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Resumen“El conocimiento que el ser humano ha de- sarrollado para entender, predecir y poder ac- tuar sobre la sociedad, en una dirección deter- minada que se podría considerar adecuada, es insuficiente; específicamente en el terreno de la economía los paradigmas existentes, además de disimiles y contrapuestos, carecen de sufi- ciencia explicativa, predictiva y propositiva”. A partir de esta aseveración se analizan dis- tintas causas que propician esta situación; se aborda así el problema de la cientificidad de la economía y la disputa entre los diversos para- digmas; el origen humano de la sociedad o la cultura a partir de su base biológica; la rápida transformación del fenómeno social y eco- nómico acelerado intensamente los últimos doscientos años; la complejidad de los hechos económicos que apuntaría a la necesidad de un cambio metodológico para su estudio; y el carácter humano, sujeto a decisiones, que subyace en la economía. Se arriba a la idea de una necesaria aceptación de los límites que enfrenta la economía para explicar su objeto de estudio, abandonando la pretendida obje- tividad que promete establecer verdades ca- tegóricas.Abstract“The knowledge that the human being has developed to understand, to predict and to be able to act on the society, in a certain direction that could be considered suitable, is insufficient; specifically in the field of the economy the existing paradigms, in addition to dissimilar and opposed, lack explanatory, predictive and purposeful sufficiency”. From this assertion various factors that foster this situation are analyzed; thus addresses the problem of the scientific nature of the economy and the dispute between the different paradigms; the human origin of society or culture from its biological basis; the rapidly changing of social and economic phenomenon strongly accelerated the last two hundred years; the complexity of the economic facts that point to the need for a change in methodology for study; and human nature, subject to decisions underlying the economy. It is up to the idea of a necessary acceptance of the limits facing the economy to explain its subject, abandoning the pretense of objectivity that promises to establish categorical truths.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/), Au_52.5-^x-Cd_47.5-Ag_x noble metal alloy undergoes martensitic transformation and shows complex Ag dependence on transformation temperature. As Ag composition ratio increases, β - and α- coexistence phase appears. The behavior of this Ag-rich region was studied. Atoms of the β-phase arrange disorderly (A2) in this region. The transformation temperature T_0 rises drastically and the magnitude of orthorhombic distortion becomes larger in comparison with that of adjoined β- single phase. This result suggests a correlation between the orthorhombic distortion and T_0. Excessively high packing fraction of the α-phase, atomic disorder in the β-phase and small volume ratio of martensite / β-phase makes the β-phase unstable and stimulates transformation.

International audience; The COMPASS collaboration has collected the currently largest data set on diffractively produced pi(-) pi(-) pi(+) final states using a negative pion beam of 190 GeV/c momentum impinging on a stationary proton target. This data set allows for a systematic partial-wave analysis in 100 bins of three-pion mass, 0.5 < m(3 pi) < 2.5 GeV/c(2), and in 11 bins of the reduced four-momentum transfer squared, 0.1 < t' < 1.0 (GeV/c)(2). This two-dimensional analysis offers sensitivity to genuine one-step resonance production, i.e. the production of a state followed by its decay, as well as to more complex dynamical effects in nonresonant 3 pi production. In this paper, we present detailed studies on selected 3p partial waves with J(PC) = 0(-+) ,1(++) ,2(-+) ,2(++) ,and 4(++). In these waves, we observe the well-known groundstate mesons as well as a new narrow axial-vector meson a(1)(1420) decaying into f(0) (980)pi. In addition, we present the results of a novel method to extract the amplitude of the pi(-)pi(+) subsystem with I(G)J(PC) = 0(+)0(++) in various partial waves from the pi(-)pi(-)pi(+) data. Evidence is found for correlation of the f (0)(980) and f(0)(1500) appearing as intermediate pi(-)pi(+) isobars in the decay of the known pi(1800) and pi(2)(1880).

