The aim of this thesis is catch a comprehensive procedure of the Czech republic during the defense of national interests in proceedings before the Court of Justice of the EU. First the thesis characterizes methods of the Agent during his representation of the Czech republic before institutions of the EU. After that the thesis characterizes the most important institution for the thesis, the Court of Justice of the EU. In thesis reader can read about the most important references for a preliminary ruling, that the Czech republic took part in. The second largest chapter deals with Infrigement proceedings. The thesis ends with summary of others proceedings.

The aim of the submitted thesis „Application of financial analysis in a company“ is to perform financial analysis of a enterprise IMOS Brno, a.s. from 2001 to 2007 and to make suggestions for improvement of company financial position. Results of this master´s thesis will give information for a company management and its decision-making process.

The financial situation and financial economy could be controlled by a whole range of indicators in the time progress and context so that the evaluation of the situation may reflect the whole economic state of the company and enable to point out causes of the actual situation. If the company shall be economically succesful, the financial planning and analysis has to be a part of the complex of the company´s financial management, because it provides a feedback between the expected effect of managing decisions and present. This diploma work is focused on detection of weak and strong characteristics of the company. All datas used in analysis are taken from the public sources and internal company documentation. The point of my diploma thesis was to present a financial analysis containing my theoretical experience, which I gained during my study at the VUT.Brno.

This diploma work considers financial strategy of a company on financial analysis basis. Financial analysis evaluates past, present and expected future of the financial economy of the company. On the basis of these issues solutions for an improvement of the financial situation of the company as whole are suggested as well as in specific investment project.

Tato disertační práce se zabývá analýzou, simulací a měřením zpracování a přenosu signálů digitální televize pro příjem mobilního TV vysílání ve standardech DVB-H a DVB-SH. Tyto standardy vycházejí z předpokladu, že příjem signálu je charakterizován modely přenosových kanálů s vícecestným šířením. Tyto, tzv. únikové kanály, jsou charakterizovány hlavně zpožděním a ziskem jednotlivých cest. V závislosti na dalších parametrech (rychlost přijímače, Dopplerovské spektrum), je možné rozdělit únikové kanály do třech hlavních skupin: mobilní, přenosné a fixní. Dá se předpokládat, že v různých modelech kanálů bude přenášený signál různě ovlivněn. Proto je potřebné najít optimální parametry systémů (DVB-H/SH) pro kvalitní příjem vysílaných služeb mobilní televize, což je hlavním cílem této disertační práci. Pro tento účel byly vytvořeny dvě vhodné aplikace (jedna pro DVB-H a jedna pro DVB-SH) s GUI v prostředí MATLAB, které umožňují simulovat a analyzovat míru zkreslení signálu v případě mobilních, přenosných a fixních scénářů přenosu. Navíc, tyto aplikace obsahují i druhý samostatný simulátor pro nastavení a modifikaci parametrů jednotlivých přenosových cest. Díky tomu je možné zhodnotit vliv parametrů celého systému a kanálových modelů na dosaženou chybovost (BER a MER) a kvalitu přenosu. Ve všech přenosových scénářích (v závislosti na poměru C/N) byly získané, vyhodnocené a diskutované zkreslení signálů. Navíc, u standardu DVB-H, všechny získané výsledky ze simulací byly ověřeny měřením. Rozdíly mezi dosaženými výsledky (simulace a měření) byly rovněž podrobeny diskuzi. Tuto disertační práci je možné rozdělit do čtyř hlavních částí. První část disertační práce se zabývá rešerší současného vývoje v oblasti digitálního televizního vysílání na mobilní terminály ve standardech DVB-H/SH. Na konci této části jsou jasně popsány cíle této disertační práce. Druhá část práce je zaměřená na stručný popis blokového diagramu vysílačů v obou standardech DVB-H/SH. Dále jsou stručně popsány modely přenosových kanálů, které se používají pro modelování přenosu signálu. Stručný popis vytvořených aplikací, i s vývojovým diagramem, které jsou vhodné pro simulaci a analýzu přenosu v DVB-H/SH, jsou popsány v třetí části práce. Čtvrtá a nejdelší část této disertační práce se zabývá vyhodnocením získaných výsledků ze simulací a měření.

