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Yellowhammer dialects and citizen science
Diblíková, Lucie ; Petrusková, Tereza (advisor) ; Linhart, Pavel (referee) ; Osiejuk, Tomasz S. (referee)
Bird dialects, the cultural phenomena that can be linked to migration, gene flow, speciation and cultural evolution, have been studied extensively. The yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella, a common European bird with a simple song and long singing season, has been a model species for studying dialects for decades. In this thesis, I collate several studies that benefited from citizen science approaches to push this field forward. First, we have compiled and unified information on yellowhammer dialect distribution scattered in numerous publications, and unified different dialect nomenclatures used in the past. We supplemented this with data available thanks to volunteers contributing to public databases and other online sources, and demonstrated that the continental distribution patterns of yellowhammer dialects do not support the existence of broad, geographically distinct macrodialect groups as previously believed. In 2011, as part of the Bird of the Year campaign of the Czech Society of Ornithology, we launched a year-long public awareness project "Dialects of Czech Yellowhammers". Its first year's results exceeded expectations in quality and quantity, so a one-year, conservation-focused citizen science project became a long-term, investigative one. In subsequent years, improvements to the web user...
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Costs and Usage of Medical Devices in the Czech Republic
Kaláb, František ; Paulus, Michal (advisor) ; Votápková, Jana (referee)
Geographic differences in healthcare costs, usage and practice are documented by research from the United States and Western Europe, yet, there is limited information on this topic in the Czech Republic. Spatial variation often seems unexplained by the demographic, health or economic characteristics of the population which points to inefficiencies in the healthcare system. We bring three main contributions: a first study dealing entirely with medical devices; we improve previously used models with a set of environmental indicators and; we work with an entirely new sample which has not been used before. Based on 2012 claims data on medical devices we present a geographic analysis of spending and further analyse spending and usage of three widely used and economically relevant devices. Further, we estimate regression model in order to assess the role of unwarranted variation in spending, which we subsequently expand on the three studied devices. We find significant variation in the per capita spending and usage of healthcare devices at the level of regions and districts, with more than a threefold difference in the relative spending between the regions in the lowest and the highest spending quintile. Moreover, only 38% of the district difference between the highest and lowest spending quintile was explained...
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Yellowhammer as a model species for studies on passerine dialects
Diblíková, Lucie ; Petrusková, Tereza (advisor) ; Procházka, Petr (referee)
Even though birdsongs and bird dialects have been subject to considerably intense scientific research, the domain of bird dialects is still worth attention of scientists. There is a large number of hypotheses about the emergence of bird dialects which separately or combined explain their origin. Dialects can be classified on the basis of the structure of a birdsong which they are related to or according to a geographical scale (micro and macrodialects). Research on bird dialects belongs to such type of studies that require great amount of data and thus large amount of time and finance is needed. Nonetheless, this obstacle can be avoided by involving general public into the research, however choosing a suitable model species is necessary. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella), which was chosen in this study, is undoubtedly a convenient species for its common occurrence and distinguishable birdsong. Yellowhammer males sing during a large part of the season and their dialects can be easily recognized. Moreover, some scientists differentiate between macrodialects, that should be divided across western and eastern Europe, and could be used to make the research more attractive for general public. Till now yellowhammer dialects have been thoroughly explored in Denmark and in some parts of Germany, but in other...
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Regional variation in health care spending
Hadrová, Petra ; Pavloková, Kateřina (advisor) ; Hildebrandt, Barbora (referee)
This thesis examines the regional variation in health care spending in the Czech Republic. The problem of regional variation in health care spending has been a subject of many studies all over the word for several years. Dartmouth Atlas in the United States in 1998 pointed out significant differences in the consumption and financing of health care. In different countries apply different health care systems, yet they have something in common. It is the regional variation in health care consumption and spending. In the Czech Republic the problem of area variation was marginally analyzed by the Roundtable (Kulatý stůl). Detailed analysis, however, does not exist. This paper uses VZP data that are related to 2009 and represent individual consumption data of health care segments covered by health insurance. Using secondary analysis of these data we find and analyze specific regional variations in health care spending across all heath care segments, even on a district level.