It is always my firm belief that an ambitious finance-major student should master at least one computer language. This is especially true for students from quantitative-finance, MSF, business analytics or financial engineering programs. Among many good languages, R and Python are the two best ones. Based on my 6-year experience of teaching R to finance students at 3 schools, the following 7 factors are critical for designing and teaching such a course: strong motivation, a good textbook, a hands-on environment, data intensive, a challenging term project, tons of supporting R data sets and an easy way to upload those R data sets.

From the two premises that (1) economies are complex systems and (2) the accumulation of knowledge about reality is desirable, I derive the conclusion that pluralism with regard to economic research programs is a more viable position to hold than monism. To substantiate this claim I discuss an epistemological framework of how scholars study their objects of inquiry and relate their models to reality. Furthermore, I argue that given the current institutions of our scientific system, economics self-organizes towards a state of scientific unity. Since such a state is epistemologically inferior to a state of plurality, critical intervention is desirable. Revised version January 2018

The didactical game can be considered part of an educational scenario in teaching and learning. This article aims to show how fundamental concepts from the economic - mathematical modeling area can be visualized, how to organize knowledge in coherent scenarios, presented in an educational game manner, to gain the attention and influence students' spirit of competition. At the same time, benefitting from the 3D visualizations, the graphical interfaces for navigating in multidimensional spaces or projections are defined and thus imagination used for mental models construction is stimulated and human intuition is capitalized in the process of knowledge discovery, assisted by computer with analytic algorithms type. Exploration becomes a game feature and can be pursued both numerically and visually. 3D environments give realism to visualizations that are found in games, facilitating realimaginary relationship throughout the game and enhancing learning motivation. The innovative character of teaching is given by the method in which the teacher creates his own educational scenario by considering specific learning objectives, age particularities of students, time and space-related resources, the technical requirements of the game and the evaluation method. The paper makes several references to such projects, developed by the authors and implemented in working with students. Game based on demonstration (using simulation, modelling or visualization) coordinates users to obtain relevant information; the multiple representations of knowledge are so used and compared through a multitude of examples.

Ob finanzielle Bildung in der Schule als Verbraucherbildung, ökonomische Bildung oder sozioökonomisch-politische Bildung konzipiert wird, ist für die Identifikation der relevanten Ziele und Inhalte bedeutsam. Der Beitrag diskutiert Nutzen und Grenzen solcher unterschiedlichen Verortungen als Ausgangsbasis für eine Curriculumanalyse der Sekundarstufe I im deutschen Schulwesen. Dabei werden zunächst die curricularen, auf die ökonomische Bildung bezogenen, von der finanziellen Bildung kaum zu trennenden Ziele ermittelt. Zudem werden die Verankerung des Kerns eines gegenwarts- und zukunftsbezogenen persönlichen Finanzmanagements identifiziert und darauf bezogene Kompetenzerwartungen zugeordnet. Abschließend wird dargelegt, welchen Herausforderungen eine finanzielle Bildung gerecht werden muss, die beansprucht, ausgewogen zu sein. Whether financial education is conceived as consumer education, economic education or socioeconomic-political education is important for the identification of the relevant goals andcontent. The paper discusses the benefits and limitations of such different locations as a starting point for a curriculum analysis of lower secondary education in the German education system. The curriculum-based economic educationrelated goals, which are scarcely distinguishable from financial education and the anchoring of the core of present-day and future-oriented personal financial management will be identified and the related competence expectations shown. Finally, it outlines the challenges of financial education that demands balance.

This thesis deals with comics in the Czech news and cultural magazines after the year 2000. A new generation of comic creators emerged after the year 2000, so called Generation zero. These new creators are different from the older authors - especially from authors of Generation 89 - in many aspects. Using a semiotic analysis this thesis focuses on comics in contemporary periodicals: it attempts to uncover how various comics exist in news magazines (which are intended for a broad scale audience) and to what extent these comics match with the profile of the magazine. Additionally, in order to see a potential difference in results, cultural periodicals were also thoroughly analyzed. Included in the analyzed material are news magazines such as Reflex and Respekt and cultural periodicals like Art+Antiques and A2. In addition, it focuses on theoretical discussions regarding a proper definition of the word comic and on the relationship between linguistic and visual levels of comics because this relationship is essential in this form. Finally, the means of visual language in comics and the history of the Czech comics are discussed in the theoretical section as well.