Psychologist and bariatric tretment of obesity PhDr.Jitka Herlesová Tutor: PhDr.Tamara Hrachovinová, CSc. Abstract The aim of the dissertation thesis is to map psychosocial characteristics associated with obesity and their changes after bariatric surgery. The Empirical part follows the points settled in the Theoretical part. Obesity is a disease, whose prevalence rises. Bariatric and metabolic surgery is one of the most effective treatment of obesity and its comorbidities. The mental diseases are associated with high levels of obesity. The standard part of pre-bariatric examination is the psychological assessment. Several changes accompany the weight loss after bariatric surgery, such as normalization of psychosocial functioning, the decrease of mental disorders but in some cases the changes might be also negative. The Empirical part focuses on the psychosocial characteristics of bariatric surgery candidates assessed during the psychological evaluation and the changes after operation. The data from semi-structured psychological interview, Three factor eating questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Obesity Weight Loss Quality of Life and Weight Related Symptom Measure were evaluated. The changes after surgery were assessed after 6, 12 and 24 months. Statistically significant differences were ascertained...

The general aim of this research is to report on the evolution of the interpersonal relationships of young girls during the period of association with a street gang. This general objective is broken down into four specific objectives which consist of (1) establishing a portrait of the different relations that young girls have with those around them before they come into contact with a gang; (2) monitor the evolution of the interpersonal relationships maintained by young girls with those around them from the time of their first contact with a gang until the gang's association ceases, if applicable; (3) explore the relationship between the meaning of these relationships and the involvement of young girls in the gang; (4) develop avenues aimed at supporting intervention with young girls who are or have been in contact with a street gang. It is from the telling of a dozen young girls who have been in contact directly or indirectly with the universe of street gangs that these objectives were pursued. From their account, it emerges mainly data concerning the evolution of family, friendship, school relations during the pre-gang period, the personality of the young girls as they themselves describe it, the experience of the street gangs from the beginning to exit, if applicable, and, through this period, changing relationships with family, peers, male and female gang members, and interveners significant to them. These findings, which emerged from the testimonies collected, provide insight into the interventions to be promoted with young girls likely to be attracted to street gangs in order to prevent their affiliation with gangs or, where applicable, to encourage their way out. It is about targeting the needs met by gang affiliation and then attempting to respond to them in a more positive and prosocial manner. To do this, it may be appropriate to focus on interests and relationships dating from the pre-gang period, for the importance they take in the decision to cease contact with gangs such as the one that may have contributed to directing the girls there. If the young girl had grown up in a strong and present environment, affiliation could meet a need for experimenting or distancing frequently observed in adolescence. An attitude of understanding, without judgment, would in this case be the key to any questioning of young girls. The quality of the relationships maintained with those around them - family members, friends, or significant interveners - occupies, as we have seen, a large place in the questioning of young girls. It therefore seems useful to work above all to maintain or restore these relationships. For those who did not already have a strong network before they joined gangs, it is a question of helping them build a network of prosocial support that allows them to reduce the fear of the emptiness associated with exiting the gang. Faced with a young girl compensating for her relationship gaps by joining a gang, it is a question of offering open-mindedness support, of avoiding the guilt that can lead young girls to close themselves off and screw up the family or therapeutic relationship, and work on their ambivalence by bringing them to see the negative consequences of their new relationships on their present and their future. / L’objectif général de ce mémoire consiste à rendre compte de l’évolution des relations interpersonnelles des jeunes filles durant la période de fréquentation d’un gang de rue. Cet objectif général se découpe en quatre objectifs spécifiques qui consistent à 1) établir le portrait des différentes relations qu’entretiennent les jeunes filles avec leur entourage avant qu’elles n’entrent en contact avec un gang ; 2) suivre l’évolution des relations interpersonnelles entretenues par les jeunes filles avec leur entourage à partir du moment où se produit leur premier contact avec un gang jusqu’à ce que la fréquentation du gang cesse, le cas échéant ; 3) explorer la relation entre la signification que peuvent prendre ces relations et l’implication des jeunes filles dans le gang ; 4) développer des pistes visant à supporter l’intervention auprès de jeunes filles étant ou ayant été en contact avec un gang de rue. C’est à partir du témoignage d’une douzaine de jeunes filles ayant touché de près ou de loin à l’univers des gangs de rue que ces objectifs ont été poursuivis. De leur récit, il ressort principalement des données concernant l’évolution des relations familiales, amicales, scolaires durant la période pré-gang, la personnalité des jeunes filles telle qu’elles-mêmes la décrivent, l’expérience des gangs de rue du début de la fréquentation à la sortie, le cas échéant, et, à travers cette période, l’évolution des relations avec la famille, les pairs, les membres masculins et féminins du gang, et les intervenants significatifs pour elles. Ces constats, ressortis des témoignages livrés, permettent d’entrevoir les interventions à valoriser auprès des jeunes filles susceptibles d’être attirées par les gangs de rue pour prévenir leur affiliation aux gangs ou, le cas échéant, favoriser leur désistement. Il s’agit de cibler les besoins répondus par l’adhésion au gang pour, ensuite, tenter d’y répondre de manière plus positive et prosociale. Pour ce faire, il peut être propice de miser sur les intérêts et relations datant de la période pré-gang, pour l’importance qu’elles prennent dans la décision de cesser les contacts avec les membres du gang comme celle qui a pu contribuer à y diriger les filles. Dans le cas où la jeune fille aurait grandi dans un milieu solide et présent, l’affiliation pourrait répondre à un besoin d’expérimentation ou de distanciation fréquemment observé à l’adolescence. Une attitude de compréhension, exempte de jugement, serait dans ce cas la clef d’une remise en question éventuelle des jeunes filles. La qualité des relations maintenues avec l’entourage - membres de la famille, amis, ou intervenant significatif - occupe, on a pu le constater, une grande place dans les remises en question des jeunes filles. Il paraît dès lors utile de travailler avant tout au maintien ou au retour de ces relations. Pour celles qui n’avaient pas déjà un réseau solide avant leur fréquentation des gangs, il s’agit de les aider à se bâtir un réseau de soutien prosocial leur permettant de diminuer la crainte du vide associée à la sortie du gang. Face à une jeune fille compensant ses lacunes relationnelles par l’adhésion à un gang, il s’agit d’offrir un soutien marqué d’ouverture d’esprit, d’éviter la culpabilisation pouvant porter les jeunes filles à se refermer et à bousiller la relation familiale ou thérapeutique, et travailler l’ambivalence de celles-ci en les amenant à voir les conséquences négatives de leurs nouvelles relations sur leur présent et leur avenir.

