Methodology for Assessing External Costs in the Energy Industry

The article presents a methodology for assessing external cost in the energy industry. This requires a quantification of externalities and valuation of losses and damage to the natural environment using indirect methods based on attempts to assign market value to losses, costs of substitutes to endangered or damaged environmental goods as well as restoration, prevention, compensation and opportunity costs

Entornos virtuales de colaboración y las asimetrías: Virtual enviroments of collaboration and asymetries

Podrían las asimetrías ser consideradas como factores que impiden o favorecen el desarrollo de acuerdos o alianzas en los entornos virtuales de colaboración? Es difícil conseguir la respuesta ya que las alianzas realizadas, en la mayoría de los casos en los entornos asimétricos, no motivan lo suficiente a los managers a cambiar sus prioridades en el proceso de gestión. Los objetivos particulares, la preocupación por el mantenimiento de las ventajas competitivas de su propio negocio, y la posición dominante en el mercado, siguen siendo los principales objetivos de los directivos. Los factores que tienen una influencia significativa en las decisiones de la colaboración entre las organizaciones en la cadena de suministro virtual son: el nivel de conocimiento, la información y la confianza. Es posible observar una cierta tendencia hacia la promoción de las relaciones asimétricas cuyo resultado produce la resistencia a compartir el conocimiento y la información y la aparición de situaciones conflictivas. Los aspectos relacionados con las asimetrías pueden sugerir a las organizaciones a cambiar su estrategia en las cadenas de suministro. En entornos altamente dinámicos y complejos, como son los entornos virtuales, las relaciones asimétricas entre los diferentes socios pueden ofrecer interesantes reflexiones sobre la importancia de la competencia en el proceso de creación de nuevos o sustitutivos productos o los acuerdos de colaboración. PALABRAS CLAVE: Entorno virtual, asimetría, cadena de suministro

Review of Counter-Terrorism Systems during Summer Olympic Games in the 21st Century

The research results presented in the article pertain to the organization of security systems by the host countries during the Summer Olympic Games in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Rio de Janeiro (2016). The central part of the considerations focuses on the complex issue of searching for methods and tools to effectively protect participants of such large mass sports events, not only against terrorists. Taking into account the identified problem situation, it was agreed that the aim of the article will be to characterize the security methods and tools employed by the organizers of the Summer Olympic Games. The research was conducted with the use of selected theoretical scientific methods, including analysis, synthesis, comparison, analogy, generalization, and inference. These methods were applied in a structured way to a research process that focused on case studies of selected Summer Olympic Games that were considered representative samples. The results of the carried out research clearly indicate a high complexity of the security systems created for the needs of the Olympic Games. In every analyzed case, the need occurred to integrate state institutions and international organizations, including various agencies dealing with security issues, including terrorism. Additionally, based on the obtained results, it was also determined that properly forecasting threats is crucial in ensuring the safety of participants in the Olympic Games. It should be further emphasized that in each analyzed case study, the organizers of these large sports events fulfilled their role as hosts very well. They should, therefore, be recognized as a good example for other countries that will apply for organizing this type of mass sports events in the future. They must also be aware that each sporting event of this type requires a significant organizational and financial effort and that the threats are not limited to terrorism but can be posed by various external and internal factors. This article is one of the first attempts to assess the justification of implementing various methods and tools to the security systems of mass international sporting events through the prism of their effectiveness. In addition, the proposed solutions, including the threat forecasting methodology, may be useful to both practitioners and theoreticians in creating more effective solutions in the field of national and international security.The research results presented in this article refer to the organization of security systems by the host countries during the Summer Olympics in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). The main part of the considerations in this article focuses on the complex issues related to the proper protection of mass sports events of this type against terrorist attacks. Taking this research approach, the authors characterize and evaluate the safety systems prepared by the organizers of the listed Summer Olympics. The case studies presented in the article include, first of all, the characteristics of the security systems of the Olympic Games through the prism of their organization and the intensity of the means used to protect against terrorism on land, water and in the air. The role and importance of international cooperation during the preparation of security systems for this type of international sports events was also highlighted

Financialization as a Factor Constraining Economic Growth and Standard of Living Improvement in Poland

Despite evidence of numerous negative effects of the process of financialization in open markets and under globalization, in Poland, there is a lack of interest in reliable, documented empirical research on the sources and causes of financialization and its impact on economic growth and living standards of all residents. Recognizing these problems as important for the realization of objectives that were at the foun- dation of European integration, sources of financialization and its implications for economic growth and living standards of residents of Poland, as an EU country, were characterized. The state of theory in this area was assessed and the results of empirical research that was conducted were presented

Praxeological and Ethical Limits for Incorporation of Ethics and CSR into a Corporate Strategy and Operational Activities

