| |
|
Decision making of Prague moviegoers
Macháček, Ivan ; Hanzlík, Jan (advisor) ; Zelený, Martin (referee)
The aim of this work is to analyze attitudes of Prague film viewers towards watching films at the cinema and at home and to find out on what factors do they base their decision to watch a particular film. The means to achieve this goal are research of existing literature related to this subject and my own research through a questionnaire survey on a sample population of Prague with a corresponding demographic composition. The most crucial conclusions from this investigation are related to the frequency of watching movies in the cinema and at home, attitudes towards the origin and localization of movies, attitudes towards various genres, factors influencing the choice of a film and comparing the results of various demographic groups (by gender, age and education) within these topics.
|
| |
|
Speculation on oil markets and its impact on commodity's price
Melcher, Ota ; Taušer, Josef (advisor) ; Baláž, Peter (referee) ; Müller, Štěpán (referee)
This study aims to analyse the precrisis period on the oil markets with a primary objective of assessing the role of speculation in the commodity's price development and its volatility. First it depicts the rapidly increasing speculative activity on the futures market together with the parallel oil price surge. The speculation is initially proxied by non-commercial traders' positions and subsequently quantified by Working's T-index. The paper then uses speculative traders' positions and both spot and futures prices to test for Granger causality within the framework of VAR models. For the sake of consistency it also evaluates causal links between speculation and inventories level. Further the study investigates the speculation impact on volatility of oil prices by employing various approaches in volatility quantification including GARCH models. Contrary to expectations we find that the speculatio's impact on both prices and their volatility is rather insignificant. In the last chapter we therefore seek for an explanation of the oil price developments by examining the market fundamentals. The interaction of supply and demand finally gives substantial evidence for understanding the price developments in the precrisis period.
|
|
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.
|
|
The role of acetylation in the RNA recognition motif of SRSF5 protein
Icha, Jaroslav ; Staněk, David (advisor) ; Šenigl, Filip (referee)
Acetylation is emerging as an important posttranslational modification, which is found in thousands of proteins in eukaryotes, as well as prokaryotes. Global proteomic studies implicated acetylation in regulation of various processes like metabolism, gene expression, cell cycle or aging to name a few. In this work I set out to investigate the role of acetylation of a splicing regulatory protein SRSF5 by creating mutations in its acetylation site. I tested the hypothesis that acetylation influences SRSF5 interaction with RNA. I expressed acetylation-mimicking (Q) or non-acetylable (R) mutant of SRSF5 in HeLa cells and measured their interaction with RNA by RNA immunoprecipitation or in vitro by fluorescence anisotropy. Both approaches agreed that mutants interact with RNA less than the wild type protein and Q mutant bound RNA weaker than R mutant. I did not detect further difference in localization or dynamics among the proteins in vivo, which suggests that difference caused by weakened interaction of mutants with RNA was outweighed by other factors influencing SRSF5 behaviour, probably protein-protein interactions. I also found out that mutant SRSF5 proteins do not have a dominant effect on splicing of fibronectin alternative EDB exon. The data obtained give an indirect evidence for the hypothesis that...
|
|
HYDROGENATION PROPERTIES OF BALL-MILLED Mg-Ti-C-Zr COMPOSITE
Král, Lubomír ; Čermák, Jiří ; Roupcová, Pavla
The hydrogen storage properties of ball-milled Mg-Ti-Zr-C composite (1.8 wt.% Ti, 1.9 wt.% Zr and 0.2 wt.% C) were investigated. It has been previously shown, that the addition of Ti, Zr and C improved its storage properties. This beneficial effect of additives upon hydrogen storage properties can be explained by catalysis by the particles rich in Ti or Zr located on the surface of Mg grains. They provide effective pathways for the hydrogen diffusion into the MgH2. The morphological and microstructural characteristics were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and by X-ray diffraction. The hydrogen sorption was measured by Sieverts method using Setaram PCT-Pro device. In this paper, sorption behaviour of the composite after ball-milling and after aging on the air was compared. The ball-milled composite adsorbed 3.5 wt.% H2 within 10 min at 623 K. However, hydrogen storage capacity of the composite aged on the air for 7 months remarkably decreased: The aged composite adsorbed within 10 min only 2 wt.% H2 at 623 K and the sorption capacity decreased from 4.7 wt.% H2 to 2.1 wt.% H2.
|
|
Changes in structure and phase composition in the surface of tram rail
Švábenská, Eva ; Roupcová, Pavla ; Schneeweiss, Oldřich
We have investigated structure and phase composition of surface layer of tram rails after long time running and the results were compared with those obtained on the original part of material. Changes due to effects of severe plastic deformation together with thermal shocks by friction process were expected. The information about structure and phase composition was obtained by optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray Powder Diffraction, Mössbauer Spectroscopy and Glow Discharge Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES) and this was completed by microhardness measurements. The results show that the surface layer in comparison with the original material exhibits important changes in grain structure, an increase in microhardness and high content of iron oxide and hydrooxides. According to the depth profile of the chemical composition measured by GDOES there is an increase in carbon content in the surface layer which can be effect of up-hill diffusion.
|
|
HYDROGEN ABSORPTION IN A-Co30Fe55B15
Čermák, Jiří ; Král, Lubomír ; Roupcová, Pavla
Hydrogen solved in amorphous alloys (AAs) influences their magnetic characteristics. AAs are also perspective\nas additives that can improve hydrogen storage kinetic in certain types of ball-milled hydrogen storage\nmaterials (HSMs). Therefore, knowledge of hydrogen solubility and hydrogen sorption kinetics in AAs are of a\ngreat importance for aimed design both AAs with optimal magnetic parameters and HSMs with desired sorption\ncharacteristics. In the present paper, amorphous alloy Co30Fe55B15 (an example of the type a-TM1xTM2y Bz ;\nTM - transition metal) was investigated. Hydrogen concentration c H was measured by Sieverts method in\ntemperature interval from T = 150 °C to T = 350 °C under hydrogen pressure p up to 6 MPa. It was found that\nc H was an increasing function of p and its maximum value was typically 0.5 wt.% H2 at 350 °C and 6 MPa.\nHowever, when the alloy was preliminary hydrogen charged (PHC), the pressure dependence of total c Htot in\nthe first absorption cycle(s) is non-monotonous in dependence on PHC conditions. For the sake of comparison,\nthe same absorption characteristics were measured also in Mg2Ni intermetallic that is a common constituent\nin Mg-based HSMs. Comparing Co30Fe55B15 and Mg2Ni, it was concluded that Co30Fe55B15 shows lower\nhydrogen solubility, but much better absorption kinetics.
|
| |
guest ::
