Metoda zesilování rozmítnutých pulzů vyvinutá Donnou Stricklandovou a Gérardem Mourouem v roce 1985 a oceněná letošní Nobelovou cenou za fyziku způsobila doslova revoluci v konstrukci laserových systémů s vysokým špičkovým výkonem. Maximální intenzita dnešních laserů je až milionkrát vyšší než před 30 lety a jejich využití je celosvětové. Petawattové laserové systémy se uplatňují v celé řadě experimentů z oblasti biologie, fyziky materiálů, urychlování částic či laboratorní astrofyziky. Českou republiku v této oblasti úspěšně reprezentují laboratoře ELI Beamlines v Dolních Břežanech u Prahy, kde jsou v současnosti v provozu dva unikátní laserové systémy terrawatové a petawattové třídy L1 Allegra a L3 HAPLS., The Chirped Pulse Amplification method, developed by Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou in 1985, which was awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physics, has revolutionized the field of high peak power laser systems. The maximum intensity of today's lasers is almost a million times higher than it was 30 years ago and their application is worldwide. Experiments using petawatt laser systems range from biology, material physics, and particle acceleration to laboratory astrophysics. The Czech Republic is successfully represented in this field by the ELI Beamlines facility located in Dolní Břežany near Prague, which houses two unique terawatt and petawatt class laser systems L1 Allegra and L3 HAPLS., Lucia Koubíková., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Zévy (Tridacnidae) jsou mezi mořskými mlži výjimečné velikostí i způsobem získávání potravy. V jejich plášti se vyskytují mikroskopické řasy zooxantely, které fotosyntézou produkují sacharidy, o něž se dělí s hostitelem. Za nápadné zbarvení pláště vděčí zévy zooxantelám a specializovaným buňkám iridocytům., Giant clams (Tridacnidae) are exceptional among sea clams for their size and the way they acquire food. On their shells microscopic zooxanthella algae occur, producing saccharides through photosynthesis, which they share with the host. The conspicuous coloring of the shells is due to the clams’ zooxanthellae and specialized iridocyte cells., and Nicole Černohorská.
Cílem studie je prozkoumat, zda lze tvrzení valenční teorie volebního chování ohledně motivací a důvodů volební účasti potvrdit na základě odpovědí na otevřenou otázku ohledně hlavního důvodu volební neúčasti. Konkrétně byla studována tvrzení, která se týkají konstrukce očekávaného užitku z volební účasti. K prozkoumání výše uvedených tvrzení valenční teorie ohledně motivací volební neúčasti byly využity otevřené otázky z pěti povolebních dotazníkových šetřeních konaných v Česku mezi lety 2004 a 2010. Výsledky ukazují, že nevoliči uvažují v dimenzích, které valenční teorie předpokládá. Ta totiž pro volební účast vyžaduje, aby jedinec očekával užitek z hlasování pro konkrétní stranu; tento užitek může být důsledkem jak pozičních, tak valenčních úvah. Analýza odpovědí na otevřené otázky ukázala, že hlavním důvodem neúčasti je to, že jedinci nenacházejí užitek z hlasování ve volbách a to za řady důvodů: malý význam politiky v jejich životě, jsou přesvědčení, že hlasováním nic neovlivní, nevědí pro koho hlasovat a nedůvěřují politikům., The aim of the study is to explore the valence theory’s account of voter turnout using open-ended questions which measured the main reason given by voters for electoral abstention. The focus was on the claim of the valence theory concerning the respondent’s expected benefit from participating in an election. Data from five post-election studies undertaken between 2004 and 2010 are analysed. The empirical results reveal that electoral abstention is explained by four key factors. Voters and non-voters differ as valence theory suggests because the latter exhibit less interest in politics, less trust in politicians and parties, less knowledge of who to vote for, and a feeling that voting does not change anything. These empirical results are consonant with the predictions made by valence theory and demonstrate that electoral participation is strongly determined by expected benefits., and Lukáš Linek.
