The adoption of formal environmental management systems (EMS) according to EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) represents a voluntary approach that aims to increase corporate environmental performance. Though EMAS can offer several advantages for organizations, registration numbers are falling. In the hospital sector, the dissemination of EMAS is low. The question arises as to what hinders hospitals when planning, implementing, and maintaining such voluntary environmental management initiatives. The results from interviews with environmental managers in EMAS registered hospitals reveal problems such as high initial effort for creation of the required documents, or lacking knowledge and staff awareness. The barriers are presented in a model synthesizing the problems chronologically on the organizational, group, and individual level. The challenges for the adoption of EMAS as a voluntary environmental management approach in hospitals are discussed. This paper contributes by creating an understanding of the barriers organizations might face when implementing an EMS. Thus, measures to actively manage and overcome barriers can be developed by organizations, consultants, reviewers, policy makers, and researchers.

Ce travail de thèse propose une méthodologie systématique d’évaluation et de comparaison des gains en émissions de CO2 de véhicules hybrides électriques de différentes architectures et intégrant différentes fonctionnalités. Une méthodologie de dimensionnement a été mise en place, elle se base sur la définition d’un cahier des charges en performances dynamiques des véhicules, la mise en place d’algorithmes de mise à l’échelle afin de générer les données des composants de la chaîne de traction (batterie, machine électrique, moteur thermique), et l’utilisation de procédures de dimensionnement du véhicule sous contrainte de minimisation des émissions de CO2. L’évaluation énergétique des différentes configurations de véhicule ainsi dimensionnées s’articule autour de la définition de différents usages du véhicule et sur l’implémentation d’une loi de gestion optimale de l’énergie de type Principe du Minimum de Pontriaguine. Ces méthodologies ont été appliquées à une architecture conventionnelle, servant de référence pour les performances dynamiques et les consommations énergétiques, et d’une architecture hybride parallèle pré-transmission, pour laquelle une configuration hybride rechargeable et une configuration hybride non rechargeable ont été implémentées. / This thesis work proposes a systematic methodology dedicated to the evaluation and comparison of CO2 emissions’ reduction for hybrid electric vehicles with different architectures and different levels of functionality. A sizing methodology has been developed, which is based on the definition of the requirements for the dynamic performances of vehicles, on the development of scaling algorithms in order to generate the dataset for the powertrain components (battery, electric motor, engine), and on the application of procedures for the sizing of a vehicle under CO2 emissions’ minimization constraint. The energy consumption evaluation of the different vehicle configurations, which were previously sized, is founded on the definition of a variety of vehicle’s type of use, as well as on the implementation of an optimal energy management strategy, the Pontryaguin’s Minimum Principle. These methodologies have been applied to a conventional vehicle architecture, which has been used as a reference for dynamic performances and energy consumption, and to a hybrid parallel pre-transmission architecture, which has been defined in two configurations, a plug-in hybrid and a non plug-in full-hybrid.

Impacts of global climate changes in the form of repeated natural disasters are becoming a part of the day-to-day life of the present-day society. The issue of preparedness for extraordinary and crisis situations is becoming more and more topical. The Czech Republic is no exception; it regularly faces heavy rains, floods or snow. The key prerequisite for successful management of these emergencies is an effective prevention and preparedness in the form of crisis plans or crisis preparedness plans. The objective of my thesis is to find out whether Emergency Medical Service of Zlín Region is sufficiently prepared for the occurrence of emergencies and to propose solutions if shortcomings are identified. The Emergency Medical Service of Zlín Region constitutes a basic component part of the Integrated Rescue System of Zlín Region. As a provider of emergency medical services, it is included in the Crisis Plan of Zlín Region. Capacity for action and the activities of the Emergency Medical Service of Zlín Region have to be ensured not only in day-to-day operation, but also if an emergency occurs and continues. The theoretical part of my thesis provides a general overview of emergency and crisis planning, competencies of administrative authorities with respect to emergency medical services in case of an emergency situation announcement, traumatology plan and pandemic plan. This chapter includes also characterization of the legal entity of Emergency Medical Service of Zlín Region and description of special antropogenic and natural threats. The theoretical part is followed by qualitative research, which involves in particular a detailed study of available professional resources in printed and electronic form, especially crisis and emergency planning documents of Zlín Region and internal documents of Emergency Medical Service of Zlín Region. The practical part of the thesis contains an analysis of external and internal threats at respective ambulance stations of Emergency Medical Service of Zlín Region. The external risks analysis is based on the Crisis Plan of Zlín Region and Emergency Plan of Zlín Region, while the internal risks analysis is based on an expert estimate of potential risks at respective ambulance stations of EMS ZR. I assigned the potential impact on the activity of EMS ZK to each identified risk in the risk analysis. The outputs from the analysis became the main source for the preparation of the crisis preparedness plan. The analysis of external risks confirmed that agility and EMS ZK activities may disrupt in particular the following threats: natural flood (ambulance station in Zlín Peroutkovo nábřeží, Uherské Hradiště, Vsetín), special flood (ambulance station in Zlín - Peroutkovo nábřeží, Karolinka, Vsetín), risks arising from climatic conditions (especially heavy snow in Wallachia), disruption of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies (secondary consequence of the crisis) and electricity cuts (especially ambulance stations that do not dispose of emergency power unit). The thesis result is a proposal of Crisis Preparedness Plan of Medical Emergency Service of Zlín Region. A legal entity or an individual who secures the performance of measures resulting from the regional crisis plan is responsible for the preparation of the crisis preparedness plan. The particulars and manner of preparation of the crisis preparedness plan are described in detail in the Government Decree No. 462/2000 Coll., which implements the provisions of Sec. 27(8) and Sec. 28(5) of Act No. 240/2000 Coll., on Emergency Management and Amendment to Some Acts. When drafting the plan I proceeded according to valid legislation. This plan is an internal document of the legal entity to solve the challenges of security in crisis situations.

