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Welcome to the Open Repository of research and development results of the Mendel University in Brno. The repository serves to archive Open Access publications of university authors. Publications are automatically sent from the OBD system to the repository in the DSpace system.

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To upload articles and other publications to the repository, contact the Open Science Centre: repozitar@mendelu.cz. Before uploading publications, the record must be created in the OBD system.

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Recent Submissions

Evaluating DNA quality in Coleoptera and Lepidoptera: Impact of fixation and preservation in various trapping methods
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2025) Stočes, Dominik; Wijacki, Tamara; Knoll, Aleš; Kopecký, Tomáš; Šipoš, Jan
Despite advancements in barcoding and metabarcoding, preserving high-quality DNA from field-collected arthropods remains challenging. Although various fixatives and preservatives are used for DNA recovery in Coleoptera (Carabidae) and Lepidoptera (Noctuidae, Nolidae, Geometridae, and Tortricidae), their effects on DNA quality across trapping methods are not fully understood. This study evaluates fixation and preservation strategies affecting DNA integrity, focusing on pH changes before and after tissue grinding to improve consistency. For Carabidae, Calathus fuscipes (L.) were collected with a Malaise trap, while Platynus assimilis (Paykull) were collected via emergence traps and pitfall traps (with and without roof), using propylene glycol as a fixative. Preservation methods included storage in propylene glycol, 96% ethanol, or drying, with samples kept at MINUS SIGN 20oC for 1 year. Propylene glycol samples were washed with distilled water prior to grinding. Additional fixatives in individual trapping included ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, ethanol, brine, ethyl acetate, vinegar, and drying (with and without silica gel), stored at MINUS SIGN 20oC for 3 months. For Lepidoptera, specimens were categorized by size: large-Agrostis exclamationis (L.) (Noctuidae), medium-Meganola strigula (Denis et Schiffermüller) (Nolidae), Eupithecia insigniata (Hübner) (Geometridae), and small-Pelochrista caecimaculana (Hübner) (Tortricidae). Specimens were treated with chloroform (vapor and soaked) or cyanide vapors and stored at room temperature for 3 months. DNA quality was assessed through fragmentation analysis and PCR amplification of COI fragments (658, 313, and 157 bp for Coleoptera and 658, 311, and 220 bp for Lepidoptera) with Sanger sequencing. Results showed reduced DNA integrity in diluted Malaise trap samples, while distilled water washing improved readability in emergence trap samples. Brine proved a cost-effective preservative. For Lepidoptera, DNA preservation depended on sample size and fixative, with small chloroform-soaked specimens yielding non-sequencable DNA, while vapor-treated samples remained sequencable. This study offers insights to optimize DNA yield and preservation for arthropod research.
Cossid moths (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) as pests of woody plants – A review
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2025) Choochuen, Thanapol; Foit, Jiří
The Cossidae is a worldwide family of macro-moths popularly known as carpenter moths due to the larval habit of boring in the wood of living plants. This review compiles current knowledge on the characteristics, diversity and bionomy of cossid moths as well as the damage they cause on woody plants. Adult cossids are nocturnal, robust and generally have a low dispersal ability. Their habitat is very diverse from desert to boreal forests and high mountains. They have a long life cycle that varies from 1 to 3 years, the majority of which is spent in the larval stage. Most cossid larvae are highly polyphagous caterpillars and can migrate both intra-host and inter-host. Twenty-six species of cossid have been reported as pests of commercial woody plants in forestry and horticulture. The feeding tunnels of cossid larvae can make large branches or trunks of small trees prone to wind breakage and can lead to tree decline and mortality. Cossid larvae damage reduces growth, yield, quality of fruit and wood as well as its commercial value. Current knowledge on cossid pest management is reviewed highlighting the importance of pheromone traps and the need for an integrated pest management approach for effective control. Lastly, future risks and challenges are discussed.
Attitudes of European older workers towards digitalisation from the ecological perspective
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd., 2025) Lakomý, Martin; Šácha, Jakub; Vystrčil, Filip
