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Maticové strukturované populační modely jsou příkladem soustav diferenčních rovnic 1. řádu, které patří mezi významné modelové nástroje používané při studiu dynamiky růstu lesních porostů. Dynamika stavu lesa se řídí vlastnostmi Usherovy projekční matice, která patří mezi nezáporné čtvercové matice. Výchozím bodem práce je formulace Perronovy-Frobeniovy věty a dalších významných vět z teorie maticové algebry nezáporných matic, které jsou následně uplatněny při studiu vlastností obecného deterministického lineárního maticového modelu růstu lesa. Stěžejní část práce je věnována sestavení lineárního modelu růstu lesa o dvou růstových třídách, které odpovídají mladým a dospělým jedincům. Hlavním cílem je odvození obecného řešení tohoto modelu a analýza jeho asymptotických vlastností. Dokážeme, že asymptotické chování modelu je možné vyhodnotit na základě čisté míry reprodukce, biologického parametru modelu, který rozhoduje o stabilitě extinkčního rovnovážného bodu. Z výsledků mimo jiné plyne, že les bude dlouhodobě prosperovat i při nižší míře reprodukce, pokud jsou zajištěny vhodné růstové podmínky nebo míra mortality jedinců je na nízké úrovni.ObhájenoMatrix structured population models are an example of systems of first-order difference equations, which are among the important model tools used when forest growth dynamics is studied. The dynamics of forest stand state is governed by the properties of~the Usher projection matrix, which belongs to non-negative square matrices. The starting point of the thesis is the formulation of the Perron-Frobenius theorem and other important theorems of the non-negative matrix theory, which are subsequently used when the properties of the general deterministic linear matrix model of forest growth are examined. The main part of the thesis is devoted to the construction of linear model of forest growth with two growth stages representing juveniles and adults. The main goal is to derive a general solution of the model and analyse its asymptotic properties. We prove that the asymptotic behaviour of the model can be evaluated on the basis of the net reproductive number, a biological parameter of the model, that determines the stability of the extinction equilibrium. The results show, among other things, that the forest will thrive even at a lower reproduction rate in the long run, if suitable growth conditions are ensured or the tree mortality rate is at a low level

Novel way of computation of magnetic field in transformer window

The paper deals with a proposal of a novel computational method of magnetic field distribution in a transformer window. The method reduces demands on computational time and computer memory whereas it increases accuracy of the results. The principle of the method is described and discussed on a simple case of planar 2D arrangement

Příprava učitelů 1. stupně základní školy pro výuku romských dětí

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18F-fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation in the heart, brain and skeletal muscle of rats; the influence of time after injection, depressed lipid metabolism and glucose-insulin

BACKGROUND: to study the effect of lipid depressing drugs on 18FDG myocardial concentration. The changes of 18FDG uptake in myocardium, brain and skeletal muscle of rats were compared as influenced by acipimox, tyloxapol and glucose with insulin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 5.55 MBq of 18FDG were administered to Wistar rats. Control rats were killed 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes following intravenous injection and the radioactivity concentration (cpm/g of tissue) in relation to injected cpm was determined in a well crystal adjusted to 511 KeV in order to check the time of maximal 18FDG tissue uptake. The radioactivity in myocardium, skeletal muscle and brain in intact animals was compared with that of rats treated with tyloxapol (tritton WR 1339, 125 mg intravenously immediately before 18FDG injection), acipimox (nicotinic acid derivative, 25 mg by stomach cannula 15 minutes before 18FDG), or glucose with insulin (intravenous injection of 0.04 g and 0.04 UI immediately before 18FDG). The animals were killed 45 minutes following 18FDG injection. RESULTS: Tyloxapol and acipimox significantly elevated myocardial 18FDG concentration (tyloxapol +37% and acipimox +48%), but the increase in 18FDG concentration after glucose and insulin was slight and insignificant. The changes in skeletal muscle after lipid depressing agents were quite contrasting; the decrease in 18FDG concentration was -74% after tyloxapol and -44% following acipimox administration. The accumulation of 18FDG in brain was not influenced markedly by the drugs used or by glucose with insulin. CONCLUSION: The highest 18FDG uptake in myocardium could be achieved by depressing the lipid metabolism and not by administration of glucose with insulin only. A marked increase in glucose accumulation in myocardium is not possible without previous shift from the utilisation of fatty acids. This finding is fully in agreement with present knowledge about energetic metabolism of myocardium

The long decade of digital preservation in heritage institutions in the Czech Republic: 2002–2014

This paper aims to give state-of-the-art information about digital preservation activities in the Czech Republic during the last decade to an English-speaking audience. We briefly describe major phases of the “digital” projects. These were mainly in libraries, with some references to museums, galleries and archives. We focus on aspects related to the preservation of collected born-digital and digitised content. Even now, digital preservation activities in heritage institutions are often on the periphery of the interest of all stakeholders and the infrastructure supporting digital preservation of data in heritage institutions is not well financed or coordinated. Even though the “long decade”, which lasted from the dramatic events of 2002 until approximately 2014, saw a number of successful projects creating digital data in Czech libraries, the handful of projects which were in part focused on digital preservation were not flexible enough to accommodate user requirements and were failing to meet expectations. There is still much room for further development in the area of long-term preservation of digital data in the Czech Republic. This article is a shortened version of one of the analyses written under the “Strategy of the research, development and innovation for the years 2010–2015” program of the Moravian Library in Brno, Czech Republic

