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The Wine Market in the Czech Republic and the Politics of Wine
Vlašicová, Eliška ; Tomšík, Karel (advisor) ; Malý, Michal (referee)
The dissertation thesis is focusing on the wine market in the Czech Republic. The aim is to identify weaknesses in the wine sector in order to formulate recommendations for improving a current situation in the sector. The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union and the Common Market Organisation for Wine was presented in the theoretical part of the thesis, where also theoretical aspects of a market including supply and demand were described, as well as an agri-food market and its specifics, wine commodity chain, determinants of demand, supply and prices of wine. In the following chapters an analysis of the wine market, especially with emphasis on the production potential of vineyards in the Czech Republic was created, and demand, supply and price of wine including a price transmission in the commodity chain of wine were modelled based on a regression analysis. The significant influence on demand of wine have had previous values of wine consumption and wine prices, substitutes consumptions (prices of substitutes were not a significant factors), household income and salary, a quality of the wine and awards in international competitions. Significant factors of the side of supply including the price of wine grapes, the price of wine, vineyard area, production of wine grapes, some aspects of weather and certain subsidies. A climate change, which is in progress, may result to the expansion of viticulture and winemaking in the Czech Republic and also to a change of varieties in vineyards. Demand has in the commodity chain of wine greater impact than the supply. It can have a negative effect on growers or winemakers. Planting of vines is not sufficient to maintain current levels of a production potential of vineyards in the Czech Republic. The ideal amount of annual planting vines should be about 655 ha. A related issue is financing a vineyards renewal, which is costly. Based on a financial analysis of small and medium-sized wine companies, it was found that these businesses cannot afford the renewal of vineyards from its own resources and will require grant assistance of the state, eventually EU.
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Freezing technology of bull sperm in relation to its survivability and fertilization ability
Doležalová, Martina ; Stádník, Luděk (advisor) ; Jiří, Jiří (referee)
The aim of optimalization the insemination doses production is to provide the highest fertilization ability of spermatozoa during the demanding proces of processing fresh semen and its subsequent cryopreservation. Temperature changes causes spermatozoa damage during the cooling and freezing. Spermatozoa is exposed to cold shock and many others limiting factors, which leads to cell death and therefore to decline of fertilization ability of thawed insemination doses. For increasing spermatozoa resistance, exactly the plasma membrane resistance against cold shock was fraction of egg yolk LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) at various concentrations into the comercially produced diluents added. It is believed that LDL acts possitively to plasma membrane and helps to maintain the fertilization ability of spermatozoa after thawing. Following step in the proces of insemination doses production is slow cooling of diluted semen and equilibration, when the straws are store at cooling box for 30 minutes to 240 hours. This period is necessary to penetrate of certain diluent components into the spermatazoa also maintain the balance between their intracellular and extracellular concentration. Also important is subsequent freezing temperature gradient of insemination doses. The most suitable freezing method is based on computer controlled temperature decline in freezing chamber which allows the precise control of ice crystals formation that could tear and kill the cell.
During 2012 to 2016 was repeatedly collected semen from the group of breeding bulls (n = 27, Holstein and Czech Fleckvieh breed) at AI centre. Semen which fulfill the standard entrance conditions in first step was evenly into several parts divided. For dilution the three types of comercially diluents AndroMed, Bioxcell and Triladyl with and without LDL addition were used. Into the diluents AndroMed and Bioxcell the concentration of LDL 4 %, 6 % and 8% into the dilent Triladyl 6 %, 8 % and 10 % was added. Diluted semen was filled into the glass capillares with volume 0,1 ml and temperature +4 °C. Subsequently the sample was placed to cold bath (0°C) for 10 minutes. Then the volume of capillare with physiological solution (37 °C) was mixed and for next 120 minutes was incubate. The effect of cold shock to proportion of live spermatozoa was evaluated by using Eosin and Nigrosine staining technique during heat test of spermatozoa survivability after spermatozoa heating and after 120 minutes of incubation.
The more suitable semen diluents which provide the higher spermatozoa resistance against cold shock were AndroMed and Bioxcell. Together the possitive effect of LDL addition into the diluents to lower decrease of proportion of live spermatozoa during heat test was found (P<0.05). The most suitable LDL concentration which had a favorable influence at spermatozoa resistance against cold shock was 6 % in diluent Bioxcell. Values of the proportion of live sperm were higher at the beginning of the heat test (+1.31% to + 3.2%) and after 120 minute incubation (+5.82% to +8.41%) compared to other diluents with and without addition of LDL.