Economics students have been shown to exhibit more selfishness than other students. Because the literature identifies the impact of long-term exposure to economics instruction (e.g., taking a course), it cannot isolate the specific course content responsible; nor can selection, peer effects, or other confounds be properly controlled for. In a laboratory experiment, we use a within- and across-subject design to identify the impact of brief, randomly-assigned economics lessons on behavior in games often used to measure selfishness: the ultimatum game (UG), dictator game (DG), prisoner's dilemma (PD), and public-goods game (PGG). We find that a brief lesson that includes the assumptions of self-interest and strategic considerations moves behavior toward traditional economic rationality in UG, PD, and DG. Despite entering the study with higher levels of selfishness than others, subjects with prior exposure to economics instruction have similar training effects. We show that the lesson reduces efficiency and increases inequity in the UG. The results demonstrate that even brief exposure to commonplace neoclassical economics assumptions measurably moves behavior toward self-interest.

Over the last few years, demands from student organisations for pluralism in teaching economics gave quite a stir to neoclassical economics; at least in the media, and at some selected universities. On the other hand, university teachers show considerable inertia. Sometimes they are pointing out that economic theory was not as streamlined as asserted. But mostly they insist on mainstream teaching as a basic prerequisite, possibly to be complemented later by some elective courses. While a dispute about the adequacy of this will certainly continue, it has to be stated that the typical syllabus for economics as a minor subject leaves the respective students with a very narrow notion of economics. This paper elaborates on this aspect. It outlines specific restrictions and requirements an economics-minor syllabus has to comply with in order to have a realistic chance for a wider dissemination at universities. Taking account of this, it is shown that pluralist intentions are covered to a considerable extent by the broader perspective of (new) institutional economics as developed by North, Williamson, Ostrom, and others. At the same time it allows for a coherent and commonly shared body of economic knowledge. To circumstantiate this, this paper resorts to important steps in the history of economic thinking, to its epistemological foundations, as well as to rather practical needs of mutual recognition of exams.

On behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) the research project „Global nachhaltige materielle Wohlstandsniveaus“ analysed material needs for German households’ spending on durable consumer goods. Based on these findings, prototypical household endowments can be classified within the boundary conditions of global fairness and sustainable resource use. The applied classification scheme is based on the methodological concept of availability corridors which was developed and implemented over the project term by the Institute of Economic Structures Research (GWS) and the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy. This methodological research has been accompanied by software development activities: A handy, easy understandable and instructive web tool ( http://resourcetool.gws-os.com/ ) has been established which illustrates the main findings of the research project in an intuitive way. Users can experience the research topic "raw material consumption and sustainability" in the context of own household endowments and identify the implied material needs of individual consumption patterns.

ResumenEl presente trabajo busca la mejora de la formación de la Dirección de Operaciones (DO) tomando como punto de referencia al estudiante. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la necesidad de hacer más comprensibles y motivantes las asignaturas de DO ante la falta de interés del alumno por desarrollarse profesionalmente en esta área. Por tanto, debemos orientar la estrategia docente de forma que actúe sobre estas variables. Con tal objetivo, se han analizado tres metodologías (enseñanza asistida por ordenador, seminario presencial y enseñanza a distancia tradicional) determinando su influencia en variables como motivación, dificultad percibida, comprensión de la materia y percepción del aprendizaje. Haciendo uso, entre otros, del análisis factorial y el análisis de la varianza se han evaluado dichos entornos educativos, estableciendo los que resultan más adecuados para abordar la problemática que para el alumno presenta la formación en una disciplina tan importante para la gestión empresarial.AbstractThis paper proposes to improve instruction in Operations Management by taking the student as a reference. The results show the need to make the subjects more understandable and motivating, given the student's lack of interest in developing professionally in this area. The aim should therefore be for the teaching strategy to act upon these variables. Three educational environments (computer-assisted learning, presential seminar and traditional distance teaching) have been analysed with this goal in mind in order to determine their influence on such variables as motivation, perceived difficulty, understanding of the material and perception of the learning. Said educational environments have been evaluated making use of such aids as factor analysis and variance analysis. We have determined the environments that are best suited to dealing with the problems that instruction in such an important discipline for business administration presents for students.

