In House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski has produced a text which epitomises the traits and concerns of postmodernist literature. Through his attention to aspects such as metafiction, intertextuality and parody, Danielewski develops a narrative structure which is best understood as a literary labyrinth. It is a structure intended to reflect the social conditions of the twenty-first century and comment on the experience of people living at this time. Some of the meaning-making strategies within the book’s labyrinthine structure are thus discussed in detail in order to demonstrate the relevance and importance of House of Leaves as social commentary. House of Leaves is an exemplary postmodernist text, but it is also one that seeks to guide the reader beyond the intellectual impasse of the postmodernist paradigm toward a renewed ethical and political engagement with the world. One of the most important goals of both Danielewski’s novel and this thesis is to attempt to redefine the postmodernist perspective in such a way as to insist on the necessity of what I call a new realism. This is founded upon an awareness of the pervasiveness of the self-perpetuating ideology of capitalism, even in the perspective of postmodernism (which purports to subvert all authoritative ideologies). Playing a crucial role in perpetuating the status quo of capitalism is the growth of entertainment culture, which works to sideline crucial political issues by replacing information with infotainment. The result is an intensification of the processes of commodification. Such an intensification, it is argued, may be countered by a radical scepticism which draws upon the methods and insights of contemporary science.

La méthylation de l'ADN est l’une des marques épigénétiques les plus étudiées et est largement conservée. Mes travaux de thèse présentent le premier méthylome d'une diatomée marine P. tricornutum qui appartient à la famille des Stramenopiles. P. tricornutum présente une méthylation d’environ 6% qui est présente en mosaïque sur l’ensemble du génome. Une méthylation importante a été retrouvé chez les éléments transposables, en particulier les éléments amplifiés récemment de type Copia. L’analyse met en évidence plus de 320 gènes méthylés dans trois contextes génomiques différents : à proximité des éléments transposables, en grappes de gènes méthylés, et dans des gènes uniques. En outre, les gènes largement et complètement méthylés ont été trouvé fortement corrélés avec le silencing transcriptionnel et l'expression différentielle dans des conditions spécifiques. Enfin, il a été constaté que les gènes susceptibles d’avoir été acquis par transfert horizontal de gènes bactériens étaient préférentiellement insérés dans des régions riches en éléments transposables, ce qui suggère un mécanisme par lequel l'expression de gènes étrangers peut être tamponnée à la suite de leur insertion dans le génome. En résumé, P. tricornutum a une faible méthylation de l'ADN et une methylation relativement importante des éléments transposables et seulement quelques gènes méthylés. Ce premier méthylome d’une diatomée Stramenopile ajoute de manière significative à notre compréhension de l'évolution de la méthylation de l'ADN chez les eucaryotes. En ce qui concerne les modifications des histones, la distribution des marques H3K4me2, H3K9me2 et H3K27me3 a été examinée chez P. tricornutum. H3K4me2 est principalement associée à des gènes alors que les deux marques H3K9me2 et H3K27me3 ciblent principalement des éléments transposables. La répartition de H3K27me3 est inhabituelle et différente de ce qui a été observé chez les espèces modèles étudiées à ce jour. Les gènes marqués par H3K27me3 ont tendance à être faiblement exprimés et de façon différentielle. H3K27me3 et H3K9me2 ont tendance à co-marquer non seulement les éléments transposables méthylés, mais aussi des gènes fortement méthylés, ce qui semble être important pour le maintien du silencing des gènes différentiellement exprimés. L'analyse combinatoire de différentes marques d’histones et la méthylation de l'ADN nous a donné un aperçu du paysage de la chromatine chez les diatomées, et aidera à définir les caractéristiques structurales et fonctionnelles conservées. / DNA methylation is the most extensively studied and widely conserved epigenetic mark. Here the first whole genome methylome from a stramenopile, the marine model diatom P. tricornutum is reported. In P. tricornutum, around 6% of the genome was methylated in a mosaic landscape. Extensive methylation in transposable elements (TEs), especially in recently amplified Copia-like elements was found. Over 320 genes were found methylated occurring in three different genomic contexts: in the proximity of TEs, in clusters of methylated genes, and in single genes. Furthermore, genes extensively and completely methylated correlated strongly with transcriptional silencing and differential expression under specific conditions. Finally, it was found that genes likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer from bacteria were preferentially inserted within TE-rich regions, suggesting a mechanism whereby the expression of foreign genes can be buffered following their insertion in the genome. In general, P. tricornutum has low DNA methylation with relatively extensive DNA methylation on TEs and a few methylated genes. This first Stramenopile methylome adds significantly to our understanding of the evolution of DNA methylation in eukaryotes. As for the histone modifications, genome wide distribution of H3K4me2, H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 were examined in P. tricornutum. H3K4me2 is mainly associated with genes while both H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 marks target mainly transposable elements (TEs). The distribution of H3K27me3 is unusual and different from what have been profiled in model species so far. The genes marked by H3K27me3 tend to be lowly and differentially expressed. H3K27me3 and H3K9me2 tend to co-mark not only methylated TEs but also heavily methylated genes, which appears to be important for maintaining the silencing of differentially expressed genes. The combinatorial analysis of different histone marks and DNA methylation gave us an overview of diatom chromatin landscapes, and will help to define conserved structural and functional features.

