REFERRING TO A FRAME? SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW PROJECT

In 2005 the Joint Network on European Private Law was entrusted by the European Commission with drafting a Common Frame of Reference (CFR) for European contract law. In the Commission’s own words, the CFR is to be ‘a tool box for the Commission when preparing proposals, both for the existing acquis and for new instruments’. The Commission could not have emphasised more often that the CFR is not to become a new European Civil Code. Nevertheless, and perhaps paradoxically, the expected outcome of the Network’s efforts is indeed a model law, ie a code, which is to be presented by the end of 2007. This article focuses on two aspects of the overall harmonisation project. First, the constitutional setting for harmonising private law is highlighted. Are there limits to the internal market mandate? It would seem that the post-Maastricht challenge of setting such limits has not yet been resolved. The EC Treaty’s post-Tobacco Advertising Article 95 does not provide unlimited competence to adopt a comprehensive European contract law. However, the lack of concrete criteria leaves much room for activity by the EC legislator. The article describes the criteria stipulated by the European Court of Justice, and also critically discusses the use of empirical data in this respect. In the second part, the meaning of the frame of reference and the first statements on the work in progress are examined. The new instrument will assume a concrete form very soon, and the paradox of drafting a CFR code while making ‘no-code’ claims demands attention. The Commission has defined what the Network should elaborate for the CFR as ‘best solutions’. The article outlines the scope of the CFR and discusses the necessity of such an instrument, as well as the idea of finding ‘best solutions’. In this respect, the idea of a regulatory competition scheme for European contract law is supported. Differences between national legal systems are the essential precondition for a learning process within the Community. At the same time, detecting inconsistencies within the existing acquis is a reasonable concern. One possible role of the CFR is to serve as a quality control instrument when drafting European legislation

Time-frequency Analysis of Biomedical Signals

Tato diplomová práce je zaměřena na vytvoření výukového modulu pro zkoumání metod časově-frekvenční analýzy biomedicínských signálů. V rámci práce jsou představeny základní metody analýzy biomedicínských signálů v časově-frekvenční oblasti s cílem analýzy biomedicínských signálů vykazujících frekvenční nestacionaritu. V teoretické části jsou představeny metody spektrální analýzy a vyplývající metody analýzy v časově-frekvenční oblasti. V praktické části jsou popsány demonstrační algoritmy pro výpočty frekvenčních spekter pomocí Rychlé Fourierovy transformace a je provedena analýza jejich časové výpočetní náročnosti. Pro výpočet časově-frekvenčních spekter jsou vybrány metody Krátkodobé Fourierovy transformace, Vlnkové transformace a Winger-Ville rozdělení. Jsou představeny algoritmy výpočtu těchto metod a je provedena kvantitativní analýza dynamické intenzity šumu v kontextu časově-frekvenční analýzy. V rámci práce bylo vytvořeno graficko-uživatelské prostředí pro výuku problematiky časově-frekvenční analýzy bio signálů a byla vytvořena databáze testovacích biomedicínských signálů.This diploma thesis is focused on the creation of a learning module for the investigation of time-frequency analysis methods. Basic methods of analysis of biomedical signals in time-frequency domain with are presented. In the theoretical part are introduced spectral analysis methods and time-frequency analysis methods. In the practical part are described demonstration algorithms for calculation of frequency spectra by Fast Fourier transform. An analysis of their computational complexity is performed. For calculation of time-frequency spectra, the methods of Short-time Fourier transform, Wavelet transform and Winger-Ville distribution are selected. Algorithms of calculation of these methods are presented and quantitative analysis of dynamic noise intensity in context of time-frequency analysis is performed. In this thesis a graphical-user interface for teaching time-frequency analysis of bio signals was created and a test database of biomedical signals was created.450 - Katedra kybernetiky a biomedicínského inženýrstvívýborn

Interactively modelling land profitability to estimate European agricultural and forest land use under future scenarios of climate, socio-economics and adaptation

