Predicting Discounts of Secondary Market Sovereign Debts

This paper assesses the Institutional Investor Country Risk Rating (IICR) to analyze whether secondary market prices are reliable indicators of debt values. It starts with the conviction that the rating scores are reasonable measure of banker’s perceptions of the country’s creditworthiness. Regression results indicate illiquidity of the secondary market.risk

Predicting Discounts of Secondary Market Sovereign Debts

This paper assesses the Institutional Investor Country Risk Rating (IICR) to analyze whether secondary market prices are reliable indicators of debt values. It starts with the conviction that the rating scores are reasonable measure of banker’s perceptions of the country’s creditworthiness. Regression results indicate illiquidity of the secondary market.risk

Scotty, I Need More Power - The Fission System Gateway to Abundant Power for Exploration

In planning and in crisis, electrical power has been a key consideration when humans venture into space. Since the 1950's, nuclear fission (splitting of atoms) power has been a logical alternative in both fact and fiction, due to its ability to provide abundant power with high energy density, reliability, and immunity to severe environments. Bringing space fission power to a state of readiness for exploration has depended on clearing the hurdle of technology readiness demonstration. Due to the happy coincidence of heritage from prior space fission development efforts such as the Prometheus program, foresight from NASA's Exploration Mission Systems Directorate in the mid-2000's, and relative budget stability through the late 2000's, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Department of Energy (DOE), with their industry partners, are poised to push through to this objective. Hardware for a 12 kWe non-nuclear Fission Power System Technology Demonstration Unit is being fabricated now on a schedule that will enable a low-cost demonstration of technology readiness in the mid-2010s, with testing beginning as early as 2012. With space fission power system technology demonstrated, exploration mission planners will have the flexibility to respond to a broad variety of missions and will be able to provide abundant power so that future explorers will, in planning or crisis, have the power they need when they most need it

NASA Glenn Research Center's Hypersonic Propulsion Program

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), as NASA's lead center for aeropropulsion, is responding to the challenge of reducing the cost of space transportation through the integration of air-breathing propulsion into launch vehicles. Air- breathing launch vehicle (ABLV) propulsion requires a marked departure from traditional propulsion applications. and stretches the technology of both rocket and air-breathing propulsion. In addition, the demands of the space launch mission require an unprecedented level of integration of propulsion and vehicle systems. GRC is responding with a program with rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) propulsion technology as its main focus. RBCC offers the potential for simplicity, robustness, and performance that may enable low-cost single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) transportation. Other technologies, notably turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion, offer benefits such as increased robustness and greater mission flexibility, and are being advanced, at a slower pace, as part of GRC's program in hypersonics

POJAM I ZNAČAJ „SHADOW“ BANKARSTVA : Završni rad

„Shadow“ bankarstvo odnosi se na financijske tvrtke i aktivnosti koje obavljaju slične funkcije kao i kod depozitnih banaka. Iako se taj pojam koristi za opisivanje različitih poduzeća i aktivnosti, postoji opća zabrinutost da bi djelovanje „shadow“ bankarstva moglo biti izvor financijske nestabilnosti. Ta je zabrinutost povećana iskustvima u razdoblju od 2007. do 2009. godine, tijekom kojih su financijski problemi među bankama pridonijeli veličini financijske krize. Cilj ovog rada je objasniti pojam „shadow“ bankarstva i djelovanje subjekata i aktivnosti unutar tog sustava. Rad raspravlja o nekoliko osnovnih problema i rizika takvog financijskog posredovanja, opisuje posebne sektore „shadow“ bankarstva te daje mjere za regulaciju tog sustava.Shadow banking refers to financial firms and activities that perform similar functions to those of depository banks. Although the term is used to describe dissimilar firms and activities, a general policy concern is that a component of shadow banking could be a source of financial instability. This concern is magnified by the experience from 2007. to 2009., during which financial problems among banks contributed to the magnitude of the financial crisis. The paper discusses several basic problems and risks of such financial intermediation, describes the special shadow banking sectors and provides measures for regulating this system

