Wild ungulates represent valuable bioindicators of environmental quality due to their exposure to contaminants through diet and habitat. This study assessed concentrations of selected toxic and trace elements and evaluated biochemical parameters in red deer (Cervus elaphus, n = 37) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, n = 8) to determine their health status, characterize environmental conditions, and compare interspecific differences. Blood samples were analysed for elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Hg, Tl, Zn) using ICP-MS and for biochemical parameters (TP, ABL, GLO, ALT, AST, ALP, GLU, CHOL, TG, CRE, BUN, Ca, P). Cadmium and zinc concentrations were significantly higher in roe deer (p = 0.012; p = 0.018), while other elements did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Manganese showed high variability in both species. No statistically significant interspecific differences were found in biochemical parameters. Slight elevations in ALT, AST, and ALP were likely associated with capture-and handling-related stress rather than pathological conditions. The animals were kept in a game reserve and supplemented with feed during the winter months, which may contribute to a more stable nutritional status and reduced variability in biochemical profiles. Overall, the low levels of toxic elements and absence of major biochemical alterations suggest a relatively unpolluted environment.

This article analyses the prevalence of dementia in Slovakia and other European countries.Dementia is a progressive loss of cognitive abilities that interferes with activities of daily living.There are several types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common.The Alzheimer Europe Yearbook (2019) was used as a source of European statistics.Slovakia is one of the countries with a low prevalence of dementia compared to other EU Member States.Differences in the way dementia is diagnosed between countries, as well as in the way people are included in care, may contribute to the differences in prevalence.The total number of people with dementia in Slovakia is expected to more than double by 2050.This is in line with the European trend and is due to the significant increase in the number of people aged 65 and over.The article also highlights the statistically significant difference between the prevalence of dementia in 2008 and 2018, which may be influenced by the development of diagnostic methods in addition to older age.

The study aimed to explore if milkability parameters could reliably predict the dimensions of teat structures and their milking-induced changes. Ultrasonography repeatedly measured the teat structures of 48 Holstein cows from mid to late lactation. We found that milking-induced changes in each structure are affected by different milkability parameters. Regression models for teat canal change and length change were significant, and variability was found to be 46.03% and 21.50%, respectively. Similarly, the teat structure’s dimensions significantly affected milkability parameters, which differed for each structure. However, regression models only explained between 3.36% (teat length) and 7.59% (cistern) of variability. The prediction potential, performed based on milkability, is limited if the initial dimensions of structures are not provided. If teat dimensions were measured at the beginning of the production life, automatically collected milkability data could be used to calculate milking-induced changes incurred with each milking and the development of teat dimensions over the production life. If perfected, this tool could provide alerts about critical milking-induced changes and risky teat conformation traits, as they have a proven effect on udder health and are reliable indicators of milking effectiveness.

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland (udder). It can be caused by physical injury or by infection, leading to the growth of microorganisms which invade the mammary gland. Mastitis is a major problem for farmers of dairy sheep and other dairy animals leading to economic losses. Different breeds have different traits and are therefore are differently susceptible to developing mastitis. It is therefore important to study and compare different breeds (Tsigai and Improved Valachian breeds) and their crosses in terms of milk yield and other various traits that are determinants of the likelihood of mastitis. The results of the study indicate that there is a statistically significant (P < 0.001) effect of genotype on the amount of milk obtained at machine milking in 30 seconds, the source of variation, and the total milk yield. There are notable differences between crossbreeds and purebreeds, particularly in the incidence of subclinical mastitis in favour of purebreds. The results demonstrated that the order of lactation had a statistically highly demonstrable effect on LOG SCC (P < 0.001). Ewes in their first lactation exhibited significantly lower somatic cell counts. Therefore, selecting ewes for lower somatic cell counts could also leads to less sickness and better ewe performance.

OBJECTIVES:The overall aim of the research is to gain insight into the lifestyle and health behaviour of young people with disabilities aged 12-18 years, and to learn about the factors shaping their health. In this study, our aim was to investigate the eating habits and physical activity of adolescents with disabilities and the influencing factors. METHODS:The study's source population was young people aged 12-18 with disabilities in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. A total of 239 completed questionnaires were processed and analysed. Boys were overrepresented in the study. RESULTS:The results show that inadequate eating habits also exist in the population we studied, the consumption of certain foods correlates with the education level of parents. A more secure social background is a protective factor in terms of physical activity. The survey was made with the aim of intervention much needed. With precise knowledge of the health behaviour of the target group, our goal is to develop a complex intervention programme adapted to the needs of children with disabilities. CONCLUSION:The eating habits of adolescents with disabilities in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County are unsatisfactory. Experience and results show that differentiated health promotion of young people with disabilities is necessary.