An HLA-A2.1 transgenic rabbit /Cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) infection model has been reported previously. In this study, we incorporated online MHCI epitope prediction software and HLA-A2.1 transgenic mouse and rabbit systems together to demonstrate an efficient way to identify and test immunogenicity of two HLA-A2.1 restricted epitopes from CRPVE1 (161-169 LLFRQAHSV and 303-311 MLQEKPFQL). Both epitopes were able to induce specific cytotoxic CD8 T cells in HLA-A2.1 mice and rabbits after peptide and DNA immunization and in vitro stimulation respectively. Using an epitope DNA vaccination method, we achieved partial and complete protection against CRPV DNA challenge by CRPVE1/161-169 and CRPVE1/303-311 respectively in HLA-A2.1 transgenic outbred rabbits. CRPVE1/303-311 also showed strong and specific therapeutic effects in CRPV-infected HLA-A2.1 transgenic outbred rabbits. Interestingly, epitope CRPVE1/303-311 (but not E1/161-169) showed strong protective immunity in non-transgenic EIII/JC inbred (but not outbred) NZW rabbits. Our data demonstrates an efficient way to identify HLA-A2.1 restricted epitopes for the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.

This paper evaluates the use of specialist software within university trading rooms in order to enable students to experience a simulated environment which allows them to gain an appreciation of “real life” decision-making within the finance and banking industry and become familiar with real-time data. An important additional aim of trading room-based instruction is to encourage responsible financial decision-making. Our analysis focuses on business schools within the United Kingdom and provides a detailed illustration of use of such resources, in particular, as deployed at the Bradford University School of Management. We provide a critical overview of the main challenges involved in making effective use of a trading room. We also offer recommendations to other academics to enable productive and appropriate use of resources such as Bloomberg Professional in order to enhance the student learning experience and to facilitate the development of valuable skills.

Background: Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum are among the main species that are responsible for cutaneous leishmaniosis (CL) and visceral leishmaniosis (VL), respectively. The leishmanioses represent the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria. Recently, we succeeded in generating a plasmid DNA (pCMV-HISA70m2A) and demonstrated that immunized mice were protected against L. major challenge. The efficacy of the DNA-vaccine was further enhanced by the inclusion of KMP-11 antigen into the antibiotic-free plasmid pVAX1-asd. Methods: Here, we describe the use of a HisAK70 DNA-vaccine encoding seven Leishmania genes (H2A, H2B, H3, H4, A2, KMP11 and HSP70) for vaccination of mice to assess the induction of a resistant phenotype against VL and CL. Results: HisAK70 was successful in vaccinated mice, resulting in a high amount of efficient sterile hepatic granulomas associated with a hepatic parasite burden fully resolved in the VL model; and resulting in 100 % inhibition of parasite visceralization in the CL model. Conclusions: The results suggest that immunization with the HisAK70 DNA-vaccine may provide a rapid, suitable, and efficient vaccination strategy to confer cross-protective immunity against VL and CL., This work was partially supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2010-17394 and AGL2013-44100R) and PLATESA (P2013/ABI-2906) from the Comunidad de Madrid (Spain).