In the next step the process of equilibration was optimized, is an important part of insemination doses production. The effect of the length of equilibration for subsequent fertilization ability of spermatozoa was evaluated using spermatozoa motility based of CASA and proportion of live spermatozoa after thawing and during heat survival test lasting 120 minutes (37 ° C). Suitable semen was diluted by comercially used diluent AndroMed based on soya lecithin, filled into the straws (0.25 ml), cooled and equilibrated in cooling box for 30, 120 and 240 minutes and freezed in programmable freezing box applying four types of freezing curves differing in temperature rate decline. There was used standard and by producer recommended 3. phase freezing curve, then 2. phase freezing curve, and 3. phase freezing curve with slower as well as rapid decline of temperature rate in freezing chamber, compared with standard freezing curve. The highest spermatozoa motility was found using 240 minutes of equilibration by +2.72% and +4.58% compared to other lengths of equilibration (P <0.05 to 0.01). The highest proportion of live spermatozoa was found using 120 minutes of equilibration (+6.87 % and +8.68 %). The highest average spermatozoa motility during heat test after thawing was achieved by using 2. phase freezing curve (from +2.97% to +10.37%, P <0.05), also in the proportion of live spermatozoa (from + 4.37% to +8.82%, P <0.01). When evaluating interaction between the length of equilibration and freezing curve (standard 3. phase and 2 . phase freezing curve), the highest average spermatozoa motility and proportion of live spermatozoa using 240 minutes of equilibration by both freezing curves was reached, there was no statistically significant differences. As well as, in all evaluated parts of this study the individual differences between ejaculate of bulls and within semen from one bull (P <0.05) as secondary effect were found.
To maintain good fertilization ability of semen during cryopreservation is necessary to increase the spermatozoa resistance against cold shock using addition of correct concentration of LDL into the commercially used diluents AndroMed and Bioxcell. Subsequently the fertilization ability of insemination dose is influenced by cooling, the length of equilibration and freezing. The length of equilibration 120 minutes and more as well as gentle way of freezing according to freezing curve, which ensures a gradual decrease of temperature in freezing chamber provided the higher average spermatozoa motility and proportion of live spermatozoa.
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Acceleration Methods for Evolutionary Design of Digital Circuits
Vašíček, Zdeněk ; Miller, Julian (referee) ; Zelinka,, Ivan (referee) ; Sekanina, Lukáš (advisor)
Ačkoliv můžeme v literatuře nalézt řadu příkladů prezentujících evoluční návrh jakožto zajímavou a slibnou alternativu k tradičním návrhovým technikám používaným v oblasti číslicových obvodů, praktické nasazení je často problematické zejména v důsledku tzv. problému škálovatelnosti, který se projevuje např. tak, že evoluční algoritmus je schopen poskytovat uspokojivé výsledky pouze pro malé instance řešeného problému. Vážný problém představuje tzv. problém škálovatelnosti evaluace fitness funkce, který je markantní zejména v oblasti syntézy kombinačních obvodů, kde doba potřebná pro ohodnocení kandidátního řešení typicky roste exponenciálně se zvyšujícím se počtem primárních vstupů. Tato disertační práce se zabývá návrhem několika metod umožňujících redukovat problem škálovatelnosti evaluace v oblasti evolučního návrhu a optimalizace číslicových systémů. Cílem je pomocí několika případových studií ukázat, že s využitím vhodných akceleračních technik jsou evoluční techniky schopny automaticky navrhovat inovativní/kompetitivní řešení praktických problémů. Aby bylo možné redukovat problém škálovatelnosti v oblasti evolučního návrhu číslicových filtrů, byl navržen doménově specifický akcelerátor na bázi FPGA. Tato problematika reprezentuje případ, kdy je nutné ohodnotit velké množství trénovacích dat a současně provést mnoho generací. Pomocí navrženého akcelerátoru se podařilo objevit efektivní implementace různých nelineárních obrazových filtrů. S využitím evolučně navržených filtrů byl vytvořen robustní nelineární filtr implusního šumu, který je chráněn užitným vzorem. Navržený filtr vykazuje v porovnání s konvenčními řešeními vysokou kvalitu filtrace a nízkou implementační cenu. Spojením evolučního návrhu a technik známých z oblasti formální verifikace se podařilo vytvořit systém umožňující výrazně redukovat problém škálovatelnosti evoluční syntézy kombinačních obvodů na úrovni hradel. Navržená metoda dovoluje produkovat komplexní a přesto kvalitní řešení, která jsou schopna konkurovat komerčním nástrojům pro logickou syntézu. Navržený algoritmus byl experimentálně ověřen na sadě několika benchmarkových obvodů včetně tzv. obtížně syntetizovatelných obvodů, kde dosahoval v průměru o 25% lepších výsledků než dostupné akademické i komerční nástroje. Poslední doménou, kterou se práce zabývá, je akcelerace evolučního návrhu lineárních systémů. Na příkladu evolučního návrhu násobiček s vícenásobnými konstantními koeficienty bylo ukázáno, že čas potřebný k evaluaci kandidátního řešení lze výrazně redukovat (defacto na ohodocení jediného testovacího vektoru), je-li brán v potaz charakter řešeného problému (v tomto případě linearita).