Studies of climate change impacts on agricultural land use generally consider sets of climates combined with fixed socio-economic scenarios, making it impossible to compare the impact of specific factors within these scenario sets. Analysis of the impact of specific scenario factors is extremely difficult due to prohibitively long run-times of the complex models. This study produces and combines metamodels of crop and forest yields and farm profit, derived from previously developed very complex models, to enable prediction of European land use under any set of climate and socio-economic data. Land use is predicted based on the profitability of the alternatives on every soil within every 10' grid across the EU. A clustering procedure reduces 23,871 grids with 20+ soils per grid to 6,714 clusters of common soil and climate. Combined these reduce runtime 100 thousand-fold. Profit thresholds define land as intensive agriculture (arable or grassland), extensive agriculture or managed forest, or finally unmanaged forest or abandoned land. The demand for food as a function of population, imports, food preferences and bioenergy, is a production constraint, as is irrigation water available. An iteration adjusts prices to meet these constraints. A range of measures are derived at 10' grid-level such as diversity as well as overall EU production. There are many ways to utilise this ability to do rapidWhat-If analysis of both impact and adaptations. The paper illustrates using two of the 5 different GCMs (CSMK3, HADGEM with contrasting precipitation and temperature) and two of the 4 different socio-economic scenarios ("We are the world", "Should I stay or should I go" which have contrasting demands for land), exploring these using two of the 13 scenario parameters (crop breeding for yield and population) . In the first scenario, population can be increased by a large amount showing that food security is far from vulnerable. In the second scenario increasing crop yield shows that it improves the food security problem

Trends in Air Temperature and Precipitation in Southeastern Czech Republic, 1961-2020

This study presents a summary of sixty years of air temperature and precipitation measurements at the Žabčice weather station, located in the southeastern Czech Republic and operated by Mendel University in Brno. An instrumental dataset spanning two climatological normal periods (1961-1990 and newly established 1991-2020) is analyzed for long term linear trends with monthly data presented in full span in Appendices. In the new climate normal period, the mean annual temperature increased from 9.3 oC to 10.3 oC with growing trend of 0.34 oC/10 years (p < 0.001). Every calendar month of year is warmer, with the highest and fastest increase in August (+2.0 oC, 0.64 oC/10 years, p < 0.001) and the lowest in October (+0.2 oC). Annual precipitation sum increased negligibly (+11.1 mm), however, the quarterly distribution significantly changes towards drier second quarter (-22.9 mm, p < 0.05) and wetter third quarter (+37.1 mm, p < 0.05). Number of tropical days (maximum daily air temperature > 30 oC) significantly increased (+4.44/10 years, p < 0.001), whereas number of frost days is negligibly decreasing (-0.88/10 years). Temperature derived Huglin index for vineyards increased by 369 oC to a seasonal sum 2062 oC (+84 oC/10 years, p < 0.001). This study provides evidence of the rate of changing climate at this southern Moravia lowland site.O

Preparation of Biotinylated and FITC-Labelled Phosphorylcholine Poly(acrylamide) Derivatives and Their Application for Protein Ligand-Binding Studies

Biotin- and FITC-labelled water-soluble poly(acrylamide) derivatives of phosphorylcholine were prepared by coupling either maleinylated (a) or periodate-oxidized (b) L-glyceryl phosphorylcholine to poly-(acrylamide-allylamine) copolymer. Biotinylated phosphorylcholine poly(acrylamide) derivatives of both types were tested with Limulus polyphemus C-reactive protein and were used for the study of the phosphorylcholine-binding properties of boar seminal plasma proteins. Binding sites for phosphorylcholine on the surface of bull sperms were visualized using a FITC-labelled derivative of the ligand

Comparison of planar DMSA scan with an evaluation based on SPECT imaging in the split renal function assessment

