CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE - Faculty of Science Department of Teaching and Didactics of Chemistry Albertov 3, 128 40 Praha 2, Czech Republic Use and effectiveness of activation methods in chemistry education Bc. Miroslav Pražienka mprazienka@seznam.cz Executed pedagogical survey reflects the requirements of modern pedagogy and didactics - the teacher should have a new approach to teaching, both from a technical standpoint, both in the methods. At present, preparation of future teachers, but also in lifelong adult education teachers, computers are preferred, modern electronics (and everything associated with them) and such methods, where the pupil is actively involved in teaching and not just a passive "recipient". For the purposes of my thesis was, therefore, a wide range of teaching aids (PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, educational teaching games, demonstration experiments, tests, including methodologies and manuals), through which pupils were taught. Before and after instruction was given them knowledge and skills test, which was then evaluated. They were also sampled pupils from other primary schools and the results were compared. At the beginning of the survey were established two hypotheses (knowledge and skills gradually decreases with increasing time from the subject and taught for a...

Arsenic is an element which belongs to metaloids. Contamination with arsenic is a problem all over the world. Basically it is a part of Earth's crust, but with anthropogenic activities it could overspread into soil, water and air in large scale a thus it could mean health hazard. Fytoremediation is kind of environment decontamination, which is quite effective and cheap as well. Publications about arsenic and its influence on plant metabolism are mostly focused on important crop plants like rice. Rice is mostly used for experiments and questions on anatomical and morphological changes are widely being solved by these experiments, but it has only insignificant relevance for fytoremediation. There are only few publications about arsenic influence on carbohydrate metabolism, thus little is known about this problem. That is why I have decided to study this topic more deeply and get more information about carbohydrate metabolic changes under influence of arsenic and partly also under influence of mercury, because information about influence of mercury are completely lacking. My experimental material includes tobacco plant, tobacco tissue cultures and horseradish hairy roots cultures. Accumulation of starch and soluble carbohydrate spectrum and content was determined by HPLC. Furthermore arsenic influence...

Charles University in Prague - Faculty of Science Department of Teaching and Didactics of Chemistry Albertov 3, 128 40 Praha 2, Czech Republic Educational project Saccharides Topic Work in Chemistry for high School Bc. Renata Šedivá sedivarenata@gmail.com This diploma thesis is a suggestion of educational project Saccharides classifiable into education of Chemistry in 3rd year of four-year grammar school. In the first part there is a research of literature sources concerning the issue project education. The Following part is a suggestion of educational project Saccharides, its product are lessons about the topic saccharides, which are designed, prepared and taught by the students. The suggestion of the project contains a timetable of the project, instructions and methodology for individual parts of the project (motivation, preparation of lessons, laboratory works, presentation of lessons, final practice, test and reflection), methodological notes and documentation to the implementation of the project at Grammar school in Dvůr Králové nad Labem.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is capable to deliver a detailed information about the dynamics on molecular level in a wide range of time scales, especially if accompanied by suitably chosen theoretical tools. In this work, we employed a set of high-resolution NMR techniques to investigate dynamics processes in several weakly interacting molecular systems in solution. Van der Waals interactions play an important role in inclusion complexes of cryptophane-C with chloroform or dichloromethane. The complex formation was thoroughly investigated by means of 1H and 13C NMR experiments along with the quantum-chemical density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We characterized kinetics, thermodynamics, as well as fine details of structural rearrangements of the complex formation. Internal dynamics of oligo- and polysaccharides presents a considerable challenge due to possible coupling of internal and global molecular motions. Two small oligosaccharides were investigated as test cases for a newly developed integrated approach for interpreting the dynamics of the molecules with non-trivial internal flexibility. The approach comprised advanced theoretical tools, including stochastic modeling, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and hydrodynamic simulations. A biologically important bacterial O-antigenic polysaccharide from E. Coli O91 was addressed employing selective isotope labeling and multiple-field 13C relaxation experiments. The complex dynamics of the polysaccharide is characterized by the conformational motion of the exocyclic groups of the sugars, superimposed to the breathing motion of the polymeric chain. Hydrogen bonding is another major non-covalent interaction. Dilute solutions of ethanol were chosen as a model of liquid systems containing extensive hydrogen-bonded networks. We developed a new methodology consisting of NMR diffusion measurements, DFT calculations, and hydrodynamic modeling and utilized it to determine average size of the molecular clusters of ethanol at given conditions. / Nukleární magnetická rezonance (NMR) dokáže poskytnout detailní informace o dynamice na molekulární úrovni v širokém oboru časových škál, zejména pokud je doplněna vhodnými teoretickými nástroji. V této práci byla použita sada technik NMR spektroskopie vysokého rozlišení pro výzkum dynamických procesů slabě interagujících molekulárních struktur v roztoku. Van der Waalsovy interakce hrají důležitou roli v inkluzních komplexech kryptofanu-C s chloroformem nebo dichlormethanem. Tvorba komplexu byla podrobně zkoumána za použití 1H a13C NMR experimentů spolu s kvantově-chemickými výpočty. Byla charakterizována kinetika, termodynamika, jakož i detaily strukturních změn při tvorbě komplexu. Vnitřní dynamika oligo- a polysacharidů představuje velkou výzvu  kvůli možnému provázání lokálního a globálního molekulárního pohybu. Dva modelové oligosacharidy byly použity pro testování nově vyvinuté integrované metody pro popis dynamiky molekul s netriviální vnitřní flexibilitou. Tato metoda spojuje pokročilé teoretické výpočty včetně stochastického modelování, simulací molekulové dynamiky a hydrodynamiky. Antigenní bakteriální polysacharid z E. Coli O91, důležitý z biologického hlediska, byl studován za pomoci selektivního izotopového značení a NMR relaxačních experimentů ve více magnetických polích. Komplexní dynamika polysacharidu je charakterizována konformačními změnami exocyklických skupin cukerných reziduí a omezenou interní flexibilitou polymerního řetězce. Vodíkové vazby jsou další z důležitých nekovalentních interakcí. Zředěné roztoky ethanolu byly vybrány jako model kapalného systému obsahujícího rozsáhlou síť vodíkových vazeb. Vyvinuli jsme novou metodologii, složenou z NMR difúzních měření, kvantově-chemických výpočtů a hydrodynamického modelování a aplikovali ji pro zjištění průměrné velikosti molekulových klastrů ethanolu za specifických podmínek. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Accepted. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

