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Vegetation change study in ScienceWe expected the biggest changes in vegetation to be at the end of the Ice Age. Instead, we were surprised they were in the last four thousand years," says paleoecologist Petr Kuneš of the Faculty of Science at Charles University. Kuneš was one of a group of experts including fellow Czech Ondřej Mottl whose findings were published recently in the prestigious scientific journal Science. Published Jun 07, 2021 |
Popular Science: Is the gloomy atmosphere of Transylvania disappearing?Fog is a phenomenon that influences many areas, yet is often neglected. Fog occurrence significantly affects water balance, decreases visibility and affects atmospheric deposition of pollutants. Therefore, it has a significant impact on the landscape and ecosystem. At the same time, it is not entirely easy to estimate its occurrence in advance, as there are many influencing factors. An international scientific team led by Iva Hůnová from the Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University has focused on the terrain and its effects on fog occurrence as a very important, yet largely unexplored factor. Published Jun 07, 2021 |
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New Post-doc positions from the JUNIOR Fund projectThe goal of the JUNIOR Fund is to attract prospective international post-doc researchers, who will carry out research within a specific field. The main initiative is always on the relevant establishment or a faculty or other unit of CU that is interested in researching a particular research project. Click for list of the positions. Deadline for application is July 23, 2021. Published Jun 07, 2021 |
Popular Science: Czech imprint in modern paleontologyUnderstanding history promotes better understanding of the present and predicts the future. Findings from the past are thus more than desired. However, discovering them is often complicated and requires a lot of experience and sometimes even coincidence. Professor Zlatko Kvaček from the Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, Charles University described a new discovery in the Czech Republic, which went down in history of world paleontology. Published May 31, 2021 |
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Popular Science: Male fertility endangered by parasites?As much as one-third of the world’s population is infected by Toxoplasma gondii nowadays. It is known that toxoplasmosis could be harmful especially for immunocompromised patients and for an unborn fetus if the mother becomes infected during pregnancy. But does the Toxoplasma gondii parasite affect human fertility? A group of experts focused on this question. The research was carried out under the guidance of our student Jana Hlaváčová together with scientists Jaroslav Flegr and Šárka Kaňková from the Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University and other specialists in this field. Published May 24, 2021 |
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BIOCEV zoologists have mapped the spread of rodents from Asia to Europe. Genetic traces from the Ice Age helped them.An international team led by Pavel Stopka from the Faculty of Science, Charles University at the BIOCEV Center discovered and described the spread of small mammals from Asia to its adjacent islands, as well as to Europe. Gene sequencing of hundreds of samples from striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius) helped reveal this animal’s evolutionary history. A study now published in the prestigious scientific journal Genes can help predict the migration of other rodents in the context of deforestation in Europe. Published May 05, 2021 |
Popular Science: Unstable east of the Czech RepublicIn extreme or prolonged rainfall events, the soil is saturated with water and the cohesion of the material decreasing, consequently these processes can cause very dangerous material movements on a slope, sometimes also called "debris flows". We hear about these phenomena mainly from foreign countries, but is occurrence of debris flows possible in our region? Experts in geomorphology led by Jana Smolíková and together with Vít Vilímek from the Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University and other colleagues answered this question. Published Apr 19, 2021 |
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BIOCEV: The course on Micro-/NanofluidicsWe cordially invite you on the course on Micro-/Nanofluidics that will be held on-line on April 20th and April 27th, 2021 by prof. Jeroen Lammertyn, a top researcher in nanobiotechnology and full professor of Catholic University of Leuven. Published Apr 12, 2021 |
Popular Science: Forest, tell me how high will the spring flood be?Snow cover has a major impact on groundwater recharge and on the overall water balance in the river basin. However, the rapid melting of snow cover also causes spring floods. Ondřej Hotový together with Michal Jeníček from the Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, found out the influence of the condition of the forest in the river basin on the distribution and melting of snow cover. Published Apr 12, 2021 |
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Popular Science: Easy, quick and affordable – a new method of (not only) cancer diagnosisEarly diagnosis is crucial for successful treatment of virtually any disease. This is especially true with cancer. Cancer indicators in urine are usually detected one by one, which is very time consuming and expensive. How can diagnosis be made more efficient? One way is to detect several indicators at once by using methods that are less costly and faster. This has become the subject of interest for a research group led by Professor Jiří Barek from the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Science, Charles University. Published Apr 05, 2021 |
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Population Census 2021During upcoming weeks there will be Population Census which is mandatory for expats and foreigners who stay in the Czech Republic for longer than 90 days. Between 27th March and 9th April questionnaires will be available online or via app in various language mutations and it is a recommended option. Those who will not fill the questionnaire online will have to fill in the paper version of the questionnaire between 17th April and 11th May. Published Apr 02, 2021 |