La recherche de variations d’activités enzymatiques associées à des phénotypes chez la tomate (Solanum Lycopersicum) a permis d’apporter de nouveaux éléments pour l’étude desrelations existantes entre le métabolisme central et la qualité du fruit. Ce projet qui engageaitune nouvelle thématique au sein de l’unité Biologie et Pathologie de Fruit (UMR 1332, INRABORDEAUX) a permis dans un premier temps de développer une plateforme d’enzymologieà haut débit. Cette structure permet d’une part de réaliser plus de 10 000 déterminationsd’activités enzymatiques par jour avec une très grande reproductibilité et d’autre part dedéterminer les constantes de Michaelis (Km) apparentes pour jusqu’à une dizaine d’enzymespar jour.Dans un deuxième temps ce projet s’est attaché à étudier les relations existantes entre lesenzymes de la voie de la glycolyse chez le cultivar de tomate MicroTom. Nous y avonsrelevé l’existence de corrélations fortes entre les activités de ces enzymes. Nous avonségalement mis à jour l’existence de corrélations pour les enzymes mesurées à partir de deuxétages foliaires distincts ce qui suggère que les réseaux enzymatiques sont conservés ausein d’une plante.Dans un troisième temps, le criblage d’une collection de mutants de tomate MicroTom a étéentrepris. Ce criblage de plus de 150 familles (soit environ 1800 plantes) sur la base desactivités enzymatique de onze enzymes du métabolisme central à deux concentrations desubstrats différentes (saturante et non saturante) a abouti à l’identification de deux familles.Ces deux familles porteraient chacune une mutation affectant les caractéristiques cinétiquesde la Triose-Phosphate Isomérase. Ces mutations étaient toujours en cours d’étude à la finde ce projet. Ces résultats ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives pour la compréhension desrelations entre les enzymes du métabolisme central. Ils permettent aussi d’apporter desméthodes d’identification rapide de mutants enzymatiques au sein d’une large population. / Research on enzymatic variations associate with phenotypes in tomato (SolanumLycopersicun) provided new and original input regarding links between central metabolismand fruit quality. This project took part in a new topic of the Fruit Biology and Pathology Unit(UMR 1332, INRA BORDEAUX). First, during this project, a new high-throughputenzymology platform was created. This unique lab offers possibility to determine both morethan 10 000 enzyme activities per day with a very good reliability and apparent Michealisconstant (Km) for up to ten enzymes per day.Second, this project investigated existent relationship between glycolytic enzymes inMicroTom tomato cultivar. We highlighted strong correlations between enzymes in leaves.We also uncovered correlations between enzymes activities measured in two distinct foliarlevels. These elements suggest inheritability of the enzymes network within the plant.Third, the screen of an Ethylmethyl Sulfonate (EMS) MicroTom mutant’s collection wasinitiated. 150 families (around 1800 plants) were screened for eleven enzymes with twodifferent substrate concentrations. At the end of the process, two families were identified;both could have mutation(s) that affect(s) the kinetic characteristic of Triose-Phosphateisomerase. These mutations were style investigated at the end of this project. These originalresults provide new perspectives for knowledge of relationship between central metabolism’senzymes. Finally, This project proposes new and rapid enzymatic mutant identification withina large population as an EMS mutant’s collection.

