Diploma thesis People as objects of showbusiness examines the problematics of objectifying of human bodies in the world of showbusiness. The main purpose is to warn about the existence of objectification and related sexualization of human body, which is often presented in media such as print, advertisements, on the internet or on television. The author chose to analyse this phenomenon on case of television show Your Face Sounds Familiar (translated as Tvoje Tvář Má Známý Hlas) based on her own experiences which she gained in past while participating on the creation of this project. Next to a content analysis, which is supposed to reveal specific signs of objectification on television screens, the author also carried out a participant observation during the preparations of the broadcast. The purpose of the observation was to reveal to public how such television formats emergence and to determine if the phenomenon of objectification is also present in the show's background. To finalise the practical research, she adds in-depth interviews with some of the artists who participated in the making of chosen television broadcast. These interviews reflect their way of thinking about objectification of their own bodies and show their perspective on this phenomenon in wider frame.

The theoretical part of the diploma thesis describes the role of abdominal muscles in intra-abdominal pressure and the effect on postural stabilization. The issue of postural stabilization was analyzed in a physiological situation and frequent pathologies related with inadequate postural stabilization have been described. The current possibilities of evaluating the activity of abdominal muscles and intra-abdominal pressure were presented. Methodology: 25 healthy probands (mean age 22.4 years, SD ± 1.76) were evaluated in five posturally different situations - breathing stereotype test, intra-abdominal pressure regulation test, diaphragm test, hip flexion test and arm elevation test. Testing was performed with a prototype of the DNS Brace digital pressure sensor. The resulting pressure values of the abdominal wall expansion were correlated with the corresponding postural tests according to the DNS concept, which were performed by two DNS instructors with more than five years of experience. Results: A statistically significant correlation (p = 0.001 to 0.24) between abdominal wall pressure values and palpation-evaluated postural tests was demonstrated in four of the five tested positions. Correlation was strong in diaphragm test (r = 0.75 and 0.661) and mean in other tests (r = 0.567 to 0.415). Only...

(In English): This master's thesis examines the type and frequency of activities on social networks and video games with an emphasis on activities that support the objectification of one's own body or are in direct connection with it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of these activities on the Czech national-wide sample, focusing on respondents who show signs of eating disorders. The evaluation was based on a questionnaire survey of more than 1000 respondents and the results were analyzed mainly by using contingency tables. Based on the results of this research, it is not possible to confirm a direct relationship between self-objectification and ways of new media usage, but some activities correlate directly with people who show an unhealthy relationship with their own bodies. In conclusion, specific steps are proposed for a more suitable survey of self-objectification and recommendations for further research.

Master thesis The Czech Women's view on representation of women in advertisement focuses on the way advertisement reproduces gender stereotypes and sexism in the society. The analysis examines the view of female audience on this matters. The role of advertisement, gender roles and gender stereotypes, sexism and feminism are introduced in the beginning of this thesis. Main traits of sexism in advertisement are described. Possible impact of stereotyped and sexist advertisement on its viewers is demonstrated by introducing results of field related analyses. Based on interviews' analysis with selected group of women it was discovered that women view the representation of women in advertisement to be heavily stereotyped. Women in advertisement are reduced to the following categories: physically attractive and carefree, homemaker, naive and dull, and last but not least sex object. Even though female responders are able to identify some negative impacts of this stereotyped representation of women on both women's and men's lives, their concerns are undermined by their attitude towards advetisement which they do not consider to be capable of changing public attitudes and values. Female responders are convinced that gender discrimination against women is still present in the Czech Republic and advertisement...

This thesis evaluates the possibility of using objective measurements to assess the postural function of abdominal muscles. The theoretical part provides an overview of findings regarding postural function of the abdominal muscles and the context for their co-activation using intra-abdominal pressure. The results are summarized in the form of research studies relating postural function and low back pain (LBP). The overview of the methods used to measure intra-abdominal pressure and the abdominal muscle activity is the main focus. In this section, we present a new methodology for measuring the activity of the abdominal muscles by using pressure sensors attached to the abdominal wall in the areas of the groin and the lumbar triangle. Methodology: In the experimental part, we tested 35 healthy subjects (average age 21.26t, SD ± 1,62) in 3 posturally different seated scenarios: 1. resting breathing, 2. with added external load (the subjects held a dumbbell 20% of their body weight) and 3. with maximum voluntary increase in intra-abdominal pressure (the diaphragm test). Results: An independent samples t-test indicated that the pressure created by the abdominal wall for both sensors in situation resting breathing increases in situation external load (HA1: upper sensor p=0.0079, lower sensor p=0.0009). We...

