Pricing of Gas Swing Options using Monte Carlo Methods

Motivated by the changing nature of the natural gas industry in the European Union driven by the liberalization process, we focus on pricing of gas swing options. These options are embedded in typical gas sales agreements in the form of offtake flexibility concerning volume and time. The gas swing option is actually a set of several American puts on a spread between prices of two or more energy commodities. This fact together with the fact that the energy markets are fundamentally different from traditional financial security markets is important for our choice of valuation technique. Due to the specific features of the energy markets, the existing analytic approximations for spread option pricing are hardly applicable to our framework. That is why we employ Monte Carlo methods to model the spot price dynamics of the underlying commodities. The price of an arbitrarily chosen gas swing option is then computed in accordance with the concept of risk-neutral expectations. Finally, our result is compared with the real payoff from the option realized at time of the option execution and the maximum ex-post payoff the buyer could generate in case he knew the future, discounting to the original time of the option pricing.energy markets, gas sales agreement, gas swing option, Monte Carlo simulations, spread option pricing

Design and lay-out of high pressure pumping station.

Diplomová práce je zaměřena na návrh a dispoziční uspořádání vysokotlaké čerpací stanice s plunžrovými čerpadly a s akumulací tlakové vody pro ostřik okují z bram a polotovarů (plechů) válcovaných za tepla. Teoretická (úvodní) část práce obsahuje popis tvorby okují a mechanismů jejich odstranění a vyjádření účinku vodního paprsku na pevnou stěnu. Praktická část práce je zaměřena na vlastní návrh čerpací stanice včetně dimenzování strojního zařízení. Součástí je i technická dokumentace pro již navrženou čerpací stanici a specifikace hlavních strojů a zařízení.The aim of diploma thesis is design and lay-out of high pressure pumping station with plunger pumps for splash of scales from slabs of hot-rolled. Theoretic (introduction) part of this thesis contain description of formation of scales and description of ways how it is possible remove these scales. And this part contains also explication of effect of water jet on solid material. The practical part of diploma thesis is focused on design of pumping station including of dimensioning of machinery. Part of this work is also technical documentation for proposed pumping station and specification of main machines and devices.

Learning French through English: students’ beliefs and motivations and the role of English as language medium

English has become a language commonly used in fields such as business, diplomacy, or tourism.  It is also a medium which enables the transfer of knowledge and the development of ideas in science and education. Scientists and undergraduates can nowadays pursue their research and studies at laboratories and universities all over the world using English as the language of the educational process. Thus, they access knowledge in their respective fields through English, and this applies also to learning other languages. Learning a foreign language using English poses various challenges, starting from the learners’ level of English over to the influences that English can have on the process of acquisition. Also, learners can have beliefs about learning the other language (L3) which differ from beliefs they have about learning English. This set of ideas, attitudes and opinions could have an impact on how students learn L3. This paper explores the beliefs about, and motivations for, language learning among a small group of Erasmus students in the International Relations Programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno. The students, who have various ethnic origins and language backgrounds, took part in a thirteen-week course of French for Beginners, taught in English by a Czech teacher. Most students were complete beginners, but others already had basic knowledge of French, as the entry questionnaire had shown. This course of French for specific purposes (diplomacy) covered the first three units of an A1-A2 textbook called Objectif Diplomatie: Le français des relations européennes et internationales. At the end of the course, learners completed a questionnaire in English. This research gauges the role of English as a medium in learning French at a beginner’s level and investigates students’ perceptions of the accuracy and the difficulty of learning French through English. Avoiding any generalisations, the study reports group-specific results with a view to showing whether, and to what extent, students conform to other research findings in the areas of learner beliefs and motivations in English-medium language instruction

Parallel signal processing with help of GPU

Práce v úvodu naznačuje historii vzniku moderních grafických procesorů. V teoretické části textu je popsáno minimum k programovacímu modelu nutnému k naprogramování jednoduchých DSP algoritmů. Další část potom zpracovává tři běžné algoritmy pro zpracování signálu - filtr s konečnou impulsní odezvou, naivní implementaci diskrétní kosinové transformace typu II. a rychlou Fourierovu transformaci. Pro demonstraci paralelních možnosti GPU byl vybrán algoritmus kódování obrazových dat JPEG komprese, na kterém jsou dobře patrné výhody i nevýhody paralelního zpracování dat a kompromisy, po kterých je nutné sáhnout.In the introduction, the bachelor thesis outlines the origins of modern graphic processors. The theoretical part of the text describes the minimum of required information from parallel programming model essential to program simple DSP algorithms. The next part elaborate on three common DSP algorithms, finite impulse response filter, naive implementation of discrete cosine transform type II, and fast Fourier transform. To demonstrate parallel capability of GPU, algorithm for JPEG compression was chosen as JPEG compression is favorable because it illustrates both advantages and disadvantages of parallel data processing on GPU, and compromises needed to be considered.