BACKGROUND: Validation of the 99mTc-DMSA planar scintigraphy accuracy for split renal function assessment and comparison with evaluation based on SPECT imaging both with and without CT attenuation correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For split renal function assessment two methods were used: A) planar scintigraphy based on anterior and posterior projections using correction for kidney depth calculated by the geometric mean; B) semi-quantitative evaluation based on SPECT (B1) and attenuation-corrected SPECT/CT (B2) images using locally developed software for kidney segmentation and voxel-based analysis. All three methods were performed with a phantom simulating body including pair of kidneys. For patient study methods A and B1 were applied on a group of 140 children and adolescents with various renal diseases. Renal function ratios were compared both mutually and with physically measured activity ratios in the phantom. RESULTS: Method A provided results which were closest to measured reference values (average absolute difference of 0.9 percentage points [pp]). Method B1 was noticeably worse (2.1pp), whereas attenuation correction (B2) improved tomography results considerably (1.3 pp). The superiority of planar imaging could be caused among others by differences in creation of planar range of interest compared to tomographic volume of interest. However all the differences were under the threshold of any clinical importance. The comparison between method A and B1 based on patient study also showed differences mostly of none clinical importance. CONCLUSION: Routine evaluation of split renal function using planar technique with correction of the kidney depth is at least equivalent to tomographic evaluation, and there is no need to update the established clinical practice.    BACKGROUND: Validation of the 99mTc-DMSA planar scintigraphy accuracy for split renal function assessment and comparison with evaluation based on SPECT imaging both with and without CT attenuation correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For split renal function assessment two methods were used: A) planar scintigraphy based on anterior and posterior projections using correction for kidney depth calculated by the geometric mean; B) semi-quantitative evaluation based on SPECT (B1) and attenuation-corrected SPECT/CT (B2) images using locally developed software for kidney segmentation and voxel-based analysis. All three methods were performed with a phantom simulating body including pair of kidneys. For patient study methods A and B1 were applied on a group of 140 children and adolescents with various renal diseases. Renal function ratios were compared both mutually and with physically measured activity ratios in the phantom. RESULTS: Method A provided results which were closest to measured reference values (average absolute difference of 0.9 percentage points [pp]). Method B1 was noticeably worse (2.1pp), whereas attenuation correction (B2) improved tomography results considerably (1.3 pp). The superiority of planar imaging could be caused among others by differences in creation of planar range of interest compared to tomographic volume of interest. However all the differences were under the threshold of any clinical importance. The comparison between method A and B1 based on patient study also showed differences mostly of none clinical importance. CONCLUSION: Routine evaluation of split renal function using planar technique with correction of the kidney depth is at least equivalent to tomographic evaluation, and there is no need to update the established clinical practice

Adverse weather conditions for UK wheat production under climate change

Winter wheat is an important crop in the UK, suited to the typical weather conditions in the current climate. In a changing climate the increased frequency and severity of adverse weather events, which are often localised, are considered a major threat to wheat production. In the present study we assessed a range of adverse weather conditions, which can significantly affect yield, under current and future climates based on adverse weather indices. We analysed changes in the frequency, magnitude and spatial patterns of 10 adverse weather indices, at 25 sites across the UK, using climate scenarios from the CMIP5 ensemble of global climate models (GCMs) and two greenhouse gas emissions (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The future UK climate is expected to remain favourable for wheat production, with most adverse weather indicators reducing in magnitude by the mid-21st 17 century. Hotter and drier summers would improve sowing and harvesting conditions and reduce the risk of lodging. The probability of late frosts and heat stress during reproductive and grain filling periods would likely remain small in 2050. Wetter winter and spring could cause issues with waterlogging. The severity of drought stress during reproduction would generally be lower in 2050, however localised differences suggest it is important to examine drought at a small spatial scale. Prolonged water stress does not increase considerably in the UK, as may be expected in other parts of Europe. Climate projections based on the CMIP5 ensemble reveal considerable uncertainty in the magnitude of adverse weather conditions including waterlogging, drought and water stress. The variation in adverse weather conditions due to GCMs was generally greater than between emissions scenarios. Accordingly, CMIP5 ensembles should be used in the assessment of adverse weather conditions for crop production to indicate the full range of possible impacts, which a limited number of GCMs may not provide

Synthesis of a mitochondria-targeted spin trap using a novel Parham-type cyclization

A new cyclic nitrone spin trap, [4-(3′,3′-dibutyl-2′-oxy-3′H-isoindol-5′-yloxy)butyl]triphenylphosphonium bromide (MitoSpin), bearing a lipophilic cation has been prepared by a route that involves a novel Parham-type lithiation–cyclization of an isocyanate to give the isoindolinone core. MitoSpin accumulates in a membrane potential dependent way in energized mitochondria and its oxidation could potentially be used in the study of oxidative stress resulting from reactive oxygen species generated in mitochondria