Ranking the harm of non-medically used prescription opioids in the UK

A panel of nine experts applied multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to determine the relative overall harm to users and harms to others of street heroin (injected and smoked) and eleven non-medically used prescription opioids. The experts assessed harm scores for each of the 13 opioids on each of 20 harm criteria, weighted the criteria and explored the resulting weighted harm scores for each opioid. Both forms of heroin scored very high: overall harm score of 99 for injected heroin and 72 for smoked heroin on a scale of 0–100. The main feature that distinguishes both forms of street heroin use is that their harm to others is more than five times that of the other eleven opioids. The overall harm score of fentanyl (including injection of fentanyl extracted from patches) and diamorphine (medically prescribed form of heroin) was 54 and 51, respectively, whereas that of orally used opioids ranged from 32 (pethidine) to 11 (codeine-containing pharmaceuticals). Injected street heroin, fentanyl and diamorphine emerged as most harmful to users, with the latter two very low in harm to others. Pethidine, methadone, morphine and oxycodone are also low in harm to others, while moderate in harm to users. We conclude that the overall harms of non-medically used prescription opioids are less than half that of injected street heroin. These data may give a basis for precautionary regulatory measures that should be considered if the rising trend in non-medical use of prescription opioids were to become evident in the UK

Internalization of External Costs of Energy Generation in Central and Eastern European Countries

In this article a bottom-up approach to quantification of air pollution externalities from electricity generation is used to show that market-based instruments are not very effective in internalizing these external costs in six CEE countries. Although governments in CEE countries have regulated air emissions by imposing strict command-and-control measures, most of them have also introduced air emission charges and more recently taxes on electricity. We find however that the level of internalization by these two economic instruments is fairly low for existing fossil fired power plants ranging from 3% for coal- and lignite-fuelled plants to 31% for gas-fuelled plants. The picture improves if cross-subsidies for renewable electricity are accounted for but the internalization level is still below air pollution–related external costs, between 9% and 55% for coal- and oil-fired power plants. A substantial over-internalization by these three instruments is however encountered in the case of gas-fired power plants

Internalization of External Costs of Energy Generation in Central and Eastern European Countries

In this article a bottom-up approach to quantification of air pollution externalities from electricity generation is used to show that market-based instruments are not very effective in internalizing these external costs in six CEE countries. Although governments in CEE countries have regulated air emissions by imposing strict command-and-control measures, most of them have also introduced air emission charges and more recently taxes on electricity. We find however that the level of internalization by these two economic instruments is fairly low for existing fossil fired power plants ranging from 3% for coal- and lignite-fuelled plants to 31% for gas-fuelled plants. The picture improves if cross-subsidies for renewable electricity are accounted for but the internalization level is still below air pollution–related external costs, between 9% and 55% for coal- and oil-fired power plants. A substantial over-internalization by these three instruments is however encountered in the case of gas-fired power plants

Kvantifikace environmentálních a zdravotních dopadů (externích nákladů) z povrchové těžby hnědého uhlí v Severočeské hnědouhelné pánvi v těžebních lokalitách velkolomů Bílina a ČSA a využití vydobytého hnědého uhlí ve spalovacích procesech pro výrobu elektřiny a tepla na území ČR

This study quantifies environmental and health impacts attributable to revoking the territorial ecological restrictions on open-pit mining of brown coal at Bílina and ČSA mines in the Northern Bohemia mining area, following four options as proposed in 2015 by the Czech government. These impacts are attributable to brown coal mining and burning brown coal in combustion processes to generate electricity and heat and are relevant to the area of the Czech Republic only. Environmental and health impacts are monetarized and mean the external cost from mining and usage of brown coal. Dose response function and Impact pathway analysis are applied to quantify the external costs. External cost of not revoking the territorial ecological restrictions (option 1) declines from 1,200 mil. CZK per annum to zero in 2038, when the mining of brown coal is terminated. For the whole period 2015-2050 the external cost reaches 14 billion CZK cumulatively. Revoking the territorial ecological restrictions at Bílina mine (option 2) increases the external cost by 200 – 500 mil. CZK per annum and by 10 billion CZK cumulatively for the whole period 2015-2050. Revoking the territorial ecological restrictions at Bílina mine and partly at ČSA mine (option 3) differs from option 2 only during 2024-2033 due to partial revoking the territorial ecological restrictions at ČSA mine, when the external cost increases by additional 700 mil. CZK per annum compared to option 1. The cumulative external cost is 14 billion CZK higher in option 3 than in option 1. The complete revoking the territorial ecological restrictions (option 4) leads to cumulative external cost higher by 25 billion CZK compared to option 1. With respect to international pollution transfer and global effects on climate change, the scope of the analysis has crucial role for evaluation of impacts of the national regulation. The underlying scenario of this analysis assumes the impacts on Czech inhabitants only which account for 8-10% of the impacts on the whole EU population. Impacts on energy mix are analysed by partial equilibrium model TIMES

Valuing environmental health for informed policy-making

Monetized environmental health impact assessment helps to better evaluate the environmental burden of various economic activities. Apart from limitations and uncertainties in physical and biological science used in such assessments, assumptions taken in economic valuation may also substantially influence subsequent policy-making considerations. To demonstrate the effect of these considerations in quantitative terms we show how estimated external costs of coal mining and use of extracted coal in electricity and heat generation vary under different policy-making perspectives and choice of monetary values for impacts in different countries