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The African-American Slave Narrative in Context: Frederick Douglass and Harriet Ann Jacobs
Chýlková, Jana ; Veselá, Pavla (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
in English The aim of this MA thesis is to bring new perspectives on the genre of the African-American slave narrative. Therefore, its wider historical, socio-political and gender contexts are considered and the circumstances surrounding its development and current criticism are briefly outlined. The point of departure is a discussion of definitions that vary among the scholars who select different criteria for the subject of definition. The existing diversity of the texts and voices is discussed in connection to Moses Grandy's Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy, Late a Slave in the United States of America. Grandy's narrative, an account of the maritime slave life, is analyzed. Its traditional, uniform narrative structures are juxtaposed with passages where some aspects of his masculine identity, problematized by the institution of slavery, can be traced. Ultimately, the thesis attempts to show that while the conventionalized framework pre-defining the narrative outline and themes is delineated by James Olney, any generally recognized definition of the genre does not exist. As a result of that conclusion, the genre is defined in the scope of this thesis. After the major characteristics of the genre are discussed and the definition of the African- American slave narrative is put forward, more...
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Feminism in Selected Novels by Toni Morrison and Alice Walker
Chýlková, Jana ; Veselá, Pavla (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
The specific works analyzed in this thesis will be Sula and Beloved by Toni Morrison, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I have chosen these novels for their significance in the African-American literary canon, and for qualities that were assessed over time. While the choice of the novels Beloved and The Color Purple is justified by The Pulitzer Prize, Sula - which is, among other things, a novel depicting the moral and physical decline of the main heroine - was selected to contrast with Walker's bildungsroman. However, the central theme of these novels that will be explored is a black woman and her questionable representation in literature. In their novels, Morrison and Walker find diverse solutions to the problematic nature of the place of black women in a patriarchal society. Nevertheless, the selected fiction will be explored separately in terms of the feminist/womanist aspects of Morrison's and Walker's works. The Conclusion will focus on a comparison of the selected works by Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. Thus, attention will be paid to the significant themes displayed in the novels such as racism and the limitations of gender roles. The objective of this analysis will be to find some common themes displayed in the authors' fiction that connect their understanding of the world, such as issues of...
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Ecotoxicological Evaluation of Polymers and Biologically Active Substances in Aquatic Environments
Kašpar, Otakar ; Beklová, Miroslava (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Kráčmar, Stanislav (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (advisor)
To determine the ecotoxicity of analgetics, first the individual ecotoxicity values of individual analgetics are determined and then a mixture of two analgetics is tested. To determine the toxicity, both standard and alternative toxicity tests are used (daphnia magna, sinapsis alba, scenedesmus subspicatum, vibrio fischeri, thamnotoxkit FTM a daphnotoxkit FTM magna). The analgetics being whish tested are the commonly used medicines ibuprofen, ASA, diclofenac and paracetamol, which are the most frequently used medicines in the Czech Republic and whole Europe. To determine the ecotoxicity of the polymers, I‘m using an indirect method of examination, in which I determine the antagonistic or synergistic effects of the mixture of monomers from which the polymer is prepared and into which it slowly decomposes in nature. For the determination both standard and alternative toxicity tests are used. The polymers the toxicity of which is being determined are the habitually used polymer PET and the formaldehyde resine known as bakelite in Eastern Europe.
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Surfactants in Surface and Waste Water
Štefka, Michal ; Vávrová, Milada (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Kráčmar, Stanislav (referee) ; Čáslavský, Josef (advisor)
This work is focused on the occurrence of surface-active substances in the environment. It deals with the development and optimization of methods for the determination of selected surfactants in samples from rivers and from influent and effluent of wastewater treatment plants. Representatives of anionic, nonionic and zwitterionic surfactants were selected as target compounds. Based on optimization of analytical methods and their pilot testing abroad on samples of surface water, the selection of analytes for the conditions in the Czech Republic were corrected and operatively expanded. For the final analysis liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry was used. Analysis of cationic surfactants was realized using liquid chromatograph with UV-VIS detector. This optimized method for analysis of anionic surfactants was applied to real samples. Samples of surface running water were from the River Thurso in Scotland and then from watercourses in the catchment area of Moravia river were collected. In addition to the grab sampling also continuous weekly sampling of water from Tvaroženský potok and Litava was realized. Waste water was collected at inflow and outflow of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in South Moravia (Brno – Modřice, Břeclav and Hodonín).