One can observe in the whole Europe a general trend to include ethics and corporate social responsibility into corporate strategy and operational activities. Institutional, public, corporate and competitors’ pressure reinforce the increasing popularity of the corporate social responsibility concept. It sometimes even happens that it is done without any preoccupation with risks and threats it may have to the business bottom line and to the interests of those stakeholders the company should first attend. We describe the praxeological limits, submitted to the criteria of efficiency and effectiveness, of including ethics and corporate social responsibility into a corporate strategy and operational activities by reviewing the literature on these issues. We also discuss the other side of the problem, namely its ethical limits, in general terms though, focusing on axiological aspects of these matters. The analysis concludes by emphasizing the practical sense of the golden mean.Olgierd Swiatkiewicz - [email protected] Michalski - [email protected] Swiatkiewicz, Ph.D., professor of Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Setúbal, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, PortugaMarek Michalski, Ph.D., professor of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madry

Closer to the native state. Critical evaluation of cryo-techniques for Transmission Electron Microscopy: preparation of biological samples

Over the years Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has evolved into a powerful technique for the structural analysis of cells and tissues at various levels of resolution. However, optimal sample preservation is required to achieve results consistent with reality. During the last few decades, conventional preparation methods have provided most of the knowledge about the ultrastructure of organelles, cells and tissues. Nevertheless, some artefacts can be introduced at all stagesofstandard electron microscopy preparation technique. Instead, rapid freezing techniques preserve biological specimens as close as possible to the native state. Our review focuses on different cryo-preparation approaches, starting from vitrification methods dependent on sample size. Afterwards, we discuss Cryo-Electron Microscopy Of VItreous Sections (CEMOVIS) and the main difficulties associated with this technique. Cryo-Focused Ion Beam (cryo-FIB) is described as a potential alternative for CEMOVIS. Another post-processing route for vitrified samples is freeze substitution and embedding in resin for structural analysis or immunolocalization analysis. Cryo-sectioning according to Tokuyasu is a technique dedicated to high efficiency immunogold labelling. Finally, we introduce hybrid techniques, which combine advantages of primary techniques originally dedicated to different approaches. Hybrid approaches permit to perform the study of difficult-to-fix samples and antigens or help optimize the sample preparation protocol for the integrated Laser and Electron Microscopy (iLEM) technique.(Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2014, Vol. 52, No, 1, 1–17

First records of the Palaestes abruptus Sharp, 1899 and P. nicaraguae Sharp, 1899 (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) from South America, with a checklist of flat bark beetles from the continent

Background: The flat bark beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) is a small insect family with only about 70 species. Most of the species are distributed in Holarctic, Oriental and/or Australasian realms, while in South America, only six species have been recorded, including a single one known from Peru. New information: Two cucujid beetle species, Palaestes abruptus Sharp, 1899 and P. nicaraguae Sharp, 1899, are recorded from South America for the first time. The species are recorded from the Pasco (P. abruptus) and Cusco and Junín (P. nicaraguae) Regions of Peru, based, in part, on data collected through the iNaturalist citizen science database. Habitats of both species are presented in photographs for the first time. A country-level checklist to Cucujidae species currently known from South America is provided

Alpha-2-antiplasmin Arg407Lys polymorphism and cryptogenic ischemic cerebrovascular events : association with neurological deficit

Objective Genetic background of cryptogenic ischemic stroke (IS) and transient ischemic attack (TIA) remains uncertain. Alpha-2-antiplasmin (α2AP) Arg407Lys polymorphism has been shown to be less common in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) compared with healthy controls. We investigated associations of α2AP Arg407Lys polymorphism with cryptogenic IS and TIA. Methods We studied 165 consecutive Caucasian patients who experienced cryptogenic IS (n=123) or TIA (n=42). Neurological outcomes were assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) in the acute phase of cerebral ischemia and 8 (6-12) months after the index episode. Patients were genotyped for α2AP Arg407Lys polymorphism (rs1057335) using real time PCR technique. Results The allele frequency of Arg407Lys polymorphism was: 0.82/0.18. The 407Lys allele was more frequent in TIA patients compared to the IS group (0.29 vs. 0.14, p=0.003). In the whole group, as well as in IS and TIA patients analyzed separately, possession of the 407Lys allele was associated with excellent outcome (mRS 0–1) during follow-up (p<0.05) but not in the acute phase of ischemic events both in thrombolyzed and nonthrombolyzed IS patients. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that the excellent outcome (mRS 0-1) assessed after 8 (6-12) months since the index cerebral ischemia was predicted by the occurrence of Lys407 allele (OR 6.18, 95% CI, 2.01–18.98, p=0.001). Conclusion The presence of 407Lys allele is associated with better prognosis in cryptogenic cerebrovascular events. Our findings suggest that the α2AP Arg407Lys polymorphism could be involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia and its outcome