| Basic data |
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| OCA1. Surname awarded to the assessed person | Kottferová |
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| OCA2. Name awarded to the assessed person | Jana |
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| OCA3. Degrees awarded to the assessed person | Prof. , DVM, PhD |
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| OCA4. Hyperlink to the entry of the person in the Register of university staff | https://www.portalvs.sk/regzam/detail/6055 |
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| OCA5. Area of assessment | study programme animal hygiene and environment · III. degree |
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| OCA6. Category of the research/artistic/other output | scientific output |
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| OCA7. Year of publication of the research/artistic/other output | 2025 |
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| OCA8. ID of the record in the Central Registry of Publication Activity (CRPA) or the Central Registry of Artistic Activity (CRAA) | 1304844 |
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| OCA9. Hyperlink to the record in CRPA or CRAA | https://app.crepc.sk/?fn=ResultFormChildMT3O&seo=CREP%C4%8C-Zoznam-z%C3%A1znamov |
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| Characteristics of the output that is not registered in CRPA or CRAA |
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| OCA10. Hyperlink to the record in another publicly accessible register, catalogue of research/ artistic/other outputs | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080625000450 |
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| OCA11. Characteristics of the output in the format of the CRPA or the CRAA bibliographic record, if the output is not available in a publicly accessible register or catalogue of outputs | SKURKOVÁ, Lenka - MATULNÍKOVÁ, Lucia - PEŤKOVÁ, Barbara - FLORIAN, Martin - SLIVKOVÁ, Monika - LEŠKOVÁ, Lenka - MESARČOVÁ, Lýdia - KOTTFEROVÁ, Jana. Seasonal pattern of cortisol fluctuation in horsehair samples from three different body areas: A year long study. In: Journal Of Equine Veterinary Science. 2025. ISSN 0737-0806, Vol. 147, no. (2025), art. no. 105387, p. [1-6]
(2024: 1.600 - IF, 1.500 - IF 5y, 0.489 - SJR, Q1 - SJR Best Q, Q2 - JCR Best Q) |
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| OCA12. Type of the output (if the output is not registered in CRPA or CRAA) | article |
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| OCA13. Hyperlink to the webpage where the output is available (full text, other documentation, etc.) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080625000450 |
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| OCA14. Characteristics of the author's contribution | The author contributed to the concept and final form of the publication. |
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| OCA15. Annotation of the output with contextual information concerning the description of creative process and the content of the research/artistic/other activity, etc. | The study focuses on evaluating the seasonal changes in hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in horses as an indicator of long-term stress and represents a contribution to the advancement of knowledge on non-invasive welfare assessment. Over the course of one year, hair samples from the mane, tail, and foreleg were collected from 12 horses of different ages and analyzed using the ELISA method.
The results confirmed a distinct seasonality of HCC, with the highest values recorded in August and the lowest in April. The same trend was observed across all body regions, with a difference appearing only in winter, and age had no effect on cortisol levels.
The findings confirm that hair cortisol concentration in horses varies seasonally and can serve as a reliable indicator of long-term stress. |
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| Other data |
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| OCA16. Annotation of the output in English | This study aimed to assess the seasonal changes of the cortisol concentrations in horsehair (HCC), as an indicator of long-term or chronic stress. Hair samples were taken four times throughout one year from 12 horses (aged from 1.5 to 30 years), and analysed by the ELISA method. The sampling interval (interval between two collections of the samples representing two different seasons) ranged between 102 and 115 days. Seasonal dynamics have been confirmed with a pattern: August ˃ November ˃ January ˃ April (F (3.93) = 50.28, P < 0.001). The lowest cortisol concentrations were detected in April samples (mean value 10.05 ng/ml, SD 1.80 (n = 36)), whereas the highest levels were detected in August samples (mean 18.63 ng/ml, SD 4.61 (n = 36)). The correlations across samples taken from various body areas (from the mane, tail, and carpal area of the right forelimb) were investigated, but the body area has no effect on the cortisol concentrations (F (2.31) = 1.22, P = 0.308). In relation to the variable “sampling area” difference was found only for the winter - between the mane/leg, and tail/leg (F (2.32 = 3.79, P < 0.05), but not for mane/tail (P > 0.87). No difference in HCC associated with the variable “age” was revealed. Due to the small sample size and because of several various factors that may contribute to seasonal patterns of HCC, these results must be interpreted with caution. |
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| OCA17. List of maximum 5 most significant citations corresponding to the output | |
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| OCA18. Characteristics of the output's impact on socio-economic practice | The output contributes to the improvement of horse welfare assessment through non-invasive measurement of long-term stress. The use of hair cortisol analysis enables a more accurate evaluation of seasonal and management factors affecting equine well-being and helps optimize housing, training, and nutrition conditions. These findings have practical relevance for breeding, the sport sector, and veterinary practice, supporting sustainable and ethical animal management. |
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| OCA19. Characteristics of the output and related activities' impact on the educational process | The output enriches the teaching of ethology, stress physiology, and horse welfare by incorporating up-to-date scientific knowledge and an example of non-invasive stress assessment in practice. It is applied in higher education as a model of a research-based approach that promotes critical thinking and the connection between theory and practice. The findings also provide a basis for student research projects and theses, thereby strengthening the practical component of education. |
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