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Using Voltammetric Method for Monitoring of Antioxidant Content in Biofuels
Tomášková, M. ; Chýlková, J. ; Navrátil, Tomáš ; Šelešovská, R.
The simple and fast method for analysis of Propyl gallate (PG) in biofuels was proposed in this paper. Voltammograms of antioxidant under study were recorded using linear sweep voltammetry method at a gold disc electrode in supporting electrolyte containing 0.18 mol L-1 H2SO4 and 10 % ethanol. For purposes to monitor effects on fuel quality caused by oxidative degradation, the proposed method was applied to samples of biodiesel and Ekodiesel® (the blend of biodiesel with fuel diesel). The analysis of PG can be performed without pretreatment of Ekodiesel samples, and after extraction using distilled water in case of biodiesel samples.
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The Use of Separation Methods for the Study of Selected Drugs and Pesticides in Water
Burešová, Jitka ; Hajšlová, Jana (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Kráčmar, Stanislav (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (advisor)
This work is focused on the study of penetration of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. The aim was to develop and verify the optimal method for long-term monitoring of the occurrence of selected pesticides and pharmaceuticals in surface waters. Two frequently used analgesics ibuprofen and diclofenac, and carbamazepine that is used to treat epilepsy, were chosen from the group of drugs. A group of 41 pesticides were selected for monitoring too. The attention was focused on a group of urea pesticides and phenoxyacetic acids, as well as on selected pesticides falling to the group of priority substances or identified as environmental quality standards. Some of pesticides were selected because their consumption in the Czech Republic exceeds 30 tons a year. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC / MS / MS) was used for the determination of selected analytes in surface waters. Two optimized analytical method were developed. Ten analytes were determined in negative ion mode and 34 analytes in positive ion mode. Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for purification and concentration of the samples. Developed methodology was validated and used for monitoring of selected compounds in samples of surface waters from the Morava River basin. Samples were collected on the rivers Morava and Svratka monthly for two years. Samples from the river Blata and stream Nivnička were collected for one year. Surface water samples were also collected from the river Litava. Four samples were taken throughout the length of the flow during one day. Smaller streams were chosen for monitoring because of the probability of occurrence of pesticides. They flow abundantly agriculturally cultivated areas. Drugs ibuprofen and diclofenac were detected in all taken samples, carbamazepine mostly. Among the most commonly occurring pesticides were bentazon, diuron, isoproturon, carbendazim, MCPA, MCPP, propiconazole, tebuconazole and 2,4-D.
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Study of Exposure PBDE and Perfluorinated Compounds into Aquatic Ecosystem
Vondráčková, Ilona ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Hroch, Martin (referee) ; Kráčmar, Stanislav (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (advisor)
In the presented PhD. thesis, problems covering occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and perfluorinated compounds in the environment were solved. The study was focused on identification and further verification of optimal methods in order to determine PBDEs and perfluorinated compounds sampled from the aquatic ecosystem. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers belong to persistent compounds classified as main pollutants; within the environmental constituents, they have been observed particularly in the last decade. For these studies, there were selected surface water matrices and sediments taken in various localities within the river Svratka basin. The analyses were to demonstrate whether they accumulate and remain in these specific matrices for longer time. There we assessed the congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers as follows: BDE-28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100, 153, 154 and 183. In order to isolate them from matrices, various extraction techniques were used, i.e., ultrasonic extraction, microwave extraction, and pressure solvent extraction. Gas chromatography method with electron capture detection (GC/ECD) was selected for determination. The accomplished studies also assessed basic chemical, physical and environmental characteristics of diphenyl ethers in the environmental constituents. The attention was also paid to perfluorooctanoic compounds (PFOA), (PFOS) and (FOSA); physico-chemical properties of these organic pollutants were characterised and their toxicological and environmental aspects were evaluated. Usability of extraction techniques (ultrasonic extraction, pressure solvent extraction, solid phase extraction) applied to PFCs isolation from sediments samples was assessed. Identification and quantification of these analytes were performed using a high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method (HPLC/MS). After that, the optimized methods applied to real samples. Surface water and sediments were sampled within the river Svratka basin, in particular, from 19 sampling localities. PBDE occurrence was confirmed in sediments samples from the Svratka river (g.kg-1), PBDE were not detected in the surface water samples, their concentrations were below the detection limit, resp.; perfluorinated compounds were not detected in sediments and water samples at all.