OBJECTIVES:Physiological ageing is associated with major and progressive changes in body composition, particularly in the decline of fat-free mass, which puts older individuals at risk of geriatric syndromes such as sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity. Bioimpedance analysis noninvasively allows the determination of body composition, thus being able to rapidly assess primary risk factors leading to sarcopenia prediction. METHODS:We conducted a study of 180 probands, 120 females (66.7%) with a mean age of 76.23 (SD = 9.29) years and 60 males (33.3%) with a mean age of 74.01 (SD = 8.99) years in cooperation with facilities for the elderly and with the inpatient department of the clinics of J.A. Reimann Hospital in Prešov. Body height, body weight, hip circumference, and waist circumference were determined by the anthropometric method, from which the values of the body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio were calculated. Active body mass, total body water, extracellular body water, intracellular body water, cell mass, body mass fat, body fat index, fat-free mass index, impedance at frequencies of 50 kHz, resistance, reactance, and phase angle were determined using the Quadscan 4000 Touch bioimpedance instrument. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) and muscle mass (ASMM/Ht2) were calculated. The data obtained from anthropometric and bioimpedance measurements were processed in MS Excel 2000 and STATISTICA ver. 12. The difference of means in the studied groups was tested by the t-test. RESULTS:Presarcopenia was diagnosed in 12 (6.66%) probands out of 180 probands, of which were 3 (5%) men and 9 women (7.5%). Phase angle, ASMM and ASMM/Ht2 values were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in men and women with presarcopenia. CONCLUSION:By introducing bioimpedance measurements into practice, it is possible to obtain results in a non-invasive way revealing possible presarcopenia in the elderly.

OBJECTIVES:The main aim of the study was to show the effect of diabetes in relation to the gender of the patients, duration of the disease, and on the incidence of diabetic retinopathy. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of these two diseases, pathological ocular changes and progression of disease occurrence in relation to the duration of the disease with respect to their impact on the quality of vision of the patient. METHODS:The prospective observational cross-sectional study included 3,951 patients (1,838 males, 2,113 females) with diabetes mellitus from 7 districts of eastern Slovakia. Patients with diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy were identified by special screening in the number of 2,093 (1,094 females and 999 males). Subjects were divided by sex and by duration of diabetes into 5 groups: patients with diabetes under 5, 10, 15, 20, and over 20 years. We differentiated between proliferative and non-proliferative forms of diabetic retinopathy and monitored changes in visual quality. Manifestations of pathological changes were recorded using special examination methods in the eye clinic. We observed a decrease in vision by two lines, pathological changes on the retina and the occurrence of practical blindness. RESULTS:Of the total number of diabetic patients examined, diabetic retinopathy was also present in more than half of the patients. The major form represented in the patients was the non-proliferative form of retinopathy. The obtained results confirmed that the representation of patients with diabetic retinopathy increases with increasing duration of diabetes. Similarly, pathological changes characteristic of this type of late complication of diabetes were also more frequent, such as deterioration of visual acuity, the appearance of aneurysms, hard exudates macular edema, and gradual loss of vision, which can result in practical blindness. CONCLUSION:The percentage of people with diabetic retinopathy increases with the duration of diabetes, as well as the increased frequency of pathological late complication of diabetes, including deterioration of visual acuity, the development of aneurysms, hard exudates, macular oedema, and gradual loss of vision, which can result in practical blindness. Early diagnosis of the disease and introduction of appropriate treatment would alleviate the symptoms of the disease in more than half of the patients, so more frequent preventive check-ups with an ophthalmologist should be performed in diabetic patients to avoid detection of the disease in its late stages.

OBJECTIVES:The paper proposes to identify the determinants of patients' rights awareness in mothers and to examine the relationship of health literacy with awareness of those rights. METHODS:Our results are based on data from a convenience sample of 894 non-health professional ethnic Hungarian mothers from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Health literacy is measured with the HLS-EU-16 questionnaire. RESULTS:Analysis of variance reveals a significant association of health literacy with patient rights awareness. Our results show that health literacy is the highest among patients who filed a complaint through formal channels and/or took legal measures to restore their rights upon violation. A logistic regression model is built to identify the likelihood of having high patient rights awareness, that is, acting formally for the restoration of rights upon infringement. The model controls for covariates. When controlled for covariates, the likelihood of having high patient rights awareness increases with age, and is higher for mothers with highest education, for inhabitants of larger towns, as well as for those with adequate health literacy. CONCLUSIONS:The findings of our study have implications for health policy, as they reveal significant inequalities in patient rights culture.

