In the development of digital communication and information theory, every channel decoding rule has resulted in a revolution at the time when it was invented. In the area of information theory, early channel coding theorems were established mainly by maximum likelihood decoding, while the arrival of typical sequence decoding signaled the era of multi-user information theory, in which achievability proof became simple and intuitive. Practical channel code design, on the other hand, was based on minimum distance decoding at the early stage. The invention of belief propagation decoding with soft input and soft output, leading to the birth of turbo codes and low-density-parity check (LDPC) codes which are indispensable coding techniques in current communication systems, changed the whole research area so dramatically that people started to use the term "modern coding theory'' to refer to the research based on this decoding rule. In this thesis, we propose a new decoding rule, dubbed jar decoding, which would be expected to bring some new thoughts to both the code performance analysis and the code design. Given any channel with input alphabet X and output alphabet Y, jar decoding rule can be simply expressed as follows: upon receiving the channel output y^n ∈ Y^n, the decoder first forms a set (called a jar) of sequences x^n ∈ X^n considered to be close to y^n and pick any codeword (if any) inside this jar as the decoding output. The way how the decoder forms the jar is defined independently with the actual channel code and even the channel statistics in certain cases. Under this jar decoding, various coding theorems are proved in this thesis. First of all, focusing on the word error probability, jar decoding is shown to be near optimal by the achievabilities proved via jar decoding and the converses proved via a proof technique, dubbed the outer mirror image of jar, which is also quite related to jar decoding. Then a Taylor-type expansion of optimal channel coding rate with finite block length is discovered by combining those achievability and converse theorems, and it is demonstrated that jar decoding is optimal up to the second order in this Taylor-type expansion. Flexibility of jar decoding is then illustrated by proving LDPC coding theorems via jar decoding, where the bit error probability is concerned. And finally, we consider a coding scenario, called interactive encoding and decoding, and show that jar decoding can be also used to prove coding theorems and guide the code design in the scenario of two-way communication.

This diploma thesis deals with current business environment of the Republic of South Africa which is examined by the PESTEL analysis. It is closely concerned with political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legislative environment of the RSA. This analysis is enriched by practical experience of some Czech entrepreneurs. Simultaneously, the thesis is engaged in business cooperation of this country with the Czech Republic. At the conclusion, possibilities of further extension of the cooperation between the CR and South Africans are identified.

This thesis deals with motives of the South Africa's inclusion to BRIC countries and examines the impact of this inclusion on South Africa. It explores the question whether South Africa "deserves" the inclusion to BRIC countries and what characteristics connect it with these economies. The thesis also analyzes the BRICS bloc, the current situation in these economies, their cooperation and performing on the global scene.

The primary objective of this work is to comprehensively evaluate the capacity of the BRICS to achieve its objectives by mutual cooperation, based on the confrontation of the declared aims of the group itself during its annual summits with real achievements. The secondary aim of the study is to estimate the direction in which the cooperation between the BRICS will be heading in the future and to define possible challenges threatening its success. The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part the author describes the genesis of the term "BRICS", and then continues by describing the essential characteristics of individual BRICS countries and their mutual similarities and differences. In the second, main part, the author evaluates the extent of fulfillment of individual goals set during the BRICS summits, taking place annually since 2009. The author evaluates seven selected key goals by analyzing the reasons for their implementation, proposed methods of implementation, the steps taken for their fulfillment, the effectiveness of these steps and the current status. Subsequently, in a similar manner author evaluates several sub-targets. In the third part, the author presents the expectations for the forthcoming BRICS summit, outlines possible directions that will be taken by BRICS in the future and identifies the weaknesses threatening their successful cooperation.

