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As a result of globalization and the changing business environment a lot of business companies have to undergo a deep transformation process to become more international in their export. Export is a key determinant in achieving economical growth of the state and a higher level of competition in the domestic market, but there is no proof that export promotion made by the state is efficient to stimulate export activities. The article aims to evaluate Export Development Strategy of the Republic of Lithuania for 2009-2013 and its implementation. The article evaluates the implementation of export strategy of the Republic of Lithuania through a survey and measures the production capacity of the industrial sector in Lithuania. The research findings show that a small part of industrial companies could effectively facilitate the state export encouragement measures because of their lack of production capacity. ; Daugelis besivystančių šalių (įskaitant pereinamosios ekonomikos šalis) liberalizuoja savo ekonomikas, siekdamos pritraukti tiesioginių užsienio investicijų, perimti technologinius pasiekimus ir tapti konkurencingos vidaus rinkoje (Sinha, 2009). Globalizacija ir skirtingų ekonomikų integracija dažnai buvo siejama su ekonominiu augimu ir socialiniu vystymu. Eksportas labai svarbus kriterijus norint pasiekti aukštus ekonomikos augimo rodiklius (Hessels ir van Stel, 2007; Shih and Wickramasekera, 2010). Tačiau nėra įrodymų, kad valstybės pagalba ar specialios eksporto skatinimo priemonės efektyviai skatina veiklą, susijusią su eksportu (Leniodou, 1998, Wiliams, 2008). Lietuva yra maža atvira ekonomika su santykinai nedidele vidaus rinka, todėl vienas iš svarbiausių jos ekonominio augimo, konkurencingumo didėjimo, valstybės balanso teigiamių pokyčių veiksnių yra lietuviškų prekių eksporto plėtra. Šiuo metu pagrindinės lietuviškų produktų importuotojos ES šalys išgyvena finansinės krizės padarinius. Ji ypač neigiamą įtaką turėjo Vakarų Europai. Šie politinės valios klausimai yra apibrėžti Lietuvos eksporto plėtros strategijoje 2009– 2013 m. (Žin., 2009, Nr. 137-6012). Pažymėta, kad Strategijos vizija, tikslai ir uždaviniai turi būti įgyvendinti valstybės institucijų skatinant šalies prekių ir paslaugų eksportą į kitas rinkas. Mokslinės literatūros analizė rodo, kad dėl globalizacijos ir besikeičiančios verslo aplinkos daugelis įmonių privalo pereiti visapusiškos transformacijos procesus ir tapti labiau internacionalizuotos. Eksportas yra viena iš įėjimų į tarptautines rinkas formų. Akivaizdu, kad eksportas yra labai svarbi ekonomikos dedamoji, užtikrinanti spartų valstybės ekonomikos augimą, o vidaus konkurencija pereina į aukštesnį lygmenį. Tačiau mokslinėje literatūroje nėra įrodymų, kad valstybės eksporto skatinimo politika yra efektyvi ir sukelia veiksmingą grįžtamąjį ryšį šalies ekonomikai. Mokslinės literatūros analizė rodo, kad pagrindiniai veiksniai, skatinantys įmones eksportuoti efektyviai, labiau susiję su įmonių kompetencijos sritimis, ypač tokiomis kaip marketingas ir tarpkultūrinė komunikacija. Būtent šių sričių visapusišku išmanymu pasižymi eksportuojančios įmonės. Toks požiūris prieštarauja į išteklius orientuotų kompanijų požiūriui ir reikalauja daugiau tyrimų ir mokslinės literatūros analizės eksportuojančių įmonių dinaminių išteklių ir įmonių kompetencijų srityse. Be to, produktyvumas yra vienas iš eksportuojančių įmonių sėkmės veiksnių, tiriamas šiame straipsnyje. Lietuvos eksporto plėtros strategija 2009–2013 m. orientuota į tris pagrindines veiklos sritis: naujų eksporto partnerių paieška, eksportuojančiųjų įmonių veiklos efektyvumo didinimas, investicijų skatinimas. Paslaugų sektorius Strategijoje laikomas prioritetu. Tačiau nepagrįsta, kodėl paslaugų sektorius, kuris nebūtinai gali užtikrinti aukštą ekonomikos pridėtinę vertę ilguoju laikotarpiu, turėtų būti laikomas prioritetiniu. Atlikta 130 Lietuvos pramonės įmonių vadovų apklausa parodė nepakankamą Lietuvos eksporto plėtros priemonių išnaudojimą. Apie 14 % pramonės įmonių eksporto skatinimo priemones finansavo iš savo asmeninių lėšų. Tai rodo nepakankamą informacijos sklaidą verslo sektoriui apie galimybes gauti valstybės dotacijas bei santykinai dideles laiko sąnaudas administruojant valstybės paramą, ypatingai atsižvelgiant į sparčius tarptautinių rinkų paklausos pokyčius. Šios sritys turi būti tobulinamos. Kitas aspektas, dėl kurio nepakankamai efektyviai išnaudojamos Lietuvos eksporto plėtros priemonės, – jos tik iš dalies atitinka įmonių lūkesčius. [.]

