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Scanning electron microscopy with low energy electrons
Mika, Filip
A method of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of nonconductive specimens, based on measurement and utilisation of the critical energy of electron impact, is described in detail together with examples of its applications. The critical energy, at which the total electron yield curve crosses the unit level, is estimated on the base of measurement of the time development in the image signal from beginning of irradiation. The method is programmed and implemented as a module to the controlling software of the microscope type VEGA, where it secures fast search for the critical energy value.
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Sustainable tourism development of Vysocina Region
Veselá, Markéta ; Macháček, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Vondráková, Zuzana (referee)
The diploma thesis deals with the topic of sustainable tourism development at the regional level. This phenomenon is elaborated on the example of Vysocina Region. To evaluate sustainability of its development, the potential of this touristic destination is researched regarding various areas, including key products. These are subjected to comparisons with recommendations of significant tourism organization for the purpose of assessing the sustainability of tourism. The diploma thesis also includes a comparison with other Czech regions experience as a touristic destination. Vysocina Region has favourable initial conditions for its sustainable development, especially regarding supply of key products, which include both environmentally friendly goods and cultural attractiveness contributing to the personal development of individuals and promoting intercultural tolerance. The main issue appears to be the spatial imbalance of its development in the region, caused mainly by the concentration of tourist activities to certain areas and low local initiative in the less attractive areas. The diploma thesis proposes a number of solutions, such as utilization of geocaching and products of gastroturism, supporting the foundation of local destination management organisations, promoting cycling tourism and the foundation of highly visited tourist destinations.
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Comparison of Business Intelligence implementation using open source solutions for middle size companies
Schmidt, Róbert ; Maryška, Miloš (advisor) ; Sládek, Pavel (referee)
The main goal of master thesis is to analyze and propose possible low cost Business Intelligence solution with open source technologies and comparison of available tools for implementation in middle size company. We compare Pentaho and Jaspersoft tools implemented on local hardware and cloud environment with Microsoft Azure services. The theoretical part focuses mainly on understanding the business intelligence and its architecture, because architecture is an important part of the work. Actual tools are designed as stand alone modules for specific activities in the business intelligence lifecycle. Low cost tools are often connected with open source technologies and cloud computing. This part of the work contains explanation of these terms and their advantages and disadvantages for our chosen target group of companies. The analytical part includes defined parameters by which it is conducted analysis of tools and their comparison. Business Intelligence solutions are divided according to arcitectural layers. The evaluation criteria are divided into financial, technical and user category. In conclusion, chosen tools are compared and evaluated. The main contribution of this thesis is comparison of open source business intelligence tools for implementation in middle size company. According to the EU directive, middle size company does not exceed 250 employees or profit is less than 50 million euros. The reader can compare the different solutions and their pitfalls or shortcomings that could be critical for the implementation.
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Using of the Care benefit by Users of Social services
ŠINÁKLOVÁ, Marie
The bachelor thesis deals with the widespread social benefit, the attendance allowance and problems associated with it, which implies the main objective of this work, to find out how or what for this allowance is used. This thesis consists of a theoretical and a practical part. In the theoretical part I focused mainly on the purpose, the principles and basic functions of the allowance. I have also described who is and who is not entitled to the allowance, and when such entitlement may extinguish. In this part, I also focused on what the allowance is intended for and what it has to be properly utilized for. Furthermore, I mentioned in my thesis the inspection in accordance with the Social Services Act and the means of protection applied by the state in order to prevent the abuse of the allowance. In the theoretical part, I also mentioned the history of this allowance when it still was an allowance for attending a close person. Due to the fact that the attendance allowance is intended for people who are disadvantaged in some way, I also put a chapter on disability into the theoretical part, where I gave a definition of disability, its types and forms or for example specific needs that result from such disability. In the second, practical part, the qualitative research method was applied. Data collection was conducted by questioning using the technique of a semi-controlled interview. Interviews were conducted with six communication partners that I have selected using the "snowball" method, so called accretion. The aim of this thesis was mainly to determine how or what for the attendance allowance is used by ist beneficiaries. Whether the amount of the attendance allowance is sufficient for its users to cover the costs of providing the social service. Whether users because of the low value of the attendance will be required to limit their individual needs and interests in some way. Whether users have identified some changes after the amendment of the Social Services Act. For the above objectives I tried to get the answers needed to solve the respective issue.