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Czech Allergology and Clinical Immunology: Utilization and Provision in Space
Blechová, Lucie ; Paulus, Michal (advisor) ; Votápková, Jana (referee)
The present thesis focuses on Czech allergology and clinical immunology by studying this branch of health care in a geographic variation framework while using methods of spatial econometrics. This has been the first work with such focus. District-level data on care provision and utilization in 2012 are used. It is found that there exist geographical differences between provision and utilization and that the geographical distribution of allergists and clinical immunologists does not correspond to population's needs. Care utilization is modeled using a spatial autoregressive model specification. Based on this model, it is concluded that a shortage of physicians in the majority of districts actually limits care utilization. Also based on the utilization model, there is a discussion about the potential need for policy coordination. Care provision cannot be modeled using explanatory variables that are available, therefore, future data collection is necessary. However, it was found that variables influencing the need for care by patients do not influence care provision per physician. JEL Classification I11, I14, I19 Keywords geographic variation, Czech, allergology, clinical immunology, ACI, spatial model Author's e-mail 18702440@fsv.cuni.cz Supervisor's e-mail michal.paulus@fsv.cuni.cz
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Costs and Usage of Medical Devices in the Czech Republic
Kaláb, František ; Paulus, Michal (advisor) ; Votápková, Jana (referee)
Geographic differences in healthcare costs, usage and practice are documented by research from the United States and Western Europe, yet, there is limited information on this topic in the Czech Republic. Spatial variation often seems unexplained by the demographic, health or economic characteristics of the population which points to inefficiencies in the healthcare system. We bring three main contributions: a first study dealing entirely with medical devices; we improve previously used models with a set of environmental indicators and; we work with an entirely new sample which has not been used before. Based on 2012 claims data on medical devices we present a geographic analysis of spending and further analyse spending and usage of three widely used and economically relevant devices. Further, we estimate regression model in order to assess the role of unwarranted variation in spending, which we subsequently expand on the three studied devices. We find significant variation in the per capita spending and usage of healthcare devices at the level of regions and districts, with more than a threefold difference in the relative spending between the regions in the lowest and the highest spending quintile. Moreover, only 38% of the district difference between the highest and lowest spending quintile was explained...
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Regional variation in health care spending
Hadrová, Petra ; Pavloková, Kateřina (advisor) ; Hildebrandt, Barbora (referee)
This thesis examines the regional variation in health care spending in the Czech Republic. The problem of regional variation in health care spending has been a subject of many studies all over the word for several years. Dartmouth Atlas in the United States in 1998 pointed out significant differences in the consumption and financing of health care. In different countries apply different health care systems, yet they have something in common. It is the regional variation in health care consumption and spending. In the Czech Republic the problem of area variation was marginally analyzed by the Roundtable (Kulatý stůl). Detailed analysis, however, does not exist. This paper uses VZP data that are related to 2009 and represent individual consumption data of health care segments covered by health insurance. Using secondary analysis of these data we find and analyze specific regional variations in health care spending across all heath care segments, even on a district level.
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Yellowhammer as a model species for studies on passerine dialects
Diblíková, Lucie ; Petrusková, Tereza (advisor) ; Procházka, Petr (referee)
Even though birdsongs and bird dialects have been subject to considerably intense scientific research, the domain of bird dialects is still worth attention of scientists. There is a large number of hypotheses about the emergence of bird dialects which separately or combined explain their origin. Dialects can be classified on the basis of the structure of a birdsong which they are related to or according to a geographical scale (micro and macrodialects). Research on bird dialects belongs to such type of studies that require great amount of data and thus large amount of time and finance is needed. Nonetheless, this obstacle can be avoided by involving general public into the research, however choosing a suitable model species is necessary. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella), which was chosen in this study, is undoubtedly a convenient species for its common occurrence and distinguishable birdsong. Yellowhammer males sing during a large part of the season and their dialects can be easily recognized. Moreover, some scientists differentiate between macrodialects, that should be divided across western and eastern Europe, and could be used to make the research more attractive for general public. Till now yellowhammer dialects have been thoroughly explored in Denmark and in some parts of Germany, but in other...
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