Is There a Gap in Economic Culture Between EU Countries and the Transition Economies?

The process of EU enlargement is in its final stage, the CEECs havemore or less adapted to the western standards, which is not yet sufficient for successful completion of the transition process successfully. We have learned from the failed communism that the imported norms, institutions and practices can cause entropy, unless they reflect the prevailing cultural orientation in the society. People should believe that what they are presented as right (norms) is also good (values). For this reason the system of norms and values should be developed simultaneously. The research results show that the symptoms of economic cultures are less evident in the CEECs than in the selected EU countries, thus the democratic socialization (stimulated from outside) is the key issue. For this reason the CEECs should be included in the network of the Euro- Atlantic integrations as soon as possible in order to ensure the democratic stability and economic efficiency of Europe.

The Court of Justice of the European Union. College of Europe Research Paper in Law 02/2014

The Court of Justice of the European Union is one of the institutions of the Union. Praised by some as the relentless and steady motor of European integration and attacked by others as an example of a clearly biased institution, more ink has perhaps been spilled over the years on discussing the (de)merits of the Court of Justice than any other Union institution. In face of such considerable literature coming from legal, political science, sociological, and more recently also historical quarters, this chapter cannot but scratch the surface of the vast topic by providing a concise introduction into selected institutional themes in a legal1 and, where possible, diachronic perspective: the structure of the Union courts located in Luxembourg; basic information about the type of judicial business the Court of Justice carries out; the composition of the Court of Justice, including the recent changes made to the way in which judges and advocates-general are selected; the often discussed style and structure of the judgments; and, finally, the even more frequently discussed and recurring question of the legitimacy of the Court of Justice

Judicial Selection, Lay Participation, and Judicial Culture in the Czech Republic: A Study in a Central European (Non)Transformation. College of Europe Research Paper in Law 03/2014

Introduction. The idea that “merit” should be the guiding principle of judicial selections is a universal principle, unlikely to be contested in whatever legal system. What differs considerably across legal cultures, however, is the way in which “merit” is defined. For deeper cultural and historical reasons, the current definition of “merit” in the process of judicial selections in the Czech Republic, at least in the way it is implemented in the institutional settings, is an odd mongrel. The old technocratic Austrian judicial heritage has in some aspects merged with, in others was altered or destroyed, by the Communist past. After 1989, some aspects of the judicial organisation were amended, with the most problematic elements removed. Furthermore, several old as well as new provisions relating to the judiciary were struck down by the Constitutional Court. However, apart from these rather haphazard interventions, there has been neither a sustained discussion as to how a new judicial architecture and system of judicial appointments ought to look like nor much of broader, conceptual reform in this regard. Thus, some twenty five years after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the guiding principles for judicial selection and appointments are still a debate to be had

Placental abnormalities and hypertension in pregnancy

Preeclampsia is a significant and common complication of pregnancy, with characteristic signs of hypertension and proteinuria. Current theories postulate a role for altered placental perfusion as a consequence of abnormal placental development in the aetiology of preeclampsia. Animal models of human preeclampsia have shown that an imbalance of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α leads to a similar maternal phenotype as seen with a surgical reduction of placental perfusion pressure. This suggests a role for the inflammatory response in generating the maternal signs of hypertension and proteinuria. Currently, there is no direct link showing that a cytokine imbalance (specifically increased TNF-) affects placental development in such a way as to result in altered blood flow. The ability to detect morphological changes and alterations in blood flow in experimental models of preeclampsia would provide a significant boost in our understanding of the syndrome. The aim of this study was to develop an “imbalance in pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α)” experimental mouse model of preeclampsia and to utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for visualization of placental anatomy and for the analysis of changes in tissue morphology and function including blood flow and perfusion. Secondly, this study aimed to examine the relationship between; an imbalance in inflammatory cytokines; changes in placental markers involved in inflammation, hypoxia and pH homeostasis; and changes in blood flow in the aetiology of the maternal hypertensive response. Pregnant C57BL/6JArc mice were subject to either reduced utero-placental perfusion (RUPP), subcutaneous infusion of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, or control procedures. Blood pressure was measured by either tail cuff sphygmomanometry or by telemetry. Urine was collected to measure proteinuria and blood was collected to measure levels of the anti-angiogenic molecule soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), a biomarker of the human disease. MRI images were acquired on anaesthetised mice on day 17 of gestation using a Bruker Avance 11.7 Tesla wide-bore spectrometer. Quantitative analysis of changes in T2 relaxation measurements were carried out by using Matlab™ to generate R2 (i.e., 1/T2) maps from the acquired T2 measurement data, with the T2 values being calculated from selected regions of interest. Additional high resolution MRI images were acquired on formalin fixed, Magnevist™ contrast agent infused placenta. Placentas were harvested on day 17 of pregnancy, either formalin fixed and paraffin embedded for histology or snap frozen for proteomics and genomics. Histology was performed on sections using either Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) or Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stains. Immunohistochemistry using secondary anti rabbit horse radish peroxidise linked polymer and visualising with DAB, or quantitative immunofluorescent histochemistry using Alexa 488 goat anti-rabbit IgG was performed using primary antibodies to Cytokeratin (trophoblast marker), HIF-1a (Hypoxia inducible transcription factor 1), CLIC-3 (chloride intracellular channel 3; Cl-/H+ co-transporter) and TLR-3 and TLR-4 (Toll-like receptor 3 and 4). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to measure mRNA expression of mFlt-1, sFlt-1, hif-1, tlr-3, tlr-4, clic-3 and clic-4 in placental tissue. This thesis demonstrates that infusion of the inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) is an experimental model for hypertension and proteinuria in murine pregnancy. Hypertension in the RUPP model was not definitively confirmed despite the proteinuria. No increase in sFlt-1 above the constitutively high levels of normal pregnancy was detected in the maternal serum of either model, suggesting sFlt-1 is not a reliable marker for disease in the mouse model. This thesis demonstrates that that morphologically distinct regions of the mouse placenta can be detected and quantified by MRI. Mapping of T2 relaxation times ,which are attenuated by both hypoxia (increased levels of deoxyhaemoglobin) and acidosis (increase in free protons), indicate contrast between regions which is is lost when blood flow ceases. Similar decrease in contrast is detected upon T2 mapping in the placentas of both the artificially reduced perfusion (RUPP) and imbalance of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α) experimental models. Immunohistochemistry and qPCR detected increases in the presence of molecules involved in response to both inflammation (TLR-3 and TLR-4) and changes in oxygen (HIF-1α) and pH (CLIC-3) levels in placentas from animals subject to either TNF-α infusion or RUPP. These results demonstrate for the first time that morphological differences or abnormalities related to blood flow can be detected by T2 mapping in the placenta of mice subject to experimental models of preeclampsia and may be used to analyse changes quantitatively. This technology has the potential to be used when studying the dynamic changes in the placenta of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Analysis of the MRI images suggests changes involve both increases in deoxyhaemoglobin (hypoxia) and decreases in intracellular pH (acidosis) and suggests that pH dependent mechanisms may be as equally important as hypoxia in the perturbed placenta. The results also indicate that the metabolic changes in the placenta in response to both decreased blood flow and TNF-α infusion involve upregulation of both TLR-3 and TLR-4 protein expression and upregulation of HIF-1α mRNA and protein. Alterations in expression and localisation of the H+/Cl- co transporter CLIC-3 was demonstrated in the placenta after TNF-α infusion, consistent with the metabolic change observed by MRI. Inflammation-driven changes in both oxygen and pH-dependent signalling pathways are thus implicated in alterations of the complex metabolic pathways of homeostasis and angiogenesis in the placenta that lead to the subsequent maternal hypertensive response

