Analysing fertility developments in selected European countries between 1970 and 2014 using alternative methods Abstract Transversal fertility indices as the total fertility rate are distorted by tempo effect when timing of childbearing is changing. New indices as the tempo-adjusted total fertility rate remove this distortion and give another perspective on fertility trends in countries with present tempo effect. These countries are former Eastern Bloc countries and other European countries. This thesis uses the tempo-adjusted total fertility rate and data from Human Fertility Database to describe tempo distortion in fertility level in Sweden, Norway, Czechia, Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania in period 1970-2014. A more detailed analysis by parity in Sweden and Czechia is conducted in the same period. Negative tempo effect has been present from 1970s in Sweden and Norway and then from 90s in the countries left with fertility postponement being very widespread. The tempo effect level in Sweden and Czechia was substantial at parity one and diminishing with higher parities. Keywords: fertility, timing, level, postponement, adjusted total fertility rate, tempo effect Number of characters without blank spaces: 138 653

This work "Is assisted reproduction a therapy for infertility?" deals with methods of assisted reproduction. The aim is not only to elucidate its techniques but also to open some difficult ethical questions. This work shows why we cannot regard assisted reproduction as a legitimite treatment for infertility and suggests alternative procedures. The first chapter is about the individual human life seen from the perspective of various sciences. The second chapter is about causes of infertility and about possibilities of its treatment. The third chapter deals with various methods of artificial reproduction. The following chapter is about ethical challenges related to these methods. The fifth chapter presents the standpoint of the magisterium of the Catholic Church. The final chapter tries to see fertility and parenthood from a larger perspective: the principal alternatives are substitute family care and spiritual parenthood. Keywords methods of assisted reproduction, infertility, parenthood, substitute family care, spiritual fertility

The production of haploid sperm is a precondition for sexual reproduction of males. PRDM9 protein is a histone methyltransferase which localizes sites of meiotic recombination in many mammals. Mouse males of the C57BL/6J (B6) strain deficient for Prdm9 (Prdm9-/- ) are sterile, while Prdm9-/- males of PWD/Ph (PWD) strain have reduced sperm count. The comparison of the distribution of trimethylation of histone 3 on lysine 36 (H3K36me3) in genome of Prdm9-/- males of these two strains will help to determine the role of this epigenetic modification on meiotic recombination and fertility of Prdm9-/- males. The second part of this thesis is focused on transgenic males. Male offspring from the first generation of B6 female and PWD male crosses (B6PF1) have reduced fertility parameters due to incompatibility of Prdm9 alleles. The fertility parameters of B6PF1 hybrids carrying CHORI-34-289M8 or RP24-346I22 transgene are even lower. The candidate gene, which participates in the reduction of fertility of the transgenic B6PF1 hybrids, was determined as the proteasome subunit encoding gene Psmb1, because its relative transcription level best correlates with sperm count. The reason of lowered fertility thus might be a defect in proteasome assembly. The investigation of the fitness of transgenic animals is...

Changing patterns of marital and reproductive behavior of young women in the urban settlement (on the example of Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan oblast, Kazakhstan) Abstract This study primarily addresses nuptiality and fertility patterns among youth in East Kazakhstan region. The data are obtained from censuses, vital statistics and two surveys "Marital and reproductive behavior of young women in Ust-Kamenogorsk" conducted in 2009 and 2016. The survey data collection has been supported by Center of International programs of Kazakhstan "Bolashak" and Charles University in Prague. The thesis examines demographic behaviours of two main ethnicities (Kazakh and Russian) in East Kazakhstan oblast and influence of such factors like ethnicity, education, place of residence and socio- economic conditions on their marital and reproductive behaviour. East Kazakhstan oblast, compared with other regions of Kazakhstan, has lower birth and marriage rates, higher divorce rates, higher share of non-native ethnicities residing in urban areas and higher proportion of female workers employed in the industrial sector. The author tries to evaluate the importance of marriage to young females and its relation to their reproductive and marital behaviour. The general tendency observed from the conducted survey was that young women...

The diploma thesis conceptualizes an experience of women with assisted reproduction and services offered in fertility clinics. The assisted reproduction is a medical method treating infertility. The scientific progress and the usage of new reproductive technologies bring up broad possibilities in reproduction. Regarding the biological explanation of human's life, the biomedicine discourse represents a dominant approach in reproduction and claims control over a conception of a new life. Women undergoing the assisted reproduction, which is offered in case of infertility, face new challenges related to social, economic, ethical, and legal issues. The major goal of this thesis is the analysis of an experience of women with assisted reproduction in state-funded and private fertility clinics while applying a feminist critical reading. Qualitative research is based on semi-structured interviews with women who have turned to medical experts for help and underwent the assisted reproduction or other reproductive methods to increase a chance of conception. Key words: assisted reproduction, reproduction, women's experience, reproductive medicine, fertility, gender, poststructuralism