Popular Science: Drought comes earlierHydrological fluctuations have been occurring in recent decades and they currently manifest primarily in significant and prolonged droughts. Changes in the hydrological cycle have a major impact on both water supply and the entire ecosystem. Vojtěch Vlach and Milada Matoušková from the Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University together with Ondřej Ledvinka from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute know well about the severity of the hydrological situation. Therefore, they explored in detail what has happened in terms of hydrological change in the areas of Czech mountains in recent decades. Published Mar 29, 2021 |
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Warning against fraudulent e-mails misusing the name of CUCharles University urgently warns against fraudulent e-mails that were sent on the night of 25 March 2021. These e-mails contain a false request for a price quote and misuse the name of CU and its e-mail addresses, both fictional and real. This is a scam. These e-mails have nothing to do with Charles University. Published Mar 26, 2021 |
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Popular Science: The southern giant is heading northClimate change affects the life on Earth significantly. Plants and animals try to adapt to these changes and often migrate to areas with more favourable natural conditions. Researchers from prestigious universities led by Gideon L. van den Berg from the University of Pretoria in South Africa joined forces with zoology experts including Pavel Hulva and Petra Nevečeřalová from the Faculty of Science, Charles University and brought interesting yet also worrying results in a research focused on one of the largest mammals on the planet, the southern right whale. Published Mar 23, 2021 |
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Popular Science: One more piece to the coronavirus puzzle?Dozens of millions of infected people all over the world, nearly two and a half million deaths, and normal life on hold… all because one virus, which obviously is the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the disease known as covid-19. In addition to the development of vaccines and drugs, the characterisation of individual parts of the virus particles is another very important part of research. This part of research was of interest to the team led by Václav Veverka and Evžen Bouřa from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB CAS) and the Faculty of Sciences of Charles University. They published an article with the main authors being Dhurvas Chandrasekaran Dinesh and Dominika Chalupská from IOCB CAS. Published Mar 15, 2021 |
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Stanislav Komárek’s Ukrainian OdysseyWinning the “Book of the Year” award in one of Europe’s largest countries is without a doubt a huge success, and not just for the author but also for Czech culture at large. When something like that happens again, it means that the country is, in a sense, obsessed with the author. This is exactly what is currently happening with Stanislav Komárek, an original scientist, essayist and writer and the Ukraine. Following “Man as an Evolutionary Innovation?”, his book “Europe at the Crossroads” has won the Book of the Year Award in the Sofiya category (Philosophy, Anthropology, Psychology). This was a good reason to speak to the author in person. That is, as much ‘in person’ as the present times allow. Published Mar 09, 2021 |
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Zentiva announces the winners of The Parc AwardsThe Centre for Applied Pharmaceutical Research (The Parc) is celebrating numerous successes again, summarizing its 2020 achievements and recognizing the participants with The Parc Awards for the third time. Initiated by Zentiva, The Parc was created in association with three academic partners: the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague; the Faculty of Science of Charles University; and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Published Mar 05, 2021 |
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Popular Science: One bear, please! or Bear trade in the Czech RepublicNo, it is not a mistake and it should not be beer, the Czech favourite alcoholic drink. It should not even be a teddy bear. Even though it may surprise you, in the Czech Republic, there exists quite a high demand for various bear species and/or their body parts originating from abroad. The details of the current il-/legal trade have been summarised in a study led by Chris R. Shepherd and co-authored by three members of the Institute of Environmental Studies of the Faculty of Science of the Charles University – Jitka Kufnerová, Tomáš Cajthaml and Jaroslava Frouzová. Published Feb 22, 2021 |
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(Almost) everyone will grow up eventuallyUntil recently, both laypeople and scientists believed that reptilians differed from other vertebrates (among other specificities) with one unique trait – the possibility of lifelong body growth. New research conducted by a team of Czech scientists led by experts from the Department of Zoology of Charles University’s Faculty of Science has shown that while this notion is not quite unfounded, it does not apply to all reptilian species by far. The scientists arrived at the ground-breaking finding using an original method that does not require many years of laborious measurements. The study was recently published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Published Feb 19, 2021 |
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Popular Science: The Ordovician struggle for a solid base in a sea of soft sediment: focused on the conulariids of the Prague BasinFor a large part of sessile animals, whether current or long-extinct, a hard base is a prerequisite for a full-fledged life. In ancient times, there was a bitter struggle for space to attach to on the seabed. Jana Bruthansová from the Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, has published an article in the prestigious journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology about sessile organisms on conulariids. Published Feb 09, 2021 |