7 Abstract With the first appearance of life on Earth, organisms had to adapt to an ever-changing surrounding environment in order to survive. Since the emergence of metazoan multi- cellularity, subsets of cells could adapt to perform specific biological tasks beneficial to the whole organism, necessitating not only spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression during development, but also integration of tissue specific needs with overall organis- mal status. Within the set of evolutionary conserved regulatory systems, the family of nuclear receptor (NR) transcription factors stands out due to its high degree of evolu- tionary conservation, plasticity and uniqueness to the metazoan kingdom, regulating gene expression in response to, or in the absence of a ligand by genomic and non- genomic actions. With an increasing number of different compounds being recognized as ligands to NRs, it is now thought that ancient NRs were probably characterized by low ligand binding specificity, eventually serving as environmental sensors, integrating nutrient availability and gene expression at the base of metazoan evolution. Characteri- zation of the NR network in one of the simplest metazoan organisms, Trichoplax ad- haerens, revealed not only a functional network and sub-specialization of NR dependent gene regulation, but...

Visual inspection of fuel assemblies is necessary to identify potential anomalies in their behaviour associated with their condition and their future usage. One of the possible find- ings are foreign objects caught on the fuel spacer grid which can disrupt the cladding of fuel rods during the operation. The goal of this thesis is to accurately segment the spacer grid from an image, which is a task dual to the foreign object detection, and therefore to automate visual inspection process in this area. We created new datasets covering typical problems appearing on the fuel assembly. To perform the segmentation, we em- ployed neural networks. We increased performance by data augmentation techniques and domain-specific output post-processing. We also measured the algorithm's performance by a newly introduced Line Distance metric, computing the size of the maximum un- certain area between the actual and the predicted transition between grids and rods. In the experiments, we found the best hyperparameters and reached very good results, outperforming our predecessor's algorithm by having three times lower Line Distance metric. 1

The world has been concerned with the problem of nuclear disarmament since their first use in 1945, as they represent a consistent danger to all humankind. Effects of use or mere failure of technical facilities cannot be limited only to combatants. On the contrary, it is certain that in such case an overwhelming number of people would die and suffer. Apart from that, environment and infrastructure would be devastated, there would be serious climate changes and other catastrophical consequences. No country in the world is ready to face such a situation and to react adequately, especially when its economy has been severely harmed. Possible consequences of the use of nuclear weapons are addressed in the first chapter of this thesis. Second chapter explores already achieved level of legal regulation in areas of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In the third chapter the process of creation of Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons from 2017, which aims at total elimination of nuclear weapons, is mapped in detail. Text of the Treaty itself including its flaws is analysed in chapter four. Following chapter five explains, why Treaty must be perceived "only" as a framework agreement, and goes through suggested provisions, which were not included in the final text. Chapter six is dealing with the matter of...

The thesis deals with the analysis of possibilities for use of III. and IV. generation of nuclear reactors for the Czech Republic. Introduction deals with basic principles of nuclear energetics and fuel cycle which is closely associated with the issue and its development and application in practice will have a significant effect both for choice of future types of nuclear reactors of IV. generation and the matter of settlement with spent nuclear fuel. In other parts the thesis deals with the present state of nuclear energetics in the Czech Republic, compares concrete chosen types of nuclear power plants of III. generation and generally describes nuclear reactors and power plants of IV. generation. Final part of the work is focused on questions concerning the possibility of construction of new blocks of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic and presents concrete recommendation from author´s point of view.

This diploma thesis deals with the historical development of the Israeli nuclear program and examines motives which led either to the decision to acquire nuclear weapons or to further develop Israeli nuclear arsenal. Indentified motives are compared with the theory by Scott Sagan who proposed three 'models in search of the bomb'. Security Model sees the effect of nuclear weapons on state security as the motivation, the Domestic Politics Model considers nuclear weapons to be a tool for gaining political profit and the Norms Model emphasizes their symbolic value. My proposition is that other than abovementioned motives, or more motives from different models might be found. Such a result would pose a challenge to Sagan's theory, and could be used a basis for further research. To define independent variables, which are the motives in my case, the method of process tracing is used. I identify critical moments which led to changes in the direction of the program, and define motives on their basis. In the thesis, I further deal with the policy of strategic ambiguity, which consists in complete non-acknowledgement of Israel's nuclear status and enabled Israel to reduce negative effects of the region's nuclearization.