To Mint or Not to Mint: Non-fungible Tokens and the Right of Publicity

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) allow for authentication and ownership of digital assets, which are notable features in the virtual world given the infiniteness of internet content. The emergence of this novel technology, however, has raised challenges, especially regarding enforcement of the right of publicity. This Note addresses how litigators have approached right of publicity violations arising from NFTs and how courts might respond to future violations that this technology is capable of facilitating. Legal scholars and commentators argue that certain features of NFTs pose pronounced threats to the right of publicity, namely the technology’s novelty, democratized nature, anonymization of creators, transferability across platforms, and immutability. To combat these threats, this Note proposes that rights owners should enter into right of publicity license agreements; that NFT platforms should strengthen their terms of service and develop higher barriers of entry for users; and, finally, that courts should order that infringing NFTs be “burned.

Migration and Recession: Polish Migrants in Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland

In this paper we explore the impact of the current economic downturn on Polish migrants in the Irish labour market. Ireland appears to be well suited to study the impact of the recession on intra-European migration. The country has not only experienced large-scale inward migration from the new EU Member states (NMS) in recent years, but has also been severely hit by a recession. At times of an economic crisis, questions have begun to be asked about the future intentions of migrants. By drawing on an ongoing Qualitative Panel Study on the experience of Polish migrants in the Irish labour market, we argue that simplistic assumptions about migrants leaving the country 'when times are getting tough' are misplaced. No doubt some NMS migrants will leave because of the worsening economic situation and new opportunities elsewhere. As East-West migration has adopted a more temporary and circular character facilitated by a free movement regime, NMS migrants have the opportunity to move on elsewhere at times of a downturn. At the same time, many Polish migrants are 'here to stay', for the moment at least. This is for at least three reasons. A clear majority of NMS migrants remains in employment, in spite of the downturn. Furthermore, even if migrants should lose their jobs, welfare state arrangements in the host country offer some protection against destitution. Moreover, the decision to migrate, and consequently to stay or move on, is not just reached on the basis of economic considerations alone. Particularly social networks are of importance in sustaining the migration process relatively independent from short-term economic change, including an economic downturn.Recession, East-West Migration, Free Movement, Ireland, Poland

TAM-based external factors related to ERP solutions acceptance in organizations

To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ERP solutions use, understanding of critical success factors of ERP solutions assimilation in organizations is crucial. The technology acceptance model (TAM) proposed by Davis (1989) has been the most widely used model for researching user acceptance and usage of IT/IS. The purpose of this paper is to extend the original TAM with groups of external factors which impact actual ERP system use. First, we focus on ERP system use in companies’ maturity phase. Second, we expose and examine three groups of external factors which influence ERP usage. The model was empirically tested using data collected from a survey of ERP users in 44 organizations. Survey data have been collected from ERP users who have been exposed to an ERP system which has operated for more than one year. The proposed research model was analyzed using the PLS approach