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.

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

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

Image processing on GPU

Tato práce zkoumá možnosti a omezení týkající se detekce hran v obrazu při využití moderních GPGPU. Vybrali jsme čtyři operátory pro detekci hran k implementaci pomocí NVIDIA CUDA. Jsou navrženy masově paralelní verze těchto operátorů a implementovány na zmíněné platformě. Implementace je poté zhodnocena z hlediska přesnosti detekce hran i výpočetní výkonnosti.This thesis explores possibilities and limitations of performing edge detection in images using modern GPGPUs. Four edge-detection operators are selected for implementation using NVIDIA CUDA. Massively parallel versions of the operators are designed and implemented using the mentioned platform. The implementation is then evaluated in terms of both edge-detection accuracy and computational performance

Provisions in Metallurgical Industry and Financial Crisis

The article studies the provisions in the metallurgical industry – the number of financial statements disclosing provisions and the amount of provisions disclosed in financial statements. The aim of article is both to presents the provisions disclosed in the financial statements and to determine the influence of financial crisis on the disclosing of provisions in this industry. The individual types of provisions are analyzed as well. The individual types of provisions are researched concerning the number of disclosed provisions and amount of them

Vpliv organizacijskih dejavnikov na odnos do uporabe analitičnih orodij informacijske rešitve CRM

Background and Purpose: Information solutions for analytical customer relationship management CRM (aCRM IS) that include the use of analytical tools are becoming increasingly important, due organizations’ need for knowledge of their customers and the ability to manage big data. The objective of the research is, therefore, to determine how the organizations’ orientations (process, innovation, and technology) as critical organizational factors affect the attitude towards the use of the analytical tools of aCRM IS. Design/Methodology/Approach: To measure the orientation of the organization (process, innovation, and technology), we redesigned the existing scale, which was validated using exploratory factor analysis. In the next phase, we created a model by which we examined the impact of the organization’s stance in relation to the use of the analytical tools of aCRM IS, where we used multiple regression analysis. The model was verified on a sample of Slovenian Organizations (n=105), which use the analytical tools of aCRM IS for analyzing the data they have on their customers and business partners. Results: In the study we found that all critical factors of the organization, specifically process, technology, and innovation orientation, have a positive impact on the attitudes towards using the analytical tools of aCRM IS. Innovation orientation is particularly important and has the strongest influence on the attitude towards using the analytical tools of aCRM IS. We found that innovation orientation on new ideas, methods, and approaches has the strongest effect, followed by the impact of innovation orientation on acceptance of novelty. Conclusion: The more innovation-, technology-, and process-oriented organizations are, the more positive their attitude towards using the analytical tools of aCRM IS. The study is particularly important for organizations that are introducing an aCRM IS into their business system.Ozadje in namen: Informacijska rešitev analitičnega upravljanja s strankami (aCRM IR) zajema med drugim uporabo analitičnih orodij, ki zaradi potrebe organizacij po znanju strank in upravljanju masivnih podatkov, pridobivajo na vse večji veljavi. Zato je bil cilj raziskave ugotoviti, kako naravnanost organizacije (procesna, inovativna in tehnološka) kot kritični organizacijski dejavnik vpliva na odnos do uporabe analitičnih orodij aCRM IR. Zasnova/metodologija/pristop: Za merjenje naravnanosti organizacije (procesna, inovativna in tehnološka) smo preoblikovali obstoječe merilne lestvice, ki smo jih validirali s pomočjo eksploratorne faktorske analize. V naslednji fazi smo oblikovali model, s katerim smo preverjali vpliv naravnanosti organizacije na odnos do uporabe a analitičnih orodij aCRM IR, pri čemer smo uporabili multiplo regresijsko analizo. Model smo preverjali na vzorcu slovenskih organizacij (n=105), ki za analiziranje podatkov o strankah in poslovnih partnerjih uporabljajo analitična orodja. Rezultati: V študiji smo ugotovili, da imajo vsi trije vidiki naravnanosti organizacije, procesna, tehnološka in inovativna naravnanost, pozitivni vpliv na odnos do uporabe analitičnih orodij aCRM IR v organizaciji. Še zlasti je pomembna inovativna naravnanost organizacije, ki ima najmočnejši vpliv na odnos do uporabe analitičnih orodij aCRM IR. Inovativno naravnost je dvodimenzionalni konstrukt. Ugotovili smo, da ima inovativna naravnanost na nove ideje, metode in pristope največji vpliv na odnos do uporabe analitičnih orodij aCRM IR, sledi pa inovativna naravnanost na sprejem novosti v organizaciji. Zaključek: Bolj kot so organizacije inovativno, tehnološko in procesno naravnane, bolj pozitivni odnos imajo v povprečju do uporabe analitičnih orodij aCRM IR. Študija je še posebej pomembna za organizacije, ki vpeljujejo aCRM IR v poslovni sistem

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

Can the application of computed tomography laser mammography (CTLM) in dense breast (category 3,4 according to ACR) examinations combined with x-ray mammography enhance the detection of breast cancer?

Background: The aim of this study was an attempt to answer the question whether laser mammography in dense breast (classified as category 3,4 according to ACR) examination together with x-ray mammography can enhance the detection of breast cancer. Material/Method: 248 women who had undergone a CTLM examination and mammography in the Department of Radiology of Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology in the years 2005-2007 were analyzed retrospectively. In these examinations, x-ray mammography did not reveal lesions (BIRADS 1, category 3 and 4 according to ACR). An interval between CTLM and mammography did not exceed 30 days. The examination result was verified by cytology/histopathology or observation after a minimum of 12 months provided a regular result. CTLM visualizes normal and pathological blood vessels and tissues which are rich in blood, because laser rays used in CTLM (808nm) are more absorbable by hemoglobin than by the surrounding tissue, making it possible to show a malignant tumor by its accompanying angiogenesis. The result of CTLM mammography was qualified either as the presence (+) or absence (–) of angiogenesis. Results: Among 248 women, angiogenesis was discovered by CTLM in 48 cases, in the CTLM (+) Group 13/48 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, whereas 35/48 were diagnosed with benign lesions. Angiogenesis was not identified in 200 women, in the CTLM (-) group 13/200 were diagnosed finally with cancer, with 187/200 patients having no malignancy. Ultimately, in the group of 248 women (with dense breast, category 3 and 4 according to ACR), in whom x-ray mammography did not reveal malignant processes (BIRADS 1), 26 cancers were detected out of which 13 were revealed with CTLM Conclusions: Computed Tomography Laser Mammography, when used as an adjunct to x-ray mammography, enhances the detection of breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue

Globalization measurement as a management tool

If the intention of an approach towards measuring globalization is to represent an economy\u27s policymaking tool, it should enable to not only analyze an economy\u27s position but also its potentials for international integration in the period of contemporary globalization. In this paper we developed a theoretical framework for analyzing an economy\u27s globalization level, and set up the hierarchical model for its assessment by the analytic hierarchy process methodology. The model is empirically tested on the case of Slovenia and nine comparable countries. Our approach can be treated as an attempt towards diminishing theoretical uncertainties and deficiencies in the methodology of other, the most well-known approaches towards measuring globalization