The European Southern Observatory (ESO) celebrates fifty years since the signing of its founding convention. Over the last half century, ESO has become the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory. The signing of the ESO Convention on October, 5, 1962 and the foundation of ESO was the culmination of the vision of leading astronomers from five European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. They had decided to join forces for the purpose of building a large telescope that would give them access to the magnificent and rich southern sky. Operating three unique and world-class observing sites in Chile (at La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor), ESO has become a leader in the astronomical research community. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, ESO and its partners (including the Czech Republic) are organising many events and public initiatives during 2012. and Marina Hužvárová.
The PET-laboratory of the Nuclear Physics Institute ASCR, one of the first such workplaces in the world, completed research on the synthesis of extremely promising substance 3´-deoxy-3´-[18F], that has demonstrated great potential to replicate cancer tumors. and Otakar Bělohlávek, František Melichar.
A firm called Company RadioMedic Ltd., developed at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the ASCR in 2009, deals with the development, manufacturing and distribu‑ tion of radiopharmaceutical preparations. It has developed a ra-diopharmaceutical with an active substance that selectively binds to hypoxic cells. These tumor cells are more sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the presence of oxygen in tissue and consequently the number of the hypoxic cells is a limiting factor for a therapy effect. and František Melichar.
Another article in this issue, Space Shuttles and their contribution, provides an overview of the Space Shuttle Program (officially called Space Transportation System - STS), which the U.S. established in the late 1960s. The program commenced on April 12, 1981, with the launching of Columbia STS-1 - the first shuttle orbital flight - and concluded with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis in July 2011, which retired the final shuttle in the fleet. The Space Shuttle program formally ended on August 31, 2011. and František Fárník.
The Czech Academy of the Sciences arranged on February 20 a Round Table that took place at the Academy´s Conference Center Liblice on the topic Framework association for state assistance in research, development and innovations. The European committee set the rules that define the schedule of public support, program notification and announcing public events in research and development, in evaluaation of research intension and in setting cooperation with research organizations and companies. and Jindřich Babický.
The seminar Recent Trends 2008 is the eleventh in a series of meetings held by Institute of Scientific Instruments ASCR. The first meeting was held in 1989, the second one, in 1990, was held there as well. The following seminars were organized biannually in Skalský dvůr near Brno. This conference is intended for discussion of questions connected with the intrumentation and methodology in charged particle optics and surface physics. Selected themes were introduced by top specialists with emphasis on questions already recognized but not as yet fully answered. and Filip Mika.