One of the legal institutions of the punishment realization, i.e. the probation release, is investigated in the article from the legal comparative point of view. The article covers the legal relations, appearing as the result of application of the probation (setting and realization) towards the imprisoned convicts. The norms of the international and national juridical acts on the punishment realization, which regulate the probation, and the juridical doctrine of the punishment realization, brought forward by Lithuania and foreign countries, is analyzed in the present article. The misunderstandings within the practices of imposition and execution of probation result in continuous discussions on the factual influence of the said institution to the development of social behaviour of the convicted person. The process of execution of probationary release must be directed towards the management of the risk of repeated criminal behaviour of the convicted person and neutralizing of criminal factors, however the existing structure of legal regulation does not provide a possibility to reach the said objectives. This shows one of the main deficiencies of criminal justice of Lithuania - a frequent and sustained application of imprisonment. It should be noted that no progressive innovations were implemented in the area of probationary release, therefore the directions of optimization of application and execution of probationary release and evaluate the grounds for application of probation, the most important provisions, pertaining to the activities of society when executing the probation, as well as the basis for preparation of the social conclusion, evaluation of the risk of a repeated criminal behaviour and the basis for individual working with the convicted person, the procedure for monitoring of convicts, the legal status of convicts and the rules for its tightening or softening are examined in this article. The article emphasizes the necessity of resolution of the most important questions, pertaining to ensuring effective treatment with offenders; therefore incorporation of the electronic surveillance is discussed. Thus the perspective probation system concept is analyzed in the article. While explicating this goal, it should be noted that the article is aimed at creation of the theoretical grounds for the probation and electronic surveillance and at ascertaining how to model an efficient system of setting and realization of the probation and electronic monitoring, which is oriented towards management of the risk of the persons' repeated delinquent behavior, which creates the conditions for securing security of the society, for reducing recurrence of delinquent deeds and of the number of imprisoned convicts. ; Vienas pagrindinių baudžiamosios justicijos Lietuvoje trūkumų – dažnas ir ilgalaikis laisvės atėmimo bausmės taikymas, probacijos skyrimo ir vykdymo praktikos kazusai verčia diskutuoti apie šio instituto faktišką poveikį nuteistojo socialaus elgesio ugdymui. Probacijos vykdymo procesas turi būti nukreiptas į nuteistojo pakartotinio nusikalstamo elgesio rizikos valdymą ir kriminogeninių veiksnių neutralizavimą, tačiau dabartinis teisinis reguliavimas neleidžia pasiekti šių tikslų. Tarp probacijos skyrimo ir vykdymo proceso bei jo veiksmingumo egzistuoja organiškas ir dėsningas tarpusavio ryšys, tačiau akivaizdu, kad esama probacijos skyrimo ir vykdymo logika nėra prielaida kalbėti apie šio instituto veiksmingumą de facto. Straipsnyje diskutuojama apie probacijos skyrimo ir vykdymo optimizavimo kryptis, nagrinėjami visuomenės dalyvavimo probacijos procese aspektai, aktualizuojama socialinės išvados rengimo, pakartotinio nusikalstamo elgesio rizikos vertinimo ir individualaus darbo su nuteistuoju, nuteistųjų teisinės padėties švelninimo bei griežtinimo problematika. Pabrėžiama būtinybė spręsti svarbiausius klausimus, susijusius su efektyvios nuteistųjų priežiūros užtikrinimu, – diskutuojamas siektinas elektroninio stebėjimo bausmių vykdymo sistemoje reguliavimas. Taigi, straipsnyje aptariama perspektyvinė probacijos sistemos ir nuteistųjų stebėsenos koncepcija, kuri sudarytų sąlygas optimizuoti asmenų resocializacijos procesą ir mažinti kalinių skaičių Lietuvoje.

This article aims to determine and analyse the main features of channels of financial contagion in the banking sector of the Baltic States. The most relevant channels seem to be the risk of common lender, the channel of real estate prices, the channel of other macroeconomic shocks and the channel of volatility. This paper contributes to the further analysis of internal and external causes of financial crisis and its transmission channels in the banking sector of the Baltic States. Purpose – to indicate and explain the main problems related to the systemic risk and the channels of financial contagion in the banking sector of the Baltic States. Design/methodology/approach – general overview of research papers presenting concepts and methodologies of assessment of systemic risk of the banking sector, statistical analysis of financial data. Findings – determination of the main channels and extent of financial contagion relevant to the banking sector of the Baltic States. Research limitations/implications – the lack of information concerning the liquidity and asset structure of the banking sector of the Baltic States and the real estate prices in the Baltic States. The most common problem analysing the financial contagion and systemic risk is the lack of information (especially about the structure of liabilities and assets of financial institutions, its maturity) and the changing new banking regulatory conditions. Due to the lack of data it is impossible to create stable and reliable statistical models describing the stochastic behaviour of financial contagion. We do not take into account the political factors concerning the reforms of financial market supervision that also impact financial contagion and systemic risk ant the attitude of foreign investors towards the Baltic States. The findings of this article should ground the macro-prudential policy in the small countries of supervising institutions focussing on the external factors. Practical implications – identification of the channels of external and internal negative shocks to the banking sector of the Baltic States; useful not only for the banking executives providing business trends and officers of supervising institutions that should use not only Basel III requirements, identifying potential sources of risk in the near future, but for the rest part of the society, both ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs having current accounts and deposits in banks. Originality/Value – modelling of systemic risk and analysis of instability causes of the banking sector by applying reliable quantitative methods in Lithuania is insufficiently developed and is impossible without knowing the mechanisms of transitions of external and internal shocks on banking sector. Researchers have provided an exhaustive analysis of contagion and channels of contagion in global extent or in another cases and regions. The banking sectors of the Baltic States are essentially controlled by the same foreign banking groups and the liquidity problems faced by international financial groups could therefore spill over into the other banks in the Baltic States. This case is not exhaustively analysed by other researchers. This paper is one of the first attempts to describe and make a quantitative assessment of the financial contagion in the Baltic States. Large dependence of the banking institutions in the Baltic States on their investors means not only the simple attraction of capital flow but additional risk that can arise due to the lack of liquidity or panics of patronising financial institutions. The findings of this article should ground macro-prudential policy focussing on the external factors.