Traffic safety has been considered one of the most important issues in the transportation field. Crashes have caused extensive human and economic losses. With the objective of reducing crash occurrence and alleviating crash injury severity, major efforts have been dedicated to reveal the hazardous factors that affect crash occurrence. With these consistent efforts, both fatalities and fatality rates from road traffic crashes in many countries have been steadily declining over the last ten years. Nevertheless, according to the World Health Organization, the world still lost 1.24 million lives from road traffic crashes in the year of 2013. And without action, traffic crashes on the roads network are predicted to result in deaths of around 1.9 million people, and up to 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries annually, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury by the year 2020. To meet the transportation needs, the use of expressways (toll roads) has risen dramatically in many countries in the past decade. In fact, freeways and expressways are considered an important part of any successful transportation system. These facilities carry the majority of daily trips on the transportation network. Although expressways offer high level of service, and are considered the safest among other types of roads, traditional toll collection systems may have both safety and operational challenges. The traditional toll plazas still experience many crashes, many of which are severe. Therefore, it becomes more important to evaluate the traffic safety impacts of using different tolling systems. The main focus of the research in this dissertation is to provide an up-to-date safety impact of using different toll collection systems, as well as providing safety guidelines for these facilities to promote safety and enhance mobility on expressways. In this study, an extensive data collection was conducted that included one hundred mainline toll plazas located on approximately 750 miles of expressways in Florida. Multiple sources of data available online maintained by Florida Department of Transportation were utilized to identify traffic, geometric and geographic characteristics of the locations as well as investigating and determination of the most complete and accurate data. Different methods of observational before-after and Cross-Sectional techniques were used to evaluate the safety effectiveness of applying different treatments on expressways. The Before-After method includes Naive Before-After, Before-After with Comparison Group, and Before-After with Empirical Bayesian. A set of Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) which predict crash frequency as a function of explanatory variables were developed at the aggregate level using crash data and the corresponding exposure and risk factors. Results of the aggregate traffic safety analysis can be used to identify the hazardous locations (hot spots) such as traditional toll plazas, and also to predict crash frequency for untreated sites in the after period in the Before-After with EB method or derive Crash Modification Factors (CMF) for the treatment using the Cross-Sectional method. This type of analysis is usually used to improve geometric characteristics and mainly focus on discovering the risk factors that are related to the total crash frequency, specific crash type, and/or different crash severity levels. Both simple SPFs (with traffic volume only as an explanatory variable) and full SPFs (with traffic volume and additional explanatory variable(s)) were used to estimate the CMFs and only CMFs with lower standard error were recommended. The results of this study proved that safety effectiveness was significantly improved across all locations that were upgraded from Traditional Mainline Toll Plazas (TMTP) to the Hybrid Mainline Toll Plazas (HMTP) system. This treatment significantly reduced total, Fatal-and-Injury (F+I), and Rear-End crashes by 47, 46 and 65 percent, respectively. Moreover, this study examined the traffic safety impact of using different designs, and diverge-and-merge areas of the HMTP. This design combines either express Open Road Tolling (ORT) lanes on the mainline and separate traditional toll collection to the side (design-1), or traditional toll collection on the mainline and separate ORT lanes to the side (design-2). It was also proven that there is a significant difference between these designs, and there is an indication that design-1 is safer and the majority of crashes occurred at diverge-and-merge areas before and after these facilities. However, design-2 could be a good temporary design at locations that have low prepaid transponder (Electronic Toll Collection (ETC)) users. In other words, it is dependent upon the percentage of the ETC users. As this percentage increases, more traffic will need to diverge and merge; thus, this design becomes riskier. In addition, the results indicated significant relationships between the crash frequency and toll plaza types, annual average daily traffic, and drivers* age. The analysis showed that the conversion from TMTP to the All-Electronic Toll Collection (AETC) system resulted in an average reduction of 77, 76, and 67 percent for total, F+I, and Property Damage Only (PDO) crashes, respectively; for rear end and Lane Change Related (LCR) crashes the average reductions were 81 and 75 percent, respectively. The conversion from HMTP to AETC system enhanced traffic safety by reducing crashes by an average of 23, 29 and 19 percent for total, F+I, and PDO crashes; also, for rear end and LCR crashes, the average reductions were 15 and 21 percent, respectively. Based on these results, the use of AETC system changed toll plazas from the highest risk sections on Expressways to be similar to regular segments. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of AETC system was proven to be an excellent solution to several traffic operations as well as environmental and economic problems. For those agencies that cannot adopt the HMTP and the AETC systems, improving traffic safety at traditional toll plazas should take a priority. This study also evaluates the safety effectiveness of the implementation of High-Occupancy Toll lanes (HOT Lanes) as well as adding roadway lighting to expressways. The results showed that there were no significant impact of the implementation of HOT lanes on the roadway segment as a whole (HOT and Regular Lanes combined). But there was a significant difference between the regular lanes and the HOT lanes at the same roadway segment; the crash count increased at the regular lanes and decreased at the HOT lanes. It was found that the total and F+I crashes were reduced at the HOT lanes by an average of 25 and 45 percent, respectively. This may be attributable to the fact that the HOT lanes became a highway within a highway. Moreover adding roadway lighting has significantly improved traffic safety on the expressways by reducing the night crashes by approximately 35 percent. Overall, the proposed analyses of the safety effectiveness of using different toll collection systems are useful in providing expressway authorities with detailed information on where countermeasures must be implemented. This study provided for the first time an up-to-date safety impact of using different toll collection systems, also developed safety guidelines for these systems which would be useful for practitioners and roadway users.

