Young Scientists Conference

This presentation focuses on the characterization and degradation study of drug carriers, specifically PLGA nanoparticles and graphene oxide, and their subsequent comparison.

The aim is to understand how different environmental conditions influence the properties and stability of these carriers, both with and without the incorporated or bound drug.

The degradation study will consider different media (water or PBS), temperature and, if appropriate, the presence of enzymes. Samples will be collected at selected time points and analysed using complementary methods, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. These methods will help monitor changes in the particles. The project aims to focus on morphological characterization, physicochemical properties and drug release. Ultimately, the aim is to compare the advantages and limitations of both systems and, based on experimental results, assess their potential for applications in targeted drug delivery. 

The dominant social narrative is built on the assumption that maintaining quality of life in times of worsening polycrises, including environmental and climate crises, depends on innovative and technological solutions. At the political level, we often hear the argument that people are not willing to give up material comfort and activities associated with the lifestyles of socio-economically privileged residents of countries in the Global North.

The project looks at the issue of sustainability from the opposite perspective. It explores the life stories of people who have decided to walk away from an ecologically unsustainable lifestyle and have made the decision to reduce the carbon footprint of their lives. The project generates knowledge about already existing lived experiences that remain largely invisible in social and political discourse and may potentially inspire pathways towards decarbonisation.

This presentation introduces a research project focused on alternative education in Czech schools in the 21st century. It traces the path from a long-term professional and research interest in alternative education to the implementation of the current project. The presentation will discuss the results of the theoretical phase of the research, which maps the development of discourse on alternative education in texts published in the Czech Republic since 1990. It will also outline a planned empirical study among pre-service teachers aimed at exploring future teachers’ awareness of and attitudes towards alternative pedagogical approaches and schools. Finally, the presentation will reflect on the significance of alternative education for contemporary educational theory and practice and will present the future direction of the project over the coming years.

How can researchers communicate science clearly and engagingly in a world of short videos, crowded feeds and fast-moving online conversations?

In this talk, Oldřich Motyka, university teacher and researcher (VŠB-TUO) and science communicator (@na.vedu.s.motykou on Instagram and YouTube), draws on his experience of communicating science through social media. He explores how to turn scientific principles and ideas into accessible stories without losing their complexity or accuracy (and when we have to sacrifice one or both), what makes online science communication effective, and how researchers can find an authentic voice. 

How do new research collaborations begin? This panel explores the opportunities offered by UHK Connect, an internal university programme supporting short-term mobility, academic networking and the development of new research partnerships.

The discussion will focus on how professional exchanges, consultations, conference participation and international connections can help researchers establish or expand collaborations and lay the groundwork for joint publications, studies and research projects. 

To be added.

Few studies compare AI-enabled knowledge management across mature and emerging regulatory contexts, leaving decision-makers without context-sensitive guidance. The study explains how AI became a knowledge management capability in Africa and Europe.

It combines a PRISMA 2020 review of 21 studies (2005–2025) with a Composite Knowledge-Digital Readiness Index across eight sub-regions. AI improves decision accuracy when reconfiguring processes, not merely automating them. Europe and Africa differ by about 50% on the index, and AI readiness tracks knowledge-economy maturity (r = 0.95).

The study extends the Knowledge-Based View through Dynamic Managerial Capabilities and proposes an AI–IKM Decision Matrix for managers and policymakers.

The mastery of fire hundreds of thousands of years ago represented not only a technological milestone but, above all, a fundamental biological and cultural development that significantly shaped the course of human evolution. Fire was used for preparing food and providing warmth, but its role extended much further, contributing to the development of craft activities and the organisation of everyday life within settlements. Fire itself is generally not preserved in the archaeological record. However, evidence of its presence and use can be found in the remains of hearths, ovens and various other similar installations.

This presentation explores the possibilities of studying these installations in the settlements of the first farming communities of Central Europe during the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods. Attention is given not only to how these installations were constructed and used but, more importantly, to the questions they can help us answer.