The right to resist and the right to rebel have again become relevant as legal problems. Their justifications traditionally derive from natural law, human rights, the principle of the lesser evil or of the social contract. Interpretation of the right to resist expresses the tendencies to the law of people, in particular, the right to self-determination, distinguishing national and international understanding, and underscores the special nature of such right. Also, two-level research of the right to resist should be distinguished research of the right to resist – the first is a debate about the nature character and legislative consolidation of this right, partly focused on preventive-limiting its properties, whereas the second one is updated at the time of social upheaval and legal concerns, and it contains not only the evaluation of the events, but sometimes attempts to justify ex post risk of abuse and original post-legitimation of public authorities. An important condition for the existence of the right to resistance is a legitimate aim. This could be called the internal condition, which is provided by those who implement this right. Other condition (which can be called external) and the base of implementation should recognize certain actions, acts or decisions by public authorities – those that violate human rights are illegal and unfair. At the same time, the purpose and result of the right to resistance may be changes in the public authorities, the termination of abuse of authority and violation of human rights by its agents, return to democratic legal regime or change in the constitutional system, aimed at creating a state of law, as well as in some cases, when combined with the right to selfdetermination, – the achievement of independence. The author of the present paper considers that the right to resist is an individual right, a human right. But the author inclines to the idea of the collective nature of the right to resist implementation, but warns against simply counting the number of persons engaged in it. In other words, it does not matter how many people commit acts, but it does matter how many people support them. Considering the modalities of implementing the right to resist, it should be noted that these forms can be active or passive, expressed in actions directly or indirectly. The right of rebellion is an extreme form of the right to resist, which is carried out in case if the non-violent means of resistance are exhausted or proved ineffective. The conditions (and bases) of the right of rebellion are phenomena, such as the following: (1) massive human rights violations by public authorities (quantitative criterion); (2) systematic human rights violations by public authorities (accumulating criterion); or (3) extraordinary human rights violations by public authorities (criterion by serious, explicit and violent nature of the violation). Ambiguous is an issue of the limits of the right of rebellion, its permission and proportion, as well as whether it is possible to develop a mechanism for exercising this right. ; Straipsnyje analizuojamos teisė priešintis ir teisė sukilti (maištauti), apžvelgiant įvairių mokslininkų nuomones apie šių teisių sampratą ir esmę bei pateikiant autoriaus nuomonę šiuo klausimu. Taip pat identifikuojamos šių teisių realizavimo sąlygos, tikslai ir formos. Teisė priešintis gali būti suprantama kaip veiskmai be prievartos ir tiesioginiai prievartos veiksmai, o teisė sukilti laikoma ekstremalia pirmosios teisės išraiškos forma. Kiekvienos šių teisių realizavimui yra nustatytos specialios sąlygos (griežtesnės sukilimui), kaip teisėtas tikslas, masiniai žmogaus teisių pažeidimai ir pan. Šių teisių pripažinimas ir palaikymas jas įgyvendinant yra reikalaujamas iš žmonių ir gali būti reikalaujamas iš tarptautinės bendruomenės.

The impacts of global longevity are commonly regarded as a threat to future social policy systems and structure of future welfare organizations. Focusing future needs of older adults, social gerontologists have long since recognized the importance of different types of socially interventional aspects. The methods used in this article are based on a survey of scientific literature on some central topics related to social gerontology. The main object is to discuss how these may be imbedded in rethinking future Swedish eldercare. Challenges and needs of longevity in Sweden have been met with the efforts of reshaping eldercare through new aspects of training and education. The article draws attention to the educational program of elderpedagogy at the University of Malmö. The main goal of elderpedagogy is to comprehend the assets of social capital and social experiences of old adults, in order to reduce social isolation. The scientific soil of elderpedagogy is made of influences from traditional social gerontology as well as social pedagogy. Despite its ambitions and well proven innovative potentials, elderpedagogy faces difficulties in recruiting students. The obstacles are well known in an international context where similar educational programs within social work focusing the social dilemmas of older adults share the fate of having to cope with ageist discursive attitudes towards later life. ; Sparčiai augantis vyresnio amžiau žmonių skaičius visame pasaulyje vis dažniau tampa socialinės politikos ir mokslinio diskurso objektu, ieškant sprendimų, kaip mažinti vyresnio amžiaus žmonių socialinę atskirtį. Straipsnyje keliami tyrimo klausimai siejami su inovacijų paieška teikiant socialines paslaugas vyresnio amžiaus žmonėms. Trisdešimties mokslinės periodikos publikacijų, analizuojančių socialinės gerontologijos problemas, analizė leido išryškinti keletą paplitusių intervencijos metodų ir programų, taikomų socialinės gerontologijos ir socialinės pedagogikos srityse. Minėtų publikacijų analizė taip pat leido įsitikinti, jog intervencijos programose retai skiriama dėmesio prevencinėms priemonėms. Be to, intervencinės programos, skirtos vyresnio amžiaus žmonių gerovės užtikrinimui, per menkai atsižvelgia į jų per ilgą gyvenimą sukauptą socialinę patirtį ir socialinį kapitalą. Norint sukurti inovatyvius socialinio darbo su vyresnio amžiaus žmonėmis metodus kaip tik būtina užtikrinti, kad kuriant vyresnio amžiaus žmonėms skirtas prevencines programas būtų atsižvelgta į jų sukauptą socialinį kapitalą antroje gyvenimo pusėje. Vienas iš tokių pavyzdžių yra Švedijos edukacinė programa, skirta vyresnio amžiaus žmonėms, vadinama elderpedagogy (verčiant lietuviškai – vyresnio amžiaus žmonių pedagogika). Kaip atskleidžiama straipsnyje, šioje programoje buvo sėkmingai integruotos tradicinės socialinės gerontologijos ir socialinės pedagogikos įžvalgos, kurios buvo nukreiptos sprendžiant socialines dilemas, pasitaikančias antroje gyvenimo pusėje, tokias kaip socialinė izoliacija ir nepalankus požiūris į vyresnio amžiaus žmones. Šiame kontekste siūloma inovatyvi edukacinė programa, konkrečiai elderpedagogy, kuri yra vertinga dėl to, kad integruoja vyresnio amžiaus suaugusiųjų sukauptą socialinį kapitalą ir mažina jų socialinę izoliaciją. Edukacinės programos, skirtos darbui su vyresnio amžiaus žmonėmis, turi potencialą plėtoti naujus būdus, mažinančius vyresnio amžiaus žmonių stereotipizaciją ir pesimistinį požiūrį į gyventojų senėjimo procesą. Vis dėlto, reikia pripažinti, kad įvairios edukacinės programos, praktikuojamos gerontologinio socialinio darbo bare, turi esminių trūkumų. Socialinis darbas su vyresnio amžiaus žmonėmis daugeliui studentų nėra patrauklus, taip pat kaip ir visas vyresnio amžiaus žmonių globos ir priežiūros sektorius nėra prioritetinis studentams renkantis profesijas. Tai atskleidė ir Malmės atvejis, kaip ir daugybė panašių studijų programų vykdymo patirtys kitose šalyse. Dominuojančio socialinio diskurso kontekste, kuris vaizduoja antrąją gyvenimo pusę neigiamų nusistatymų ir amžiaus stereotipų sąvokomis, būtina ištirti priežastis, dėl kurių jauni žmonės vengia rinktis socialinį darbą su vyresnio amžiaus žmonėmis.