<p dir="ltr">To examine how forest management affects terrestrial salamanders, this dissertation: (1) examines the effects of timber harvesting strategies on salamanders; (2) examines the effects of prescribed fire for oak regeneration on salamander populations; and (3) explores the influence of artificial cover object (ACO) wood type, size and shape, and placement on salamander monitoring results. These projects were conducted at the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) and Martell Experimental Forest in Indiana. Long-term salamander monitoring data from the HEE were used to examine the effects of clearcuts, shelterwoods, and patch cuts on salamander captures collected up to eleven years post-harvest and were analyzed with a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. Clearcuts and patch cuts had negative effects on salamanders 4-6 years post-harvest, which coincided with a drought; however, preparatory and establishment shelterwood harvests showed no effects on salamander captures, suggesting that retaining canopy cover may protect salamanders from compound disturbances such as drought. Also at the HEE, capture-recapture techniques were used to examine salamander population estimates before and after fire. Only two of three fires affected salamander populations. In the short term, prescribed fire effects on salamanders may be weak and intermittent and microclimate may have a greater effect on populations, although the longer-term effects of fire remain unknown. At Martell Experimental Forest, salamander numbers were compared beneath ACOs of different wood types, sizes and shapes, and grid arrays of different spacings. Pine ACOs were preferred over ash, while several small ACOs yielded equal salamander numbers to one large ACO of equal total area. High ACO density may increase capture probability but reduce the area sampled by each ACO, while lower density ACO grids may cover a larger area with the same sampling effort and produce more comparable results, but with less precision; choice of ACO experimental design will therefore require careful consideration of management goals. This dissertation also suggests strategies to support salamander populations as guidelines for managers to consider in management planning.</p>