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Do Consumers Really Follow a Rule of Thumb? Three Thousand Estimates from 130 Studies Say “Probably Not”
Havránek, Tomáš ; Sokolova, Anna
We show that three factors combine to explain the mean excess sensitivity reported in studies estimating consumption Euler equations: the use of macro data, publication bias, and liquidity constraints. When micro data are used, publication bias is corrected for, and the households under examination do not face liquidity constraints, the literature implies no evidence for the excess sensitivity of consumption to income. Hence little remains for pure rule-of-thumb behavior. The results hold when we control for 45 additional variables reflecting the methods employed by researchers and use Bayesian model averaging to account for model uncertainty. The estimates of excess sensitivity are also systematically affected by the order of approximation of the Euler equation, the treatment of non-separability between consumption and leisure, and the choice of proxy for consumption.
Fulltext:  PDF
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Measuring phonological awareness – blend phoneme test in the beginning of schooling: an comparison of classical test theory and item response theory
Gorčíková, M. ; Šafr, Jiří
The main purpose of this paper is to show dis/advantages of two approaches classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) to assess the level of diagnostic tools for evaluating phonemic awareness among first-grade students using longitudinal survey of children during the first grade of primary school (25 schools in Prague and Central Bohemia, 439 pupils). Phonemic awareness (FA) was measured by the task blend phonemes into syllables and words. The advantage of IRT compared to CTT is primarily a concept of independence of the test items. The probability of a response is dependent on the level of latent ability and characteristics of items. So if we know the characteristic of items parameter (difficulty) it could be estimated from the pupil´s responses the level of language skill for diagnostics. The results showed the need for blend phoneme test modifications (in particular for the end of the first grade) so as to adequately measure the high growth of FA ability levels during the first grade.
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Are There Any Digital Curators in Czech Libraries?
Římanová, Radka ; Melichar, Marek
The development of digital repositories reveals the need for new Czech terminologies for library positions. One such job title or specialization is “digital curator”, a term which refers to a specialist responsible for digital collections. Competencies for digital curators include technical, organizational, communication, and marketing skills as well as some level of expertise in computer science as well as in information and library science. A survey of several administrators of Czech digital libraries asks how to best professionally label this group of library staff with respect to the actual activities they perform in their jobs - digital curators, administrators of digital libraries, or digital librarians? Job titles have a strong impact on higher education curricula, on the management of libraries, and also on the coordinated system of remuneration of employees at libraries, academic, and research institutions.
Fulltext: idr-1041_3 - PDF; idr-1041_4 - PDF
Slides: idr-1041_1 - PDF; idr-1041_2 - PDF
Video: idr-1041_5 -  MP4
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TIB AV-Portal: A Reliable Infrastructure for Scientific Videos
Plank, Margret
The German National Library of Science and Technology provides a web-based platform for quality-tested scientific videos including computer visualizations, experiments, interviews as well as recordings of lectures and conferences. Key feature of the portal is the use of automated video and semantic analyses, which enables pinpoint and cross lingual search on a segment level. All videos are assigned by Digital Object Identifi ers (DOI). As a result videos can be published in a scientifically sound way and be linked via DOIs to other research work like the corresponding article.
Fulltext: idr-1033_4 - PDF
Slides: idr-1033_2 - PDF; idr-1033_3 - PDF
Video: idr-1033_1 - MP4
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Importance of Identity in Nursing Profession and its Impact on Quality of Care
DRÁBKOVÁ, Kateřina
The nursing profession belongs to helping professions which are heavily demanding in terms of mental and physical aspects. The nurses who are university graduates enter into practice more mentally and physically mature, and their approach to patients and the care provided may be better than in nurses with secondary education. In care provision nurses have to cooperate with physicians, but also with other healthcare professionals. Due to the lack of medical personnel nurses assume responsibilities of other team members, which they may perceive as a restriction in fulfilling their professional identity. This restriction may be reflected in the quality of the care provided. It often happens that a nurse cannot fulfill her professional identity because of the pressure of her family which requires the fulfillment of their own requirements prior to fulfilling the professional identity of a nurse.The aim of the thesis was to determine how nurses, but also their family members, perceive the professional identity of nurses. The aim was achieved. The research was carried out in two phases. The first phase was conducted using interviews with six nurses of different ages both with and without university education. The second phase was carried out through a quantitative survey using a questionnaire method in health care facilities in Písek, České Budějovice and Plzeň. Results of the research can be used in qualification and lifelong education of nurses to strengthen their identification with the profession.