The aim of the master´s thesis is the topic of the treatability of surface water with the focus on the process of suspension formation. For this work I took water samples from five different places around the Brno Dam which has contended with water quality deterioration for a long period. With these water samples, the series of jar coagulation tests were done with the application of three different commonly used coagulants. In the theoretical part of the master´s thesis I deal with the composition and attributes of surface water and the technology of its treatment. Each process of treatment is briefly described here with the emphasis on the process of suspension formation. The experimental part of the master´s thesis summarizes and presents the results gained through the coagulation tests in the laboratory. I evaluate the influence of different parameters on final effectiveness of water treatment and I try to find an optimal amount of coagulant, pH and speed of fast or slow mixing. Finally I compare the suitability of each coagulant and the influence of the sampling site on the effectiveness of water treatment.

This diploma thesis is aimed at the evaluation of water treatment technology in Písty waterworks which treats raw water with high concentration of iron and manganese. The most common method of iron and manganese removal from raw water is based on oxidation to insoluble hydrated oxides followed by separation of formed aggregates. The plant technology consists of aeration, oxidation agent KMnO4 dosing and mixing, sedimentation, filtration and hygienic protection. Chemical analysis of treated water, evaluation of the aeration efficiency of iron and manganese oxidation, evaluation of the separation efficiency of the sedimentation tank and filters, assessment of distribution of iron and manganese in the filter, assessment of dirt holding capacity and optimization of KMnO4 dose were determined. Raw water pH fluctuated around 7,3 during measurements, whereas iron and manganese concentrations in raw water were 6,00 and 0,82 mg.l-1 , respectively. Oxidation of 97,2 % of dissolved iron and of 14,3 % of dissolved manganese was achieved after the aeration. The separation efficiency of the sedimentation tank was 82,9 % for iron and 46,5 % for manganese, however the separation efficiency of the second half of the sedimentation tank was low. Thus, the perforated baffles in the second half of the sedimentation...

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Abstract The removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) from water supplies is crucial for the provision of clean, safe drinking water. Lab-scale experiments have been extensively utilized in water treatment facilities to optimize this process. The most used lab-scale method is known as jar test. However, with emerging membrane filtration, lab-scale inline coagulation has been recently utilized to mimic the inline coagulation over membrane filtration in water treatment plants (WTPs).     This study aims to compare the jar test with inline coagulation micro pilot methods from different aspects, including the NOM removal, time, and cost needed for each process. Three case studies were conducted using different water sources in Sweden: Katrineholm, Mälaren, and Mjörn.     In the experiments conducted to find the optimal NOM removal condition, the inline coagulation micro pilot method outperforms the jar test in terms of removal efficiency. In the Katrineholm case, the micro pilot method with a coagulant dosage of 4.5mg/l Al at pH 6.7 achieved removal efficiencies of 63% for fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), whereas the jar test showed 60% for fDOM but with a significantly higher coagulant dosage (7mg/l) . In the Mälaren case, the micro pilot method using a dosage of 2.5mg/l Al at pH 6.4 yielded removal efficiencies of 62% for UV254, absorbing organic matter and the jar test showed almost the same removal (64%) for UV254 but with a significantly higher coagulant dosage. Finally, in the Mjörn case, the micro pilot method with a coagulant dosage of 3.5mg/l Al at a pH of 6.6 resulted in removal efficiencies of 76% for UV254, the jar test also resulted in 76% for UV254 at the same pH level.     While the micro pilot method showed better removal efficiencies, it consumed more chemicals compared to the jar test. The micro pilot experiments required higher volumes of coagulant and additional chemical backwashing after each set of experiments. In contrast, the jar test method used lesser quantities of coagulant and chemicals due to the smaller scale of the experiments.     The findings of this study highlight the superiority of the inline coagulation micro pilot method over the jar test for optimizing NOM removal in water treatment processes. Despite the jar test being quicker and more cost-effective, it often required higher coagulant dosages to achieve comparable results. This was mainly because jar test demands heavy and large enough flocs to be removed from the water. Conversely, the micro pilot method, although more time-consuming and costly, provided more precise coagulant dosage control, resulted in higher removal efficiencies, and offered a more comprehensive understanding of the coagulation process. This is achieved by using a sensor called EXO sensor, which allows for immediate monitoring of the treatment results.

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