Taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of leeches (Hirudinea) and their suitability in biological assessment of environmental quality

Different components of biological diversity of leeches (Hirudinea), sampled in lowland watercourses in Poland were compared between sites differed in terms of environmental quality, measured by officially approved procedures. Indices based on taxonomic diversity, rarefied species richness, taxonomic distinctness, phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity were considered in the analysis, for sites belonging to three biocoenotic types of watercourses. In most cases values of all indices except Pielou's evenness show unimodal relationships with environmental quality and in any case monotonic increase in diversity was not shown. Median values of diversity were significantly higher and its highest values were significantly more frequent at sites with moderate than with low or high environmental quality. This pattern of relationships was observed both for indices based on presence/absence data and those based on relative abundance of species. The significance of this mode of relationships differed between biocoenotic types and between procedures using to measure environmental quality. The results obtained show low and doubtful usefulness of each component of leech diversity as an element of biological assessment in lowland watercourses

Understanding of reproduction at the level of organisms among adolescents

Razmnoževanje je biološki proces, ki omogoča z nastajanjem potomcev nadaljevanje in ohranjanje vrste. Kljub temu, da gre za proces, ki je del našega življenja, je splošno razumevanje njegovih mehanizmov pomanjkljivo, hkrati pa vzorci splošnega znanja na tem področju ostajajo skoraj popolnoma neraziskani. Najbolj sorodna raziskava do sedaj analizira razumevanje človeške nosečnosti med mladostniki. V tem delu preverjamo razumevanje procesov razmnoževanja pri naključno izbranih dijakih in študentih. V raziskavi smo preučili razumevanje razmnoževanja ne le pri človeku, temveč tudi pri drugih organizmih in na različnih hierarhičnih nivojih. Raziskavo smo izpeljali s pomočjo anketnega vprašalnika, na podlagi katerega smo dobili želene informacije. Z dvostopenjskimi anketnimi vprašanji smo zaznali nekaj zmotnih prepričanj mladostnikov o razmnoževanju.. Z Likertovo petstopenjsko ocenjevalno lestvico smo dobili vpogled v pretekle izkušnje o tem izobraževanju. Analizirali smo 310 anket dijakov in študentov in ugotovili da je znanje precej pomanjkljivo ali pozabljeno, kar kaže na učenje brez razumevanja. Podajanje učne snovi je očitno precej tradicionalno, s pomočjo table in učbenikov, kar pomeni, da se učitelji ne poslužujejo drugačnih, modernih metod poučevanja. Analiza kovariance je pokazala, da je znanje odvisno od obiskovane šole. Pričakovano so največ znanja pokazali študenti in dijaki gimnazij.Reproduction is a biological process that enables continuation of species through formation of offspring. Although reproduction is a process, tightly connected with our lives, its mechanisms generally remain inadequately understood. At the same time, the patterns of general knowledge in this field remain almost unstudied. The most related study so far analyzes the understanding of pregnancy amongst the young. Thus, we here test the understanding of reproduction in a random sample of high school and undergraduate students. In the study, we encompassed all stages of organisms and examined knowledge about their reproduction. We conducted the study using a poll survey questionnaire, with which we gained wanted data. Using »two-tier« survey questions, we determined some of the misconceptions about reproduction among the young. We determined their prior gathering of knowledge using the five-point Likert scale. We analyzed 310 questionnaires, filled out by high school and undergraduate students. We determined many erroneous convictions about reproduction processes. Our results show that much of the knowledge is very deficient or forgotten, which indicates learning without understanding. The teaching of these subjects seems very traditional, using blackboards and textbooks, meaning that teachers nowadays do not use different, modern methods of teaching. Covariance analysis showed that knowledge covaries with the type of school visited. As expected, undergraduate and classical high school students thus showed the highest degree of knowledge

Online tools to support project management

V práci je vyhodnocena možnost využití programů při plánování projektu středních oprav tramvají 15T RIGA ve firmě Škoda Transportation. Projekt je realizován oddělením Servis u zákazníka RP SIA "Rigas satiksme". V teoretické části je popsána teorie projektového řízení společně s projektovou dokumentací. Na začátku praktické části je popsána firma Škoda Transportation a vytvořené dokumenty. Vyhodnocení programů probíhalo zasláním dotazníku zaměstnancům oddělení Servis. V závěru jsou hodnoceny programy a jejich přínos na projektu.ObhájenoThis thesis evaluates the possibility of using software programmes for the project planning of mid-term 15T RIGA tram repairs in the Škoda Transportation company. The project is implemented for the RP SIA "Rigas satiksme" customer by the Service Department. The theoretical section of this thesis describes the theory of project management together with the project documentation. The beginning of the application section describes the Škoda Transportation company and created documents. For the evaluation of programmes, a questionnaire was used, which was sent to the employees of the Service Department. In conclusion, the programmes and their benefits for the project are rated

Fragmented Knowledge and Missing Connections between Knowledge from Different Hierarchical Organisational Levels of Reproduction among Adolescents and Young Adults

Based on the responses of our sample (N = 310) of adolescents and young adults from Slovenia (students of secondary and tertiary schools, university students) to a number of tasks covering reproduction, from the molecular to organismal levels, it can be concluded that their knowledge is seriously flawed. Correlations of knowledge between individual tasks are low, or even negative, showing patchiness and missed connections between different aspects of reproduction. Our study confirms the well-known difficulties in building a consistent body of knowledge on the genetic–inheritance axis while expanding it to the anatomy and physiology of reproduction. It is crucial to stress the quality of elementary school biology, and science (biology) courses in secondary schools because, for most people, this will be the last formal contact with some important topics that could influence their life decisions.</jats:p

Do lake littoral benthic invertebrates respond differently to eutrophication, hydromorphological alteration, land use and fish stocking?

In order to provide adequate guidelines in freshwater management, managers need reliable bioindicators that can respond differently to varied stressors. Managers also have to consider hierarchical structure of environmental factors. Thus, our research aims to test the independence of taxa responses along environmental gradients and to examine in what order natural and anthropogenic factors constrain the structure of littoral benthic assemblages. The rank of explained variance of littoral benthic assemblage's variable group hierarchy was: land use > landscape characteristics > eutrophication > fish stocking > hydromorphological alteration. We determined nine gradients (two natural and seven stressor gradients), separated into five groups based on statistically significant differences in responsiveness of taxa. Apart from responsiveness to natural factors, littoral benthic invertebrates could be used as bioindicators for stressors reflecting urbanization, eutrophication, hydromorphological alteration and fish stocking. The taxonomical composition of littoral benthic invertebrates, especially when taxa with preference for certain relatively narrow environmental conditions along gradients are present, can be used to identify effects of key stressors. Our findings have profound implications for ecological assessment and management of lakes, as they indicate that benthic invertebrates can be used when the effects of multiple stressors need to be disentangled

Fragmented Knowledge and Missing Connections between Knowledge from Different Hierarchical Organisational Levels of Reproduction among Adolescents and Young Adults

Based on the responses of our sample (N = 310) of adolescents and young adults from Slovenia (students of secondary and tertiary schools, university students) to a number of tasks covering reproduction, from the molecular to organismal levels, it can be concluded that their knowledge is seriously flawed. Correlations of knowledge between individual tasks are low, or even negative, showing patchiness and missed connections between different aspects of reproduction. Our study confirms the well-known difficulties in building a consistent body of knowledge on the genetic–inheritance axis while expanding it to the anatomy and physiology of reproduction. It is crucial to stress the quality of elementary school biology, and science (biology) courses in secondary schools because, for most people, this will be the last formal contact with some important topics that could influence their life decisions