Two new species of the superfamily Phthiracaroidea (Acari, Oribatida) from the Seychelles and the USA with notes on other ptyctimous mites from diverse countries

Two new species of the family Phthiracaridae, Arphthicarus paratinctus sp. n. from the Seychelles, and Atropacarus (Atropacarus) paraclavigerus sp. n. from California, USA are described and figured. A comparison of morphological similarities with the most closely related species is presented. Additional descriptions, morphological remarks and taxonomical notes for seven ptyctimous species: Arphthicarus sculptilis (Niedbała, 1988), Austrophthiracarus diazae (Ojeda, 1985), Mesoplophora (Mesoplophora) parabacilla Niedbała, 2006, Notophthiracarus lienhardi Mahunka, 1996, N. stenotus Niedbała et Corpuz-Raros, 1998, Plonaphacarus semiaciculatus (Mahunka, 2008), and Steganacarus (Rhacaplacarus) brasiliensis (Pérez-Iñigo et Baggio, 1980) were added. In total, 105 species of ptyctimous oribatid mites were determined in material of 1910 specimens from 15 countries – Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Galapagos, Gough Island, Indonesia (Irian), Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Reunion, Seychelles, Tanzania and the USA. Fauna of ptyctimous mites of Bangladesh, Colombia and Gough Island was studied for the first time. New records of ptyctimous mites for Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Malaysia, New Guinea (Indonesia, Irian), Reunion, Tanzania and the USA are also presented. A replacement name for the junior homonym Austrophthiracarus longisetosus Niedbała et Starý, 2015, A. longisetus nom. n. is proposed

Revitalization of the Antonín Slavíček housing estate in Svitavy

Cílem bakalářské práce je návrh a revitalizace sídliště Antonína Slavíčka ve Svitavách. Jedná se hlavně o porovnání 3 variant řešení. Maximalizace parkovacích stání v zóně 30, vhodnější řešení parkování v zóně 30 a zkrácený návrh pomocí obytné zóny. Předmětem je rozšíření stávajících chodníků a návrh vytvoření nových místních komunikací, rekonstrukce povrchů stávajících stání a návrh zvýšení počtu nových, osazení kontejnerových stání na směsný a tříděný odpad.The aim of the bachelor's thesis is the design and revitalization of the Antonína Slavíčka housing estate in Svitavy. It is mainly a comparison of 3 variants of the solution. Maximization of parking spaces in zone 30, a more suitable solution for parking in zone 30 and a design using a residential zone. The subject is the extension of existing sidewalks and the design of new ones, the reconstruction and creation of new local roads, the reconstruction of the surfaces of existing stands and the proposal to increase the number of new ones, the installation of container stands for mixed and sorted waste.

Cluster analysis in mathematical software

Tato bakalářská práce se zaměřuje na metody shlukové analýzy v matematických programech. Jejím cílem je popsat základní shlukovací metody, popsat způsob jejich implementace v matematických programech, metody pak použít ke shlukování připravených dat a porovnat funkčnost zvolených programů.This bachelor thesis is focused on methods of cluster analysis in mathematical software. The goal is to describe basic methods of cluster analysis, to describe their implementation in mathematical software, to use the methods for clustering of prepared data and to compare the functionality of chosen software.

Two new species of oribatid mites of the genus Xenillus (Acari, Oribatida, Liacaridae) from Bolivia

Two new species of oribatid mites of the genus Xenillus (Oribatida, Liacaridae) are described from leaf litter in a rain forest in Bolivia. Xenillus pseudobolivianus sp. n. is similar to X. bolivianus and X. neonominatus in the morphology of lamellar cusp, length of bothridial and interlamellar setae and length and morphology of dorsal notogastral setae, but differs from both by the morphology of bothridial head and interlamellar and notogastral setae, the ornamentation of the notogaster, and the different length of some notogastral setae. Xenillus amboroensis sp. n. is similar to X. amazonensis, X. disjunctus, X. diversisetosus, X. fecundus, X. longipes, and X. ornatus in the morphology of bothridial seta, but differs from all by the morphology of lamellar cusp, the placement of the lamellar seta, and the different length of some notogastral setae

Surveillance program of nuclear fuel claddings as a second barrier against fission products release into the environment