Only a small part of particle physics is mentioned in the physics courses for Swedish high school students, despite the fact that particle physics is a field where a lot of research and progress are being done today. The first two physics courses in Swedish high schools include an overview of the standard model and the particles and interactions within the model. By designing an experiment where students get to use data from the ATLAS experiment in CERN they not only get to learn more about particle physics, they also get the opportunity to learn how to work similar to how researchers work in this field. This project was inspired by the Hands-on-CERN project which is focusing on increasing high school students interest and understanding of particle physics. By imitating Hands-on-CERN’s way of working, an experiment for high school students has been designed. In the experiment students get to discover the existence of quarks, even though they can not be observed as free particles but only in bounded states; so called hadrons. By analyzing data from the ATLAS experiment of the decay of the Z boson, you get to the conclusion that the Z boson more often decay to hadrons than to leptons with a proportion of about 14:71. This proportion depends on the various possibilities of hadrons that the Z boson can decay to, depending on the inner structure of hadrons consisting of quarks, dissimilar to the leptons which have no inner structure. / I fysikkurserna på gymnasiet ingår endast en liten del av partikelfysiken, trots att det är ett område som är väldigt aktuell inom forskning. I Fysik 1 och 2 ingår en översiktlig orientering om standardmodellen och de partiklar och interaktioner som ingår i modellen. Genom att utforma en laboration där eleverna får använda sig av data från ATLAS-experimentet på CERN får de både möjligheten att lära sig mer om partikelfysik och prova att arbeta på ett sätt som liknar forskarnas arbetssätt. Inspiration till arbetet har hämtats från projektet Hands-on-CERN som inriktar sig på att öka gymnasieelevers intresse och kunskaper inom partikelfysik. Genom att efterlikna Hands-on-CERNs sätt att arbeta har en laboration lämplig för gymnasieelever utformats. I laborationen får eleverna möjlighet att upptäcka att kvarkar finns trots att de inte går att observera i fria tillstånd, utan endast i bundna tillstånd; så kallade hadroner. Data från Z-bosonens sönderfall hämtas från ATLAS-experimentet i CERN analyseras, från vilken man kan dra slutsatsen att Z-bosonen sönderfaller oftare till hadroner än till leptoner, ett förhållande på ungefär 14:71. Förhållandet beror på att det finns fler möjliga hadroner som Z- bosonen kan sönderfalla till, vilket i sin tur beror på hadronernas inre struktur bestående av kvarkar, till skillnad från leptonerna som saknar inre struktur.