Environmental management is one of the voluntary tools for environmental policy, which provides instructions to organizations, how they can coordinate their products, activities and services to minimize their negative environmental impacts. This work describes and compares two basic approaches for environmental management system (EMS) implementation - ISO 14001 Standard and EMAS II Regulation in terms of requirements for an organization. Attention is paid to advantages and disadvantages of EMS implementation in an organization too. In analytical part of this work, environmental management is analyzed in light of a number of certified and certifying organizations, after that follows cost-benefit analysis of EMS focused on organizations and SWOT analysis. The goal of this work is to find out on the basis of the results of these analyses, whether environmental management system implementation is a competitive advantage of an organization, or not.

The adoption of formal environmental management systems (EMS) according to EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) represents a voluntary approach that aims to increase corporate environmental performance. Though EMAS can offer several advantages for organizations, registration numbers are falling. In the hospital sector, the dissemination of EMAS is low. The question arises as to what hinders hospitals when planning, implementing, and maintaining such voluntary environmental management initiatives. The results from interviews with environmental managers in EMAS registered hospitals reveal problems such as high initial effort for creation of the required documents, or lacking knowledge and staff awareness. The barriers are presented in a model synthesizing the problems chronologically on the organizational, group, and individual level. The challenges for the adoption of EMAS as a voluntary environmental management approach in hospitals are discussed. This paper contributes by creating an understanding of the barriers organizations might face when implementing an EMS. Thus, measures to actively manage and overcome barriers can be developed by organizations, consultants, reviewers, policy makers, and researchers.

Master’s thesis includes proposal for optimization of process in preparing integrated management system implementation in small construction company, which is related to prosperity of company. Solution coming-out from global and detailed analyses processes at company. Optimized processes will serve as basis for documentation of integrated management system, which means manual, directions process realization of product and consequently at implementation of integrated management system.

The subject of this dissertation thesis is „Savings in material flows in connection with EMS in production companies“. The topic of this dissertation thesis is the saving in material flows in connection with EMS in production companies. Sound ecological management in industrial companies is important due to the fact it enhances environment protection and provides the companies concerned with competitive advantage. In many cases it provides for better organization of labor and decrease of wastage and allows for other preventive measures. The aim of this paper is to study the relation between the economical and environmental protection interests of companies operating in selected business sector, the paper examines whether environment protection activities practiced by the companies provide also economical benefit for them. The paper uses literature to analyze relations between EMS, logistics and areas in which savings can be found thus contributing to better results in the fields of environment protection and economy. The gained information together with conducted empirical research is the base used in order to determine the area in which savings could be found. Emphasis is laid on material flows which are studied in selected company active in the field of automotive industry. The analysis is based on the current organizational structure and logistic chain, the analyses focuses mainly on warehousing activities. In the studied company there is charted disconnection point which is located in the reception area in the warehouse. Narrow place was found in the dispatch area of the warehouse, the results of the analyses are the base to be used to express the amount of possible savings. Within the process evaluation, measurements and analysis of working time for each shift have been conducted, since the working load of the concerned shifts presents a risk factor from the perspective of ensuring the in time delivery of materials to the production. Proposal to improve the process is based on the synthesis of acquired facts, it allows for better utilization of working time of warehouse employees and provides extra space for manipulation with materials. When there is extra working load to be handled (extra order from customer) it also provides for the elimination of unnecessary or extra actions connected with operations. The application of the improvement proposal will abolish one of the reasons for non operation time in production, which leads to savings in energy consumption and decreases the amount of emissions. In the final part of the dissertation thesis a summary of solutions to the encountered problems is presented and the possible contribution of this thesis to theory and praxis is described.