Title: Fast Dynamic Processes in Solution Studied by NMR Spectroscopy Author: Mária Šoltésová Department: Department of low temperature physics, Charles University in Prague, and Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Jan Lang, Ph.D., Department of low temperature physics, Charles University in Prague, and Prof. Jozef Kowalewski, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University Abstract: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is capable to deliver a detailed information about the dynamics on molecular level in a wide range of time scales, especially if accompanied by suitably chosen theoretical tools. In this work, we employed a set of high-resolution NMR techniques to investigate dynamics processes in several weakly interacting molecular systems in solution. Van der Waals interactions play an important role in inclusion complexes of crypto- phane-C with chloroform or dichloromethane. The complex formation was thoroughly investigated by means of 1H and 13C NMR experiments along with the quantum- chemical density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We characterized kinetics, thermodynamics, as well as fine details of structural rearrangements of the complex formation. Internal dynamics of oligo- and...

The diploma thesis focuses on hospital staff and their nutrition awareness in relation to their education. The aim of the thesis is to map the nutrition awareness of the employees in the hospital. Compare how the knowledge of the hospital dietary system differs among the staff with basic, secondary and tertiary education. Compare how the knowledge of healthy eating principles differs among the hospital staff with primary, secondary and tertiary education. Find out from employees what they think affects their eating habits and adherence to the principles of healthy eating. The theoretical part deals with the general meaning of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and other important substances for the organism. Furthermore, it deals with recommendations for healthy and balanced eating, nutrient supplementation, tips for a balanced diet, dietary measures for selected diseases and the consequences of poor nutrition on the human body. Last but not least, the dietary system and diets are mentioned in the work. A questionnaire survey method was used to draw up the practical part, where 168 employees were involved. The research group was made up of randomly selected hospital staff in different age categories with different education. The research group was divided into 3 groups by education. Then, these three...

Our nutrition significantly influences our healthy development, quality of our life and mainly our health condition in general. No one discredits today the fact that faults in our nutrition result in emergence and further development of illnesses. On the contrary there is enough evidence on a very positive effect of changes in nutrition on a single person, group of people or the whole generation. The objective of my diploma thesis was to find out the quality of food consumed by school-age pupils. I used quantitative research for my diploma work. Data aquisition was carried out in the form of question-forms in order to address as many respondents as possible. Questions {--}forms were alloted for pupils at primary schools. There were three hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: Czech pupils consume fuel food overly rich in sugars. This hypothesis was proved.. Hypothesis 2: Czech children consume less than 30g of fibre a day. The hypothesis was also proved. Hypothesis 3: In pupils´ ingestion of food there is more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day. This hypothesis was not proved at all. It is obvious from the results that Czech pupils do not consume recommended healthy food.The results of my diploma thesis could be used as a basis for improvement in eating habits of school-age children. Bad parental approach to healthy nutrition is one of the key factors that contribute to the growth of obesity and other serious deseases. Parents should be informed about bad and wrong eating habits of their children and at the same time they should be advised how to make a healthy and suitable daily menu for their children. Parents could be kept informed by various informative leaflets distributed at schools or there might be held special lectures aimed at this broad issue. Because we are one of the states where obesity is a big problem even for a younger population. I am sure that all these activities could be useful for gradual improvement in changes concerning bad unhealthy eating habits of pupils, their better health condition and even restricition of obesity.