This work seeks to understand what kind of impact educational policies have had on the secondary school students among internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their identity reconstruction in Georgia. The study offers a snapshot of the current situation based on desk study and interviews conducted among a sample of secondary school IDP pupils. In the final chapter, the findings will be reflected against the broader political context in Georgia and beyond. The study is interdisciplinary and its methodology is based on social identity theory. I shall compare two groups of IDPs who were displaced as a result of two separate conflicts. The IDPs displaced as a result of conflict in Abkhazia in 1992–1994 are named as old caseload IDPs. The second group of IDPs were displaced after a conflict in South Ossetia in 2008. Additionally, I shall touch upon the situation of the pupils among the returnees, a group of Georgian old caseload IDPs, who have spontaneously returned to de facto Abkhazia. According to the interviews, the secondary school student IDPs identify themselves strongly with the Georgian state, but their group identities are less prevailing. Particularly the old case load IDP students are fully integrated in local communities. Moreover, there seems not to be any tangible bond between the old and new caseload IDP students. The schools have neither tried nor managed to preserve IDP identities which would, for instance, make political mobilisation likely along these lines. Right to education is a human right enshrined in a number of international conventions to which the IDPs are also entitled. Access to education or its denial has a deep impact on individual and societal development. Furthermore, education has a major role in (re)constructing personal as well as national identity. ; La tesi mira a comprendere l'impatto delle politiche educative su IDP (internally displaced persons, persone internamente dislocate) studenti delle scuole superiori in Georgia e sulla ricostruzione della loro identità. Lo studio offre un quadro della situazione attuale in base a un'analisi on desk e a interviste svolte con un campione di studenti IDP delle scuole superiori. Il capitolo conclusivo illustra i risultati alla luce del più ampio contesto politico georgiano. La ricerca assume carattere interdisciplinare e si basa sulla teoria dell'identità sociale. L'elaborato confronta due gruppi di IDP dislocati in seguito a due conflitti. Gli IDP dislocati a causa del conflitto in Abcasia nel periodo 1992–1994 sono denominati "prima ondata". Il secondo gruppo proviene dal conflitto in Ossezia del Sud nel 2008. Si è inoltre considerata la situazione degli studenti tra i Ritornati, un gruppo di georgiani della prima ondata tornati spontaneamente in territorio abcaso. Le interviste indicano che gli IDP studenti delle superiori si identificano fortemente con lo Stato georgiano, ma le loro identità di gruppo risultano meno evidenti. Sono in particolare gli IDP della prima ondata a essere completamente integrati nelle comunità locali. Sembra inoltre non sussistere alcun legame tangibile tra la prima e la seconda ondata di studenti dislocati. Le scuole non si sono impegnate per preservare le identità degli IDP, non ottenendo un risultato che avrebbe probabilmente favorito la mobilitazione politica. Il diritto all'istruzione è un diritto dell'uomo sancito da diverse convenzioni internazionali che si applicano anche agli IDP. Consentire o impedire l'accesso all'istruzione ha un profondo impatto sullo sviluppo dell'individuo e della società. L'istruzione svolge inoltre un ruolo primario nella (ri)costruzione dell'identità personale e nazionale.

A healthy society is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of highest attainable standard of health in one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, political belief, economic or social condition‖ Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), 1946. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has provided a definition of development as "development of the people for the people by the people" (UNDP, 1993). Egypt has been long considered as one of the most attractive countries to visit because of its historical treasures. Egypt instituted several sport-for-all initiatives in its post-colonial modernization. These included a government sports council in the 1960s and the establishment of a Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) in 1999. The MYS oversees national parks and seaside areas as well as a large-scale fitness mobilization walk/jog events. A major goal of MYS was to develop and maintain youth centers in all of Egypt's metropolitan areas that would service young people's needs in mass sport and physical activities(e.g., basketball, soccer, volleyball).With Egyptian population up to 80 million there are projects related to sport- for- all, events, and or organized programs (cooperative or competitive ) for large groups , including the general population participating in clubs, on playing fields, in gymnasiums , community centers and community recreation programs around Egypt. These were enough for the future of mass sport participation in a great nation with a great history in sport. The International Sport Management Questionnaire (ISMQ), created by Waters (1996), in order to determine the status of sport development in Egypt it was necessary that the ISMQ be translated in to Arabic. This would ensure that Egyptian's mass sport and activities leaders- all of whom speak Arabic as their ―mother tongue‖- would have every opportunity to completely understand each of the 51 question as posed specifically for mass sport and activities (and its development) and answer with accuracy, confidence, and reliability. The translation of the ISMQ was carried out by Aly& Elmahdy who are associated with this present study, then distributed to 66 Egyptian mass sport and activities leaders at different youth centers, clubs, recreation departments, in 24 out of 26 cities in Egypt. Raters were asked to provide answers to closed- and open – ended questions (n=51) on the ISMQ, which ultimately resulted in scoring. (Maximum=33 points) of eight factor components: objectives, legislation, organization, implementation, physical resources, human resources, research and evaluation, and contribution to healthy nation building. Analysis of data was through descriptive statistics (frequency distribution using a histogram graph that shows the frequency distribution of variable to evaluate the mass sport and physical activities distribution). The results showed that Egyptians practice recreation, mass sports and physical activities as a tool to promote health and prevent disease. Running, soccer, and team sports are mostly practiced in the southern part of Egypt while in the north west of the country people mostly practice aquatic sports such as beach volleyball, swimming, surfing, speed boating , fishing ,rowing, scuba diving, sailing, etc. Because of population increases over the last decade facilities like parks, schools, clubs, beaches, water facilities, and youth centers are insufficient to meet the needs of the population. In addition, poor access to private clubs doesn't help Egypt's middle class to participate in mass sports programs and activities as long as those clubs have annual membership fees. Most of the facilities for mass sport and physical activities are located in the suburban areas cities such as Cairo, Alexandria, and Ismailia. Further south there are fewer mass sport programs and physical activities and opportunities for the Egyptian population.

