Epistemologies of Spaces and Places: An Introduction

The article introduces a special themed issue of Theory of Science on epistemologies of spaces and places. It provides a disciplinary context of the theme and reviews some of the key arguments that led to the so-called spatial turn in social sciences and the humanities. Science studies in the broad sense have also been affected by this shift of research interest to spatial aspects of science at both micro- and macro-levels. Scientific knowledge has been subject to analyses that stress its local contingencies, mobility and dependencies on spatial arrangements. The ensuing new epistemologies require novel concepts or reconsideration of the older terms, such as universality or objectivity

A Theory's Travelogue: Post-Colonial Theory in Post-Socialist Space

This essay examines theoretical arguments surrounding the use of post-colonial theory as a way to fill in the epistemological lacuna in the studies of post-socialism. It reviews the various streams of this theoretical development and employs Edward Said’s notion of “traveling theory” to demonstrate that theoretical claims made by proponents and opponents of this particular comparative perspective are historically, socially, and geographically situated, although not fixed. Disciplinary, national, and institutional affiliations, instead of theoretical justifications, are identified as important factors in the propensity to accept or resist the introduction of post-colonial perspective on Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The essay concludes by acknowledging the potential usefulness as well as the limits of post-colonialism in the conceptualization of the post- socialist space

The Structure of Consumer Basket in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

Purpose of the article: Nowadays, consumer behaviour is still at the centre of attention of many researchers. The consumer basket belongs among important economic characteristics, which determine the economic level of each country. The contribution of the article consists in identification of changes in the structure of consumer basket related to two chosen countries. Methodology/methods: The development of the structure of consumer basket of average household in two countries during the period from 2004 to 2014 is analysed. The structure is expressed by means of expenditure shares, while the development by means of trend models. Coefficient of determination and correlation coefficient are used within choosing the appropriate trend function. Scientific aim: The aim of this article is to assess the development of the structure of consumer basket of average household in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic during the period from 2004 to 2014 by each country including mutual comparison. In detail, the development of consumer expenditure groups of consumer basket is assessed. Findings: Expenditure shares are found to be enough volatile in time. The highest coefficients of determination are found just in case of quadratic function. Mostly, the found correlation in trend model is strong. Incomes and expenditures mostly increase in time. Based on the 2004 and 2012 comparison, the percentage rates expressing, how much incomes exceed expenditures increase about 11% by the household in the Slovak Republic, however the ones increase only about 3% by the household in the Czech Republic. Conclusions: The structure of consumer basket of household and the structure of household expenditures in the Slovak Republic differs from the ones in the Czech Republic. Both differences and common features are found within the development of indicators. Common features could be caused by the fact, that these two countries constituted only one country till 1. 1. 1993

Quantum partial teleportation as optimal cloning at a distance

We propose a feasible scheme of conditional quantum partial teleportation of a qubit as optimal asymmetric cloning at a distance. In this scheme, Alice preserves one imperfect clone whereas other clone is teleported to Bob. Fidelities of the clones can be simply controlled by an asymmetry in Bell-state measurement. The optimality means that tightest inequality for the fidelities in the asymmetric cloning is saturated. Further we design a conditional teleportation as symmetric optimal N-> N+1 cloning from N Alice's replicas on single distant clone. We shortly discussed two feasible experimental implementations, first one for teleportation of polarization state of a photon and second one, for teleportation of a time-bin qubit.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Capital Accumulation in an Economy with Heterogeneous Agents and Moral Hazard

This paper studies a closed economy with a continuum of agents and moral hazard. Economic agents in the economy operate a stochastic production technology with capital and labor inputs in which the latter is private information. I characterize efficient allocations of capital, labor, and consumption in a stationary recursive equilibrium for a decentralized economy with component planners. Allocation and accumulation of capital are facilitated by a 'capital planner' who serves as a financial intermediary for the component planners. In equilibrium, private information lowers the equilibrium interest rate below agents' discount rate and I show that contrary to the private-information endowment economies, a moral-hazard productive economy can exhibit both endogenous lower and upper bounds on the stationary distribution of utility entitlements.