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Diagnostics for Robust Regression: Linear Versus Nonlinear Model
Kalina, Jan
Robust statistical methods represent important tools for estimating parameters in linear as well as nonlinear econometric models. In contrary to the least squares, they do not suffer from vulnerability to the presence of outlying measurements in the data. Nevertheless, they need to be accompanied by diagnostic tools for verifying their assumptions. In this paper, we propose the asymptotic Goldfeld-Quandt test for the regression median. It allows to formulate a natural procedure for models with heteroscedastic disturbances, which is again based on the regression median. Further, we pay attention to nonlinear regression model. We focus on the nonlinear least weighted squares estimator, which is one of recently proposed robust estimators of parameters in a nonlinear regression. We study residuals of the estimator and use a numerical simulation to reveal that they can be severely heteroscedastic also for data generated from a model with homoscedastic disturbances. Thus, we give a warning that standard residuals of the robust nonlinear estimator may produce misleading results if used for the standard diagnostic tools
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Determination of content substances for selected species and varieties of roses.
Slavíková, Eva ; Sus, Josef (advisor) ; Súkeníková, Tereza (referee)
This bachelor's work is focused on comparing the most significant content substance, vitamin C, in fruits of chosen rose kinds species and varieties. Herbal products are often seen by people as products of "second choice", when failure of allopathic treatment occurs, which is focused especially on suppressing symptoms of illness, but it ignores health of the human body as whole. That's why are herbal products often alternative for therapy of chronic diseases. The base of this work is extensive literary research and results of laboratory measurings. Literary part of this work includes description of botanical classification of rose plants. There is stated basic characteristic of individual rose species and their morphological features. In following chapters is composed overview of effective substances in rose fruits and their effect on human health. In practical part of this work are included results of laboratory tests for determining ascorbic acid content for chosen samples of rose species and it also includes results of weighing and measuring of fruit samples of chosen rose species. There are also stated chosen rose species and shortly their origin and description, in the beginning of practical part. For practical part were chosen samples of species. Results of practical part are compiled into statistic tables and graphs and it confirms high content of ascorbic acid in rose fruits. This content is in range of cca 300 - 900 mg.100 g-1. Due to growing interest in alternative treatment options and "clean" natural product, it can be assumed, that many plants of Rosaceae family will keep its place in treatment practice. Those plants will be used not only for treatment of acute and chronic diseases, but also for cosmetic products production, thanks to its large effects and process options.
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Effect of snowpack on runoff generation during rain on snow event.
Juras, Roman ; Máca, Petr (advisor) ; Ladislav , Ladislav (referee)
During a winter season, when snow covers the watershed, the frequency of rain-on-snow (ROS) events is still raising. ROS can cause severe natural hazards like floods or wet avalanches. Prediction of ROS effects is linked to better understanding of snowpack runoff dynamics and its composition. Deploying rainfall simulation together with hydrological tracers was tested as a convenient tool for this purpose. Overall 18 sprinkling experiments were conducted on snow featuring different initial conditions in mountainous regions over middle and western Europe.
Dye tracer brilliant blue (FCF) was used for flow regime determination, because it enables to visualise preferential paths and layers interface. Snowpack runoff composition was assessed by hydrograph separation method, which provided appropriate results with acceptable uncertainty. It was not possible to use concurrently these two techniques because of technical reasons, however it would extend our gained knowledge. Snowmelt water amount in the snowpack runoff was estimated by energy balance (EB) equation, which is very efficient but quality inputs demanding. This was also the reason, why EB was deployed within only single experiment.
Timing of snowpack runoff onset decrease mainly with the rain intensity. Initial snowpack properties like bulk density or wetness are less important for time of runoff generation compared to the rain intensity. On the other het when same rain intensity was applied, non-ripe snowpack featuring less bulk density created runoff faster than the ripe snowpack featuring higher bulk density. Snowpack runoff magnitude mainly depends on the snowpack initial saturation. Ripe snowpack with higher saturation enabled to generate higher cumulative runoff where contributed by max 50 %. In contrary, rainwater travelled through the non-ripe snowpack relatively fast and contributed runoff by approx. 80 %.
Runoff prediction was tested by deploying Richards equation included in SNOWPACK model. The model was modified using a dual-domain approach to better simulate snowpack runoff under preferential flow conditions. Presented approach demonstrated an improvement in all simulated aspects compared to the more traditional method when only matrix flow is considered.