The study of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS) - the mutualist relationship between the most of land plants and evolutionary old fungal group Glomeromycota - is becoming a prestigious topic. The prevalence of and extent of physiological action of AMS on plants is very interesting for the plant biology itself, but its importance grows, notably in time of global climate change, frequent soil degradation and ascending exhaustion of mineral fertilizer reserves. Although the flows in AMS of some minerals, like of phosphorus was enlightened, carbon exchange between the symbionts is still poorly understood. In this experimental work, I utilized the boom of molecular and bioinformatic methods in the quest for completely unexplained carbon flows. The organisms used include barrel medic (Medicago truncatula), the model legume for symbiotic relationships, biotic, and abiotic stresses; Rhizophagus irregularis, the widely used fungus for such experimental studies of AMS; and Sinorhizobium meliloti, the nodulating nitrogen-fixing bacterium compatible with the barrel medic. Two variants - mycorrhizal (M+) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants were subjected to several levels of analysis. I have checked the variants, did the measurements of phosphorus and nitrogen contents, as well as I probed the plants with...

Presented diploma thesis was focused on study of phenolic substances in various cereal products. Flours, brans and germs from various cereals, flakes and extruded cereals were chosen as samples. Phenolic substances were analyzed by spectrophotometry, RP-HPLC/UV-VIS and RP-HPLC/PDA/ESI-MS. Studies of saccharide content which were analyzed by spectrophotometry and HPLC/RI was incorporated to this thesis. Differences in the content of phenolic substances released from glycosides after acid hydrolysis of samples and differences in saccharide content determined after acid and enzymatic hydrolysis of samples were investigated. Simple sensory analysis of extruded cereal products of different flavour (cocoa, honey, chocolate) was carried out too. In analyzed samples the highest content of total phenolics and total flavonoids was measured in wheat germs. Especially in wheat germs and also in buckwheat and oat flakes, maize brans and cereals products Teddy (cereal balls with cocoa) and Ferda (cereal grains with honey) high levels of individual catechins, phenolic acids and flavonoids were determined too. The quantity of phenolic substances increased for several times in samples processed by acid hydrolysis in comparison to non-hydrolyzed samples. The high content of total saccharides, reduced saccharides and individual mono- and disaccharides was found mainly in extruded products. Concentration of monosaccharides increased in acid hydrolyzed samples in spite of disaccharides concentration that was higher only in some of hydrolyzed samples. In several cases final disaccharide concentrations were lower in hydrolyzed samples than in non-hydrolyzed ones.

Presented diploma thesis is focused on analysis of selected biologically active substances in different kinds of natural and peeled rice. In rice samples phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, content of saccharides and vitamin C were analysed. Active substances and saccharides were analysed by UV-VIS spectrophotometry and RP-HPLC-UV/VIS. Content of phenolic compounds and saccharides was measured before and after acid hydrolysis. The content of these compounds increased several times because of release of active substances from glycosides. As a part of diploma thesis basic sensory analysis was performed and consumer questionnaires were evaluated. The highest level of antioxidant activity was detected in Indian Wild rice. The highest content of total polyphenols and flavonoids was detected in Red Rice Natural before acid hydrolysis. After acid hydrolysis the highest content was detected in Indian Wild rice. The highest content of individual flavonoids, phenolic acids and catechins was detected in natural rice Indian Wild, Rice Three colours and in two samples of rice parboiled. The highest content of total and reducing saccharides was found in rice Indian Wild before hydrolysis, while after hydrolysis the content was very similar in all rice samples. The amount of individual monosaccharides after acid hydrolysis increased, while total content of disaccharides decreased. The highest value of simple sugars was detected in rice parboiled and Indian Wild rice. The content of vitamin C was detected only in four rice kinds - in two samples of rice parboiled, Rice Three colours and rice Indian Wild.