Une opportunité attrayante consisterait à utiliser l'énergie solaire, abondante et (quasi)inépuisable, pour valoriser le CO2 en carburants. Ceci permettrait de répondre à une double préoccupation : le dérèglement climatique imputable à l’augmentation de la concentration de gaz à effet de serre dans l’atmosphère d’une part, et d’autre part la raréfaction annoncée des ressources en énergie. Les végétaux sont capables de réduire le dioxyde de carbone en composés hydrogénocarbonés et d’oxyder simultanément l’eau en dioxygène par photosynthèse. Cette étude se propose d’élaborer des matériaux capables d’absorber la lumière et d’imiter le processus naturel, notamment son schéma énergétique en Z. La création de systèmes inorganiques comportant des hétérojonctions SCp (cathode) - Métal - SCn (anode) a été envisagée pour répondre à la problématique. Deux stratégies de synthèse ont alors été mises au point afin d’élaborer différents photocatalyseurs composite SCp@M/SCn notamment Cu2O@Pt/TiO2. L’évaluation des performances photocatalytiques a permis de révéler les bénéfices apportés par la présence d’hétérojunctions en termes de séparation des charges photogénérées et de sélectivité quant à la production de composés hydrogénocarbonés par photocatalyse. Ces travaux apportent une pierre importante à l’édifice d’un procédé de « photosynthèse artificielle » / An enticing opportunity would consist in using abundant and inexhaustible solar energy to valorise CO2 into fuels. That might answer in an elegant way to environmental and energetic concerns: the global warming due to atmospheric CO2 concentration increase and the dreaded shortage of energy resources. Green plants are able to reduce carbon dioxide into hydrocarbonated compounds and to oxidise simultaneously water into dioxygen by using photosynthesis. This study will focus on the design of materials able to absorb light and to imitate this natural process and more particularly its typical energetic Z-scheme. The chosen strategy is the creation of inorganic systems with SC-p (cathode) - Metal - SC-n (anode) heterojunctions. Two synthesis strategies were elaborated to obtain composite photocatalysts SCp@M/SCn, and more particularly Cu2O@Pt/TiO2. The evaluation of photocatalytic performances reveals heterojunctions benefits in term of charge separation and selectivity for photocatalytic hydrocarbonated compounds production. This study seems to do its bit towards “artificial photosynthesis” process

This diploma thesis is focused on employee benefits. At the beginning of the work there is shortly described history and importance of employee benefits. After that the work continues with motivation, rewarding and basic concepts of labour relations. There is also described difference between profit and non-profit sector. At the end of theoretical part of the work are described employee benefits and ways of dividing in detail. Emphasised is mainly tax advantages for employees and employers. In practical part of the work are evaluated results of own survey. The survey deals with employee benefits and its importance for them as well as with comparison of profit and not-profit sector in terms of employee benefits and how much are they provided. The survey confirms hypothesis, that in no-profit sector are provided less benefits than in profit sector and that the most important part of rewarding are considered wages by employees.

This thessis is focused on the problems of taxation of banking activities in the wider context. In the first chapter, there is dedicated space to selected provisions of the Law on Income Tax, including tax analysis of derivates. The next chapter contains analysis banking activities from the perspective of Law on Value Added Tax. In the last part of this thesis there is analyzed in detail the newly prepared bank tax. The goal is to acquaint readers with the most important provisions of selected tax laws and bring them application to specific examples.