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Study of the influence of fires of municipal and industrial waste landfills on the enviromental contamination, the combustion products of rubber and halogenated polymers
Sikora, Henryk ; Hroch, Martin (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (referee) ; Čáslavský, Josef (advisor)
This thesis deals with the issue of fires of municipal and industrial wastes, particularly of rubber and halogenated polymers. When these materials burn, significant amount of harmful substances liberate into environmental compartments. Analysis of samples subjected to thermal decomposition in laboratory conditions explored formation of characteristic compounds in dependence on conditions of combustion. Samples of air, water and soil taken from real fires that occurred between the years 2007 – 2011 in the region of Western Bohemia monitored spreading of these substances into the environment. Majority of these samples were analysed by the means of gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Additionally the effect of extinguishing methods and use of fire extinguishers on formation and spreading of combustion products was studied, especially in soil and in water sources.
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The Use of Liquid Chromatography for Determination of Drug Residues
Dvořáková, Petra ; Hajšlová, Jana (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Sokol, Jozef (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (advisor)
This work is based on the occurrence of drug residues in the environment. This study is focused on the development and optimization methods for determination of selected drugs in the surface water, aquatic sediment and sewage sludge from waste water treatment plant. From the group of drugs were chosen antibiotics. Antibiotics presented in the environment can cause adverse effects including toxic effects, immunity disorders and indirect bioalteration effects. Sulfonamide antibiotics, which are used in the treatment of urinary and respiratory tract infections as well as in the treatment of other infectious diseases, were chosen as a target compounds. Three optimized analytical methods for determination of sulfonamide antibiotics were developed. For the optimization of extraction were tested: solid phase extraction, pressurized solvent extraction, microwave extraction and ultrasonic extraction. For the final analysis was used liquid chromatography with two detectors - diode array detector and mass spectrometer. These optimized methods were applied for the analysis of real samples. The surface water and sediment samples were collected from two Moravian rivers (the Svratka river and the Svitava river). Samples of sewage sludge were collected from waste water treatment plant Brno-Modřice. Fish samples from the Svratka river were also collected. It was observed that all the selected sulfonamide antibiotics are present in real sediment samples (ug.kg-1). Simultaneously presence of some target analytes in real surface water (ug.l-1) and in sewage sludge (ug.kg-1) samples has been confirmed. In samples of surface water from the Svitava river and in fish samples sulfonamide antibiotics were not detected or their concentrations were below the limit of detection.
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Metals Transport in the System Soil/Plant. Comparison of the Active and Passive Sampling Method (The Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films Technique)
Trávníčková, Jana ; Janoš, Pavel (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Čelechovská, Olga (referee) ; Dočekalová, Hana (advisor)
The doctoral thesis deals with comparison between copper uptake by radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and concentration of copper measured by a DGT-device and concentration of copper obtained by extraction with generally used extraction agents (HNO3, NaNO3 and water). Plants were cultivated in pot experiments on a tested non-treated and gradually spiked soil. The amount of copper was determined in various part of radish (whole plant, above- and below-ground part) after mineralization in the APION mineralizer by ET – AAS. The highest concentration was in belowground part, especially in root tissues and sheel of root bulb. It confirms copper is associated with cell walls. The amount of copper taken by radish up does not pass beyond sanitary standards not even in spiked soils and consummation of radish is not unhealthy. Good correlations were found between copper concentration in radish and the amount of copper extracted with HNO3, NaNO3 and water and the amount found in soil solution. Results of extraction with HNO3 confirmed the amount of copper was stable in spiked soils during the pot experiments. The DGT experiments have shown that the rate of resupply from the solid phase to soil solution is constant during the deployment time. Whereas the release of copper decreases after 24 hours in natural soil. Copper added to soil in form of cupric ions is present in the different form after one month-equilibration than copper present in unspiked soils. The results obtained by DGT measurements were approximately up to two orders of magnitude lower than copper concentration obtained by leaching with sodium nitrate. The extraction with sodium nitrate does not provide true reflection of metal availability to plant root system and soil microorganism. High values of correlation coefficients (R2 > 0,9) were found between concentration of copper in radish plant and the concentration of copper in soil solution measured by DGT technique. Concentration of copper in soil solution was three times higher than concentration measured by DGT technique. Soil solution contains species of copper that are not measured by DGT technique and available to plants. Concentration of metals obtained by DGT measurements is more closely to real concentration of bioavailable forms of metal in soil. Therefore it is possible to recommend the DGT technique as a technique for determination of bioavailable forms of copper in soils.
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