This study aimed to express a recombinant A2 family protein of Leishmania chagasi, Jaboticabal strain; test this protein as an antigen in serological assays; and investigate its antigenicity and immunogenicity. A protein coded by an allele of the A2 gene isolated from L. chagasi was expressed in three different strains of Escherichia coli. We used 29 sera samples from Leishmune-vaccinated dogs, 482 sera samples from dogs from endemic areas (positive controls), and 170 sera samples from dogs from non-endemic areas (negative controls) in ELISA tests using soluble Leishmaniaantigen (SLA) and His-A2 as antigen. Expressed proteins showed, by western blotting, the expression of an 11 KDa protein. Sixty-three percent (303/482) of the samples from endemic areas were positive by ELISA His-A2, whereas 93.1% (27/29) of Leishmune®-vaccinated animals were negative by His-A2-ELISA. Anti-A2 antibodies from mice inoculated with the A2 protein were detected in slides containing amastigote forms, but not in slides containing promastigote forms. The A2 recombinant protein from L. chagasi may be a useful tool in the diagnosis of CVL, and further tests regarding the infection stage and the specie of parasite at which the dogs are sampled should provide a better understanding of our results. Este estudo teve como objetivos expressar uma proteína recombinante da família A2 de Leishmania chagasi, amostra de Jaboticabal-SP; testar essa proteína como antígeno em testes sorológicos; e investigar a antigenicidade e imunogenicidade dessa proteína. Uma proteína codificada por um alelo do gene A2 isolado de L. chagasi foi expressa em três diferentes amostras de Escherichia coli. Foram utilizadas 29 amostras de soro de cães vacinados com Leishmune, 482 amostras de soro de cães de áreas endêmicas (controles positivos), e 170 amostras de soro de cães de áreas não-endêmicas (controles negativos) no ELISA-teste utilizando-se antígeno solúvel total de Leishmania (AST) e His-A2 como antígenos. As proteínas expressas, detectadas pelo western blotting, mostraram a expressão de uma proteína de 11 KDa. Sessenta e três por cento (303/482) das amostras de áreas endêmicas foram positivas pelo ELISA-teste, utilizando-se antígeno His-A2; e 93,1% (27/29) dos animais vacinados com a Leishmune foram negativos. Anticorpos anti-A2 de camundongos inoculados com a proteína A2 foram detectados em lâminas contendo formas amastigotas, enquanto em lâminas contendo formas promastigotas não houve detecção de anticorpos anti-A2. A proteína recombinante A2 pode ser uma ferramenta útil no diagnóstico da LVC, e maiores estudos sobre o estágio de infecção e a espécie de parasita dos cães amostrados devem prover melhor entendimento dos resultados encontrados.

Besonders seit dem starken Anstieg der Staatsschuldenquoten nach dem Ausbruch der jüngsten weltweiten Finanzkrise und der Großen Rezession spielt das Thema sowohl in der öffentlichen als auch in der wissenschaftlichen Debatte eine prominente Rolle. Die Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina griff das Thema auf und richtete im Herbst 2011 eine interdisziplinäre Arbeitsgruppe aus Wissenschaftlern mit ganz unterschiedlichen Ausgangsmeinungen ein. Diese setzte sich zum Ziel, einen konsensfähigen Kernbestand an Wissen aus der Verpackung mit unterschiedlichen Meinungen herauszuschälen und so einen Beitrag zum Abbau der verbreiteten Unkenntnis und Konfusion über Staatsverschuldung einerseits und des Lagerdenkens andererseits zu leisten. This article summarises results of the report on public debt questions published in June 2015 by an interdisciplinary group of scholars appointed by Germany's National Academy of Science. The 11 authors of the report embarked on their task in 2012 from very diverse points of view on the topic. Thus, a consensus report could only be achieved through a very long process of retrieving the load bearing skeleton of the public debt issue from the flesh of personal opinions (strong priors, as C.P. Kindleberger called them). In a nutshell, the report calls into question the longer-term wisdom of the 'debt brake' inserted into Germany's constitution in 2009.