The Amazon Fund, created in 2008 by the Brazilian Federal Government, is managed by Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES). It is a pioneering initiative to fundraise and manage financial resources to cut back deforestation and support sustainable development for 30 million inhabitants in the Amazon Biome. The Amazon Fund has already received more than R$ 1.7 billion in grants (about USD 787 million). This essay analyzes the Amazon Fund's governance and management with focus on its operation and from its stakeholders' perspectives. A combination of research methods includes: documental research, in-depth interviews, and speech analysis. The study offers a comparative analysis of strengths and weaknesses related to its governance. Furthermore, it proposes ways to improve its management towards greater effectiveness. The essay also includes an assessment of the government of Norway, a major donor to the fund. The governments of Norway and Germany, in partnership with Brazil, reveal how important it is to experiment with new means of international cooperation to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions through rainforest preservation. ; O Fundo Amazônia, criado pelo Governo Federal em 2008, é gerido pelo Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES). Trata-se de uma iniciativa pioneira de captação e gestão de recursos de doações voluntárias para reduzir o desmatamento e promover o desenvolvimento sustentável a 30 milhões de habitantes do bioma amazônico. O Fundo Amazônia já recebeu doações no valor de R$ 1,7 bilhão (cerca de USD 787 milhões). Na pesquisa exploratória aqui relatada, analisam-se a governança e a gestão do Fundo Amazônia com foco em sua operação e na perspectiva dos seus stakeholders, utilizando uma combinação de metodologias que incluem: pesquisa documental, entrevistas em profundidade e análise de discursos. Apresenta-se, no estudo, uma análise comparativa das potencialidades e debilidades na gestão do Fundo Amazônia com relação à sua governança. Além de serem oferecidas recomendações para aprimorar a sua gestão, propõem-se medidas para elevar a sua eficácia no cumprimento de sua missão. Neste artigo, inclui-se, também, uma apreciação do governo da Noruega, principal doador do Fundo. A parceria do Brasil com os governos da Noruega e da Alemanha demonstraram a viabilidade política da gestão da cooperação internacional como meio de mitigar as emissões de gases de efeito estufa, via preservação da floresta tropical. ; El Fundo Amazônia (Fondo Amazonía), creado por el gobierno federal de Brasil en 2008, es administrado por el Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social - BNDES (Banco Nacional de Desarrollo Económico y Social). Se trata de una iniciativa pionera de captación y gestión de recursos de donaciones voluntarias con el objeto de reducir la deforestación e incentivar el desarrollo sostenible a 30 millones de habitantes del bioma amazónico. El Fundo Amazônia ha recibido donaciones de R$ 1,7 mil millones (alrededor de 787 millones de dólares). En este estudio se analizan la gobernanza y la gestión del Fondo con énfasis en su operación y en la perspectiva de sus stakeholders. Se utiliza un conjunto de metodologías que incluyen: investigación documental, entrevistas en profundidad y análisis de discursos. Se presenta un análisis comparativo de las potencialidades y debilidades en la gestión del Fundo Amazônia en lo que concierne a su gobierno. Además de ofrecer recomendaciones para perfeccionar su gestión, se proponen en este estudio medidas para incrementar la eficiencia en el cumplimento de su misión. Se incluye, asimismo, una declaración del gobierno de Noruega, principal donante del Fondo. La colaboración de Brasil con los gobiernos de Noruega y Alemania demostró la viabilidad política de la gestión de la cooperación internacional que puede actuar como medio de disminuir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y conservar la floresta tropical.

Includes bibliographical references. ; Many developing countries are adopting Information Technology (IT) to address governance challenges. International bodies and donor countries demand that countries demonstrate how they use IT to provide access and inclusion for all and also to ensure effective governance. However, measuring the role of IT in governance remains a major challenge for researchers and practitioners and more so for the transition economies which are characterised by weak institutions, insecurity, political instability and poor IT skills and capabilities. Limited studies have been conducted to examine this problem in transition states in Africa. The objective of this research was to measure the role of IT in resolving governance challenges in a transition state (Tanzania) and also identify factors influencing effective governance. An extensive review of literature revealed that governance is a configuration of distinct but interrelated elements. Usage of IT for governance purposes, governance processes and external pressures were identified as major factors (elements) determining the effectiveness of governance. However these interplay making it difficult to measure the role played by IT in governance. The researcher argues that in such a situation, the role of IT is better determined using a configurational approach. This thesis therefore adopted one configurational approach (i.e. the Gestalts approach), to measure the role of IT in resolving governance challenges in Tanzania. Gestalts are configurations or patterns of organisational elements that have attained an adequate level of coherence, fit or unity with one another. Configurational theorists maintain that when elements attain adequate coherence, success is often realised and that the importance of each element in the interaction can best be understood by making reference to the whole configuration. It is therefore proposed in the present thesis that the stronger the coherence among the elements (i.e. IT usage, governance processes and external pressures), the more governance would be effective and the greater would be the role played by IT in resolving governance challenges in transition Tanzania. This proposition was tested in an empirical study involving one hundred and sixty-six members of the public in Tanzania. Their perceptions of the three elements were measured in a survey and Cluster analysis and qualitative techniques were used to analyse the data. Three clusters representing different perceived configurations of the three elements emerged. However, none attained an adequate level of coherence and governance was perceived to be ineffective. This implies that IT has not played a major role in addressing governance challenges in this transition state. The major theoretical contribution of my research is the use of the Gestalts approach to measure the role of IT in governance in a transition state. The approach offers much potential for measuring complex relationships and addresses the shortcomings of existing measures of IT impacts. The results also have implications for practice. They alert governments to the salient determinants of effective governance in transition states. There isn't a perfect model of governance. Rather governments need to integrate good Western practices with the established practices that have worked well for the nation. It is also important to understand that weak adoption of IT, weak governance processes and increased external pressures will work together to exacerbate the challenges of governance in transition states. Further, when IT is adopted it is imperative to develop human skills and capabilities to manage, integrate and sustain it. It is also important to realise that governance will be subject to changes over time, therefore the alignment of IT usage, governance processes and external pressures should be done on a continuous basis. Finally it is important to realise that effective governance springs from the recognition that governance is the responsibility of all stakeholders.

