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Clustering and regression analysis of micro panel data
Sobíšek, Lukáš ; Pecáková, Iva (advisor) ; Komárek, Arnošt (referee) ; Brabec, Marek (referee)
The main purpose of panel studies is to analyze changes in values of studied variables over time. In micro panel research, a large number of elements are periodically observed within the relatively short time period of just a few years. Moreover, the number of repeated measurements is small. This dissertation deals with contemporary approaches to the regression and the clustering analysis of micro panel data. One of the approaches to the micro panel analysis is to use multivariate statistical models originally designed for crosssectional data and modify them in order to take into account the within-subject correlation. The thesis summarizes available tools for the regression analysis of micro panel data. The known and currently used linear mixed effects models for a normally distributed dependent variable are recapitulated. Besides that, new approaches for analysis of a response variable with other than normal distribution are presented. These approaches include the generalized marginal linear model, the generalized linear mixed effects model and the Bayesian modelling approach. In addition to describing the aforementioned models, the paper also includes a brief overview of their implementation in the R software. The difficulty with the regression models adjusted for micro panel data is the ambiguity of their parameters estimation. This thesis proposes a way to improve the estimations through the cluster analysis. For this reason, the thesis also contains a description of methods of the cluster analysis of micro panel data. Because supply of the methods is limited, the main goal of this paper is to devise its own two-step approach for clustering micro panel data. In the first step, the panel data are transformed into a static form using a set of proposed characteristics of dynamics. These characteristics represent different features of time course of the observed variables. In the second step, the elements are clustered by conventional spatial clustering techniques (agglomerative clustering and the C-means partitioning). The clustering is based on a dissimilarity matrix of the values of clustering variables calculated in the first step. Another goal of this paper is to find out whether the suggested procedure leads to an improvement in quality of the regression models for this type of data. By means of a simulation study, the procedure drafted herein is compared to the procedure applied in the kml package of the R software, as well as to the clustering characteristics proposed by Urso (2004). The simulation study demonstrated better results of the proposed combination of clustering variables as compared to the other combinations currently used. A corresponding script written in the R-language represents another benefit of this paper. It is available on the attached CD and it can be used for analyses of readers own micro panel data.
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Internal equity principle in the context of company strategy
Kopecký, Martin ; Nový, Ivan (advisor) ; Háša, Stanislav (referee) ; Blažek, Ladislav (referee)
The thesis deals with the scientific problem of the link between the strategic management and the compensation system using the principle of internal equity. The work is based on two pillars, namely the qualitative research and own proposed solution. The first part of the thesis describes the qualitative research and the possibilities and the synergistic effects of linking business strategy and compensation system. The qualitative research is performed as a multi-case study and investigates the phenomenon in the practice of three companies from various markets (the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bosnia and Hercegovina) and industries (finance, IT/Telco and FMCG). The research tries to find answers to the four research questions: How does business strategy influence compensation process? How can compensation support the realization of a business strategy? How can business strategy be linked with a compensation system within the principle of internal equity? How can compensation reinforce the strategic function of the human resources management? The research is based on the study of theoretical sources as well as on practical fieldwork. The qualitative research itself uses qualitative research methods for data collection, such as observations, questionnaires, and document analysis. The population questioned was top managers, line managers and representatives of HR department. In total, 142 interviews were performed by a single person. The collected data were analyzed and the triangulation was applied. The findings were summarized and generalized into a final report that brings answers to the research questions above. The research brings valuable findings used in the second, design part of the thesis. The own proposed solution consists of two main models. The first one is a simplified scheme of the compensation system and the second one is a model of strategic segmentation of jobs. The first model could be used successfully in the business practice as well as in education. The second model of the strategic job segmentation brings answer to the question of synergistic linking of business strategy and the compensation system within the principle of internal equity. The model brings valuable findings and a foundation for further theoretical research and its further development. The model also brings practical solution to the design of related policies and processes in the strategic management of human resources. By the design of both proposed models the main objectives of the thesis were achieved.
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IT requirements management of insurance company
Dvorský, Petr ; Bruckner, Tomáš (advisor) ; Jungmannová, Barbora (referee)
The first part of thesis deals with theoretical knowledge, thus defining the concepts of recommendations from the field of requirements management. The second part focuses on the identification, analysis and subsequend design solutions to problems arising from working with the requirements. Methods for identifying problems are carried out workshop, participant observation and interviews with employees from the IT sector of the insurance company. The outputs of this work are proposals for improving requirements management, some of them are successfully applied in Kooperativa. The first draft, which was applied to create a process library. Further, of four different types of prioritization was selected and applied method that is defined by ITIL. Other outputs are design of new user interface of requirements software and starting to design a Change Advisory Board, which is compared to ITIL enhanced with additional features. Further was established Business Consultant Department, which has task of efficiently collecting client requirements and the supporting documents were created for this department.
