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Evolution of brain size and encephalization in birds
Straková, Barbora ; Němec, Pavel (advisor) ; Landová, Eva (referee)
Vertebrates show dramatic interspecific variation in the size of their brains. Large and complex brains evolved independently in birds and mammals. Despite many fundamental differences in their anatomical organization, recent evidence indicates that extensive regions of the avian cerebrum are homologous to pallial components of the mammalian brain. Birds have brains that are comparable in their relative size to the brains of mammals, and much larger than the brains of non avian reptiles. However, the selection pressures that have driven evolution of avian brains remain poorly understood. Comparative analyses identified various traits such as body size, metabolic rate, maternal investment, parental care, prolonged development, mating system and migratory behaviour as important correlates of relative brain size. By contrast, there seems to be a little evidence that sociality favour the evolution of large brains in birds. It has also been shown that particular behaviours such as song learning or food-hoarding correlate with size of those brain regions that participate in these behaviours. Future studies should not only look for novel determinants of brain size but also include known correlates and utilize path analysis modelling to describe the direct, indirect and spurious dependencies among these...
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Hledání zpravodajství z lidských zdrojů: Měnící se role HUMINT v rámci americké zpravodajské komunity po 9/11
Lochovský, Jan ; Bureš, Oldřich (advisor) ; Schmidt, Nikola (referee)
Diploma thesis tracks changes of approach to the clandestine human intelligence collection (HUMINT) as part of a wider process of the United States Intelligence Community reform after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Using longitudinal comparative analysis, the author observes which key factors enabling successful HUMINT collection were significantly improved and which were neglected, thus constraining a highly desirable development of this intelligence collection technique so important in combating asymmetric threats such as terrorism. Following factors were identified as critical in improving HUMINT: institutional anchoring of HUMINT, adaptation of operational techniques to successfully monitor decentralized terrorism, 'dependence' of the US intelligence community on technological means of intelligence collection, and availability of qualified and especially linguistically adept intelligence professionals in responsible agencies. Keywords CIA, DIA, HUMINT, intelligence, reform, terrorism, United States of America
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Is it neccessary to reform Czech intelligence services?
Bulan, Jiří ; Šándor, Andor (advisor) ; Balabán, Miloš (referee)
Bulan, Jiří. Je třeba reformovat české zpravodajské služby? Praha, 2011. 101 s. Diplomová práce (Mgr.) Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta sociálních věd, Institut politologických studií. Katedra mezinárodních vztahů. Vedoucí diplomové práce Gen. Ing. Andor Šándor. Abstract The thesis is a comparative analysis of the Czech intelligence system. It is trying to answer how and whether or not to reform the Czech intelligence services on the basis of scholarly articles and especially interviews with current and former intelligence officials and particular politicians. It turned out that among some of the Czech intelligence services and even within those services prevails the tense atmosphere, which had been caused by various personal failings. All the cases were the individual personal excesses, not the system errors. Representatives of the services assesses the ability to detect security threats very critically. The services miss particularly tight government management as well as the independent overview of the service operations. How to improve the intelligence services work? The intelligence community must establish a common vision that will emerge from a deeper internal discussion only. It is not possible to reform the system without it.
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Crisis of U.S. Intelligence? George W. Bush and the decision to invade Iraq
Ondrejka, Miroslav ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
The intelligence failure regarding the estimates of the Iraqi regime is often cited as the main reason for President George W. Bush to change the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Between 2002 and 2003, the highest figures o George W. Bush's administration often used arguments of the intelligence community to justify their decision to overthrow Saddam's regime by force. Their arguments were based primarily on the information on Hussein's contacts with al-Qaeda and his continuing ability to produce weapons of mass destruction. After the war, these estimates were proven wrong and the intelligence community was marked as the force that triggered the invasion. In my master's thesis called Crisis of U.S. Intelligence? George W. Bush and the decision to invade Iraq, I put forward arguments contradicting this widespread idea. The goal of the thesis is to cast light on the fundaments of the intelligence failure regarding Hussein's alleged contacts with al- Qaeda and his capability to stockpile and produce weapons of mass destruction. I reveal the ideological and strategic reasons behind the Bush's decision to invade Iraq and the fact that the intelligence findings played only secondary role. The true reason of the intelligence failure wasn't only flawed manipulation with human intelligence (HUMINT) and...
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Mediated Learning as a one from Options of Personal Student's Development
Škopková, Pavla ; Krykorková, Hana (advisor) ; Kasíková, Hana (referee)
The bachelor thesis is focused on possible solutions, how could a teacher in cooperation with school student to reach satisfactory results achieved with deficits in cognitive function and also contribute to the student's personal development. The solution could be to offer help in the form of mediated learning, which is represented by the Instrumental Enrichment Programme. The effectiveness of the theory of mediated learning is the fact that such learning includes elements components that we guarantee that it is the process of development of creativity. These elements can belong: intervention, diagnosis or reflection of their own learning. The aim is to point out on these features in terms of psychological effect and demonstrate their functionality specific programs and outcomes. The concept of mediated learning due to its openness offers the work of a number of variants of instruments and tools, with regard to the specific circumstances of the task situation. The bachelor thesis is focused theoretical, but based on demonstrated qualitative research and analysis aimed at testing the effectiveness of using Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment Programme in practice. The bachelor thesis is designed to explaining the essence of the theory of mediated learning at the very beginning, including the...