The dynamic processes of automation and digitalisation rapidly transform the labour market. Better adaptation to these processes at the individual level relies on knowledge and perceptions of the situation, as reflected by attitudes in large-scale data. This paper combines the theory of the digital divide, which focuses on inequalities, with the ecological perspective providing a framework for studying how attitudes towards digitalisation are connected to several micro-, meso-, and macro-factors. The topic is addressed with data from the Eurobarometer via multilevel regression analysis of respondents nested in contexts, focusing on the attitudes of older workers towards the impact of digitalisation and their differences indicating the digital divide. Generally, digitalisation of work is perceived rather positively, with large differences between groups of individuals. New technologies are consistently perceived more negatively by workers that are older, have lower skills, work in manual jobs, live in a village, and do not support the EU, whilst other characteristics show more complex relationships. Moreover, attitudes towards the digitalisation of work are more negative in contexts characterised by higher unemployment, lower prevalence of training for older workers, and a lower level of digitalisation. The paper discusses the need to identify groups of older workers with a more negative approach to technologies and develop appropriate policies to reduce the digital divide and the potential exclusion of these groups from the labour market.
Assessment of the Impact Strength Properties of Thermally Modified Wood by Non-Destructive Testing
(Springer New York, 2026) Hassan Vand, Mojtaba; Nop, Patrik; Tippner, Jan
This article examines the effectiveness of non-destructive testing (NDT) in assessing wood under impact loadings. Our research was to evaluate the feasibility of using the frequency resonance technique (FRT), to predict the behaviour under impact of thermally modified timber (TMT) compared with a control sample of untreated wood. Wooden planks from five different species were subjected to a thermal modification process (TMP) under two different regimes. Both the TMT and control samples were evaluated using NDT to measure their dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOED), logarithmic decrement of damping (LDD) and acoustic conversion efficiency (ACE). Subsequently, wood samples from the same species were tested using drop-weight impact tests to measure their inflicted maximum force and impact bending strength (IBS), while high-speed cameras recorded the impacts to measure the maximum deflection of the specimens. The results revealed that the only relatively efficient prediction of FRT was the relationship between MOED and IBS. The ACE and LDD results did not show any acceptable correlations with impact tests, indicating that NDT is not reliable for assessing maximum force and deflection in the wood species under impact. Our study also found that the efficiency of the results and predictions were influenced by the wood species and the TMP conditions, necessitating a large number of samples for each species and heat modification temperature to achieve accurate NDT results. Our study found that the efficiency of NDT predictions was significantly influenced by both wood species and the TMP conditions. Specifically, oak showed a relatively higher coefficient of determination, while ash had the lowest. The thermal treatment also had a varied effect on NDT's ability to determine IBS, increasing its efficiency for larch specimens while decreasing it for ash and beech, with no significant effect on oak and spruce. These findings imply that future NDT methodologies must be developed with a species-specific approach and calibrated for each unique modification condition. Consequently, achieving accurate NDT results will require comprehensive data sets with a large number of samples for each species and heat modification temperature.
Effect of Loading Rate on Tensile Strength and Fracture Stress of Chocolate
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2025) Nedomová, Šárka; Kumbár, Vojtěch; Trnka, Jan; Šafránková, Veronika; Dufková, Renáta; Votava, Jiří; Hřivna, Luděk; Buchar, Jaroslav
The fracture properties of five types of chocolate (dark, extra dark, milk, white, and ruby) were investigated using an indirect tensile test known as the Brazilian test. Two different loading rates of 0.0017 m/s and around 12 m/s were used through the universal testing machine TIRATEST and split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique. Results show that the tensile fracture stress increases with the loading rate. The sensitivity of the fracture stress at low-loading rates is lower than that at the high-loading rates. The obtained results can be used in industry for the correct processing of chocolate products and their transport. The presented methods can be also used to detect defects in chocolate products.