring method defining the functional features of the ecosystems was applied in order to evaluate the change of qualitative characteristics of the observed ecosystems.Besides that,the findings of these integrated assessments were supported by an analysis performed using landscape metrics.A comparison of service provision over the decades revealed that regulating and cultural services were significantly reduced,while provisioning services increased due to the proliferation of arable land,land consolidation,and agricultural intensification.However,a trend of improvement in the delivery of ecosystem services was introduced after 1990.Despite several uncertainties,this study demonstrates that it is possible to analyze long-term land-use trends to generate more meaningful,spatially explicit information,which can form the basis for landscape planning and ecosystem management.
基金supported by the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic within the National Sustainability Program I(NPU I),grant number LO1415The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No.308337(Project BASE)The text reflects only the authors’views and the EU is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.This work was also supported by project COST number LD 13032 and the grant SVV-2015-260237.
文摘Ecosystem services,defined as benefits provided by ecosystem functioning to society,are essential to human well-being.Due to global environmental change and related anthropogenic drivers,ecosystems are often degraded,which hinders the delivery of ecosystem services.This study aims to quantify the impacts of land use and climate change on two regulating ecosystem services-carbon sequestration and water purification in terms of nitrogen retention in the Czech Republic.While employing approaches of scenarios and modeling,we illustrate current and potential future status of these ecosystem services.Our results show that among the ecosystem change drivers,one of the dominant domestic land-use change of ALARM BAMBU(Business-As Might Be Usual)scenario is change of arable land and grassland to forest area that increases by 4.5%in 2080 compared to 2000.The results of ecosystem service modeling based on BAMBU scenario for the years 2050 and 2080 indicate that the highest yearly carbon sequestration rate occurred in 2000-2050,reaching 640 GgC·yr^(−1),2000-2080 shows decline in this regulating service by 16%.Average nitro-gen leaching to water streams reached 0.75 kgN·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1)for BAMBU in 2050 scenario and 0.80 kgN·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1)for BAMBU in 2080 scenario as a result of decreasing nitrogen load,which suggested a decrease in nitrogen pollution compared to 2000.Since ecosystem services have not been extensively mainstreamed into research and policies in eastern European countries,we aim to contribute to improvement of knowledge on current status and potential future pathways of the provision of regulating ecosystem services in the Czech Republic.
基金The creation of this paper was supported by the longterm research development project No.RVO 67985939(Czech Academy of Sciences)of the Czech Science Foundation(project no.14-36079G,Centre of Excellence PLADIAS).
文摘The identity of man-made landscapes is based on the balance among their ecological,cultural,and economic dimensions.Since the 1950s,short-term economic benefits have globally often outweighed long-term interests.This results in decreased landscape quality manifested as increased erosion of agricultural land,decreased water retention capacity,increased landscape uniformity,and loss of biodiversity.A new phenomenon influencing the condition of man-made landscapes is climate change.Extreme fluctuations of temperature and precipitation have been causing repeated floods and also periods of drought in Europe.Landscapes damaged by inappropriate management are unable to offset these impacts.It is necessary to stop this development by changing land use and management methods to restore the balance among landscape functions.For the Czech Republic,we propose to develop a long-term landscape vision and to formulate a responsible landscape policy with regional strategic goals,including subsidies and penalties(carrots and sticks),based on the principles of the European Landscape Convention.To promote ecological stability,we recommend allocating funds from the Common Agricultural Policy to both the restoration and maintenance of valuable habitats.Landscape research and management(based on habitat/species monitoring in cooperation with stakeholders)must be strengthened in order to play a proper role in the transformation.It is time for clear communication with the public and the training of state officials and land users in spatial and landscape planning.To fill this gap in interdisciplinary cooperation,we call for the establishment of a platform on sustainable landscape management in the Czech Republic.
