The legal framework for private sector development in a transitional economy : the case of Poland

The economies of Central and Eastern Europe are in the midst of a historic transition from central planning and state ownership to development of a market-driven private sector. This transition requires comprehensive changes in"rules of the game"- including the legal framework for economic activity. A market economy presupposes a set of property rights and a system of laws or customs that allow the exchange of those rights. The legal framework in a market economy has at least three basic functions: defining the universe of property rights; setting the rules for entry into and exit from productive activities; and setting the rules of market exchange. These legal tasks are accomplished by areas of law such as: company, foreign investment, bankruptcy, contract and competition law. Poland has a rich legal tradition dating from pre-socialist times, which was suppressed but not eliminated during its forty years of socialism. This tradition is being revised as the country moves toward a private market economy. The current legal framework in Poland closely follows other continental jurisdictions and has a clear and reasonable internal logic. Many of the laws are old, but most are flexible enough to permit a wide range of modern, market-oriented activity. Property law, however, remains a"jungle". The wide discretion and general lack of precedent create tremendous legal uncertainty that is sure to hamper private sector development.Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Municipal Housing and Land,Legal Products,Land and Real Estate Development

Translational regulation contributes to the elevated CO2 response in two Solanum species.

Understanding the impact of elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) in global agriculture is important given climate change projections. Breeding climate-resilient crops depends on genetic variation within naturally varying populations. The effect of genetic variation in response to eCO2 is poorly understood, especially in crop species. We describe the different ways in which Solanum lycopersicum and its wild relative S. pennellii respond to eCO2 , from cell anatomy, to the transcriptome, and metabolome. We further validate the importance of translational regulation as a potential mechanism for plants to adaptively respond to rising levels of atmospheric CO2

A cross-sectional comparison of quality of life between physically active and underactive older men with prostate cancer

Men with prostate cancer experience many side effects and symptoms that may be improved by a physically active lifestyle. It was hypothesized that older men with prostate cancer who were physically active would report significantly higher levels of quality of life (QOL) as assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF and the WHOQOL-OLD. Of the 348 prostate cancer survivors who were invited to participate in the present postal survey, 137 men returned the questionnaires. Those who were physically active had significantly lower prostate specific antigen (PSA) scores and higher social participation than those insufficiently active. These findings offer some support for the benefits of physical activity (PA) within the prostate cancer population in managing the adverse side effects of their treatments on aspects of their QOL. Future research should more closely examine what types of PA best promote improvements in varying aspects of QOL and psychological well-being for prostate cancer survivors

The Functional Microarchitecture of the Mouse Barrel Cortex

Cortical maps, consisting of orderly arrangements of functional columns, are a hallmark of the organization of the cerebral cortex. However, the microorganization of cortical maps at the level of single neurons is not known, mainly because of the limitations of available mapping techniques. Here, we used bulk loading of Ca2+ indicators combined with two-photon microscopy to image the activity of multiple single neurons in layer (L) 2/3 of the mouse barrel cortex in vivo. We developed methods that reliably detect single action potentials in approximately half of the imaged neurons in L2/3. This allowed us to measure the spiking probability following whisker deflection and thus map the whisker selectivity for multiple neurons with known spatial relationships. At the level of neuronal populations, the whisker map varied smoothly across the surface of the cortex, within and between the barrels. However, the whisker selectivity of individual neurons recorded simultaneously differed greatly, even for nearest neighbors. Trial-to-trial correlations between pairs of neurons were high over distances spanning multiple cortical columns. Our data suggest that the response properties of individual neurons are shaped by highly specific subcolumnar circuits and the momentary intrinsic state of the neocortex

Space Fortress Game Training and Executive Control in Older Adults: A Pilot Intervention

We investigated the feasibility of using the Space Fortress (SF) game, a complex video game originally developed to study complex skill acquisition in young adults, to improve executive control processes in cognitively healthy older adults. The study protocol consisted of 36 one-hour game play sessions over 3 months with cognitive evaluations before and after, and a follow-up evaluation at 6 months. Sixty participants were randomized to one of three conditions: Emphasis Change (EC)--elders were instructed to concentrate on playing the entire game but place particular emphasis on a specific aspect of game play in each particular game; Active Control (AC)--game play with standard instructions; Passive Control (PC)--evaluation sessions without game play. Primary outcome measures were obtained from five tasks, presumably tapping executive control processes. A total of 54 older adults completed the study protocol. One measure of executive control, WAIS-III letter-number sequencing, showed improvement in performance from pre- to post-evaluations in the EC condition, but not in the other two conditions. These initial findings are modest but encouraging. Future SF interventions need to carefully consider increasing the duration and or the intensity of the intervention by providing at-home game training, reducing the motor demands of the game, and selecting appropriate outcome measures

The Legal Framework for Private Sector Development in a Transitional Economy: The Case of Poland

The economies of Central and Eastern Europe are in the midst of an historic transition from central planning and state ownership to market driven private sector development. This transition requires comprehensive changes in the rules of the game – i.e. the legal framework for economic activity. Markets presuppose a set of property rights and a system of laws or customs that enable the exchange of those rights. The legal framework in a market economy has at a minimum three basic functions: to define the universe of property rights in the system, to set the rules for the entry and exit of actors into and out of productive activities, and to set the rules of market exchange. Each of these three functions typically involves numerous areas of law. Property rights are defined in practice in most market economies by a wide array of laws regulating the ownership and use of real, personal, and intangible property, as well as shares in going concerns. Company, foreign investment, and bankruptcy laws are among the subset of laws that govern the entry and exit of actors into and out of productive activities. General rules of market exchange govern contract and competition law, while more detailed laws and regulations may govern more specific rules of market exchange in particular sectors. This paper analyzes the evolving legal framework for private sector development in Poland using this general classification. Poland has a rich legal tradition dating from pre-socialist times. This tradition, suppressed but not eliminated during its forty years of socialism, is being revised as the country moves toward a private market economy. The current legal framework in Poland closely follows other continental jurisdictions, particularly the French system, and has a clear and reasonable internal logic. While many of the laws are old, most are flexible enough to permit a wide range of modern market oriented activity. The 1964 Civil Code, modelled closely after the French Napoleonic Code, lays out underlying property and contract rights. Although adopted under the socialist regime, the Civil Code was drafted by law professors and, after being recently purged of socialist rhetoric, the Code is suitable for a market economy. Recent legislation, including the 1990 Antimonopoly Law and the recently adopted Securities and Foreign Investment Laws, appears to be quite well designed for private sector development. Moreover, Parliament (the Sejm ) recently adopted a new personal income tax, and a new value-added tax law is being considered and probably will be adopted in 1992. The most problematic area is property law, which is still, in the words of one Polish legal practitioner, a jungle. Although the legal structure is generally satisfactory in most areas, practice remains uncertain in all areas. The generality of the laws leaves wide discretion for administrators and courts, and a body of cases and practice to further define the rules of the game has not yet developed. Although the courts are generally honest and are used by the population, they have little experience in economic matters. Judges are not well paid, and the best lawyers have a strong incentive to go into private practice. The wide discretion and general lack of experience and competence of judges create legal uncertainty that could hamper private sector development. The answer is not a change in the law, however, but a building of precedent and competence through training and dissemination of information