Mgr. Pavlína Chaloupská, abstrakt disertační práce Abstract: The thesis analyzes activities of the most important German Alpine clubs operating in the Czech Lands and interwar Czechoslovakia since their establishment until 1938. The history of alpine clubs is explained, and the organization of DuÖAV (Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein, German and Austrian Alpine Association) is analysed, on the basis of general and specific introductory information related to the alpinism in the late 19th century. The thesis is divided according to geographical location of the constituent sections. For each section of DuÖAV, the circumstances of its establishment are monitored, the sphere of its activity is defined, the internal organization is described, and the economic functioning is analyzed. The activities of Alpine clubs in Bohemia and Alps are charted in detail, and based on the research it was discovered that the most important activity of the Alpine clubs was the construction of the Alpine huts, owned by German clubs from Bohemia. Among other activities there were organization of guiding and rescue operations, giving lectures, balls and excursions in their locality. Two chapters are devoted to the most important personalities of the German alpinism in the Czech lands: Johann Stüdl and Rudolf Kauschka.

The objective of this project was to design, construct and test a wall climbing vehicle which uses a novel vacuum tread system for both adhesion and locomotion. The design and manufacturing of this proof of concept vehicle is detailed with particular emphasis on the design decisions that proved most impactful to the performance of both the vehicle and the tread system. Adhesion performance was characterized by a series of tests that validate the concept, but also identify improvements and design recommendations for future embodiments of the adhesion/locomotion system.

Invasion by non-native species has had significant ecological and economic impacts on a global scale. In the state of Florida, Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) is an invasive plant listed by FLEPPC as a category one invader with significant ecological impacts that threaten native plant diversity. This species relies on existing vegetative structures for support to climb into the forest canopy and forms dense mats that cover tree crowns. This subsequently affects the resources available to other species present. Quantifying the structural changes due to the presence of this species has proved logistically difficult, especially on a large spatial scale. Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) technology is a form of remote sensing that measures the elevation of surfaces over a site. In this study I utilized LiDAR to calculate various forest structure metrics at Jonathan Dickinson State Park (JDSP) in Hobe Sound, Florida across various management frequencies and densities of Old World climbing fern. These data were used to quantify the degree to which this invasive species alters forest structure across these two gradients. I also recorded species composition in the field to relate how Old World climbing fern impacts native plant diversity. Structural measurements including average canopy height, height of median energy (HOME), rugosity, canopy openness, and vertical structural diversity (LHDI) were calculated for a total of three hundred 0.25ha sites stratified by invasion density and management frequency. Using a combination of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses I found that the presence of Old World Climbing fern altered the physical structure of the forest communities it invades. Higher percent cover of Old World climbing fern decreased structural diversity while increased management effort was found to mitigate those impacts. The management for Old World Climbing fern was also found to impact both species richness and diversity at JDSP. I also demonstrated that there were several species that were not found and others that were more common in the presence of Old World climbing fern and that there was a relationship between management and what species were present. The results show that both Old World climbing fern and the management practices used to control it have had significant ecological impacts on the natural communities in South Florida.

Pruning, the elimination of excess synapses is a phenomenon of fundamental importance for correct wiring of the central nervous system. The establishment of the cerebellar climbing fiber (CF)-to-Purkinje cell (PC) synapse provides a suitable model to study pruning and pruning-relevant processes during early postnatal development. Until now, the role of microglia in pruning remains under intense investigation. Here, we analyzed migration of microglia into the cerebellar cortex during early postnatal development and their possible contribution to the elimination of CF-to-PC synapses. Microglia enrich in the PC layer at pruning-relevant time points giving rise to the possibility that microglia are actively involved in synaptic pruning. We investigated the contribution of microglial fractalkine (CX3CR1) signaling during postnatal development using genetic ablation of the CX3CR1 receptor and an in-depth histological analysis of the cerebellar cortex. We found an aberrant migration of microglia into the granule and the molecular layer. By electrophysiological analysis, we show that defective fractalkine signaling and the associated migration deficits neither affect the pruning of excess CFs nor the development of functional parallel fiber and inhibitory synapses with PCs. These findings indicate that CX3CR1 signaling is not mandatory for correct cerebellar circuit formation. Main Points - Ablation of CX3CR1 results in a transient migration defect in cerebellar microglia. - CX3CR1 is not required for functional pruning of cerebellar climbing fibers. - Functional inhibitory and parallel fiber synapse development with Purkinje cells is undisturbed in CX3CR1-deficient mice.

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A novel exoskeleton robotic system was developed to assist stair climbing. This active demonstrator consists of a motor with a cable system, various sensors, and a control system with a power supply. The objective of this preliminary study is a biomechanical evaluation of the novel system to determine its effectiveness in use. For this purpose, three test persons were biomechan- ically investigated, who performed stair ascents and descents with and without the exoskeleton. Kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of the knee extensors were measured. The measured data were biomechanically simulated in order to evaluate the characteristics of joint angles, moments, and reaction forces. The results show that the new exoskeleton assists both the ascent and the descent according to the measured surface electromyography (sEMG) signals, as the knee extensors are relieved by an average of 19.3%. In addition, differences in the interaction between the test persons and the system were found. This could be due to a slightly different operation of the assisting force or to the different influence of the system on the kinematics of the users.

Generalized hill climbing (GHC) algorithms provide a framework for using local search algorithms to address intractable discrete optimization problems. Many well-known local search algorithms can be formulated as GHC algorithms, including simulated annealing, threshold accepting, Monte Carlo search, and pure local search (among others). This dissertation develops a mathematical framework for simultaneously addressing a set of related discrete optimization problems using GHC algorithms. The resulting algorithms, termed simultaneous generalized hill climbing (SGHC) algorithms, can be applied to a wide variety of sets of related discrete optimization problems. The SGHC algorithm probabilistically moves between these discrete optimization problems according to a problem generation probability function. This dissertation establishes that the problem generation probability function is a stochastic process that satisfies the Markov property. Therefore, given a SGHC algorithm, movement between these discrete optimization problems can be modeled as a Markov chain. Sufficient conditions that guarantee that this Markov chain has a uniform stationary probability distribution are presented. Moreover, sufficient conditions are obtained that guarantee that a SGHC algorithm will visit the globally optimal solution over all the problems in a set of related discrete optimization problems. Computational results are presented with SGHC algorithms for a set of traveling salesman problems. For comparison purposes, GHC algorithms are also applied individually to each traveling salesman problem. These computational results suggest that optimal/near optimal solutions can often be reached more quickly using a SGHC algorithm. / Ph. D.

Generalized hill climbing (GHC) algorithms provide a unifying framework for describing several discrete optimization problem local search heuristics, including simulated annealing and tabu search. A necessary and a sufficient convergence condition for GHC algorithms are presented. The convergence conditions presented in this dissertation are based upon a new iteration classification scheme for GHC algorithms. The convergence theory for particular formulations of GHC algorithms is presented and the implications discussed. Examples are provided to illustrate the relationship between the new convergence conditions and previously existing convergence conditions in the literature. The contributions of the necessary and the sufficient convergence conditions for GHC algorithms are discussed and future research endeavors are suggested. / Ph. D.