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Documentation of the nature reserve Miletinska bazantnice (Czech Republic)
Stejskalová, Klára ; Skalický, Milan (advisor) ; Martinková, Jaroslava (referee)
The aim of this study is to document the floristic species diversity through research in the natural reserve Miletinska bazantnice. Documentation was carried out on the territory concerned during the growing season of 2015. There was a determination of vascular species. The research was mainly focused on endangered and protected species.
The whole area is part of sites of European importance under the Habitats Directive Natura 2000 Miletinska bazantnice was declared a nature reserve in 1954 with an area of 75, 43 hectares and is part of a small-scale specially protected area. Typical features of the area are remnants of natural Podzvicinsko geobiocenosis and therefore the reason for its protection.
Further it describes the history, characteristics of the territory and the natural conditions that are typical for the locality. These include soil science, climate, hydrological, geomorphological, geological and phytogeographical. On the territory of the nature reserve are recorded two memorial trees. It´s oaks (Quercus robur) called Zizkovy duby.
At present territories were found in protected and endangered species and classified under the Red and black list of vascular plants of the Czech Republic (Grulich, 2012) and Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic no. 395/1992 Coll. Into the category of rare taxa that require additional attention include species such as Carex otrubae, Cerastium lucorum, Daphne mezereum, Galium boreale, Listera ovata and Primula veris. The only species Platanthera bifolia is ranked in the category of endangered under both the Red and black list of vascular plants in the Czech Republic and under Decree.
In the field survey, attention was also paid to invasive species, sorted by Catalogue of alien plants of the Czech Republic (Pyšek et al., 2012) and categorized archeophytes (Arctium tomentosum, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Chelidonium majus)
and neophytes (Arrhenatherum elatius, Impatiens parviflora) and described their risks (Mlíkovský and Stýblo, 2006)
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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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Total contents and speciation of arsenic and selenium in plants growing in soils with different physico-chemical properties
Tremlová, Jana ; Száková, Jiřina (advisor) ; Vymazal, Jan (referee)
This dissertation thesis deals with uptake, accumulation and transformation of arsenic and selenium in plants growing on soils with different chemico-physical soil properties. The contents of arsenic were investigated in 99 wild plant species, coming from 27 different families and 6 different vegetables growing in arsenic contaminated soils. The results suggest that there are species-specific mechanisms which protects certain plants from the excessive uptake of arsenic from the soil. On the other hand, there are plants using a strategy of accumulation, which theoretically may increase the risk of arsenic entry into the food chain, whether through grazing cattle and wildlife or through consumption of vegetables growing on arsenic contaminated soils. The most prevalent arsenic compounds are AsV and AsIII. Other arsenic compounds occure as minor species. An important finding was detection of arsenobetaine in Plantago lanceolata L. and Carex praecox Schreb ..
The contents of selenium were examined in 73 species of wild plants, coming from 29 different families. The results suggest that naturally low levels of selenium in the soil of selected locations along with a low capability of selenium uptake via collected plant species lead to the low content of selenium in plant biomass which may contribute to selenium deficient throughout the food chain. Foliar application of selenate on wild plant communities and on some types of vegetables in our case Brassica oleracea var. italica can have a positive impact on increasing the selenium content in the aboveground biomass of these plants and by extension, increase the selenium content in the human diet. Dominant selenium compounds in the aboveground biomass of the analyzed plants were SeVI and selenomethionine, with variable proportion of other commonly occurring organic selenium compounds, which is mainly affected by plant species.
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Synchronous Formal Systems Based on Grammars and Transducers
Horáček, Petr ; Janoušek, Jan (referee) ; Yamamura,, Akihito (referee) ; Meduna, Alexandr (advisor)
Tato disertační práce studuje synchronní formální systémy založené na gramatikách a převodnících a zkoumá jak jejich teoretické vlastnosti, tak i perspektivy praktických aplikací. Práce představuje nové koncepty a definice vycházející ze známých principů řízeného přepisování a synchronizace. Navrhuje alternativní způsob synchronizace bezkontextových gramatik, založený na propojení pravidel. Tento princip rozšiřuje také na řízené gramatiky, konkrétně gramatiky s rozptýleným kontextem a maticové gramatiky. Dále je představen na podobném principu založený nový druh převodníku, tzv. pravidlově omezený převodník. Jedná se o systém složený z konečného automatu a bezkontextové gramatiky. Práce prezentuje nové teoretické výsledky ohledně generativní a přijímajicí síly. Poslední část práce zkoumá možnosti lingvisticky orientovaných aplikací se zameřením na překlad přirozeného jazyka. Diskutuje a srovnává hlavní výhody nových modelů s využitím vybraných případových studií z českého, anglického a japonského jazyka pro ilustraci.