Zirkoniové slitiny používané jako materiál pokrytí jaderného paliva tvoří po vlastních palivových tabletách druhou fyzickou bariéru ochrany do hloubky proti úniku radioaktivních látek. Z pohledu jaderné bezpečnosti je klíčové znát a předvídat chování těchto materiálů nejen v podmínkách normálního provozu jaderného paliva v aktivní zóně reaktoru a případných havarijních stavech, ale i následně při jeho dlouhodobém skladování v bazénech vyhořelého paliva či su- chých kontejnerech po dobu dalších minimálně několika desítek let. Společnost ALVEL ve spolupráci s dalšími českými organizacemi (ŠKODA JS, ÚJV Řež a Centrum výzkumu Řež) navrhla, rozpracovala a v současné době i realizuje pilotní svědečný program pokrytí jaderného paliva, jako analogii svědečného programu materiálů tělesa tlakové nádoby reaktoru. Vý- znamná část tohoto pilotního projektu je realizována ve spolupráci s JE Temelín a dalšími českými organizacemi. Program umožňuje nejen komplexní ověření charakteristik materiálů palivového pokrytí v současnosti používaných, ale také získání dat potřebných pro podporu kvalifikace inovovaných slitin, určených pro budoucí průmyslové nasazení. Pilotní svědečný program je realizován na materiálech, které byly od roku 2014 ozařovány v aktivní zóně prvního bloku JE Temelín. V příspěvku jsou shrnuty základní charakteristiky navrženého svědečného programu, aktuální stav jeho pilotní realizace a předpokládané výstupy.Zirconium-based alloys used as nuclear fuel cladding materials represent the second barrier of the defence-in-depth protection against fission products release. From the point of view of nuclear safety, it is crucial to understand and be able to predict the cladding behaviour not only during its normal operation or accident conditions in the reactor core, but also during the long-term storage of the spent fuel in the spent fuel pools or dry storage casks. ALVEL has in cooperation with other Czech companies (SKODA JS, UJV Rez, and Research Centre Rez) proposed, developed, and is currently implementing the pilot Nuclear Fuel Cladding Surveillance Program (NFCSP), as an analogy to the surveillance program of a reactor vessel. Significant part of this project is implemented by ALVEL in cooperation with the Temelin NPP and other Czech organizations. The proposed program allows not only the complex verification of the main characteristics of the fuel cladding materials in use, but also to obtain data necessary to support qualification of innovative materials (licensing) intended for industrial implementation in the future. The pilot program is being implemented on materials irradiated in the reactor core of the Temelin NPP, Unit 1 since 2014. This paper presents summary of basic characteristics of the proposed NFSCP, status of its implementation, schedule and expected outputs

A laboratory for conceiving Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs)—The ‘Data pool initiative for the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem’

Effects of climate change-induced events on forest ecosystem dynamics of composition, function and structure call for increased long-term, interdisciplinary and integrated research on biodiversity indicators, in particular within strictly protected areas with extensive non-intervention zones. The long-established concept of forest supersites generally relies on long-term funds from national agencies and goes beyond the logistic and financial capabilities of state-or region-wide protected area administrations, universities and research institutes. We introduce the concept of data pools as a smaller-scale, user-driven and reasonable alternative to co-develop remote sensing and forest ecosystem science to validated products, biodiversity indicators and management plans. We demonstrate this concept with the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem Data Pool, which has been established as an interdisciplinary, international data pool within the strictly protected Bavarian Forest and Šumava National Parks and currently comprises 10 active partners. We demonstrate how the structure and impact of the data pool differs from comparable cases. We assessed the international influence and visibility of the data pool with the help of a systematic literature search and a brief analysis of the results. Results primarily suggest an increase in the impact and visibility of published material during the life span of the data pool, with highest visibilities achieved by research conducted on leaf traits, vegetation phenology and 3D-based forest inventory. We conclude that the data pool results in an efficient contribution to the concept of global biodiversity observatory by evolving towards a training platform, functioning as a pool of data and algorithms, directly communicating with management for implementation and providing test fields for feasibility studies on earth observation missions.publishedVersio

The Arthropod Fauna of Oak (Quercus spp., Fagaceae) Canopies in Norway

(1) We document the invertebrate fauna collected from 24 oak canopies in east and west Norway as a contribution to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’s ‘The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative’. (2) A snap-shot inventory of the canopies was recorded by means of emitting a mist of natural pyrethrum into the canopies at night using a petrol-driven fogger and collecting the specimens in butterfly nets spread on the ground under the canopy. (3) Almost the entire catch of more than 6800 specimens was identified to 722 species. Out of 92 species new to the Norwegian fauna, 21 were new to science and, additionally, 15 were new to the Nordic fauna. Diptera alone constituted nearly half of the species represented, with 61 new records (18 new species). Additionally, 24 Hymenoptera (one new species), six oribatid mites (two new species) and one Thysanoptera were new to the Norwegian fauna. (4) Our study emphasizes the importance of the oak tree as a habitat both for a specific fauna and occasional visitors, and it demonstrates that the canopy fogging technique is an efficient way to find the ‘hidden fauna’ of Norwegian forests. The low number of red listed species found reflects how poor the Norwegian insect fauna is still studied. Moreover, the implication of the IUCN red list criteria for newly described or newly observed species is discussed.</jats:p