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Initial Stage of Mutual Diffusion of Carbide in Iron
Čermák, Jiří ; Král, Lubomír
Initial stage of mutual diffusion close to carbon/iron interface was investigated in the present work. SIMS technique of concentration profiles enabled to study the carbon redistribution in the very early stages, when the diffusion process occurs – at least partly – in regions, where the carbon concentration exceeds the carbon concentration limit. It was observed that carbon diffusion coefficients are much lower under such conditions, than in Fe matrix with equilibrium carbon concentration. The measured carbon diffusion coefficients approached values reported for carbon diffusion in carbides.
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Determination of Total Antioxidant Capacity in Select Food products and Dietary Supplements by Flow Injection Analysis with Chemiluminiscent Detection
Průchová, Karolína ; Rychlovský, Petr (advisor) ; Hraníček, Jakub (referee)
In this diploma thesis, a functional method for the determination of total antioxidant capacity by flow injection analysis with the chemiluminiscent detection was successfully developed. Luminol in carbonate buffer (composed of Na2CO3, NaHCO3 and (NH4)2CO3), with Cu2+ ionts as a catalyst, was used as a chemiluminiscent reagent. Chemiluminiscent radiation was induced by a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide, a long-lasting chemiluminiscence was observed. First part of this thesis is dedicated to the optimalisation of the experimantal conditions for antioxidant capacity measurements as well as to the construction of apparatus for flow measurings. L-ascorbic acid was used as a standard. In the second part of this thesis the freshly developed method was used to determinate total antioxidant capacity of real food product simples, namely tea and coffee simples, beers, wines, chocolates, fresh fruit juices and selected food supplements. Results of this analysis were expressed as a vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) related to standard, in mg/ml for liquid simples and in g/mg for solid simples. Results obtained are: tea simples 53 - 347 mg/1g of dried product, coffee simples 399-449 mg/g of dried product, beers 1,1-1,4 mg/ml, wines 4,2 - 4,8 mg/ml, fresh lemon juice 4,7 mg/ml, fresh kiwi juice 2,1...
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Arctic tundra dendrochronology
Lehejček, Jiří ; Svoboda, Miroslav (advisor) ; Monika, Monika (referee)
Historically unprecedented environmental change in the Arctic ecosystems is often given into the context of its past and possible future development. In the region where instrumental meteorological observations are scarce archives need to be investigated in order to address this issues. The comprehensive synthesis one of the archives: long-live circumpolar evergreen Juniperus communis L. shrub is presented here. 20 individuals from southwest Greenland were investigated at the cell anatomy level to understand the ecology of the species and unhide its potential for environmental and climate reconstructions. The findings are as follows:
i) Stop of exponential cross-sectional conduit-lumen widening with increasing age is in contrast with conduit-lumen nature of trees. This indicates that shrubs do not need to saturate their water and nutrient demands via traits of classical hydraulic conductivity law but rather developed different mechanisms. Extreme weather conditions result in prostrate growth form. However, different weather factors probably influence shrub growth differently: While snow and wind act mechanically (a), temperature influences the form of growth physiologically (b). a) So long as the young shrub stem has high resilience to bend back to an upright position after snow melt and so long as it can withstand the wind during the vegetation season it most likely grows upright and the conduit-lumens widen. b) Temperature, resp. freeze-thaw events are responsible for the shrubs preference of safety (finite size of conduit-lumens) over hydraulic efficiency, thus not allowing for more primary growth. All of these (and other) factors are apparently working together and the transition of vertical to more horizontal growth is gradual. As a consequence, the conduit-lumen sizes may not have to be further increased (due to ecophysiological restrictions possibly also must not) because water is no longer transported against gravity.
ii) Observed age/growth trend has to be taken into consideration for further employment of the wood anatomical parameter in paleoenvironmental studies. That is, shrub cell parameters can only be used for this purposes if correctly detrended. This allows for more accurate as well as longer reconstructions because youth trend was often neglected in reconstructions based on shrub annual-rings.
iii) The south-western Greenland Ice-Sheet (GrIS) melt rates reconstruction is presented for the whole 20th century. This part of GrIS is considered as the most active. According to the presented reconstruction current GrIS melt rates are not uncommon for the last century being comparable to first decades of 20th century. This finding is particularly important contribution to the debate on Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Too high fresh water inputs into the Northern Atlantic from GrIS melting may slow down or even stop the AMOC which would result in more continental climate in Europe. Presented results indicate that this threshold lies higher than observed current melt rates of GrIS.
Fascinating Juniperus comunnis species has shown to be able to address many ecological as well as environmental open questions and due to its longevity and abundant distribution has a great potential to become an important player in the Arctic research.