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ELECTRON BEAM REMELTING OF PLASMA SPRAYED ALUMINA COATINGS
Matějíček, Jiří ; Veverka, J. ; Čížek, J. ; Kouřil, J.
Plasma sprayed alumina coatings find numerous applications in various fields, where they enhance the properties of the base material. Examples include thermal barriers, wear resistance, electrical insulation, and diffusion and corrosion barriers. A typical structure of plasma sprayed coatings, containing a multitude of voids and imperfectly bonded interfaces, gives them unique properties - particularly low thermal conductivity, high strain tolerance, etc. However, for certain applications such as permeation barriers or wear resistance, these voids may be detrimental.\nThis paper reports on the first experiments with remelting of plasma sprayed alumina coatings by electron beam technology, with the purpose of densifying the coatings and thereby eliminating the voids. Throughout the study, several parameters of the e-beam device were varied - beam current, traverse velocity and number of passes. The treated coatings were observed by light and electron microscopy and the thickness, structure and surface morphology of the remelted layer were determined and correlated with the process parameters. Based on the first series of experiments, the e-beam settings leading to dense and smooth remelted layer of sufficient thickness were obtained. In this layer, a change of phase composition and a marked increase in hardness were observed.\n
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Effect of low doses of herbicide paraquat on antioxidant defense in Drosophila
SÁBOVÁ, Michala
Disruption of cell equilibrium between production of free radicals and antioxidant defence is named oxidative stress. The main component of antioxidant mechanism is activity of antioxidant enzymes, which include superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. In this study we evaluated the effect of herbicide paraquat on response of SOD and catalase, their transcription level and locomotion activity in Drosophila melanogaster. We exposed the flies to a wide range of paraquat concentration. Our results revealed that transcript and enzymatic levels of both SOD and catalase have a similar biphasic dose response with the peaks at 2,5 ?M paraquat concentration, resembling hormetic effect. Then, males were more sensitive than females. However, females had an increased locomotion activity. We found that paraquat susceptibility is increased in males and mating flies. Therefore, this study supports hypothesis of stress sensitivity elevation as a physiological cost of reproduction.
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Plasma spraying from liquids: plasma liquid interaction and coating build up
Tesař, Tomáš ; Mušálek, Radek ; Medřický, Jan ; Lukáč, František
Plasma spraying from liquid feedstocks is a rapidly developing field of thermal spraying since the coatings prepared from liquids exhibit some unique features, such as high hardness, thermal shock resistance or low thermal and electric conductivity. The key factor influencing the final coating character and properties is the input material which may be in the form of a suspension or a solution. Parameters of the selected suspension (solids concentration, viscosity, surface tension, chemical composition, etc.) or solution (concentration, etc.) determine its interaction with the plasma jet which strongly influences the coating buildup. This proceeding introduces the problematics of the interaction between the liquid feedstock material with the plasma jet and presents the way of evaluation of the coating buildup.
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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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Confidence Cycles and Liquidity Hoarding
Audzei, Volha
Market confidence has proved to be an important factor during past crises. However, many existing general equilibrium models do not account for agents’ expectations, market volatility, or overly pessimistic investor forecasts. In this paper, we incorporate a model of the interbank market into a DSGE model, with the interbank market rate and the volume of lending depending on market confidence and the perception of counterparty risk. In our model, a credit crunch occurs if the perception of counterparty risk increases. Our results suggest that changes in market confidence can generate credit crunches and contribute to the depth of recessions. We then conduct an exercise to mimic some central bank policies: targeted and untargeted liquidity provision, and reduction of the policy rate. Our results indicate that policy actions have a limited effect on the supply of credit if they fail to influence agents’ expectations. Interestingly, a policy of a low policy rate worsens recessions due to its negative impact on banks’ revenues. Liquidity provision stimulates credit slightly, but its efficiency is undermined by liquidity hoarding.
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