Diarmament at the beginning of the 21st Century: Development of the contractual approaches on the reduction of strategic arms between the United States of America and the Russian Federation The aim of this diploma thesis is the theoretical assumption of the contemporary development of treaties instruments dealing with the disarmament dilemma from the international law's point of view, or setting the new (or renegotiated) treaty approach on reduction of the strategic arms between the Russian Federation and the United States of America into the wider context of international treaties, analysis of the new disarmament treaty denoted as The New START Treaty, which replaced START I Treaty, and its comparison with the previous treaties and drafts of treaties. In doing so this thesis also summarises the longer-range development of the bilateral treaty approaches on the reduction of strategic arms between the United States and Russia, or the Soviet Union respectivelly, which goes back deep into the times of the Cold War and comprises the crucial negotiations of SALT and INF treaties. The thesis focuses not only to the text of the treaties and their drafts alone but also on the particular stages of negotiations. Then, The New START Treaty is the subject of more detailed analysis in the final two chapters, as...

This master thesis called ''Nuclear devices in the view of law'', deals with the current legal arrangement of civil nuclear facilities (devices) in the Czech Republic. Due to the fact that the Czech Republic is bound by the international commitments and its membership in the EU, the master thesis also covers the international and European regulations. The master thesis is composed of four parts, which are subdivided into chapters and subchapters. The first part is devoted to the concept of the nuclear facilities, its kinds, position in the legal system and the relevant legal instruments. The second part deals with a particular legal framework of the nuclear law, which governs the issue, including the international, European and Czech regulations. A separate chapter discusses the principles, which are common to the all relevant branch of law. The third part is concerned with the life cycle of the operation of the nuclear facility and the conditions for execution of its particular stages. The final part deals with the safety and security of nuclear facility and its realization as the key issue of the nuclear facility legal regulation.

Splicing is a process, during which non-coding sequences (introns) are cleaved out of pre-mRNA, and exons are ligated. This whole process is catalysed by a multi-megadalton splicing complex, composed of five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (shortly snRNPs), which each contains its own small nuclear RNA molecule and specific set of proteins. During the biogenesis of snRNPs, U4 and U6 snRNPs are assembled to form the di-snRNP, which further associates with U5 snRNP and gives rise to tri-snRNP. With the help of mass spectrometry, we have found previously uncharacterized protein interacting with U5 snRNP, called TSSC4. By immunoprecipitation, I confirmed TSSC4 as a U5 snRNP specific protein and identified the region of TSSC4 responsible for interaction with U5 snRNP. I also showed that TSSC4 interacts with PRPF19, a component of complex driving the catalytic activation of the spliceosome and that this interaction is U5 snRNP-independent. Knockdown of TSSC4 in HeLa cells results in accumulation of di-snRNAs and U5 snRNP in Cajal bodies, nuclear compartments involved in snRNP biogenesis. Similar phenotype was previously observed upon inhibition of tri-snRNP assembly. To analyse the importance of TSSC4 for tri-snRNP assembly, I separated individual snRNPs by glycerol gradient ultracentrifugation...

This master thesis is devoted to different possibilities of dealing with consequences of nuclear risks through a commercial insurance. It deals with nuclear energy in the world and in the Czech Republic, international liability conventions, Czech regularization of liability principles, possibilities of insuring nuclear risks through nuclear pools and alternative risk transfer methods. The thesis analyzes the causes, process, consequences and financing the damage of two selected nuclear power plant accidents. Based on available data, the thesis tries to evaluate the ability of the existing system of nuclear risk insurance to eliminate potential negative consequences and suggest possibilities to strengthen the role of commercial insurance.

Main aim of this master's thesis is to answer the following research question: How to deal with nuclear Iran? Author explores this vast topic through lens of a neorealist paradigm in order to analyze the impact of Russia's and US influence over Israeli-Iranian rivalry in the Middle East. Discourse analysis has been chosen as a methodological blueprint to examine strategic dimension of Israeli-Iranian relations with a special emphasis on its nuclear dimension. In addition, a comparison of both possible military and peaceful solutions of Iranian nuclear program is stressed. Main empirical data used are infamous Israeli air-strikes on nuclear reactors of its neighbors; Osirak and Al-Kibar. Deterrence theory, especially its conventional realm, provides a basis for an assessment of strategic balance between State of Israel an Islamic Republic of Iran, in case Iran emerges as a nuclear power.