Early Badenian transgression on the outer flank of Western Carpathian Foredeep, Hluchov area, Czech Republic

This multidisciplinary study, based on borehole cores from the Hluchov area in Czech Republic, docu- ments an early Badenian marine transgression on the outer flank of the Western Carpathian Foredeep . The shallow-marine deposits represent coastal transgression over a terrestrial topography of weathered pre-Cenozoic bedrock. The lower facies association (FA1) consists of siliciclastic sediment derived from local substrate erosion. Facies indicate a wave-dominated environment with unstable bottom, variable rate of sediment supply and an incremental rise of relative sea level. The upper facies association (FA2) consists of carbonates indicating a major landward shift of shoreline, decline in siliciclastic input and further sea-level rise. The succession represents a transgressive to highstand systems tract. The maximum flooding surface, ca . 1 m above the FA1/FA2 boundary, is signified by an anomalous decrease in K and Th, an increased Th/K ratio and highest U concentration. The heavy-mineral assemblages in FA1 confirm local sediment provenance, whereas those in FA2 indicate broader sediment derivation, including volcanic component from contemporaneous rhyolitic to rhyodacitic eruptions. The deposits contain a wide range of marine fauna, with the foraminifers and molluscs indicating an early Badenian age. Molluscs, bryozoans and echinoderms indicate a normal-salinity environment with a decreasing hydraulic energy. Foraminifers indicate salinity fluctua- tions in the lowest part of the succession. The isotopic composition of mollusc shells shows marked inter-species differences and a general negative shift in the d 13 C and d 18 O values, indicating diagenetic alteration. The impact of diagenetic processes appears to have been controlled by sedimentary facies. The highly negative d 13 C and d 18 O values correspond to sediment layers with the highest Th/K ratios and hence low clay content. Sediment permea- bility was thus probably crucial in controlling the differential circulation and impact of diagenetic fluids

Influence of Travel Distance and the Season upon Transport-induced Mortality in Fattened Cattle

Animal welfare during the transport of fattened cattle has a significant effect on the likelihood of mortality or poor meat quality. The number of animals that died during transport to a slaughterhouse or briefly after being delivered to a slaughterhouse may serve as an indicator of animal welfare during transport. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality in fattened cattle resulting from transport to a slaughterhouse, and to examine the effect of both travel distance and the season of the year on the mortality rate in fattened cattle during transport. The mortality rate in fattened cattle during transport to a slaughterhouse that were monitored in the Czech Republic in the period of 1997 - 2004 was 0.007% ± 0.003%. However, it varied significantly (p p < 0.01) between the mortality rate in fattened cattle and ambient temperature. The results indicate relatively low sensitivity of fattened cattle to stress during transport, which was reflected in transport-induced mortality. The increasing travel distance and the transport of cattle in summer or winter months resulted in an increase in transport-induced mortality rates

Sedimentological and palaeocological records of the evolution of the south west ern part of the Carpathian Foredeep (Czech Republic) during the early Badenian

The depositional environment of the southern part of the Carpathian Foredeep in the Czech Republic was studied in two boreholes using sedimentological and palaeontological methods. Eight lithofacies were recognised within cores of the early Badenian deposits, comprising two facies associations, namely deposits of a coarse-grained Gilbert delta and offshore deposits. As sem blages of foraminifers document the early Badenian (Middle Miocene age). Two types of assemblages were recognised: (1) primary taphocoenoses reflecting the original environment of sedimentation, i. e. a relatively deep sublittoral (circalittoral) environment with low to normal ox ygen bottom conditions and deep-water euryoxibiont foraminifers, numerous planktonic foraminifers, agglutinated foraminifers and mixed assemblages of deep- and shallow-water foraminifers, (2) secondary taphocoenoses of shallower sublittoral (infralittoral) condition redeposited into the basin by gravity currents. These assemblages contain shallow-water foraminifers coupled with an abundant and diverse bryozoan fauna

The importance of didactic toys in kindergarten educational process

The aim of this study is to identify preschool children’s strategies in choice and play with didactic toys. The research was based on participatory observation of children with the set of original didactic toys. In total, 77 children aged 2 to 6 years from four different kindergartens were observed, with children always in small groups. The data obtained in the form of video recordings and field notes was then transcribed and analyzed using qualitative methods. The results point out the teacher’s influence, usually determined what the toy serves or what task have to accomplished. We also point out the possible conditionality of the child’s interest in the toy. Findings highlights the child’s strategy in the play, especially the modification of the toy that arises just when the child has the opportunity to independently explore the toys. The importance is to support the didactic thinking of kindergarten’s teachers including pre-service teachers. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Timing of nasogastric tube insertion and the risk of postoperative pneumonia: an international, prospective cohort study

Aim: Aspiration is a common cause of pneumonia in patients with postoperative ileus. Insertion of a nasogastric tube (NGT) is often performed, but this can be distressing. The aim of this study was to determine whether the timing of NGT insertion after surgery (before versus after vomiting) was associated with reduced rates of pneumonia in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Method: This was a preplanned secondary analysis of a multicentre, prospective cohort study. Patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery between January 2018 and April 2018 were eligible. Those receiving a NGT were divided into three groups, based on the timing of the insertion: routine NGT (inserted at the time of surgery), prophylactic NGT (inserted after surgery but before vomiting) and reactive NGT (inserted after surgery and after vomiting). The primary outcome was the development of pneumonia within 30 days of surgery, which was compared between the prophylactic and reactive NGT groups using multivariable regression analysis. Results: A total of 4715 patients were included in the analysis and 1536 (32.6%) received a NGT. These were classified as routine in 926 (60.3%), reactive in 461 (30.0%) and prophylactic in 149 (9.7%). Two hundred patients (4.2%) developed pneumonia (no NGT 2.7%; routine NGT 5.2%; reactive NGT 10.6%; prophylactic NGT 11.4%). After adjustment for confounding factors, no significant difference in pneumonia rates was detected between the prophylactic and reactive NGT groups (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.56–1.87, P = 0.932). Conclusion: In patients who required the insertion of a NGT after surgery, prophylactic insertion was not associated with fewer cases of pneumonia within 30 days of surgery compared with reactive insertion