Bibliometric analysis of the Czech research publications from 1994 to 2005

We have compared bibliometric data of Czech research papers generated from 1994 to 2005 with papers from six other EU countries: Austria, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Ireland and Greece. The Czech Republic ranked the fifth in number of papers per thousand inhabitants and the sixth in number of citations/paper. Relatively the most cited were Czech papers from fields Engineering and Mathematics ranking the third, and Computer Science, Environment/Ecology and Molecular Biology ranking the fourth among 7 EU countries. Our analysis indicates that Czech research is lagging behind the leading EU countries, but its output is proportional to the R&D expenses.     

Patenting propensity in the Czech Republic

We have compared patenting propensity in the Czech Republic with eight EU countries: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Belgium, Ireland and Greece. In comparison based on the EPO and USPTO patents listed per million inhabitants, the Czech Republic ranks rather low. The Czech Republic also generated fewer patents per R&D employee than most other countries. The time series data have shown a decrease of number of Czech patents after 1990 with some revival after 1996. As our analysis indicated, the decrease was partially caused by dissolution or transformation of major patent generators, but the most important cause may lie in a little interest of local enterprises.     

The Austria-Czech Republic co-operation in the field of radiation-emergency preparedness

An overview on the long-term information exchange and co-operation between Austria and the Czech Republic in the field of radiation emergency preparedness and evaluation of radiological consequences of NPP accidents is provided. Initiated by the 'Melk Protocol' between the Czech and Austrian governments in December 2000 and its follow-up activities, the information exchange and co-operation between the Czech Republic and Austria in the field of radiation-emergency preparedness have been extended. Among others, a Working Group to compare radiological consequences of Beyond Design Basis Accident with a detailed inter-comparison program concerning atmospheric dispersion models, dose assessment methods and counter- measures was established. Based on this experience, an area for future co-operation in the field of emergency preparedness and information exchange between the Czech Republic and Austria is discussed.     

Updated energy policy of the Czech Republic may result in instability of the electricity grid in Central Europe

Brown coal is the resource used for generating half of the electricity and most of the heat that is distributed over the public network in the Czech Republic, which is one of the largest exporters of electricity in Europe. As a result of public call for cleaner energy sources, the energy policy of the Czech Republic has been updated recently. The government act calls for significant decrease in brown coal mining. Prediction of material flow analysis for the entire energy sector of the Czech Republic till 2040 was carried out. The data revealed mounting evidence indicating that the novel energy policy proposed was too ambitious which may affect the stability of the power grid in the surrounding countries. Worse still, it appears that after 2025, the Czech energy sector will be in short supply of limestone, which is likely to result in lower levels of flue gas desulphurization or limestone mining in protected landscape areas. It is concluded that further diversification of local energy resources is advisable to avoid unwanted negative environmental impacts.     

Towards a more effective approach to the development and maintenance of SEA guidance

Written guidance can contribute to the development of effective SEA, delivering relevant information for those involved in policy, plan and programme making processes. Generally speaking, guidance should aim at setting best practice standards. However, to date, how guidance is impacting on SEA effectiveness and how it is best developed and maintained has not been explored to any great extent. As a consequence, it has remained unclear how a key ingredient of effective SEA, namely the support of an enabling context, should be approached. In this paper, we look at the perceived relevance of written guidance for the delivery of effective SEA, based on a two-stage survey with 26 practitioners (all with over 10 years of experience) from the UK and the Republic of Ireland, conducted between 2015 and 2017. Survey participants included representatives of the regulatory, consultancy and academic sectors. Our findings indicate that guidance can promote SEA effectiveness if it: (a) aims to go beyond basic legislative requirements; (b) is able to respond to the specific situation of application; (c) can establish a minimum standard for SEA; and (d) is able to stimulate the advancement of quality standards within a tiered approach to SEA.     

Bibliometric evaluation of the FP-5 and FP-6 results in the Czech Republic

Our study evaluates results and impacts of the Framework Programs (FP) 5 and 6 in the Czech Republic. Publications resulting from the FP projects had 42% higher mean citation rate and 77% more EU-25 collaborations than the Czech standards. Teams participating in the FP are better-than-average, because citation rate of all their papers is 21% higher than the Czech standards. The most striking finding is the marked influence of FP on research direction. After the project start, the participating teams published papers in ten new fields in which they did not publish before the project. In 45 other fields, more than 200% increase of papers was observed.     

Czech Republic 20 years after Chernobyl accident

The territory of the Czech Republic was contaminated as a result of the breakdown in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. The Czech population received low doses of ionising radiation which, though it could not cause a deterministic impact, could have had stochastic effects expressed in the years following the accident. Twenty years after the accident is a long enough time to assess its stochastic effects, primarily tumours and genetic impairment. The moderate amount of radioactive fallout received by the Czech population in 1986 increased thyroid cancer in the following years; on the other hand, no obvious genetic impact was found.     

Towards a home-grown approach to strategic environmental assessment: adapting practice and participation in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya is among the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to formally require the assessment of public policies, plans and programs. National strategic environmental assessment (SEA) guidelines were finalized in 2012 to adapt and enhance SEA practice in the Kenyan context. The purpose of this research was to examine recent Kenyan SEA, with a particular emphasis on public participation, by developing and applying an analysis framework that both incorporates commonly accepted SEA principles and approaches and is cognizant of the national context in shaping SEA practice. Results reveal that a number of SEA practices are consistent with the framework in the nine cases considered, such as containing standard SEA components and developing monitoring plans. A requirement that each SEA must include educating the public about SEA is an innovative local adaptation. Results also show a number of practices that are still emerging, such as initiating SEA early and disseminating results to the participants. We conclude that SEA is still developing in Kenya, but processes for conducting it are slowly adapting to the Kenyan context.     