1 University of Presov, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences (SLOVAKIA)2 J. Selye University in Komarno, Faculty of Education (SLOVAKIA)

The focus of the present paper is to investigate the narrative identity of Hungarian teachers in Slovakia and to identify their identity factors. The first section of the study introduces the demographic and pedagogical characteristics of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. Following that, we explore the concept of narrative identity and the possibilities for its research, with a strong emphasis on the Grounded Theory methodology, on which this research is based. Next, we present the specific characteristics and focal points of our research, as well as the group of interviewees, consisting of teachers from various regions of southern Slovakia. Finally, we will analyze in detail the common findings from the in-depth interviews, which we will categorize according to the Grounded Theory methodology and interpret based on the concepts (key terms) within those categories. The four categories we identified are “dynastic patternsˮ, “professional foundationˮ, “critical horizonsˮ, and “national identity and cultureˮ.

OBJECTIVE:Thyroid diseases are among the most common endocrinopathies and metabolic disorders. Hypothyroidism is caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormones with a higher prevalence in women. Causes for the development of endocrine diseases may be mutations in genes that encode peptide hormones. The aim of this scientific study was to determine the genotype and allele frequencies of the rs104893657 variant of the PAX8 gene and to determine the genotype versus phenotype association. METHODS:The study population consisted of 135 women from northeastern Slovakia who were divided on the basis of screening into two groups: a control group without diagnosed hypothyroidism (CG = 67) and a group of women with hypothyroidism (HY = 68). Biochemical markers - thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prealbumin (PREA), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined using Cobas Integra 400 plus, Cobas e411 analysers (Roche). Genotyping was performed using TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assay instrument 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR Systems (Applied Biosystem). RESULTS:Student's t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between CG and HY in biochemical parameters: TSH (p < 0.001), P (p = 0.008). By Chi-square test we found no statistically significant difference in the representation of genotypes (p = 0.788) in the rs104893657 polymorphism of PAX8 gene. The T allele was not associated with hypothyroidism in Slovak women (p = 0.548). In CC genotype we found statistically significant difference between CG and HY in parameters TSH (p < 0.001) and P (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION:The mutant T allele was detected at low frequency in both groups of women studied. The association of the T allele with the development of hypothyroidism in Slovak women was not confirmed. The results of this work provide initial information on the distribution of genotypes and alleles in the studied variant of PAX8 gene in the Slovak female population.

Currently, we are registering a great boom in computer technology, which allows us to use ICT techniques and procedures even in those areas in which it was not common. One such area is the creation of partial or complete realistic 3D models of real bodies in biology - in our case, trees or wood. Their great advantage is that they can capture various cases of growth deformations, interesting shapes or atypical formations. Many are temporary and unstable. An example can be a wood rotting fungus. These can then be studied outside the place of their growth and at the same time preserved for future comparisons. This leads to another possibility of their use in the educational process. We must also point out that a real 3D model with preserved dimensional proportions and true colors is a much better solution for studying than a classic photograph. We use photogrammetry to create 3D models. Its great advantage is that the 3D model is created from a series of photos that capture the part of the real object from which we want to create a partial 3D model. A classic touchscreen mobile phone is enough to get these photos. However, many problems and complications are associated with the creation of 3D models. It is not always possible to get quality photos. This can be caused by e.g. height, terrain or other obstacles. To obtain the desired partial 3D model, it is ideal if several conditions are met when obtaining photos, such as overlapping photos, sharpness, color, visible texture, etc. But in real cases it is not always possible to achieve this and therefore in our contribution we focus on the subsequent processing by which we can achieve our goal - even under the aforementioned unfavorable conditions to create a 3D model.

Appears in: INTED2023 Proceedings Publication year: 2023Pages: 5856-5862ISBN: 978-84-09-49026-4ISSN: 2340-1079doi: 10.21125/inted.2023.1540Conference name: 17th International Technology, Education and Development ConferenceDates: 6-8 March, 2023Location: Valencia, Spain

The study aimed to explore the relationship between teat structure dimensions and their short-term reaction to milking, to find the optimal dimensions of teat structures in relation to milking-induced teat tissue changes. Teat structures (teat length, canal length, thickness at barrel and apex, wall and cistern width) were measured by ultrasonography before and after milking for 38 Holstein cows at the beginning, middle, and end of lactation. We found that milking-induced changes in teat structures significantly depended on their pre-milking size. Furthermore, we observed that some teat structures and their changes were interconnected, and some did not affect each other. For example, changes in the barrel thickness and cistern width were affected by all structures, while the canal and apex did not influence each other. We deduced that more favorable changes were observed for teats of medium length, medium barrel and apex thickness, with teat canals of medium length, but with wider cisterns and thinner walls. The results of this study may help improve research in the area of milking-induced changes in teat morphology. Our findings could help understand potential health risks to animals in relation to teat morphology, milking equipment, and machine settings.