L’estimation quantitative des précipitations à l’échelle locale est une nécessité sociétale, à cause de l’augmentation des dégâts provoqués par des inondations exacerbées par l’urbanisation croissante. Or, des estimations locales sont particulièrement difficiles à réaliser à cause de la forte variabilité des précipitations. De plus, ce genre d’estimation est sollicité par de petits organismes tels qu’une commune, pour lesquels il n’est pas envisageable d’utiliser des instruments à la pointe de la recherche technologique à cause de leur coût prohibitif. Ainsi, il est nécessaire de développer des méthodes d’estimation quantitative des précipitations applicables à un dispositif expérimental de prix abordable. Dans ce but, un dispositif expérimental innovant est utilisé dans cette thèse. Il est constitué d’instruments de mesure directe, au sol, tels que des pluviomètres et des disdromètres, et d’un prototype de radar à balayage horizontal basé sur un radar nautique commercial, associé à un MRR (Micro Rain Radar) à visée verticale qui fournissent une estimation en altitude de la pluie, respectivement sur une surface donnée et le long d’un profil vertical. Le radar à balayage horizontal est un radar en bande X, c’est-à-dire qu’il fonctionne à une longueur d’onde lui procurant une très haute résolution radiale, mais qui est très atténuée par les précipitations. Le MRR permet d’obtenir une description précise de la microphysique des précipitations et sert de relais entre les mesures au sol et les mesures en altitude du radar en bande X. Ces deux radars étant novateurs, une grande partie de cette thèse consiste à valider leurs mesures : étalonnage, filtrage d’échos aberrants, correction de l’atténuation, etc. Une fois les mesures rendues exploitables, cette thèse se focalise sur l’étude de la variabilité des précipitations afin de proposer et développer différentes méthodes de classification, selon leur type ou leur variations locales, et de vérifier leur potentiel pour l’amélioration de l’estimation des précipitations. Les résultats montrent que cet objectif ne peut être atteint que si la qualité des mesures des radars est encore améliorée : moins d’échos parasites pour le radar en bande X et prise en compte du vent vertical pour le MRR. / Due to the increase of damage associated with floods enhanced by expanding urbanisation, the quantitative estimation of precipitation on a local scale is a societal need. However, such estimations are difficult because of the high variability of precipitation. Moreover, these estimations are requested by small organisations such as local authorities which cannot afford top level research instruments. Hence, new methods of estimation applicable to a cheap experimental set are needed. Toward this goal, an innovative experimental set is used in this work. It consists of ground instruments such as raingauges and disdrometers, and two radars, a prototype of a scanning radar based on a modified marine radar and a vertically pointing MRR (Micro Rain Radar), which give estimation of rain aloft, over an area and along a profile, respectively. The scanning radar works at X-band, meaning that it uses a longwave very attenuated by precipitation, but which provides a high range resolution. The MRR yields a detailed description of microphysics of precipitation and fills the gap between ground measurements and X-band radar measurements aloft. As both these radars are innovative, a large part of this PhD thesis was spent on the measurements validation : radar calibration, abnormal echoes filtering, attenuation consideration, etc. Using these corrected measurements, this PhD focus then on the study of the variability of precipitation, and aims to propose and develop several classification methods based on precipitation type or local variability, and to check their potential for the improvement of precipitation estimation. Results show that this goal can be reached only if the radar measurements quality is further improved : less interference echoes for the X-band radar, and consideration of vertical wind for the MRR.

The Master's thesis is concerned with optimizing the tax costs and tax expenditures of sole proprietor or legal entity businesses. Main objective of this thesis is to introduce the tax cost and tax expenditures, which can be optimized, as widely as possible and to analyze the most important methods of tax optimalization relevant to most business entities. To achieve this objective the thesis is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part is focused on a definition of tax, tax system of the Czech republic including more detailed descriptions of income taxes and value added tax, effects of taxation on an enterprise and reasons for tax optimalization related to it and last but not least the thin line between tax avoidance and tax evasion. The practical part introduces through verbal description and practical examples the most important methods of tax optimalization relevant to most business entities, i.e. income tax and value added tax. Finally the thesis deals with international tax planning and methods of cash flow management connected with tax administration.

The thesis concerns the income taxation of statutory bodies and their members of the companies in respect of performng responsibilities in a commercial-law relationship. The aim of this thesis is to compare the taxation of statutory bodies in different companies. The majority of the thesis focuses on statutory bodies and their members in the Czech Republic and the remainder on statutory bodies of companies in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Canada, the USA and Australia.

This diploma work focuses on value added tax in connection with accounting. Work is divided into two parts. The first one describes the development of the value added tax from the previous sales tax till the present form in the Czechoslovakian and in the Czech Republic. The work includes the proces of development of VAT in European Union as well. The second part is focused on differences which can appear between the tax base in VAT declaration and the revenues in accounting. There are described four main parts when can be higher/lower amount of tax base than the amount of revenues in accounting: time discrepancy, chargeable event which isn't the subject of VAT but is revenue, chargeable event which is the subject of VAT but isn't revenue and cases when there is different amount between the tax base and the revenue. Actual problems of reverse charge aplication for domestic transactions and the unreliable payer which follow from the proces of harmonization of VAT in EU are subscribed in these parts. There is the mention of the proces of development of VAT in Slovak republic at the end of the second part.