This project had two primary goals: (1) to explore opportunities to further a deep-ocean vehicle’s reach using alternative pressure spheres, and (2) to implement an existing deep-ocean vehicle (lander) in active scientific research. I gained a greater understanding of the limitations and design choices made for existing pressure spheres using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). My simplified FEA model predicted sphere failure for the existing 30% Fiber Glass 70% Nylon injection molded spheres at an external pressure of 3,954psi or 2,690m ocean-depth (only a 7.38% error compared to the tested minimum failure depth), so I determined it a valid model. I also explored alternative designs and materials that could be used for pressure spheres in deep-sea applications. Existing pressure sphere models filled with an incompressible fluid failed at 12,670psi or 8,621m ocean-depth - over three times the depth of the same sphere filled with air. Next, I varied the sphere thickness of existing spheres to determine its impact on depth rating. While the increased thickness did provide an increase in depth rating, there were diminishing returns as the sphere was made thicker. I deemed both of these design options infeasible for our application. To consider the use of laminated composite spheres, the addition of an equatorial ring was required to manufacture O-ring seals safely and reliably. A simple cylindrical equatorial ring model using a stainless-steel ring had a predicted failure at 3,017psi or 2,053m ocean-depth. While this model predicted failure at 637m shallower than the sphere without the ring, it was the only ring material tested to reach the rated depth for the existing pressure spheres (2km), so I concluded stainless-steel is the best ring material. A spherical stainless-steel equatorial ring design was then analyzed which predicted failure at 3,915psi or 2,664m ocean-depth – only 8.3% less than the original sphere with no ring. Because of its successful performance and near identical results to the original model, I determined a stainless-steel spherical equatorial ring is the best option for laminated composite sphere sealing. Finally, I analyzed three different kinds of laminated composite pressure spheres: two carbon fiber and one fiber glass. Each laminate was designed to be quasi-isotropic and as close to 0.8” thick as possible to keep it consistent with the original sphere design. The sphere made of 584 Carbon Fiber with a lay-up of: [[-45/45/0/90]6]s was found to predict failure at 10,000psi or 6,804m ocean-depth, more than 2.5 times that of the original sphere. Next, a model made of 282 Carbon Fiber with a lay-up of: [[-45/45/0/90]11]s predicted failure at 9,242psi or 6,289m ocean-depth – more than 2.3 times as deep as the original pressure spheres. Lastly, a sphere of 7781 Fiber Glass with a lay-up of: [[-45/45/0/90]11]s predicted failure at 6,630psi or 4,511m ocean-depth – about two-thirds the depth of the 584 Carbon Fiber composite, but more than 1.6 times the depth of the original sphere. While real-life applications of these materials would include design modifications and manufacturing imperfections which would lower their maximum depth rating, these results are highly encouraging and show that all three materials could be viable options for future production. Additionally, through partnership with Dr. Crow White and his marine science undergraduate students, I completed numerous deployments for a Before and After Controlled Impact (BACI) study on the area of the proposed windfarm off the coast of Morro Bay, CA. Many modifications were made to the existing lander which enabled it to successfully be implemented in these studies including a new bait containment unit, light color filters, a GPS tracking device, and a large vessel recovery device. A total of 5 pier deployments and 3 boat deployments were conducted by my team over the course of 6-months. Planning for these deployments included accounting for budgeting, weather, permitting, and multi-organizational logistics while working with both NOAA and the Cal Poly marine operations staff.