International audience ; The contemporary tensions between patents and competition no longer reside in the traditional trade-off between the exclusionary right given to an inventor to encourage innovation, and the welfare loss induced by the market power associated to this right. They rather result from three important distortions of the patent system that create conflicts between patents and competition on the product market, the technology market, and the innovation market. The first distortion is related to the existence of dubious or weak patents: too many patents are granted to applications of bad quality according to the patentability criteria. This increases the uncertainty attached to patents, reduces the credibility of the system and calls into question the justification of the patent as a protective mechanism. Second, the configuration of a patent, originally designed in the context of an isolated innovation, is not quite adapted to the context of sequential innovations. While sequential patents requires fine limitations between successive generations of innovations, the strengthening of intellectual property rights, including the extension of the patentable subject matters, opened the door to opportunistic behavior and adversely affected the technological exchanges. Third, the emergence of complex technologies, in which the use of a large number of fragmented patents is necessary to produce a new product, implies the necessity to coordinate the behavior of numerous patent holders. Some entrants in these complex technologies are struck by the imperfect coordinated behavior of these patent holders as illustrated in different settings such as the pooling of complementary patents and the licensing of essential patents by the Standard Setting Organisation members. Very often, patents serve to create ambushes or to capture unjustified rents through excessive license fees, which in turn create barriers to entry for new competitors in the innovation market. Two important consequences of these distortions are derived. First, the resolution of the conflicts cannot rely exclusively on the application of the antitrust law. Second, the distortions lead to a very expensive judicial implementation of the patent system. ; Cet article présente trois distorsions du système de brevets qui sont à l'origine de tensions importantes entre brevet et concurrence sur trois marchés: le marché des produits, le marché de la technologie et le marché de l'innovation. La première distorsion trouve son origine dans la qualité des brevets: trop de brevets accordés ont une qualité douteuse, ce qui ne manque pas d'accroître l'incertitude attachée à ce titre de propriété intellectuelle et la crédibilité générale du système de brevets. La seconde distorsion née du fait que la configuration d'un brevet répond davantage aux conditions d'innovations isolées qu'à celles d'innovations séquentielles où diverses innovations dépendent de celles qui les ont précédé. Alors que la séquentialité requiert une délimitation très fine des revendications accordées à chaque innovation, l'élargissement des domaines brevetables et le renforcement des droits des détenteurs ont ouvert la voie à une série de comportements opportunistes qui affectent les échanges technologiques. La troisième distorsion enfin naît de l'émergence de technologies complexes nécessitant le recours à des vastes ensembles de savoir-faire fragmentés et protégés chacun par un brevet. La constitution de pools de brevets permettant un usage simultané des différents brevets est souvent à l'origine de stratégies malveillantes qui affectent le fonctionnement des marchés de l'innovation. Deux conséquences de ces trois distorsions sont notables. Premièrement, la résolution des conflits ne peut se faire par le seul recours au droit de la concurrence. Deuxièmement, les distorsions rendent le coût juridique d'implémentation des brevets très onéreux.

A transparência dos governos para com seus cidadãos é vista como um fator necessário à accountability democrática e, consequentemente, à consolidação da democracia. Mesmo que sua importância seja frequentemente destacada, suas causas ainda permanecem desconhecidas, sobretudo no contexto brasileiro. Seguindo a tendência das pesquisas empíricas internacionais, este estudo exploratório investiga as relações entre três conjuntos de variáveis (variáveis fiscais presente e passadas, variáveis socioeconômicas e variáveis políticas) e transparência fiscal no contexto subnacional brasileiro. Para identificar as relações entre as variáveis fiscais, socioeconômicas e políticas com a transparência fiscal, utilizou-se a técnica de regressão linear múltipla. Antes de se realizar a regressão pelo método dos mínimos quadrados ordinários, utilizou-se a análise fatorial, visando agrupar as variáveis socioeconômicas e fiscais em fatores objetivando reduzir a quantidade destas, bem como eliminar os problemas de multicolinearidade entre elas. As variáveis políticas, por serem de natureza qualitativa, foram mantidas em sua forma original. A análise fatorial agrupou as variáveis em dois grupos: fatores fiscais e fatores socioeconômicos. Como a regressão múltipla permite apenas avaliar a relação entre os partidos constantes da amostra e o partido de referência, utilizou-se um teste F para avaliar as diferenças no nível de transparência entre os partidos políticos. Os resultados indicam que as variáveis fiscais e socioeconômicas explicam o nível de transparência dos Estados brasileiros. No entanto, as variáveis políticas não se mostraram significativas, indicando que a divulgação de informações fiscais no Brasil parece não ser influenciada por ideologias políticas. Além disso, fica evidente que a falta de um modelo normativo de transparência no processo orçamentário leva os Estados a divulgarem, em grande parte, informações sobre a execução orçamentária. Por fim, os achados indicam que a transparência fiscal, enquanto instrumento para a consolidação democrática, ainda é incipiente no Brasil. ; The transparency of governments to their citizens is seen as a necessary factor in democratic accountability and, consequently, in the consolidation of democracy. Although the importance of transparency in government is often highlighted, its causes are still unknown, especially in the Brazilian context. Following the trend of international empirical research, this exploratory study investigates the relationships between three sets of variables (current and past fiscal variables, socioeconomic variables and political variables) and fiscal transparency in the Brazilian subnational context. To identify the relationship between fiscal, socioeconomic and political variables and fiscal transparency, the multiple linear regression technique was used. Prior to conducting the regression using the method of ordinary least squares, factor analysis was used, aiming to group the fiscal and socioeconomic variables into factors not only to reduce their quantity but also to eliminate their multicollinearity problems. Political variables, due to their qualitative nature, remained in their original form. The factor analysis sorted the variables into two groups: fiscal and socioeconomic factors. Because multiple regression allows only for the evaluation of the relationship between the parties included in the sample and the reference party, an F test was used to assess differences in the level of transparency among political parties. The results indicated that fiscal and socioeconomic variables explain the transparency levels of the Brazilian States. However, the political variables were not significant, indicating that the disclosure of fiscal information in Brazil seems not to be influenced by political ideologies. Furthermore, it is evident that the lack of a regulatory model of transparency in the budget process leads States to disclose a great deal of information about budget execution. Finally, the findings indicate that as an instrument for democratic consolidation, fiscal transparency remains incipient in Brazil.