Master of Science / Genetics Interdepartmental Program / Bikram S. Gill / TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes) is a high-throughput, reverse genetics strategy for scanning mutagenized populations for point mutations in loci of interest. Originally, TILLING was used to investigate gene function in Arabidopsis and has since been similarly applied for gene functional analysis in other organisms. TILLING also allows the generation of novel genetic variation in specific genotypes and, thus, has been implemented as a tool for crop improvement. Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) is a widely used mutagen to induce point mutations in most TILLING protocols. M1 plants are then self-pollinated and M2 seed harvested. A single seed is grown from each M2 progeny and tissue taken for DNA isolation. M3 seed is cataloged. DNA is pooled to increase the efficiency and aid in mutation detection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to amplify a locus of interest using the M2 DNA pools as a template. The PCR products are digested with an endonuclease that cleaves mismatched, mutant DNA, and the digested products are visualized. The pools for which PCR products are positive for a mutation are deconvoluted to determine which individual plant of the pool was responsible for the mutation. DNA from the positive individual is sequenced to determine the type of mutation (missense, nonsense, synonymous). Individuals with mutations that are more likely to disrupt gene function (nonsense and certain missense) are studied further by growing the corresponding M3 generation. In bread wheat, Triticum aestivum, TILLING is complicated by polyploidy: genes that have homoeologs require that the functionality of each be studied. If functional homoeologs are present for all three genomes, mutants must be identified for each homoeolog, followed by successive intercrossing to produce a triple mutant plant. As a model for wheat genetics, we propose TILLING in diploid wheat. EMS mutant populations were created in diploid wheat (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum) and the hexaploid bread wheat cultivar ‘Jagger’. The diploid and hexaploid wheat populations were screened for mutations at the waxy locus, GBSS1, as a validation of our population and for comparative analysis of mutation rates in 2x and 6x wheat. For diploid wheat, GBSSI was screened in 716 M2 plants, and one mutant was found for 1.9 Mb screened. 3 For hexaploid wheat, GBSSI was screened in 518 M2 plants, and 30 mutants were identified within a total of 657 Kb screened, giving a mutation frequency of one mutation per 22 Kb. The reasons for this vast difference in mutation frequency between diploid and hexaploid wheat are discussed. The diploid wheat population was further examined by screening for mutations within four lignin biosynthesis candidate genes, for a total of 2 Mb screened. A single mutant was discovered for both of the lignin genes PAL6 and HCT, giving a mutation frequency of one mutation per 1 Mb screened.

<p>Sorghum [<i>Sorghum bicolor</i> (L.) Moench] is a staple food for millions of people in Africa and South Asia. It is mainly consumed for its starch. The starch composition and structure in the seed endosperm determines cooking properties, processing quality, and starch digestibility. </p> <p>An assay to measure the alkali spreading value (ASV) of sorghum is described. The assay was used to identify sorghum EMS mutants with variation in starch composition. The ASV mutants (ASV+) exhibited a range of starch thermal properties with starch gelatinization temperatures (GT) being lower or higher than samples from Tx623 or Sepon82. The ASV+ phenotypes were found to be correlated with starch related traits such as enthalpy (r = −0.53) and range of starch GT (T_c-T_o) (r = 0.60). </p> <p>Genes controling the ASV phenotype of sorghum and their impact on starch quality traits are described. Whole genome re-sequencing of sorghum EMS mutants exhibiting an ASV+ phenotype was used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes <i>Sobic.004G163700</i> and <i>Sobic.010G093400</i>. The two genes were identified as a <i>SbeIIb</i>, a putative sorghum homolog of <i>amylose extender,</i> and as a <i>SSIIa</i>, respectively. Linkage analysis showed that the mutations in <i>Sobic.010G093400</i> and <i>Sobic.004G163700</i> co-segregated with the ASV phenotype. The <i>ssIIa</i>-mutants exhibited normal amylose values, lower starch GT and lower final viscosity than the wild type. The <i>sbeIIb</i>-mutants exhibited higher amylose content, higher starch GT and lower peak and final viscosity with poor gel consistency compared to the wild type and <i>ssIIa</i>-mutants. An allele dosage test indicated that the <i>sbeIIb</i>-mutants had an allele dosage dependent effect on amylose content. Double mutants of <i>sbeIIb</i> and <i>ssIIa</i> showed that amylose content, starch thermal properties and paste viscosity profiles resemble the <i>sbeIIb</i> parent. </p> <p>A study of ASV phenotypes in a panel of more than 750 sorghum conversion lines revealed genetic variation for the ASV phenotype. A few SC-lines exhibiting stable expression of the ASV+ phenotype over two growing seasons. Most of these lines were described as belonging to the working group Nandyal, durra types from India described as producing ‘glutinous grains’. Whole genome resequencing discovered common SNPs in genes associated with starch biosynthesis. A genome wide association study (GWAS) identified a significant SNP that could be associated with the starch biosynthesis gene <i>Sobic.010G273800</i>, and with candidate genes <i>Sobic.010G274800</i> and <i>Sobic.010G275001</i> both annotated as glucosyltransferases. Grain samples from SC489, SC491, SC587 and SC589 exhibited a consistent ASV+ phenotype with lower or similar starch GT, similar amylose content, and similar high viscosity and gel consistency compared to controls.</p> <p> </p>