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Information content in vocalization of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): individual distinction and recognition of predators
Baklová, Aneta ; Baranyiová, Eva (advisor) ; František, František (referee)
Guinea pigs represent domesticated precocious rodents which became common pets. From the first day after birth they are fully vocal. This thesis was devoted
to the vocalization of pups. The aim of the thesis was to 1) determine the age when the vocal individuality in whistle sound is demonstrable; 2) test possible ultrasonic signals emitted by young guinea pigs; 3) study the antipredator reactions and alarm calls to aerial (bird of prey) and terrestrial (dog) predators and human (control test).
A total of 16 guinea pig pups were tested for vocal individuality, 28 pups
for ultrasonic vocalization and 27 adolescents for predator recognition. When testing vocal ontogeny during the first 9 days after birth, I observed changes in temporal, frequency and parameter of intensity . When I test vocal individuality by cross-validated discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on ten acoustic parameters, calls were classified to correct animals with following success: day 1 = 71.9%, day 3 = 58.8%, day 5 = 53.10%, day 7 = 50.60% and day 9 = 63.10%. The highest frequency in whistle was 30.03 kHz. In predator discrimination reactions as freezing, fleeing and vigilance were observed. In the presence of dog, guinea pigs reacted for the longest time and most frequently by freezing. When confronted with a bird of prey, I observed for a longest time and most often fleeing and then freezing. When exposed to a human, guinea pigs showed mostly vigilance. Almost no vocalization was observed except for two events
of alarm calls - drrr as in the presence of dog and chirrup as reaction to bird of prey.
The following conclusions can be drawn from the presented results: 1) vocal individuality of guinea pigs is demonstrable immediately after birth and the rate
of individually different vocal parameters changes with age; 2) guinea pigs are able
to produce sound up to 30 kHz, i.e. within the ultrasound range, but signals of high frequencies are not crucial for their communication; 3) guinea pigs discriminate between terrestrial and aerial predators, but they emit alarm calls rather rarely.
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Navigation of mobile robots
Rozman, Jaroslav ; Matoušek,, Václav (referee) ; Šolc, František (referee) ; Zbořil, František (advisor)
Mobile robotics has been very discussed and wide spread topic recently. This due to the development in the computer technology that allows us to create better and more sophisticated robots. The goal of this effort is to create robots that will be able to autonomously move in the chosen environment. To achieve this goal, it is necessary for the robot to create the map of its environment, where the motion planning will occur. Nowadays, the probabilistic algorithms based on the SLAM algorithm are considered standard in the mapping in these times. This Phd. thesis deals with the proposal of the motion planning of the robot with stereocamera placed on the pan-and-tilt unit. The motion planning is designed with regard to the use of algorithms, which will look for the significant features in the pair of the images. With the use of the triangulation the map, or a model will be created. The benefits of this work can be divided into three parts. In the first one the way of marking the free area, where the robot will plan its motion, is described. The second part describes the motion planning of the robot in this free area. It takes into account the properties of the SLAM algorithm and it tries to plan the exploration in order to create the most precise map. The motion of the pan-and-tilt unit is described in the third part. It takes advantage of the fact that the robot can observe places that are in the different directions than the robot moves. This allows us to observe much bigger space without losing the information about the precision of the movements.
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Level on public knowledge concerning of helth insurence policy
ŘEHÁKOVÁ, Jana
Public health insurance is an important part of the Czech health system. In the Czech Republic the model of national health insurance is administered using system of several insurance companies. The main target of these companies is to collect insurance rate from the payers and to cover health care provided to the insuree. The aim of this work is to map and assess professional and non - professional public knowledge of the system of the public health insurance. Three goals were set within the work. The first one was to find out the level of the professional public knowledge of the public health insurance. The second one was to find out the level of the non - professional public knowledge of the public health insurance. The third one was to compare both groups knowledge of the public health insurance. To realize the above mentioned aims three hypotheses were set. Hypothesis No.1: Most of the professional public is informed about the valid legal arrangement of the public health insurance. Hypothesis No. 2: Most of the non -professional public is informed about the valid legal arrangement of the public health insurance. Hypothesis No. 3: There is no difference between the professional and non - professional public knowledge of the valid legal arrangement of the public health insurance. To prove the set hypotheses the form of quantitative research was used. The technique of questionnaire was used for data collecting. For practical part the identical questionnaire for both professional and non - professional public was used. The research group of the questionnaire investigation was formed by respondents living and working in České Budějovice. The professional public within the research work was formed by people who work or worked in the health or social sphere. The final research group was formed by 200 respondents of professional and 200 respondents of non - professional public. The target of the thesis and partial aims were accomplished. The first two hypotheses were proved. The third one was not proved by the research work. It has been investigated what areas is professional and non - professional public most or less informed in. The results of the research work may be used for publication in the professional journals.
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