How did people organise the space within their dwellings and settlements? What activities took place in the immediate surroundings of these installations? And what can the differences between individual structures tell us about the technological knowledge and everyday needs of prehistoric communities?

The aim of this presentation is to demonstrate that even seemingly insignificant remains of fire-related activities represent a valuable source of information about the lives, technologies and social practices of people in the past.

This presentation outlines ongoing doctoral research on medieval leather dress accessories from the 13th to the 16th century within the Holy Roman Empire.

By integrating traceological and technological analysis with iconographic and historical comparative studies, the project addresses the lack of coherent information about these medieval artefacts.

The ultimate goal is to establish a comprehensive technological typology that enables precise chronological classification, even for the often fragmentary archaeological material.

The practice of diagnosing breast cancer retains scope for improvement in medical imaging, where every correct and timely diagnosis enhances the survival rate of patients.

This article presents an integrated approach utilizing patch-wise breast image segmentation, hybrid deep feature extraction, followed by progressive cyclical convolutional neural networks (P-CycCNN), and firebug swarm optimization (FSO) to enhance breast cancer detection.

This method first incorporates image segmentation by patches to break down the mammography images into smaller patches, which are easier to focus on and allow for the extraction of more features to boost detection rates.

Hybrid feature extraction combines convolutional neural network (CNN) features extracted from pre-trained models with handcrafted features that describe texture and shape, thereby enabling the model to grasp the nuances of both coarse and fine images comprehensively.

The progressive cyclical CNN strategy incorporates cyclical, readjusted learning rates and a progressive training schedule to accelerate and enhance the model's convergence. FSO is introduced to adjust the hyperparameters of the CNN topology, including the learning rate and regularisation parameters, thereby enhancing training and feature-fusion processes.

Evaluated on the Curated Breast Imaging Subset of the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (CBIS-DDSM) dataset, the proposed model achieved 98% test accuracy, 95% precision, 97.2% recall, 96% F1-score, and an AUC of 0.95, outperforming baseline CNN models by 4%–6% across key metrics.

This approach holds great potential for enhancing detection systems in clinics, allowing earlier and more accurate detection of malignant lesions.

Publication: https://peerj.com/articles/cs-3119.pdf

Striking a balance between institutional mandates, teacher agency and student autonomy in the Czech tech-mediated English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom remains a critical challenge.

This PhD project addresses this grey area by investigating the intersecting lines of the different variables (i.e., Coincident Coordinates and Collision Vectors) using a mixed-methods design.

My doctoral research is currently in its initial phase, and I am conducting a thorough literature review to refine my theoretical framework and pinpoint my exact contribution to the field.

This presentation highlights the progress of my doctoral research to date and aims to gather constructive feedback from fellow academics.

This paper outlines a dissertation project analysing the music education system in French lower secondary schools (le collège). The primary objective is to investigate how interdisciplinary integration is implemented within the curriculum and actual classroom practice.

The research examines teaching methodologies, lesson structures, instructional materials and educational reforms. The methodology combines a theoretical analysis of French educational documents and literature with qualitative field research.

Practical investigation involves interviews with French music teachers and lesson observations, conducted in collaboration with the University of Lille. The expected outcomes aim to evaluate theoretical expectations against reality and provide valuable pedagogical insights for Czech music education.

This research project focuses on the objective and subjective manifestations of music performance anxiety (MPA) in children and adolescents studying solo singing at elementary art schools. The research combines physiological measurements of heart rate during real concert performances with an analysis of subjective experiences obtained through an assisted two-stage questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with performers. Optical sensors are used to monitor changes in heart rate across the individual phases of the performance. Particular attention is paid to the relationships between physiological responses, subjective experiences of music performance anxiety, and pedagogical and psychosocial factors that may influence pupils’ attitudes towards vocal performance. The research aims to deepen the understanding of music performance anxiety and explore ways of addressing it within music education practice at elementary art schools.