Product Code Database
Miloslav Rechcigl, Jr., or Mila Rechcigl, is a Czech-American biochemist, nutritionist and cancer researcher, writer, editing, historian, bibliographer and genealogist. He was one of the founders and past President for many years of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences.
He then spent two years conducting research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Subsequently, he was appointed as research biochemist to the staff of the Laboratory of Biochemistry at the National Cancer Institute.Who's Who in Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1962-. During 1968–69 he was selected for one year of training in a special USPHS executive program in health administration, research management, grants administration, and science policy.NIH Record, June 11, 1968, p. 7DRG Personal Items (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD), No. 5 (May 1968), p. 2.
This led to his appointment as Special Assistant for Nutrition and Health in the Health Services and Mental Health Administration.."Appointment of Dr. Miloslav Rechcigl. Jr. as Special Assistant for Nutrition and Health", Regional Medical Programs Service News Information Data 4, No.1 (January 7, 1970), pp. 1-4 In 1970 he joined the US Agency for International Development, which was originally a part of the US Department of State, as nutrition advisor and later was put in charge of research program.The Biographical Register, US Department of State, July 1974, p. 282Dictionary of International Biography, 1969–
A number of his studies dealt with the question of enzyme Turnover number in vivo. Using specific metabolic Enzyme inhibitor, he evaluated relative rates of Biosynthesis and degradation of the enzyme catalase under a variety of physiological, pathological and pharmacological conditions. These studies led to the conclusion that the rate of synthesis rather than the rate of destruction may be the preferential way of the mammalian organism to control its enzyme levels.
His finding of greatly different levels of catalase activity in certain substrains of mice, which were under Genetics control, provided an excellent model for pursuing fundamental research in biochemical genetics in the mammalian system. The analyses of the first, the second the backcross generations between high-enzyme and low-enzyme mouse substrains showed that the difference was due to a single autosomal gene pair with low dominant to high. Using specific metabolic inhibitors, it was subsequently found that the genetic difference between the two substrains lies primarily in the markedly increased rate of the enzyme destruction in the liver of one of the substrains. This was a unique finding since in all normal rats and mice studied previously the rates of enzyme destruction seemed to be almost constant. Although transient alteration in the rate of enzyme degradation has been observed under certain physiological conditions with other enzyme systems, the observation on catalase iwas believed to be the first demonstration of such regulatory mechanism under genetic control.
Other studies dealt with the morphology, biochemistry and physiology of microbodies, on which he collaborated with Prof. Z.. Hruban of the University of Chicago, that led to the monograph Microbodies and Related Particles (1969).
Dr. Rechcigl was also involved, one way or another, with most of the subsequent SVU World Congresses, including the recent SVU Congresses in Prague, Brno, Bratislava, Washington, D.C., Plzeň, Olomouc and České Budějovice. Prior to his last term as the SVU President (2004–06),SVU News, vol. 46, No. 5 (September-Oct. 2004), pp. 1-2. he held similar posts during 1974–76, 1976–78, and again in 1994–96, 1996–98, 1998–2000, 2000–02 and 2002–04."Miloslav Rechcigl -New SVU President", News SVU, vol. 16, No. 4 (Nov. 1974), pp. 1-2"SVU Elects New President", SVU Bulletin, vol. 25, No. 4 (Nov. 1994), pp. 1-3"SVU Inducts New President", News SVU, vol. 38, No. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 1996), pp. 1-3"Rechcigl again at the Helm of SVU", News SVU, vol. 40, No. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 1998), pp. 1-3"Rechcigl Reelected SVU President to Unprecedented 6th Term", News SVU, vol. 42, No.6 (Nov.-Dec., 2000), pp. 1-3SVU News, vol. 44, No. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 2002), pp. 1-4
In 1999, in conjunction with President Václav Havel's visit to Minnesota, he organized a memorable conference at the University of Minnesota on "Czech and Slovak America: Quo Vadis?"