OBJECTIVES:Our research aimed to examine children's sleeping habits from preschool to the end of elementary school age. Developing proper sleeping habits in childhood is essential, as it is decisive for the rest of our lives. METHODS:A total of 339 children (160 males and 179 females) took part in the research, of which 145 were preschool-age children (3-7 years old), 72 lower-grade elementary school children (6-11 years old), and 122 upper-grade elementary school children (12-16 years old). The questionnaire was completed in a paper form (elementary school students) and online (kindergarten children). RESULTS:The research results show that most of the children spend enough time sleeping following the recommendations. In case of the kindergarten children, the younger ones also sleep in the afternoon on weekends (average of 3.66 years, 28.3%), and the older ones do not sleep in the afternoon either in kindergarten during the week or at home at the weekend (average of 5.22 years, 46.2%). The use of blue light typically increases with age; 39% of the preschoolers, 61% of the 6-11-year-olds, and 67% of the 12-16-year-olds use it before falling asleep. Sleep aids and rituals are used by 87.6% of the preschoolers, 67.4% of the 6-11-year-olds, and 34.4% of the 12-16-year-olds, because significantly more preschoolers find it more difficult to fall asleep than older children. At night, 40% of the preschoolers wake up at least once (due to biological needs - 46.3%), 32% of the 6-11-year-olds wake up at night (due to nightmares - 42.3%), and 41% of the 12-16-year-olds also wake up all night (due to biological needs - 31.9%, and due to noise - 29.8%). CONCLUSION:Although the children get enough sleep, significantly more upper-grade school children feel tired in the morning. It is essential to help sleep and eliminate factors that prevent falling asleep to create a healthy circadian rhythm in the life of children.

MODERN ONLINE TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND THEIR EFFECT ON STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION DURING THE SECOND WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT J. SELYE UNIVERSITY IN SLOVAKIA

BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study was to determine the foot arch shape and the associated health status in a selected sample of individuals belonging to the adult majority population of eastern Slovakia and to evaluate which of the observed factors are involved in the occurrence and development of foot arch abnormalities. METHODS:The weight and height of probands were measured according to standard anthropometric methods using a personal scale and an anthropometer. The BMI index was calculated for each proband from the measured data. A Pod4Foot Classic podoscope was used to obtain the plantograms. The Chippaux-Smirak index method was used to evaluate the plantograms. The study includes a questionnaire containing questions about factors affecting the foot arch shape. RESULTS:The arch of the right foot was supported by the effect of wearing shoes at home (p = 0.013). There was an association between wearing high-heeled shoes and foot arch disorder, both on the right (p = 0.011) and left (p = 0.045) foot. There was no significant relationship between the prevalence of overweight or obesity, between wearing orthopaedic insoles in shoes without a prescription, wearing orthopaedic footwear at home, between sport or static and active work and foot arch disorder in our study. CONCLUSIONS:Most of the probands had a bilaterally normal arched foot, which is a positive result. Nowadays, there are a large number of orthopaedic devices on the market that help to shape the arch of the foot properly, but it is not correct to use these devices arbitrarily, without a doctor's prescription and a diagnosis of foot arch deviation.

OBJECTIVES:Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases represent a significant and ever-increasing problem, accounting for nearly one-third of all deaths and leading to significant morbidity. Lifestyle changes, which introduce new risk factors for cardiovascular disease, are leading to an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease worldwide. The burden of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by careful risk reduction, and as such, primary prevention is an important priority for all. There is strong consensus among international guidelines regarding the necessity of smoking cessation, weight optimization, and the importance of exercise, while guidelines differ slightly in their approach to hypertension and vary greatly in their approach to the optimal lipid profile, which remains a controversial issue. METHODS:The work is focused on the analysis of biochemical (glucose, cholesterol and triacylglycerols) and anthropometric (body mass index) parameters in selected probands (n = 140), including men (n = 70) and women (n = 70) in the Bardejov district. Probands were divided into groups depending on age (18-38, 39-50, 51-60, and over 61 years). For statistical evaluation, the program Statistica ver. 12 and ANOVA were used. RESULTS:The results of the study showed statistically significantly higher values of BMI, total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerides (TG), and glucose (GLU) (p < 0.001) between men and women in the age groups (18-38 years, 39-50 years). In probands from the age group 51-60 years and over 61 years, we found a high level of cholesterol above the reference limit, but a significant difference between men and women was not confirmed. Correlation analysis confirmed the positive correlation between glucose and BMI. CONCLUSION:Differences in risk-factor (e.g., biochemical and anthropometrics) burden translate into marked differences in the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease. These differences are consistent across age groups.