The original aim of my diploma thesis was examination of fixed samples of cladocerans from the Daphnia longispina species complex from reservoirs Vír and Vranov for the presence of 4 groups of microparasites: microsporidia, oomycetes, the protozoan Caullerya mesnili, and the yeast Metschnikowia bicuspidata. The next aim was to determine the effect of parasites on Daphnia fecundity, and determination of their spatial and temporal distribution within reservoirs. From the total number 4452 of examined Daphnia females, however, only 56 individuals were infected. This number was not sufficient for the planned analyses. As I recorded for all examined individuals the clutch size, I thus dealt to a large extent with an alternative issue: the temporal and spatial variation of, and the influence of environmental factors on Daphnia fecundity. Both studied reservoirs are characteristic by canyon-shaped profile that allows formation of environmental gradients on the horizontal as well as vertical axis. The results confirm that reservoir identity, season, and location within the reservoir (or gradient of food supply) have all significant effects on fecundity. During my work I have encountered difficulties associated with determining microparazites from fixed zooplankton samples. The appendix section of my thesis...

Trends and patterns of reproductive behaviour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Abstract The main goal of this diploma thesis is to analyse fertility trends in the (former) German Democratic Republic, the (former) Federal Republic of Germany, Austria and Switzerland after Second World War to 2010 and attitudes of population of the countries above towards parenthood and the changing roles of men and women. German-speaking countries belong to countries with long-term low fertility level, however each country has its own specific reproductive behavior due to historical development. Analysis of fertility is focused on describing the trends of the number of live births and the proportion of children born outside marriage, total fertility rate, cohort fertility, fertility rates by age and the mean age of women at childbirth. Attitudes of respondents towards parenthood and the changing roles of men and women were analyzed based on international survey, European Values Study 2008, by statistical methods - chi-square test and factor analysis. Further, the thesis deals with family policy in German-speaking countries with a focus on current measures. The main findings of this thesis are summarized in the final chapter.

There have been a great deal of ways for old age security, who is expected and individual situation. Old age signify loss of income from economics activity. We can compare ways of securing for old age by their liquidity, rate of profit and diversification, but it is impossible to administratively determine composition of the optimal old age security portfolio, whereas administrative favoured one's way, entails limitation of the others. One of the oldest way of securing for old age is child care and enlinghtenment. The research pointed to existence disputation between theories of fertility development. These theories are attaching different importance to the particular biological, socioeconomic and cultural factors. Empirical research of fertility development and its factors in czech lands, represents pure administrative character of the pension insurance development. Spending on pension insurance and some other factors are influencing development of fertility. This influence is analyzed in years 1930- 2009. Analysis provides evidence of pension insurance influencing level of fertility significantly. Theories of fertility development often impeaching this influence. The work apply findings to the primary objectives for pension reform in Czech republic. This pension reform provides sustainable pension system position and possibility for individuals to set up their optimal old age security portfolio.

Impact of economic crisis on fertility level in EU member states Abstract The aim of this diploma thesis is to provide a detailed development overview of the selected indicators, i.e., GDP per capita, unemployment rate and total fertility rate, in the context of the Global Economic Crisis, which, on a European scale, started in 2008, and evaluate the impact of the crisis on fertility levels across EU countries. The diploma thesis further concerns itself with various approaches to the relation between economic development and fertility, briefly with the causes of the Global Economic Crisis and with family policy measures in response to worsening economic conditions. Using cluster and regression analyses, the relationship between the economic indicators and total fertility rates in relation to the onset of the crisis has been examined. Even though total fertility rates of individual EU countries were affected differently by the change of economic conditions, the results indicate that changes in unemployment rates affect fertility levels. The decline in fertility levels during the crisis, which occurred in most of the examined countries, is certainly the result of a large number of factors affecting reproductive behaviour. Nevertheless, the results suggest that the symptoms of the crisis significantly...

Title: Fertility changes in the context of gender revolution with focus on the man's role in the family in the Czech republic Author: Mgr. Pavel Koudelka Department: Department of Demography and Geodemography Statistics Supervisor: Prof. RNDr. Jitka Rychtaříková, CSc. Abstract: Profound changes are occurring in the relations between men and women in European families and societies, a transformation that is referred to as the 'gender revolution'. Considering the unprecedented drop in fertility, some important questions may be asked: in a more egalitarian society/family, could we expect a rise in the birth rate? Does men's participation in housework and child- care have an impact on the number of children born (in a family)? Czech society is slowly adapting to gender equality, but this is more apparent in the general mood and opinions than in the reality of households and families. We drew on two waves of a panel study Generations & Gender Survey (GGS) performed in the Czech republic and compared the information about the real involvement of men in households in which (a number of) children were born in between the waves. This is an advantage of GGS over similar studies: we have information about real- ity, real facts, and not only values and attitudes to gender equality or the number of children a...