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Vývoj metodologické a technologické platformy pro neinvazivní odhad fenolických látek v listech a bobulích
ŠEBELA, David
Plant optical signals can serve as important source of information about biochemical and physiological processes in plants. These signals are influenced by compounds synthesized by plants during primary or secondary metabolism and thus, can also serve as their qualitative and quantitative indicators. Light reaching plant surface (leaf or fruit) can undergo three main pathways- it can be (i) reflected, (ii) absorbed or it can (iii) transmit through plant material. The probability of these three processes depends on particular wavelength of incident irradiation and on the morphological characteristics of plant tissues themselves. As such, plant contains various spectrum of photosynthetic pigments and fluorescent compounds which can either reflect, absorb or pass incident irradiation through at specific wavelengths. Biophysical techniques working with these optical properties of plant pigments and/or other compounds have become universal and common tool in basic and applied research. To quote some example, chlorophyll fluorescence imaging, UV induced fluorescence or spectroscopic techniques are on the top of interest thanks to its non-invasive nature, allowing maintain the integrity of measured cells or the whole plant constituents. The main aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive study on the possibility of non-invasive monitoring of phenolic compounds in the leaves and fruits.
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The use of (nano)oxides for metal and metalloid stabilization in contaminated soils
Michálková, Zuzana ; Komárek, Michael (advisor) ; Luke, Luke (referee)
The main objective of the thesis was to evaluate the potential of selected Mn and Fe (nano)oxides for the stabilization of metals and metalloids in contaminated soils. The research was focused basically on three materials - commercial nanomaghemite (Fe III), nanomagnetite (Fe II,III) and a synthetic amorphous Mn oxide (AMO). The main aim of the work was to provide a complex view on the chosen stabilizing amendments regarding not just their direct influence on contaminants mobility and stabilization mechanisms, but also their stability and alterations in soil conditions together with influence on soil microorganisms and higher plants. Firstly, adsorption properties of the tested materials towards Cd, Cu, Pb and As were investigated. In this context, the most effective material showed to be the AMO reaching one to two orders of magnitude higher adsorption capacities than Fe III and Fe II,III under given experimental conditions. Interestingly, the rate of As(V) adsorption onto AMO was increasing with increasing pH as a result of high pHzpc of the AMO (8.1) and significant dissolution of this phase at lower pH values. As a next step, the influence of (nano)oxides on metal(loid)s mobility and other physico-chemical soil characteristics after application to contaminated soil was examined. Again, the AMO proved to be the most efficient in reducing mobile pools of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and As. On the other hand, Fe III and Fe II,III addition had generally less significant effects on contaminants mobility. AMO application further resulted in an increase of soil pH connected with AMO dissolution and unwanted decomposition of soil organic matter. When (nano)oxides alterations in soil conditions were observed, MnCO3 coatings were identified on AMO surface while no significant changes were recorded for Fe III and Fe II,III. As the MnCO3 formation was connected with increased AMO stability, AMO particles synthetically covered with MnCO3 coating (denoted as SM AMO) were prepared. Although the SM-AMO had a lower mass loss in soil than pure AMO, the stabilizing efficiency was almost the same for both materials. The differences in surface composition of both materials were decreasing with time as MnCO3 naturally precipitated on the AMO surface in soils while the SM AMO coating was gradually dissolving. When investigating the effect on soil microbiota, AMO efficiently promoted soil microbial activity while no significant changes were observed in the case of Fe III and Fe II,III. The AMO was also able to reduce the uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), eliminate Zn phytotoxicity symptoms and increase biomass yield. On the other hand, toxic levels of Mn released from the AMO in an acidic soil were found in sunflower tissues. AMO application is thus recommended for contaminated neutral or slightly alkaline pH with a higher cation exchange capacity in order to avoid unwanted release of Mn. Finally, various types of AMO-biochar composite sorbents were recently prepared and field experiment focused on stabilization of Cd, Pb, Zn and As using studied materials is currently under preparation. The combined results from the thesis highlight the importance of a complex experimental approach dealing with all parts of the contaminated soil environment in order to obtain complete information about the efficiency and usefulness of any newly developed stabilizing amendment.
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