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African Early Warning Systems: Challenges and Prospects for African Security Integration
Lutz, Luca Marius ; Michálek, Luděk (advisor) ; Karásek, Tomáš (referee)
In the course of past decades, the African Union has sought to strengthen continental security integration and joint governance, wherefore many early warning and security institutions emerged. However, little research has been done to explore the institutional landscape. This thesis aims to bridge the literacy gaps and investigate the ways African early warning institutions constitute challenges or prospects to security integration efforts. The continental level evaluates how integration is affected through various African early warning institutions. The regional level analyses how early warning institutions' methodologies influence sub-regional integration efforts. Lastly, the national level elaborates why African national intelligence and security sectors are determined by authoritarian governance. Similar to the three (continental, regional, national) research questions, this thesis is divided into three levels of analysis. First, the continental level evaluates the Continental Early Warning Systems' institutional struggle with its Regional Early Warning Systems and other organisations within and beyond the African Peace and Security Architecture. Second, the regional level examines the concepts and methodologies behind the six Regional Early Warning Systems for common features and differences....
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TACtical intelligence: Disrupting the terrorist attack cycle by analysing terrorists' intelligence operations
Dorak, Olivia Jeanne ; McDonagh, Ken (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
TACtical Intelligence: Disrupting the Terrorist Attack Cycle by Analysing Terrorists' Intelligence Operations Keywords: terrorism, intelligence, confidence, intelligence competition, violent non-state actors Abstract: Commensurate with prevailing Realist influence in military and security studies,the majority of academic literature on topics of intelligence are from state-centric perspectives, failing to sufficiently address other actors who are taking on greater and more salient roles on the international security stage. In particular, the use of intelligence by violent non-state actors is a premature subject matter in the academic discourse, as literature at the intersection of the two disciplines tends to evaluate the ways in which state intelligence succeeds or fails with regards to, or acts upon violent non-state actors. Rarely are violent non-state actors perceived of as intelligence actors of their own respect. Nevertheless, an intelligence competition persists between the rivals. The intelligence competition between terrorist organisations, seeking to instigate attacks, and state agencies, seeking to thwart them, is underdeveloped in both terrorism and intelligence studies. This study finds terrorist organisations engage in an intelligence competition with their state adversaries-a pursuit to...
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"The Invention" of Intelligence and its Reflection in Czech Pedagogical and Social-pedagogical Discourse, Based on Selected Academic Journals from 1888 to 1944.
Čechová, Anežka ; Kolářová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Herza, Filip (referee)
The thesis deals with intelligence, as a socio-cultural concept that has its own history and development. It thus deconstructs the naturalized notions of a biological "essence" of intelligence, which has not been proved to this day. The scientific and philosophical modes of thinking, that participated in both "inventing" intelligence and its forming, are introduced. The analysis of the primary sources enables to compass the reflection of these dominant scientific approaches towards intelligence in the Czech expert discourses. The thesis also reflects on the important role intelligence has in the assessment of mental norm and disability, and it thus analyses the perception of disability during the defined historical period, including the discourse analysis of the different representations of disability. Key words Intelligence, disability, craniometry, eugenics, pedagogy, medicine, biopower.
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Israel's Intelligence Evolution after the failures of Yom Kippur and Second Lebanese War
Veljkovic, Marko ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Záhora, Jakub (referee)
security of nation. What is intelligence's role in the case of Israel? How has it evolved during s that Israel has learned from its mistakes in the past "has actually picked up that up call", and has made its intelligence the most powerful and reliable weapon in their V posledních několika desetiletích byla inteligence srdcem boje proti terorismu a bezpečnosti národa. Jaká je úloha zpravodajských služeb v případě Izraele? Jak se vyvíjel během své existence? Jaké byly zaměřující se události, selhání, která způsobila tento vývoj ve inteli Jaká je úloha inteligence v boji proti terorismu? Většina studií ignoruje zásadní roli, kterou inteligence přináší do arény, nebo se zaměřuje pouze na její nejkontroverznější aspekty. Tento článek tvrdí, že se Izrael poučil ze svých chyb v minulosti "skutečně vzal toto budící volání" a učinil ze své inteligence nejsilnější a nejspolehlivější zbraň ve svém arzenálu v národní bezpečnosti. Prozkoumá a důležité role, které musí každé odvětví zpravodajství přinést ke stolu blémy mají jednotlivé pobočky a jak mohou zabránit problémům? Tato práce bude zdůrazňovat klady a efektivitu izraelského modelu boje proti terorismu jako dosud nejúčinnějšího a nejúspěšnějšího s ohledem na liberální demokracii. o dvojsečný meč, který nemůže být nahrazen žádnou jinou formou sběru inteligence.
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SOCMINT - opportunities and challenges for security community
Hrudka, Tomáš ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
SOCMINT, or Social Media Intelligence has recently become focus of security community and started to be increasingly favored intelligence gathering method. Apart from providing relevant information and its cost-effective use, main advantage is that the potential of this intelligence technique is very diverse. Due to the relatively public nature of social networks, SOCMINT was generally regarded as unproblematic. However, on closer examination, this intelligence method presents a number of risks. The interest it raised from intelligence and security services in such a short time has given way to a situation where the techniques used by SOCMINT have begun to develop without precise methodological, legal and ethical rules. If the intelligence community wants to use this tool in its full potential and without risking negative response to SOCMINT techniques from the society, a framework must be set up as soon as possible to keep SOCMINT within the proper limits. This thesis aims to examine what opportunities and challenges SOCMINT brings to security community and society and propose how to deal with them.
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