Essay I: In January, 2005, the EU launched the first international emissions trading system (EU ETS), aimed at reducing carbon emissions in a cost-effective way by means of a market-based instrument. In this paper, we use the treatment/control, before/after design of the natural experiment approach to investigate the treatment effect of the EU ETS on the profitability of a sample of Swedish energy firms in 2005 and 2006. We also investigate whether under-cap and over-cap firms respond differently to the EU ETS. The estimation results in general suggest no significant impact in 2005 and a negative significant impact in 2006. The sub-sample analysis suggests that profitability of under-cap and over-cap firms were affected differently by the EU ETS in 2005, but not in 2006. Essay II: The paper empirically explores the possible causes behind electricity price jumps in the Nordic electricity market, Nord Pool. A time-series model (a mixed GARCH-EARJI jump model) capturing the common statistical features of electricity prices is used to identify price jumps. By the model, a categorical variable is defined distinguishing no, positive and negative jumps. The causes for the jumps are then explored through the use of ordered probit models in a second stage. The empirical results indicate that the structure of the market plays an important role in whether shocks in the demand and supply for electricity translate into price jumps. Essay III: Scientific evidence indicates that human development faces multiple and interacting regime-switching environmental thresholds such as climate change, ocean acidification and biodiversity loss. And crossing one or more such thresholds would trigger rapid and large changes in our life-support system with widespread consequences. This paper attempts to study the effects of such thresholds on human well-being in a growth theoretical framework. We derive the accounting prices of pollution stocks such as the concentration of greenhouse gases for the risk of triggering catastrophic events, which are needed for conducting a dynamic cost-benefit analysis. We first analyze a simple model with a single threshold and then extend it to a planar system with correlated double thresholds with a joint probability distribution. the results can be applied for analyzing global climate change and ocean acidification risks, which are highlighted in a Nature article by Rockström et al. (2009). Essay IV: Lump-sum transfers as a means of tackling climate change are mainly perceived as a theoretical construct to achieve the first best Pareto optimum. The previous literature on lump-sum transfers normally focuses on the two polar cases: the absence of lump-sum transfers and perfect or unconstrained lump-sum transfers, leaving the middle way aside. In this paper, we attempt to explore the unmarked part by developing a model where transfer costs are explicitly taken into account. We show that whether the Pareto optimum characterized by the equalization of marginal abatement costs is attainable depends on the formation of transfer costs. When the marginal transfer cost is zero, the separability of equity and efficiency under perfect lump-sum transfers is kept. However, when the marginal transfer cost is positive, the optimum with equalization of marginal abatement costs is neither attainable, nor desirable. We also simulate a policy experiment in China to review the optimal abatement and transfer patterns between China's provinces within a framework of imperfect lump-sum transfers. The highlighted welfare gains is supportive of considering lump-sum transfers as a national climate change policy.

The direct chromatographic resolution of enantiomers using chiral stationary phases (CSPs) is actually a very well established separation technique. Several reasons were responsible for the growing success of this technique. The continuous technical development of new chiral stationary phases (CSPs) combined with their commercial availability has been, probably, the most relevant leverage issue. Chiral liquid chromatography is based on different mutual interactions between the molecules that elute with the liquid (solvent and solutes) and the molecules that are present in the stationary phase. Therefore, optimization of a chiral separation is based on the selection of a proper combination between a CSP and a mobile phase (solvent) composition by promoting, in a favourable way, all possible mutual interactions. The optimization will be a much more challenging task if we are leading not with a traditional binary racemic mixture separation problem but if we are interested in the separation of a quaternary chiral mixture. The complexity degree will be significantly increased if we consider a preparative separation, using a technique such as the simulated moving bed technology, were high feed concentrations are normally used in order to improve the process performance. In these situations, the wanted high concentrations of the different chiral solutes inside the chromatographic columns will enhance significantly the mutual competition between solutes for adsorption with the stationary phase. From a preparative point of view, and when considering the choice of the mobile phase ("solvent") composition, a high selectivity of the enantiomers should not be the only goal to be aimed, as it is frequently the case at analytical scale. Besides the choice of a CSP with high loading capacity, a high solubility of the solutes in the solvent and low retention times should also be taken into account, in order to improve the preparative process performance, as it was extensively explained for the separation of chiral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs1-4 . Nadolol (1-(tert-butyamino)-3-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-cis-6,7-dihydroxy-1-naphthyl)oxy]-2-propanol) is a non-selective beta-adrenergic antagonist pharmaceutical drug. This class of pharmaceutical drugs is prescribed, mainly, to treat arrhythmias, angina pectoris, hypertension, migraine disorders and for tremor. Today, and in spite of the more and more restricted international legislation towards the commercialization of pharmaceutical drugs based on active principles that are made of single enantiomers, nadolol is still only commercially available as an equal mixture of four stereoisomers. This is even more serious due to the considerable evidence, recently made both by the academic community and pharmaceutical industry, that it is important to characterize the single stereochemical components when describing the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of a racemic drug. The separation of nadolol stereoisomers on CHIRALPAK® AD at both analytical and preparative scales was recently reportedby Ribeiro et al5. However, nowadays no further work was developed to better understand and exploit the capabilities of Chiralpak® IA both for the analytical and preparative chiral separations of nadolol stereoisomers. This work will present a complete methodology concerning experimental, modelling and simulation results. Both the CHIRALPAK® AD and CHIRALPAK® IA CSP will be evaluated. The selection of the proper CSP/solvent combination for preparative operation will be fully study taking into account the screening strategy proposed by Zhang et al6. Additional results include the measurement of nadolol stereoisomers solubilities, equilibrium adsorption data and fixed bed (breakthroughs) experiments. The complete screening of CSP/solvent combination will lead to the choice of the better solutions for the separation of nadolol stereoisomers, considering the target component or components to be obtained. Simulation and experimental results will be presented for the multicomponent separation of nadolol stereoisomers by Simulated Moving Bed adsorption process.