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From Radioart to Musical Theatre
Jiřička, Lukáš ; KLÍMA, Miloslav (advisor) ; NOVOTNÝ, Pavel (referee)
This dissertation From Radioart to Musical Theatre aims at showing connections between seemingly different fields ? mainly sound-drama radioart, which in German is called Hörspiel, and musical theatre. In my dissertation, I try to define the characteristics as well as structural principles of text, space, sound, voice, acting, music and body in these transdisciplinary forms and genres, which have never retained any kind of purity in the traditional sense.In the analytical and introductory historical part of my dissertation, various seemingly different areas were introduced and discussed. These areas were musical or sound theatre in its general as well as specific form and its interrelation with sound installations, performance, radioart in form of Hörspiel, musical composition and sound art. In the following chapters, I used examples of several pivotal personalities from the German speaking area skilled in musical composition as well as directing and dramatics to present for instance the influence of musical structure on composition and other performing activities or the relationship of dramatic or literary model to its scenographic adaptation. The whole issue of relationships of disparate art forms is being showed on the examples of several artists ? directing composers who create these links thanks to their activity in various fields, as they intertwine musical and performing worlds on the level of structure, motifs and dramatics. The creators of such heterogeneous artworks using the strategy of the so-called negative dramatics are inherently split personalities - Heiner Goebbels, Helmut Oehring, Olga Neuwirth and Andreas Ammer. Goebbels as well as Oehring, Neuwirth and Ammer are able to make use of their experience with musical composition and/or work for the radio in the creation of musical performances in the way that they let particular composition techniques and staging be freely influenced by the knowledge of other media. Besides the above mentioned group of artists, I mention also other significant authors from the 20th and 21st century, who dealt with radioart, musical composition, collage and montage, performance and musical theatre - Bertolt Brecht, Dziga Vertov, Emil František Burian, Walter Ruttmann, John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Dieter Schnebel, Georg Katzer, Friedrich Schenker, FM Einheit či Laurie Anderson and Georges Aperghis. Without the influence of the last fifty year-history of radioart, musical theatre would certainly not be such an important form of alternative theatre and performing art as such. Especially nowadays, when thanks to the emancipation and stressing of sound at the expense of acting a new stage language is being created within musical theatre, and the form itself transforms into yet little analysed field of the so-called postspectacular or mechanical theatre without actors.
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Home care versus institutional care for seniors from the perspective of nursing
SLÁDEČKOVÁ, Petra
For many years, great attention has been devoted to the care of the elderly due to global aging of population. Almost all people want to spend their old age at home in their environment. This idea is supported by many experts who deal with the issue of old age and point to the advantages that it entails for both the senior and for the society. Therefore, it is paradox that many old people are placed in various health and social care facilities despite a wide range of various external services that enable seniors to stay in their home environment. That is why this master thesis aims to compare the nursing care provided to elderly people in their home environment with the care provided in institutions, both from perspective of a nurse who provides the care and from perspective of the elderly person or members of their family. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The theoretical part focuses on explaining the old age and the changes that come along with the old age. It also points out how old age is perceived in contemporary society. Further, it deals with different types of senior care that is most frequently divided into family, health and social care. The practical part is focused directly on individual families of seniors who live at home supported with home care, and to families who have a member in the department for the chronically ill (DCI). In the practical part I also focused on nursing staff, particularly nurses who come into contact with the seniors every day. A qualitative research method was used for the research survey. The technique of in-depth interview was used for data collection. The first part of the research group consisted of nurses working in DCI and nurses working in home care. The second part of the group consisted of seniors who reside in DCI and their families and the elderly who use home care services and their families. Interviews with the nurses, seniors and their families are divided into individual categories: awareness, reason for placement to DCI, satisfaction with the care provided, the advantages and disadvantages of home care/DCI, differences in care in DCI and at home, in foods and drinks, positioning and incidence of pressure sores, hygiene, administering medicines, re-bandaging, in bowel habits, behavior of staff/family, facilities for a senior. The investigation shows that families consider hospital care and home care to be very good, but it can be seen that home care nurses enjoy greater trust of the family and have much closer relationship than those in a hospital. Both groups of nurses think that the care they provide is of high quality and professional, but point to the lack of funding that a hospital and a home care agency have. A very surprising fact emerged that families that have an elderly person in institutional care are eager for the placement since they believe that they would not be able to care of them properly themselves. The investigation cannot clearly assess which type of care is best because both methods have their positives and downsides for every party involved and there are different variables, such as the health condition of the elderly, their family or social background. Quantitative research over a longer period of time would be required for thorough mapping of the entire situation which could monitor the provided care in the long run and also take into account the above variables that may change over time.
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