Regional Self-Government and Comprehensive Administrative Reforms in the Visegrad Group of Countries

U zemljama Višegradske skupine koje su analizirane u ovom radu (Češka, Poljska i Slovačka) odvijaju se opsežne upravne reforme u kojima dolaze do izražaja težnje za decentralizacijom i težnje za osuvremenjivanjem javne uprave, u sklopu tranzicijskih procesa te u ozračju priprema za ulazak u Europsku uniju. Sastavni dio reformi su pokušaji uspostave srednje (regionalne) razine teritorijalnog upravnog sustava, na kojoj se želi bitno osnažiti samoupravne elemente. Analizira se institucionalni razvoj srednje razine u predsocijalističko i socijalističko doba te napori za uspostavom regionalnih jedinica u postsocijalističkom razdoblju za svaku zemlju. Dok se u Poljskoj, a u novije vrijeme i u Slovačkoj, na srednjoj razini nastoji provesti razdvajanje samouprave od državne uprave, Češka se opredijelila za regionalnu razinu koja objedinjava samoupravu i državnu upravu. Pitanje teritorijalne organizacije izaziva veliku pažnju te je predmetom burnih političkih rasprava u svim zemljama, u Slovačkoj je čak upravo zbog složenih političkih prilika došlo do odustajanja od planiranog načina i tempa decentralizacije.The establishment ofthe intermediate (regional) level o f the territorial administrative System in the Czech Republic, Roland and Slovakia represents one o f the components o f the administrative reforms in them after the collapse o f socialism and the beginning o f transition. For each o f these countries, the institutional development o f the Intermediate level in the pre-socialist and socialist periods as well as efforts for establishment o f regional units in the post-socialist period are analysed. In the Czech Republic, thè intermediate level was established as late as in 1997, when the division into 14 counties was made. Simulta neously, 8 “EU régions’’ were established in 1998 in accordance with the provisions o f NUTS-2, but they hâve remained only territorial Statistical units without any self-government or admini strative powers and tasks. Counties, which should according to the decision o f Parlam ent jóin self-government and state administration and enable the formation o f a single public administration office, started functioning after the élections held in the autumn o f 2000. The scope o f thè state administrative activities is wider than thè scope o f self-government activities, but widening o f the self-government scopeis expected in 2003. Counties perform only those self-government activities which are expressly delegated to them, because general compétence in performing the activities o f local self-government belongs to the self-government units at the first level (towns and village communes). Their bodies are the representative assembly, the executive council and the head official (hejtman) and his office. In Poland, since 1998 there has been territorial organization consisting of units at three tiers. At the first tier there are communes, at the second districts, and at the third counties (wojewodztwo). There are 16 counties which perform a relatively widely determined activities o f regional self government. The bodies o f counties are thè assembly (sejmik) and thè executive body (zarzad) headed by the county governor (maršalek). Performance o f the state administrative activities is separated, and the main person at the level o f counties in this respect is the head o f the county (wojewoda). In Slovakia there has been a long debate on the Organization o f the intermediate level, before and after gaining íts independence ( 1 January 1993). The nationalist and etatist government obstructed the reform processes until the parliamentary élections in 1998. When in 1996, 8 counties and 79 districts were formed, it was only a division for the purposes o f thè state administration, while regional self- -government was not introduced. New administrative reforms started as late as in July 2001, on the principle o f séparation o f self government from state administration. At the first self-government level are communes, and at the second level are counties. The number o f counties has not been changed, but they have become self- -government units headed by directly elected presidents and county représentative assemblies. The state administration at the level o f county is headed by the head ofthe county. Due to complex politicai circumstances, the manner and speed o f decentralization does not develop as planned

Mechanochemically Induced Anion Exchange in Aminoazobenzene Salts

Aminoazobenzene sulfate salt reacts with the crystals of KBr in solid-state under high pressure yield-ing corresponding bromide salt. The reactant and product differ also in the position of protonation, amino group, and azo group, respectively. Since protonation of azo-group destroys the coplanarity of two benzene rings and diminishes -conjugation, the product differs from the reactant also in color, from orange to violet. Hence, the reaction is the example of the piezochromic effect. This solid-state process is studied by kinetic measurements, and the structures of the compounds were analyzed by X-ray chrystallography