History of the measurement of radon in central Bohemia

It is a little surprising, but radon has been measured by our Institute for >50 y. In the first phase this was carried out in underground mines (up to the present day) but more and more attention has been paid to domestic dwellings and NORM workplaces. The number of the measurements (grab sampling underground, SSNTDs application) was relatively high. To the routine work of the Institute is added research and calibration for radon measuring organisations. Since the formation of the Czech Republic, our previous institution was reformed by the State Office for Nuclear Safety and is one of the two organisations whose main task is, among others, radon measurement.     

Calculation with MCNP of capture photon flux in VVER-1000 experimental reactor

The aim of this study is to obtain by Monte Carlo method the high energy photon flux due to neutron capture in the internals and vessel layers of the experimental reactor LR-0 located in REZ, Czech Republic, and loaded with VVER-1000 fuel. The calclated neutron, photon and photon to neutron flux ratio are compared with experimental measurements performed with a multi-parameter stilbene detector. The results show clear underestimation of photon flux in downcomer and some overestimation at vessel surface and 1/4 thickness but a good fitting for deeper points in vessel.     

Estimation of intakes of 131I, 137Cs and 134Cs after the Chernobyl accident

Activities of (131)I and (137)Cs excreted in urine from two healthy males during May 1986, when contaminated air masses from Chernobyl arrived on the territory of the Czech Republic, were determined by bioassay. The data were used to estimate the intakes and committed effective doses from these radionuclides. The results for inhalation intakes are of particular interest, in the absence of sufficient contemporary data for airborne activity. They are found to be higher than initial estimates based on air sampling.     

昨天、今天、明天的“青年包装设计大赛”

“青年包装设计大赛”的最初想法是为捷克共和国的中学生组织一个竞赛，当时是要求参赛者为Model Obaly公司设计一个创新的推广项目，Model Obaly公司从始至今都是该大赛的赞助商。那时这个大赛被称为“青年设计师大赛”。     

Effective reformulations of the truss topology design problem

We present a new formulation of the truss topology problem that results in unique design and unique displacements of the optimal truss. This is reached by adding an upper level to the original optimization problem and formulating the new problem as an MPCC (Mathematical Program with Complementarity Constraints). We derive optimality conditions for this problem and present several techniques for its numerical solution. Finally, we compare two of these techniques on a series of numerical examples. This research was supported by BMBF project 03ZOM3ER and by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic through grant No. A1075402.     

Development and failures of corrosion layers on typical surfaces of weathering steel bridges

This article introduces the program of experimental atmospheric corrosion test carried out on weathering steel bridges in the Czech Republic. Corrosion losses and average thickness of corrosion products are measured and evaluated within this program. Protective ability of corrosion products is evaluated using X-ray diffraction analysis. Special attention is paid to the surfaces exposed to leakage from a failed drainage system. The test results show that the corrosion losses on structural elements are significantly conditioned by the position and location of exposed surface within the structure. The results also indicate a high degree of correlation dependence between measured average thickness of corrosion products and corrosion loss.     

First steps toward best practice SEA in a developing nation: lessons from the central Namib uranium rush SEA

The intent of this study is to contribute to the discussion of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) best practice based on experience gained in a recent SEA initiative: the central Namib (Namibia) uranium rush SEA. We evaluate this SEA process against internationally established characteristics of ‘best practice’ SEA to improve and strengthen future practice in Namibia. The study draws primarily on the final assessment report as well as inputs from six informants involved in the assessment. The results reveal some elements of good practice as well as areas for improvement, and in particular, the need for improved baseline data collection; adequate consideration of alternatives; committing to preferred scenario/options; enforceability; and a more robust institutional capacity. We offer insight into how consideration of these factors may help to strengthen SEA practice in Namibia. Overall, the SEA may not represent a ‘best practice’ example according to international standards, but it does suggest a potentially bright future for SEA practice in Namibia.     

Human perception of radon risk and radon mitigation: some remarks

The Radon program in the Czech Republic has a relatively long and rich history. Procedures, which enable to evaluate the risk of radon penetration from the ground, to protect new buildings, to find existing buildings with elevated indoor radon levels and to realise remedial measures in such buildings, have been developed, published and tested. In some cases, the whole system may fail due to psychological or sociological reasons. Three types of problems (conflicts) will be presented: human behaviour affecting measurement results, conflict between individual and 'all-society' points of view, interpretation of radon risk itself.     

Sorption of metal ions on lignite and the derived humic substances

The study presents results of sorption of metal ions (Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+) onto lignite mined in South Moravia, Czech Republic, and solid humic substances (humin and humic acid) derived from it. The efficiency of these sorbents has been studied as a function of contact time, solution pH, and metal concentration. The sorption efficiencies were higher for humin and lower for humic acid samples than for the original lignite. With its high sorption capacities of several mmol/g, particularly for Pb2+ and Cd2+, the South Moravian lignite can provide a cheap source material for preparation of sorbents utilizable in removal of toxic metals from wastewaters.     

利用子空间法识别统计能量分析参数

利用统计能量分析进行高频动力学环境响应预示的关键步骤之一是确定可靠的统计能量分析参数。该文研究了基于子空间的统计能量分析一阶功率流模型辨识和模型修正理论,基于多变量输出误差状态空间(MOESP)算法和约束优化思想,提出一种利用子空间法识别统计能量分析参数的新方法。通过算例对该方法进行了仿真验证,结果表明方法可行并具有较好的抗噪性能。最后,对L 型板结构进行了实验统计能量分析,比较了子空间方法和功率输入法结果,两者吻合很好,从而进一步验证了子空间方法的正确性。该文验证了利用瞬态时域数据进行统计能量分析模型修正和参数识别的可行性,也是对实验统计能量分析的补充和发展。