Together with his wife Eva, he published eight editions of the SVU Biographical Directory, the last of which was printed in Prague in 2003.SVU Directory 2003. Washington, D.C.: SVU Press, 2003. 368 p. He was instrumental in launching a new English periodical Kosmas. Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. He also proposed the establishment of the SVU Research Institute "From the SVU Research Institute", SVU Bulletin vol. 13, No. 3 (August 1992), p. 5 and the creation of the SVU Commission for Cooperation with Czechoslovakia,"News from the SVU Commission for Cooperation with Czechoslovakia", SVU Bulletin, vol. 11, No. 3 (August 1990), pp.6-7 and its Successor States, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which played an important role in the first years after the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Under the sponsorship of the SVU Research Institute, together with his colleagues, he conducted a series of workshops Interim Report. Workshops on US Practice in Research Management. Prague: SVU Research Institute, December 1991 about research management and the art of "grantsmanship" for scientists and scholars, as well as for the administrators and science policy makers, at Czech and Slovak universities, the Academies of Sciences (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Slovak Academy of Sciences) and the Government.
He established the National Heritage Commission with the aim of preserving Czech and Slovak cultural heritage in America."SVU New Initiative", News SVU, vol. 40, No. 1 (January–February 1998), pp. 7–8; "Preserving Czech and Slovak American Archival Material", Kosmas 17, No. 2 (Spring 2004), pp.95–96. Under its aegis, he had undertaken a comprehensive survey of Czech-related historic sites and archival materials in the US.Survey of Czech and Slovak Historical Monuments in America", News SVU 41, No. 6 (November–December 1999), 20–21 Based on this survey, he has prepared a detailed listing, Czech-American Historic Sites, Monuments, and Memorials which was published through the courtesy of Palacký University of Olomouc (2004).Czech-American Historic Sites, Monuments, and Memorabilia (Olomouc-Ostrava: Centrum pro československá studia pri Katedre historie Filozofické fakulty Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, 2004), 142 p. The second part of the survey, bearing the title Czechoslovak American Archivalia,.Czechoslovak American Archivalia", News SVU 43, No. 1 (January–February 2001), pp. 17-19 was also published by Palacky University (2004).Czechoslovak American Archivalia. Vol.1. Government Repositories, University-Based Collections, Collections Maintained by Public Museums and Libraries, Collections of Ethnic and Other Related Organizations (Olomouc-Ostrava: Centrum pro československá studia pri Katedře historie Filozofické fakulty Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, 2004), 206 pp; Vol. 2. Personal Papers and Collections, Repositories Abroad Bearing on the Subject, Virtual Archives on the Internet, Appendixes. 368 p.
Among historians, Dr. Rechcigl is well known for his studies on history, genealogy, and bibliography of Czech Americans and Slovak Americans.Scholars of Bohemian, Czech and Czechoslovak History Studies. (Prague: Institute of History, 2005), Vol. 3, pp. 8-15 A number of his publications deal with the early immigrants from the Czech lands and Slovakia, including the immigration of Moravian Brethren to America. In the last few years he has been working on the cultural contributions of Czech Americans and Slovak Americans.See: A selection of his biographical portraits of prominent Czech Americans from the 17th century to date has been published in Prague, under the title Postavy nasí Ameriky ( Personalities of our America). Postavy nasí Ameriky. Prague: Prazská edice, 200. 355 p. On the occasion of his 75th birthday, the Society published a collection of his essays, under the title Czechs and Slovaks in America, as a part of the East European Monographs series, distributed by the Columbia University Press.Czechs and Slovaks in America. Boulder, CO and New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. 317 p.
In 1991, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences awarded him the Hlavka Memorial Medal.."Agency Official Receives Czech Science Award", AID Front Lines, July 1991, p. 14 In 1997 he received a newly established prize "Gratias agit" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.Ceský Dialog, No. 8, 1998 In 1999, on the occasion of President Václav Havel's visit to the US, President Havel presented him, on behalf of SVU, the Presidential Memorial Medal."In the Limelight of President Havel's Visit", News SVU, vol. 41, No. 4 (July–August 1999), pp. 1-3 More recently, he was given an honorary title Nebraska Admiral ("Admiral of the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska")by the Governor of Nebraska Mike Johanns and the key to the Capital of Nebraska by the Mayor of Lincoln and the SVU Prague Chapter awarded him the 2002 Prague SVU Award. In 2005, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Cyril Svoboda honored him by awarding him the Jan Masaryk Medal "Medal to SVU President - Mila Rechcigl", News SVU, vol. 48, No. 1 (January–February 2006), pp. 17-19 for his contributions in preserving and fostering relations between the Czech Republic and the United States. In 2006 he received Comenius Award from the Czech Center Museum Houston.
|
|