The widely accepted cause of the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, has been confirmed mathematically and firmly supported by mechanical analysis. Some lay critics, however, still question the conclusions of this analysis, even without presenting any meaningful calculations. They blame the collapse on a controlled demolition, implying a conspiracy by the republican government. many mass media outlets, including Czech ones, blindly gave this misinformation wide publicity. The present invited article summarizes why the collapse was a spontaneous and inevitable result of aircraft impact, and how this fact is explained and confirmed by mathematical analysis of the mechanics of collapse, and by numerous observed data., Zdeněk P. Bažant, Milan Jirásek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This contribution gives a brief description of the characteristics of spectral lines formed in the solar chromosphere in the visual range and its continuum in the visual, millimetre, and sub-millimetre (mm-submm) spectral range. The contribution reviews processes responsible for continuum radiation of the limb in the visual range and continua in the mm-submm spectral range. The spectral lines of sodium doublet Na I D1 and D2 are not genuine chromospheric lines since their cores are formed predominately by resonant scattering of radiation from the upper photosphere. Therefore, the cores of Na I D1 and D2 provide information only about chromospheric velocities. An occurrence of the doublet Na I D1, D2 together with helium lines with large excitation and ionization potential indicates an intricate thermodynamic structure of the chromosphere. As numerical simulations indicate, the chromospheric internetwork comprises of cooler cavities surrounded with hotter sheets allowing the occurrence of spectral lines over a large range of excitation and ionization potentials. The contribution accentuates the large diagnostic potential of the mm-submm continua of the chromospheric spectrum. It will be fully exploited after finishing of the ALMA array for the study of the chromospheric fine structure with large angular and temporal resolution., Príspevok podáva stručnú charakteristiku čiarového spektra slnečnej chromosféry vo vizuálnej oblasti a jej spojitého spektra (kontinua) vo vizuálnej, milimetrovej a submilimetrovej (mm-submm) oblasti. Príspevok predstavuje procesy tvoriace vizuálne kontinuum pozorovatel'né na limbe a kontinuá v mm-submm oblasti. Čiary sodíkového dubletu NA I D1 a D2 nie sú v pravom slova zmysle chromosférické, pretože ich jadrá sú tvorené hlavne rezonančným rozptylom žiarenia hornej fotosféry, a preto poskytujú informáciu iba o rýchlostných poliach v chromosfére. Výskyt dubletu Na I D1 a D2 spolu s čiarami hélia s veľkou excitačnou a ionizačnou energiou naznačuje zložitú termodynamickú štruktúru chromosféry. Ako ukazujú numerické simulácie, chromosféra sa v oblastiach mimo magnetickej siete skládá z chladnejších oblastí obalených horúcou látkou, čo umožňuje vznik spektrálnych čiar vo vel'kom rozsahu excitačných a ionizačných energií. Príspevok poukazuje na vel'ký diagnostický potenciál kontinuí v mm-submm oblasti spektra chromosféry, ktorý bude naplno využitý po dokončení rádioteleskopu ALMA pri štúdiu jemnej štruktúry chromosféry s vel'mi vel'kým uhlovým a časovým rozlíšením., Július Koza., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Accumulation and distribution of zinc within Miscanthus x giganteus plants grown on elevated Zn concentrations and their photosynthetic performance were investigated. High concentrations of Zn in soils caused an increase of its concentrations in all plant organs. The bioconcentration factor, bioaccumulation factor, and translocation factor were lower than one indicating that M. x giganteus is an excluder plant species. Excessive Zn induced visible leaf damage, i.e. chlorosis and necrosis, only in the oldest leaves, pointing to Zn accumulation. Elevated amounts of Zn in leaves significantly lowered the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentrations, parameters of chlorophyll a fluorescence, and chlorophyll b content. Despite Zn excess in leaves, there was no severe reduction in the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, indicating a high photosynthetic capacity, high tolerance to elevated Zn concetrations, and ability of M. x giganteus to grow on Zn-contaminated soils., G. Andrejić, G. Gajić, M. Prica, Ž. Dželetović, T. Rakić., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present study was carried out to assess the role of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in tomato plants on growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant system. At 20-d stage of growth, roots of tomato plants were dipped into 0, 2, 4, 8, or 16 mg(ZnO-NPs) L-1 for 15, 30, and 45 min and then seedlings were transplanted in their respective cups and allowed to grow under natural environmental conditions. At 45-d stage of growth, the
ZnO-NPs treatments significantly increased growth, photosynthetic efficiency together with activities of carbonic anhydrase and antioxidant systems in a concentration- and duration-dependent manner. Moreover, the treatment by 8 mg(ZnO-NPs) L-1 for 30 min proved to be the most effective and resulted in maximum activities of antioxidant enzymes, proline accumulation and the photosynthetic rate. We concluded that presence of ZnO-NPs improved the antioxidant systems and speeded up proline accumulation that could provide stability to plants and improved photosynthetic efficiency., M. Faizan, A. Faraz, M. Yusuf, S. T. Khan, S. Hayat., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Zinc is a critical mineral nutrient that protects plant cells from salt-induced cell damage. We tested whether the application of Zn at various concentrations [0, 5, 10, or 20 mg kg-1(soil)] would protect almond (Prunus amygdalus) seedlings subjected to salt stress (0, 30, 60, or 90 mM NaCl). All concentrations of Zn, particularly the application of 10 and 20 mg kg-1, increased the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, the maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry, and a proline content in almond seedlings grown under salt stress; 20 mg(Zn) kg-1 was the most effective concentration. The activity of superoxide dismutase showed a significant increase under salinity stress and Zn application. The catalase activity decreased in the salt-treated seedlings, but recovered after the Zn treatment. Our results proved the positive effects of Zn on antioxidant enzyme activity scavenging the reactive oxygen species produced under salt stress., A. Amiri, B. Baninasab, C. Ghobadi, A. H. Khoshgoftarmanesh., and Obsahuje seznam literatury