The main objective of this work was to follow-up the development of diabetic neuropathy (DN) and its severity in patients with type 1 diabetes over 10 yr. Our intention was also to observe risk factor changes and verify which of them influence the development of neuropathy. The other objective was longitudinal study of electrophysiological parameters, focusing on the early diagnosis of DN. The prospective study comprised of 62 young patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) aged 13.9 ± 5.89 yr, with diabetes duration of 5.56 ± 5.11 yr, treated with an intensified insulin regimen. All patients underwent a detailed clinical neurological examination, nerve conduction study (NCS) and biothesiometry three times (baseline, after 5 yr, after 10 yr). During the follow-up there was an increase in DN prevalence from 24.2% to 62.9% (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients with subclinical neuropathy increased from 17.7% to 46.8% (p < 0.001) and patients with clinical neuropathy from 6.5% to 16.1% (p < 0.001). The main contribution factors for rapid growth of the DN prevalence were poor glycaemic control, diabetes duration and patient's age. Regarding the conduction parameters, the most significant changes were observed in sural nerve SNAP amplitude (-5.2 m/s, p < 0.001) and sural nerve conduction velocity (-8.2 uV, p < 0.001). In contrast, the least significant changes were in peroneal nerve CMAP amplitude (-0.65 mV, p = 0.008). The results of the study demonstrated a progressive increase in the DN prevalence over time, in particular its subclinical stages. The long-term poor glycaemic control was a determining factor in the rapid DN development. The sensory conduction parameters deteriorated faster than the motor parameters. The present study is one of few of those in type 1 DM, which in relation to risk factors assess not only the presence of neuropathy, but also its severity. The results support the necessity of a regular diagnostic search for DN in diabetic children.

The paper presents pedagogic experiment focused on teaching future geography teachers to work with story maps with the use of three applications (Knight Lab StoryMapJS, Esri ArcGIS StoryMaps, and Google Tour Builder). The experiment was carried out by questionnaire form at two Slovak universities. The respondents were students of the geography teacher training program, whose task was to select and learn one of the mentioned applications to create a story map. The statistical analysis of the research results confirmed that the choice of the application by the students was influenced by their previous experience with the applications; it was not difficult for students to develop a story map using the selected applications even though they did not have enough experience about the selected applications before the experiment; and students would make more use of story maps than other applications in their educational practice.

This study assisted in identifying and preventing the increase in heavy metals in soil and winter wheat. Its accumulation can affect cultivated crops, quality and crop yields, and consumers’ health. Selected heavy metals were analyzed using the GTAAS method. They were undertaken on selected heavy metals content (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in arable soils at three sites in Slovakia and their accumulation in parts of cultivated winter wheat. Our study showed that the limit value of Cd in soil samples was exceeded in the monitored arable soils from 2017–2019. The average content values of Cu and Zn did not exceed the limit values, even in Pb values (except for the spring period). The analyses also showed that the heavy metals content for plants bioavailable in soil did not exceed the statutory critical values for Cd, Cu, and Zn’s average content values. However, Pb content exceeded permitted critical values. Heavy metals bioaccumulation (Zn, Cu) was within the limit values in wheat. Analyzed Cd content in wheat roots and Pb content were determined in all parts of wheat except grain. The study showed that grain from cultivated winter wheat in monitored arable soils is not a risk for consumers.

The current study aims to fill the gap in the current literature by focusing on the wide scale of nonnative English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions and opinions in the specific context of a post-Communist country. It focuses on the link between five demographic variables (age, the length of English language study, English teaching experience, stay in English-speaking countries, and the intensity of communication with English native speakers) of Slovak EFL teachers and their English speaking anxiety (ESA) and English speaking quality (ESQ). The teachers’ self-perceived causes, consequences, factors, and needs concerning their ESA were also detected. Data were collected by both qualitative methods (questionnaire and interview) and quantitative methods (scale and test). The correlation analyses revealed a negative relationship between most variables and teachers’ anxiety and a positive relationship between their age and anxiety. Both qualitative and quantitative results reflect the specifics of teaching EFL in a post-Communist country.

In the paper, we understand social capital as a variable that affects the quality of life. A variable whose change affects another variable is called a predictor. The paper is based on Putnam’s understanding of social capital with the dimensions of trust, norms and networks. Trust is considered the most important dimension, and for the purposes of the paper social capital is identified with trust. Quality of life is a holistic concept with two dimensions expressing an assessment of satisfaction with life. After society became richer—in the 1960’s in the West and, after the collapse of the bipolar world, also in Central and Eastern Europe—the need for quantity was replaced by the need for quality. The paper is focused on Czechia, with social capital as a predictor of quality of life being investigated geographically at the level of districts. According to the research hypothesis, social capital will have a strong influence on the quality of life of residents in Czechia, i.e., it will be its predictor. To test the validity of the research hypothesis, research was conducted. The aim of the paper is to outline the epistemology of social capital from the aspect of quality of life, description of quality of life and then to test the validity of the research hypothesis by measurements. The result of the quantification of social capital and quality of life at the level of districts and their correlation is important from an epistemological point of view for two reasons. The first is to question the generally accepted premise of the position of social capital as a strong predictor of quality of life. The second is the recognition that the premise of the position of social capital as a strong predictor of quality of life applies in the districts with the highest quality of life.

The transfer of educational activities to the online environment within blended learning, which was also accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, increases the risk of growing student procrastination. This article describes the design of the flipped class, which is designed so that students are supported and motivated to continuously perform individual tasks. Great emphasis in the described design of the flipped classroom is placed on supporting students in their activities outside the classroom. It is in this part of blended learning that procrastination is a frequent cause of students’ failure, not just in mathematics. The effectiveness of our proposed inverted class design has been experimentally verified. Statistical analysis of the data showed that students had a statistically significant reduction in procrastination behavior during the course of the experiment. The proposed flipped classroom design has the potential to increase students’ self-regulatory skills, which has been reflected in a change in their approach to learning responsibilities. Students’ approach to online learning outside the classroom has changed, and thus their probability of successfully completing the combinatorics course has increased statistically significantly.