The paper maps the use of the principle of randomness in artistic activity with a focus on visual art and the placement of Czech art into the world context. It examines the hypothesis whether randomness in the hands of the artist becomes an instrument to objectify his or her work and to approach the general principles of the natural world, which, according to the assumption, add novelty and consequently increases its artistic value. The text begins with an etymological interpretation of the concept of randomness, further observes the randomness as phenomenon in various social spheres, and eventually presents the artistic movements and artworks that systematically use randomness. An overview of avant-garde art and abstraction of the first half of the 20th century will allow the author to interpret the principles of randomness used in computer art. The work concludes with a detailed analysis of Zdeněk Sýkora's work, in which, according to the author, the development line of precomputational art is mirrored, along with a breakthrough to digital tools. The conclusion of the work reveals the diversity of the application of the principle of randomness in the art world and finds a common divisor in the objectivizing function, respectively the rising aesthetic value. Through this interpretation, Zdeněk...

This thesis is focusing on objectifying the postural function of diaphragm with a biofeedback sensor in patients with low back pain (LBP). The theoretical part provides an overview of known facts about the postural function of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm and the connection between their activation and the change in intra-abdominal pressure and the origin of LBP. The thesis gives specifics of LBP, its etiology and possible methods of classification of non-specific LBP, as well as the methods of evaluating subjective disability. Other methods of objectifying postural functions other than the one used in this thesis are mentioned briefly. Methodology: In the experimental part, we used a capacitive force sensor to test 31 patients with non-specific chronic LBP (aver. age 25.25, SD ± 4.66, aver. height 176.77 cm, SD ± 9.97, aver. weight 77.93 kg, SD ±18.40) in 3 posturally different seated scenarios - resting breathing, with added external load when the subjects held a dumbbell of 20 % of their body weight) and with maximum voluntary increase in intra-abdominal pressure (the diaphragm test). The sensor position was on lumbar triangle and in the groin area. Oswestry Questionaire v2.1a was used to evaluate subjective disability. Results: An independent t-test analysis showes increase in the...

The thesis examines the relationship between the level of intra-abdominal pressure and abdominal wall expansion. The theoretical part brings an overview of knowledge about the function of intra-abdominal pressure and about the possibilities of objectification of postural functions. There are described studies which dealt with the influence of intra-abdominal pressure on the stability of spine. Theoretical part also includes detailed description of individual invasive and non-invasive methods of measurement of intra-abdominal pressure and activation of abdominal muscles. Work methodology: In the practical part the intra-abdominal pressure was measured using anorectal manometry and abdominal wall expansion by utilizing DNS brace device. 31 healthy examinees with average age of 26.77 (SD 3.01) were measured in five different standing postural situations: during resting breathing, Valsalva Maneuver, Müller's maneuver, diaphragm test and in the situation with added external load in the form of static holding of dumbbell. Results of the thesis: Among the values of the pressure gathered from the DNS brace device and from anorectal manometry was proven statistically important correlation (p < 0.001) in all five tested situations. In all situations the Pearson Correlation Coefficient was higher than 0.6...

Test 3F is used to diagnose the extent of motor speech disorder – dysarthria for czech speakers. The evaluation of dysarthric speech is distorted by subjective assessment. The motivation behind this thesis is that there are not many automatic and objective analysis tools that can be used to evaluate phonation, articulation, prosody and respiration of speech disorder. The aim of this diploma thesis is to identify, implement and test acoustic features of speech that could be used to objectify and automate the evaluation. These features should be easily interpretable by the clinician. It is assumed that the evaluation could be more precise because of the detailed analysis that acoustic features provide. The performance of these features was tested on database of 151 czech speakers that consists of 51 healthy speakers and 100 patients. Statistical analysis and methods of machine learning were used to identify the correlation between features and subjective assesment. 27 of total 30 speech tasks of Test 3F were identified as suitable for automatic evaluation. Within the scope of this thesis only 10 tasks of Test 3F were tested because only a limited part of the database could be preprocessed. The result of statistical analysis is 14 features that were most useful for the test evaluation. The most significant features are: MET (respiration), relF0SD (intonation), relSEOVR (voice intensity – prosody). The lowest prediction error of the machine learning regression models was 7.14 %. The conclusion is that the evaluation of most of the tasks of Test 3F can be automated. The results of analysis of 10 tasks shows that the most significant factor in dysarthria evaluation is limited expiration, monotone voice and low variabilty of speech intensity.