Heating of Family House by Biomass

Tato práce se zabývá biomasou jako zdrojem energie k vytápění rodinného domu a přibližuje jednotlivé druhy biomasy. Seznamuje s různými typy kotlů na spalování biomasy. Porovnává náklady na vytápění podle druhu paliva. V další části práce je popsán postup při návrhu spalovacího zařízení pro modelový dům a jeho výběr.This thesis deals with biomass as an energy source to heat the family house and explains the various types of biomass. It introduces various types of boilers for burning biomass. It compares the cost of heating by type of fuel. In the next part of thesis is described the procedure of designing of burning device for model house and its choice.

The role of Quizlet in learning business vocabulary

In these revolutionary times of technological progress, the use of ICT has become widespread. It is used in all areas of language learning and influences both the learning and the teaching process. Quizlet is an online flashcard programme which offers learners opportunities to enhance their vocabulary. The following article describes an experiment conducted in three ESP classes of Business English at the Faculty of Business and Administration of Masaryk University, Czech Republic. In two of the classes, the use of Quizlet was promoted both in class and out of class throughout the term. The learners in the remaining class, the control group, did not use Quizlet. The experiment took place during one of the seminars. Learners in different groups were asked to study carefully chosen sets of twenty English-Czech word pairs, using either Quizlet or classic, paper-based lists. In one of the Quizlet sets, the meaning of the words was illustrated using context clues. A series of two translation tests then gauged the students’ active and passive knowledge of the word meanings. As a follow-up, the results of the translation part of the final credit test were compared. Also, a questionnaire was distributed, mapping learners’ study habits as well as their attitude to Quizlet. The experiment was designed to determine if, and to what degree, Quizlet helps learners acquire vocabulary more efficiently, and to help us investigate the role of context in learning vocabulary. The present article describes and discusses the results of the experiment, which illuminate how students perceive Quizlet in terms of effectiveness and user-friendliness

To Use or not to Use: Adapting the Textbook for the Course of English for Laboratory Technicians

The present contribution is an attempt at describing the way the course of English for laboratory technicians is taught at the Medical faculty of Masaryk University. This article outlines the main adaptation strategies undertaken in order to render the learning process more efficient (with respect to group dynamics, interaction focus and language skills). Firstly, the existing textbook will be put into context with a view of providing the necessary background. Then, I will introduce key concepts developed by Kathleen Graves in her work on adapting textbooks. Her adaptation criteria are part of the adaptation cycle consisting of planning, teaching, re-planning and re-teaching. In order to demonstrate the changes outlined theoretically, a practical example of some of the most important modifications implemented in the innovated course is included.

To use or not to use: adapting the textbook for the course of English for laboratory technicians

The present contribution is an attempt at describing the way the course of English for laboratory technicians is taught at the Medical faculty of Masaryk University. This article outlines the main adaptation strategies undertaken in order to render the learning process more efficient (with respect to group dynamics, interaction focus and language skills). Firstly, the existing textbook will be put into context with a view of providing the necessary background. Then, I will introduce key concepts developed by Kathleen Graves in her work on adapting textbooks. Her adaptation criteria are part of the adaptation cycle consisting of planning, teaching, re-planning and re-teaching. In order to demonstrate the changes outlined theoretically, a practical example of some of the most important modifications implemented in the innovated course is included.Příspěvek se popisem způsobu adaptace učebnice angličtiny pro laboratorní techniky, který se vyučuje na LF MU. Nastiňuje hlavní adaptační strategie, implementaci klíčových konceptů rozvinutých Kathleen Gravesovou. Příspěvek obsahuje taktéž praktický příklad ilustrující zavedené inovace.The present contribution is an attempt at describing the way the course of English for laboratory technicians is taught at the Medical faculty of Masaryk University. This article outlines the main adaptation strategies undertaken in order to render the learning process more efficient (with respect to group dynamics, interaction focus and language skills). Firstly, the existing textbook will be put into context with a view of providing the necessary background. Then, I will introduce key concepts developed by Kathleen Graves in her work on adapting textbooks. Her adaptation criteria are part of the adaptation cycle consisting of planning, teaching, re-planning and re-teaching. In order to demonstrate the changes outlined theoretically, a practical example of some of the most important modifications implemented in the innovated course is included

The properties of recycled rubber from waste tires in the production of cement composites

This article presents the results of a study dealing with the use of a combination of recycled rubber from waste tires as a 100% substitute in the production of cement composites. Aggregate was replaced with recycled rubber in two ratios, namely the ratio of 50/50 and the ratio of 40/60 of the share of fraction 0/1 mm and fraction 1/3 mm. The designed formulas of cement compositeswere subjected to the tests of their physical and mechanical properties in order to determine the properties of the used recycled rubber combination. The tests included the consistency of the grain curve, mixing water properties, consistency of cement mortar, and strength characteristics (tensile flexural strength and compressive strength). The study presents results that are fundamentally different from the comparative samples and their use in the building industry; however, at the same time, they open upnew possibilities of their utilization as a building material