RÉSUMÉContexte : La présence d'auteurs honorifiques et fantômes ainsi que les intérêts concurrents représentent des difficultés bien documentées, liées à la publication d'articles scientifiques. Il existe des lignes directrices encadrant la rédaction et la publication de manuscrits scientifiques, notamment celles de l'International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).Objectifs : L'objectif principal de cette étude descriptive et transversale visait à recenser les instructions portant sur la paternité des articles et les intérêts concurrents provenant des recommandations aux auteurs des journaux traitant de pratique pharmaceutique. L'objectif secondaire visait à déterminer des mesures correctrices pour une paternité des articles plus transparente.Méthode : La recherche a débuté par l'identification des journaux traitant de pratique pharmaceutique. La consultation des instructions aux auteurs des journaux a permis ensuite de recenser les recommandations destinées à éviter les problèmes de paternité des articles et d'intérêts concurrents. Finalement, les membres de l'équipe de recherche se sont consultés afin de définir des mesures correctrices possibles à l'intention des chercheurs.Résultats : Des 232 journaux traitant de pharmacie, 33 ont été définis comme traitant de pratique pharmaceutique. Un total de 24 (73 %) journaux mentionnaient suivre la politique de l'ICMJE, 14 (42 %) demandaient aux auteurs de remplir un formulaire de déclaration d'intérêts concurrents au moment de la soumission de l'article, 17 (52 %) présentaient une définition de la qualité d'auteur et 5 (15 %) demandaient de détailler les contributions de chaque auteur. Une grille de 40 critères a été élaborée pour définir l'attribution du statut d'auteur.Conclusion : Moins de la moitié des journaux demandait aux auteurs de transmettre un formulaire de déclaration des intérêts concurrents au moment de la soumission d'un article et seulement la moitié des journaux avait donné une définition de la qualité d'auteur. La publication scientifique de travaux sur les pratiques pharmaceutiques n'est pas à l'abri des manques de transparence liés à la publication. L'utilisation d'une grille décrivant la contribution de chaque auteur et la publication en ligne des travaux peuvent contribuer à limiter ces risques.ABSTRACTBackground: Honorary and ghost authorship, as well as competing interests, are well documented concerns related to the publication of scientific articles. Guidelines for writing and publishing scientific manuscripts are available, including those of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).Objectives: The primary objective of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to identify, in the instructions for authors of pharmacy practice journals, guidance on authorship and competing interests. The secondary objective was to suggest suitable corrective measures for more transparent authorship.Methods: The first step of the project was to identify journals in the area of pharmacy practice. The instructions for authors of each journal were then reviewed to determine recommendations for avoiding problems related to authorship and competing interests. Finally, the members of the research team formulated potential corrective measures for researchers.Results: Of 232 pharmacy journals identified, 33 were deemed to focus on pharmacy practice. A total of 24 (73%) of these journals mentioned that they followed ICMJE policies, 14 (42%) asked authors to complete a competing interests disclosure form at the time of submission, 17 (52%) had a formal definition of authorship, and 5 (15%) asked for details of each author's contribution. A list of 40 criteria was developed to define authorship status.Conclusion: Fewer than half of the journals asked authors to provide a competing interests disclosure form upon submission of an article, and only half had a formal definition of authorship. The scientific publication of papers relevant to pharmacy practice is not free from issues related to publication transparency. Publishing articles online and using a checklist to detail each author's contribution may help to limit the associated risks.

SUMMARY: In the introductory essay opening the thematic forum Ukraine and the Crisis of "Russian Studies": Participant Observation of History in the Making , Ilya Gerasimov reviews the most common approaches to interpreting the Ukrainian political crisis of 2014. Drawing on the materials of the forum, he then suggests that the concept of "postcolonial revolution" is better suited to integrate all the key features of the phenomenon in question within one explanatory model: its democratic potential, the highly hybrid nature of the national community produced by the Euromaidan revolution, and the very fact that this community did not precede the revolution but became an evolving product of it. Most important, the revolution is characterized by the astonishingly persistent manifestation of people's subjectivity. The Ukrainian revolution is a postcolonial revolution because it is all about the people acquiring their own voice, and in the process of this self-assertive act forging a new Ukrainian nation as a community of negotiated solidary action by self-conscious individuals. Gerasimov concludes with surveying the influence of the Ukrainian revolution on the international field of Russian Studies, and how it put to the test the convictions of those who preach a leftist and even revolutionary political agenda. Surprisingly many leftists in Europe and the United States (as well as in Russia) have sided with the cleptocratic and imperialist Russian regime against the revolutionary new Ukrainian nation. Gerasimov explains this by referring to the key distinction advanced in the essay by Yaroslav Hrytsak published in the forum: the distinction between identity-centered and value-oriented approaches. Many experts in the region and left-leaning intellectuals prefer to support Russian aggression against Ukraine because in this way they can keep unchanged their worldview structured by taxonomies of fixed identities: "Russia as a main antifascist force," "Ukrainian fascists," "American imperialists," and so on. A critical deconstruction of familiar clichés implies that one has to enter uncharted waters and embrace a new, unfamiliar reality of post-postmodern society and postcolonial revolution. Во введении к форуму "Украина и кризис 'русистики': включенное наблюдение исторического процесса" Илья Герасимов кратко разбирает наиболее распространенные подходы, объясняющие украинский политический кризис 2014 г. Опираясь на материалы форума, он предлагает модель "постколониальной революции," как наиболее адекватно отражающую основные черты анализируемого феномена: демократический потенциал, крайне гибридную природу национального сообщества, возникшего после революции Евромайдана, а также сам факт, что это сообщество не предшествовало революции, но стало ее эволюционирующим результатом. Главной же отличительной чертой этой революции стало удивительно последовательное проявление субъектности людей. Украинская революция – постколониальная революция, поскольку основным ее результатом стало обретение людьми собственного голоса. В процессе этого самоутверждения формируется новая украинская нация как сообщество договорной солидарности сознающих свою уникальную субъектность личностей. В завершение Герасимов обращается к теме влияния украинской революции на международную русистику и тех, кто декларирует левые и даже революционные взгляды. На удивление, многие левые в Европе, США и России предпочли солидаризироваться с клептократическим и империалистическим российским режимом против новой, революционной украинской нации. Герасимов объясняет это обстоятельство, ссылаясь на ключевое различие, выдвинутое Ярославом Грыцаком, – между фиксацией на социальной идентичности и ориентацией на общие ценности. Многие эксперты по региону и левые интеллектуалы предпочитают поддерживать российскую агрессию против Украины, потому что таким образом они могут сохранить неизменной картину мира, сформированную таксономией привычных и жестких идентичностей: "Россия – главный враг фашизма", "украинские фашисты", "американские империалисты" и т.п. Критическая деконструкция знакомых клише привела бы к необходимости принять незнакомую новую реальность постпостмодерного общества и постколониальной революции.