Important characteristics of an entrepreneur in relation to risk taking: Czech Republic case study

New businesses arising at the market usually operate in the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises and account for a significant part of the whole global economy. Not only the success of a start-up company, but also its sequel within the SME sector are significantly influenced by entrepreneur's personality. The aim of this article is to explore the attitude to financial risk in relation to sociodemographic characteristics (gender, education, age) and the most important personality traits of entrepreneurs (risk-taking, decisiveness, optimism). We have analyzed the data collected from 1141 respondents during 2015 in 14 regions of Czech Republic. Empirical results of our paper show that the researched entrepreneurs rather can't manage financial risks in their firms regardless their gender, education, age or personality traits. Most entrepreneurs consider the importance of financial risk to increase during the crisis period. These opinions differed in relation to age, gender and such personality traits as "decisiveness" and "optimism". The results also show that the entrepreneurs try to minimise the financial risk through building-up reserves in relation to such qualities as "risk-taking" and "decisiveness" in comparison to a rather negative attitude to "optimism". © Foundation of International Studies, 2017 & CSR, 2017

Effect of CSR implementation and crisis events in business on the financial management of SMEs

The financial management of a business is an integral part of strategic management. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vulnerable to the presence of crisis events in the business environment. In this context, senior managers and owners need to react promptly to emerging changes in a given business segment. The aim of the article is to quantify the effect of crisis events in business and firm’s CSR implementation in business on the financial performance in the SMEs. The empirical research incorporated 1,090 SMEs in the business environment of four Central European countries. The research hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modelling. The empirical findings confirmed the positive impact of CSR implementation in the enterprise on its financial management. The research results did not confirm the negative effects of crisis events in business on the financial management. Crisis phenomena have direct effects on the sustainability of the enterprise; the organizational activities of the enterprise; the functioning of the enterprise in the market and the management of the enterprise. The findings are used as a basis for the preparation of strategic projects of national and international policies helping to cope with crisis phenomena in the business environment of the SME segment

POUŽITÍ RADIOCHROMNÍHO GELOVÉHO DOZIMETRU PRO VERIFIKACI DÁVKOVÉ DISTRIBUCE VE STEREOTAKTICKÉ RADIOCHIRURGII

DOSE DISTRIBUTION VERIFICATION IN STEREOTACTC RADIOSURGERY USING RADIOCHROMIC GEL DOSIMETER. 3D verification in stereotactic radiosurgery is not a trivial task since there is not available appropriate detector and the process of verification is time consuming as well. The aim of the study was to perform assessment of radiochromic gel dosimeter based on Turnbull blue dye for verification of patient treatment plan at Leksell Gama Knife Perfexion. Gel dosimeter was fixed with stereotactic frame and irradiated with a prescription dose of 40 Gy to 50% isodose. Dosimeter was evaluated two hours after irradiation using home made optical CT scanner. The comparison between the gel measurements and the treatment planning system calculation are presented in the form of 2D isodoses, 1D profile and gamma analysis (1 mm 3%) for the central slices. Measured relative dose distribution in a central slice and measured profiles show excellent correspondence with TPS. There were observed small discrepancies in low dose region according to gamma analyses results. This was probably caused by problems with dose distribution coregistration and set up positioning errors

Reprint of: The diversity of oomycetes on crayfish: Morphological vs. molecular identification of cultures obtained while isolating the crayfish plague pathogen

Numerous oomycetes colonise the crayfish cuticle, the best known being the crayfish plague pathoge

THE CRAYFISH PLAGUE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC - REVIEW OF RECENT SUSPECT CASES AND A PILOT DETECTION STUDY

There are only very limited reports about the occurrence of the crayfish plague in Czechia. In recent years, mass mortalities of Astacus spp. with symptoms of possible crayfish plague were noticed in three streams in the country two in Central Bohemia (1998-9) and one in Silesia (2004). Three dead individuals from the last outbreak were examined for the presence of the crayfish plague pathogen, Aphanomyces astaci, by observation of the presence of hyphae in their cuticle and by a PCR-based diagnostic method. In all three cases the detection was positive. Although causes of mass mortalities from two other localities lack such a direct confirmation, the indirect evidence supports the same conclusion. The main potential vector of A. astaci in Czechia is the American spiny-cheeck crayfish Orconectes limosus, widespread in large rivers of the western part of the country and in various isolated standing waters. Using the same molecular method, we investigated the presence of A. astaci in living O. limosus individuals from six localities (three running and three standing waters). The analysis indicated the presence of the pathogen in animals from five out of six investigated Orconectes populations. One of them is present in the stream where two European Astacus species had gone extinct in 1998-9. Our results suggest that the crayfish plague is still present in Czechia, and that populations of O. limosus represent a reservoir for the crayfish plague pathogen, which directly endangers populations of the native crayfish

THE CRAYFISH PLAGUE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC - REVIEW OF RECENT SUSPECT CASES AND A PILOT DETECTION STUDY

There are only very limited reports about the occurrence of the crayfish plague in Czechia. In recent years, mass mortalities of Astacus spp. with symptoms of possible crayfish plague were noticed in three streams in the country two in Central Bohemia (1998-9) and one in Silesia (2004). Three dead individuals from the last outbreak were examined for the presence of the crayfish plague pathogen, Aphanomyces astaci, by observation of the presence of hyphae in their cuticle and by a PCR-based diagnostic method. In all three cases the detection was positive. Although causes of mass mortalities from two other localities lack such a direct confirmation, the indirect evidence supports the same conclusion. The main potential vector of A. astaci in Czechia is the American spiny-cheeck crayfish Orconectes limosus, widespread in large rivers of the western part of the country and in various isolated standing waters. Using the same molecular method, we investigated the presence of A. astaci in living O. limosus individuals from six localities (three running and three standing waters). The analysis indicated the presence of the pathogen in animals from five out of six investigated Orconectes populations. One of them is present in the stream where two European Astacus species had gone extinct in 1998-9. Our results suggest that the crayfish plague is still present in Czechia, and that populations of O. limosus represent a reservoir for the crayfish plague pathogen, which directly endangers populations of the native crayfish