基金Supported by the"On Our Own Feet Movement-Práteléstonozky"-Endowment Program
文摘AIM To examine the incidence and trends in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs) over 2000-2015 and project the incidence to 2018. METHODS A 16-year prospective study of IBD patients < 19 years of age was conducted in the Czech Republic(the Pilsen region). All incident IBD cases within a well-defined geographical area were retrieved from a prospectively collected computerized clinical database. Historical Czech data were used for comparison(1990-2001). Our catchment population was determined from the census data. We calculated the incidence by relating the number of newly diagnosed cases to the size of thepediatric population-at-risk in each calendar year. Age/sex, disease type, place of residence, and race/ethnicity were identified. RESULTS In total, 170 new IBD cases [105 Crohn's disease(CD), 48 ulcerative colitis(UC), and 17 IBD-unclassified(IBD-U)] were identified. The median age at IBD diagnosis was 14.2 years, 59.4% were males, and 97.1% were Caucasians. A male preponderance of IBD(P = 0.026) and CD(P = 0.016) was observed. With 109209 person-years in the catchment area, the average incidence of IBD per 100000 person-years was 10.0(6.2 for CD, 2.8 for UC, and 1.0 for IBD-U) for children aged 0 to 19 years; for those aged 0 to 15 years, the incidence rate was 7.3(4.6 for CD, 2.0 for UC, and 0.7 for IBD-U). An increase in incidence with age was observed(P = 0.0003). Over the 16-year period, the incidence increased for IBD patients(P = 0.01) and CD in particular(P < 0.0001), whereas the incidence for UC(P = 0.09) and IBD-U(P = 0.339) remained unchanged. IBD-projected data from 2016 to 2018 were 12.1, 12.3 and 12.6 per 100000 personyears, respectively.CONCLUSION Pediatric-onset IBD incidence is around its highest point. The increase, which is particularly pronounced for CD, may be challenging to relate to causes of pediatric disease.
文摘The presented paper analyses competencies of project manager of the enterprises operating on Czech lottery market. The contribution of the paper consists of two parts. The first part focuses on the basic terminology issues and anchors concepts such as project manager and competencies. The second part is dedicated to the analyzing and evaluation of the competencies of ideal project manager of the enterprises operating on Czech lottery market and subsequent presentation and verification. For the analyzing and evaluation of the competencies of ideal project manager, the questionnaire of the scale type with the grade valuation 1-6 was applied within the frame of 20 enterprises operating on the lottery market in Czech Republic. The respondents were from the AG CZ, Ltd. and the competitors of this enterprise. Analyzed data were after the evaluation worked up into the form of graphs. The final output of this paper is the definition of the competencies of ideal project manager operating on Czech lottery market. The paper arose thanks to the project supportted by The Ministry of Education, Slovakia (Project KEGA No. 001DTI-4/2015, proposal of behavior strategies in the difficult social situations in the management of secondary school using the innovative predictive software tools) in cooperation of Dubnicky, Technological lnstitut in Dubnica nad Vahom with AG CZ, Ltd. and The Institute of Technological and Business in Ceske Budejovice.
文摘This paper deals with the development of the wage distribution in the Czech Republic since 2003, according to gender. It is a development of descriptive characteristics of location, differentiation and shape of wage distribution, but also the development of concentration characteristic of wage distribution. Gross monthly wage of Czech employees represents the variable under research. Emphasis is placed on changes in the development of wage distribution since 2009 in connection with the onset of economic recession. The economic crisis has greatly influenced the development of the wage distribution in the Czech Republic, wage growth virtually stopped at this time. Differences in the development of wage distribution between men and women in the Czech Republic are also under this research. Development of wage distribution has been studied by modelling the distribution. Three-parametric lognormal curves are served as a theoretical probability distribution whose parameters were estimated using the L-moment method of point estimate of parameters. Dependence of gross monthly wage on gender has been the subject of research as well. This dependence was researched using one-way analysis of variance. Forecast of wage distribution of men and women in the Czech Republic for the years 2012 and 2013 is included in this research.
基金Supported by Research project PRVOUK P37-08(from Charles University in Praha,Faculty of Medicine at Hradec Kralove,Czech Republic)
文摘To evaluate vital signs and body indices in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) positive and negative persons. A total of 22 centres entered the study. They were spread over the whole country, corresponding well to the geographical distribution of the Czech population. A total of 1818 subjects (aged 5-98 years) took part in the study, randomly selected out of 38147 subjects. H. pylori infection was investigated by means of a 13C-urea breath test. Data on height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were collected at the clinics of general practitioners. The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 30.4% (402/1321) in adults (≥ 18 year-old) and 5.2% (26/497) in children and adolescents (≤ 17 year-old). Once adjusted for age and gender, only a difference in body mass index remained statistically significant with H. pylori positive adults showing an increase of 0.6 kg/m<sup>2</sup> in body mass index. Once adjusted for age and gender, we found a difference in height between H. pylori positive and H. pylori negative children and adolescents. On further adjustment for place of residence, this difference became statistically significant, with H. pylori positive children and adolescents being on average 3.5 cm shorter. H. pylori positive adults were significantly older compared to H. pylori negative subjects. Once adjusted for age and gender, H. pylori infection had no impact on body weight, body mass index and vital signs either in adults or children and adolescents. Chronic H. pylori infection appeared to be associated with short stature in children. H. pylori infection did not influence blood pressure, body weight and body mass index either in adults or children and adolescents.