Acid-Base Catalysis in the Mechanochemical Formation of a Reluctant Imine

Understanding the mechanism of action of catalytic amounts of additives on mechanochemical reactions is a growing and increasingly important topic in mechanochemistry, because it allows a significant level of control over the course and selectivity of mechanochemical reactions. Here, we investigate catalysis in the mechanochemical formation of an imine derived from p-nitrobenzaldehyde and p-nitroaniline, which did not occur by neat grinding at room temperature. Based on in situ reaction monitoring and DFT computations, we explain efficient catalysis observed for carboxylic acids, which suitably position the reacting partners and facilitate proton transfer. We also observe the formation of an aminal intermediate and conclude that the final elimination step in imine formation may proceed from either the hemiaminal or the aminal

An Old Story in New Light: X-Ray Powder Diffraction Provides Novel Insights into a Long-Known Organic Solid-State Rearrangement Reaction

The first in situ diffraction study of the long-known solid-state rearrangement of p-bromobenzeneazotribenzoylmethane is reported. This proof-of-principle study demonstrates how modern laboratory X-ray powder diffraction, accompanied by up-to-date processing tools, can be used to monitor and describe mechanisms of organic solid-state reactions while it also underpins its necessity for structural characterisation of in situ formed crystalline phases. (doi: 10.5562/cca2127

Supramolecular Isomerism of Coordination Compounds Based on the in Situ Formed [V2O3]4+ Core: Discrete and Chain-like Architectures

Flexible 1,5-bis(salicilydene)carbohydrazone ligand in combination with an in situ formed divanadium [V2O3]4+ core afforded one discrete tetranuclear complex and two polymeric chain-like architectures, mutually related as supramolecular isomers. The occurrence of a particular isomer was controlled through the reaction conditions. All isolated products were structurally characterized via X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, while the relative stability of the architectures was assessed via competitive slurry and thermal experiments. This study highlights the adaptability of oxovanadium species towards the coordination “inventory” of building blocks present in the environment, while at the same time it unveils the richness of assembly modes of the related structural units

Photothermal Reactions of Nitrosobenzene and Halonitrosobenzenes in Solid-state

Photothermal reactions of nitrosobenzene, m-chloronitrosobenzene, and p-chloronitrosobenzene were studied in solid-state by IR spectroscopy at low temperatures and by X-ray powder diffraction. It was found for the first time that photothermal cycle (photolytic dissociation followed by thermal dimerization) could successively be performed also with Z-configured nitrosobenzene. Halonitrosobenzenes with E-configuration afforded different photo behavior depending on the position of halogen atom on the benzene ring: while m-halonitrosobenzenes do not dissociate under UV irradiation, p-chloronitrosobenzene, as well as previously studied p-bromonitrosobenzene photolyses very efficiently with recovering of the original crystal phase. Kinetics of thermal dimerization was measured in solid-state, and it was found that the reaction phase transformation occur as a two-dimensional growth through the crystal

The physiological target for LeuRS translational quality control is norvaline

The fidelity of protein synthesis depends on the capacity of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) to couple only cognate amino acid-tRNA pairs. If amino acid selectivity is compromised, fidelity can be ensured by an inherent AARS editing activity that hydrolyses mischarged tRNAs. Here we show that the editing activity of Escherichia coli leucyl-tRNA synthetase (EcLeuRS) is not required to prevent incorrect isoleucine incorporation. Rather, as shown by kinetic, structural and in vivo approaches, the prime biological function of LeuRS editing is to prevent mis-incorporation of the non-standard amino acid norvaline. This conclusion follows from a reassessment of the discriminatory power of LeuRS against isoleucine and the demonstration that a LeuRS editing- deficient E. coli strain grows normally in high concentrations of isoleucine but not under oxygen deprivation conditions when norvaline accumulates to substantial levels. Thus, AARS- based translational quality control is a key feature for bacterial adaptive response to oxygen deprivation. The non-essential role for editing under normal bacterial growth has important implications for the development of resistance to antimicrobial agents targeting the LeuRS editing site