Prescribing opioids in older people: the role of a pharmacist

Osobe starije životne dobi smatramo sve osobe starije od 65 godina. Starenje se definira kao progresivna, o vremenu ovisna akumulacija promjena na molekularnoj, staničnoj i tkivnoj razini, koja rezultira gubitkom funkcionalnih jedinica. Zbog toga je ustrajana bol učestalija u toj populaciji i raste primjena opioidnih analgetika koji su najsnažniji poznati analgetici. Rast propisivanja opioidnih analgetika je briga u mnogim razvijenim zemljama. Međutim, propisivanje opioidnih analgetika trebalo bi se smatrati prikladnim kao odgovor na kliničke potrebe osoba starije životne populacije, koje zahtijevaju efektivan olakšanje za kroničnu tešku bol. Opioidni analgetici djeluju kao agonisti, parcijalni agonisti i antagonisti μ, κ i δ- opiodinih receptora. Kod propisivanja opioidnih analgetika važno je dobro procijeniti izvor i intenzitet boli, kako bi se bol što uspješnije liječila. U radu smo opisali farmakološku aktivnost morfin, kodein, oksikodon, hidromorfon, fentanil, tramadol, metadon, buprenorfin, tapentadol i problematika njihove primjene kod osoba starije životne dobi. Cilj rada bio je ukazati na posljedice neprikladne primjene opioidnih analgetika, do koji nuspojava najčešće dolazi, kako upravljati nuspojavama ako do njih dođe, kako pristupiti pravilnoj primjeni opioidnih analgetika kod osoba starije životne dobi i koja je uloga ljekarnika u liječenju boli. U izradi su korišteni znanstveni radovi iz časopisa dostupnih u bazama podataka Medline, PubMed i Mendeley, te udžbenici i sva dostupna relevantna literatura. U ovom slučaju vidi se važnost ljekarničke skrbi, kao sve raširenijeg kocepta, kojom se osigurava prikladna, učinkovita i sigurna uporaba lijekova, te pridonosi povećanju adherencije pacijenta i poboljšanju kvalitete života.Persons who are older than 65 years are considered to be elderly. Aging is defined as a progressive, timedependent accumulation of changes in molecular, cellular and tissue levels, resulting in loss of functional units. This is why persistent pain often persist in this population and the use of opioid analgesics is growing. Opioid analgesics are the most powerful known analgesics. The growth in prescribing opioid analgesics is a concern in many developed countries. However, the prescribing of opioid analgesics should be considered appropriate in response to the clinical needs of the elderly population, which require effective relief for chronic severe pain. Opioid analgesics act as agonists, partial agonists and antagonists of μ, κ and δ-opiodine receptors. When prescribing opioid analgesics it is important to evaluate well the source and intensity of the pain in order to treat pain as effectively as possible. When prescribing opioid analgesics it is important to evaluate well the source and intensity of the pain in order to treat pain as effectively as possible. In the diploma thesis we have described the pharmacological activity of morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl, tramadol, methadone, buprenorphine, tapentadol and problems of their use in older persons. The aim of the study was to point to the consequences of inappropriate use of opioid analgesics, the most common side effect, how to manage side effects if they appear, how to access the correct application of opioid analgesics in older persons and the role of a pharmacist in the treatment of pain. Scientific papers from the journals available in Medline, PubMed, and Mendeley databases, as well as textbooks and all available relevant literature, have been used. In this case, the importance of pharmacy care, as an increasingly widespread approach, is demonstrated to ensure the appropriate, effective and safe use of drugs, and contributes to increasing patient adherence and improving the quality of life

Croatian (arch)dioceses on social networks

Sve više i više ljudi postaje dijelom “virtualne zajednice” kori-štenjem Interneta. Činjenica jest da velik broj vjernika ima profil ili nekoliko profila na društvenim mrežama, koje svakodnevno koriste i do nekoliko puta. Pred nas se postavlja izazov kako ovu priliku iskoristiti te korisnicima tih društvenih mreža ponuditi ne samo kvalitetan sadržaj ili materijale već ujedno ostvariti i susret u stvarnom vremenu i prostoru. Za početak je potrebno izaći im u susret i odgovoriti na njihova pitanja putem platforma na kojima provode svoje vrijeme, bilo da se oni u tom trenutku nalaze u školama ili na fakultetima, zaokupljeni vlastitim poslovima, u udobnosti svojih domova ili na jutarnjoj kavi u obližnjem kafiću. Nužno je da se Crkva kao institucija, posebno u Hrvatskoj, nametne i “brendira” na društvenim mrežama kao nova e-zajednica koja će pružiti ne samo kvalitetan sadržaj već će postati i aktivni sugovornik sa svima onima koji plove modernim morem digitalnih podataka, informacija i društvenih mreža. Otvorena i iskrena dvosmjerna komunikacija putem Interneta i društvenih mreža može i treba u konačnici voditi prema susretu u stvarnom vremenu i prostoru. Nakon prikaza sveprisutnosti i važnosti društvenih mreža u današnjem vremenu autor se osvrće na korištenje društvenih mreža od strane pape Benedikta XVI. te pape Franje, kao i hrvatskih biskupa Vlade Košića i Mate Uzinića. U posljednjem poglavlju rada autor analizira korištenje društvenih mreža u Hrvatskoj na biskupijskoj razini dajući za primjer četiri (nad)biskupije.Using the Internet more and more people are becoming part of a “virtual community”. The fact is that a large number of believers have one or more profiles on social networks, using them daily and even several times. Before us is a challenge and we have to seize this opportunity and offer the users of social networks not only a good quality content or material, but also try to realize encounter in real space and time. To begin with, we need to be cooperative and answer their questions through the platforms they use, no matter where they are currently located, at school, at university, engaged in their businesses, in the comfort of their home or having coffee at a nearby cafe. It is necessary for the Church as an institution to impose itself and to get its own brand on social networks as a new e-community which is going to offer not only a good quality content, but also become an active collocutor with all those who “sail the sea” of digital data, information and social networks. An open and honest two-way communication through the Internet and social networks can and should ultimately lead to an encounter in real time and space. After showing the ubiquity and importance of social networks in our time, the author refers to the use of social networks by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, as well as by Croatian bishops Vlado Košić and Mato Uzinić. In the last chapter of the paper the author analyses the use of social networks in Croatia on the diocesan level and gives the examples of four (arch)dioceses

Specifičnosti poslovanja obiteljskog poduzeća na primjeru poduzeća vinarija Vrtovi Sunca

Rad ne sadrži sažetak

Specifičnosti poslovanja obiteljskog poduzeća na primjeru poduzeća vinarija Vrtovi Sunca

Rad ne sadrži sažetak

Specifičnosti poslovanja obiteljskog poduzeća na primjeru poduzeća vinarija Vrtovi Sunca

Rad ne sadrži sažetak