The first modern political parties were formed at the end of the 18th century and have, from those times up to now, undergone 4 developing phases; each of the phases is bound to ideal-type political party model: cadre parties, mass parties, catch-all parties and cartel parties. Each of these party models differentiates in various characteristics: party foundation, number of members, and way of leading the election campaigns, but also in ways of financing. This paper describes the above mentioned 4 phases of political parties’ development and 4 phases of parties' finances development; it will be analysed in detail positive and negative sides of each of the models of party financing.

Se modeló la distribución potencial del bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM) para los estados de Hidalgo, Puebla y Veracruz, México bajo el escenario A2 de cambio climático (2050 y 2080) con los modelos de circulación general (GCM) CCSM3 y ECHAM5. Se utilizaron técnicas de modelado de hábitat (MH), modelado de nicho (MN) y especies arbóreas estructuralmente importantes y restringidas al BMM. Para caracterizar las condiciones ambientales, se integró un Sistema de información Geográfica (SIG) de 5 variables ambientales, 5 variables de distancia euclidiana y 19 variables bioclimáticas. De la Red Mundial de Información sobre Biodiversidad (REMIB) se obtuvieron 872 registros únicos de 12 especies arbóreas del BMM. Con datos de REMIB y del SIG se ajustaron los MN (situación actual y bajo el escenario A2 de cambio climático). También del SIG y de mapas de cambio de uso de la tierra (CUT) se ajustaron modelos logísticos (ML) del crecimiento de zonas agrícolas. De los MN y ML se obtuvieron los MH, donde se observan las áreas para la conservación del BMM. Los MN muestran que la altitud, temperatura media del trimestre más cálido (BIO10), precipitación media anual (BIO12) y precipitación del trimestre más húmedo (BIO16) son las variables que más contribuyen a los MN (P ≤ 0.01, ROC = 0.95 - 0.97, AUC = 0.96 – 0.98). Estos predicen una superficie potencial de 363,230 ha para el BMM. Ésta aumenta a 382, 464 ha en 2050. En 2080 disminuye a 309, 711 ha para CCSM3 y aumenta a 448, 757 ha para ECHAM5. Alrededor del 35% del área potencial para el BMM estaría expuesta al cambio, hacia tipos vegetación con mayor umbral crítico a ambientes cálidos-secos. Los ML mostraron que la agricultura tiene mayor probabilidad de presentarse cerca de carreteras principales, áreas urbanas y pequeños poblados (P < 0.0001, Pseudo R2 = 0.461). Según los MH la superficie promedio dedicada a la conservación del BMM serían de 97,120 ha. Las zonas de conservación pueden ubicarse en los municipios de Tlanchinol en Hidalgo, Tlatlauquitepec en Puebla y Tlaltetela en Veracruz. _______________ IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION THE MOUNTAIN CLOUD FOREST IN MEXICO. ABSTRACT: We modeled the potential distribution of the mountain cloud forest (BMM) for the states of Hidalgo, Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico under A2 climate change scenario for the years 2050 and 2080 with general circulation models (GCM) CCSM3 and ECHAM5. Habitat (HM) and niche modeling (NM) techniques, along with structurally important tree species restricted to BMM we used. To characterize environmental conditions, a Geographic Information System (GIS) was integrated with 5 environmental, 5 Euclidian-distance and 19 bioclimatic variables, 872 unique records of 12 tree species of BMM from the Global Information Network on Biodiversity (GINB) with GIS data were fitted to the NM (current situation and under climate change scenario A2). The GIS and maps of land use change (LUC) were fitted with logistic models (LM) to estimate agricultural land use changes. With the NM and LM the HM shows the potential areas for conservation of BMM. Altitude, mean temperature of warmest quarter (BIO10), mean annual precipitation (BIO12) and precipitation of the wettest quarter (BIO16) were the variables that most contribute to the NM (P ≤ 0.01, ROC = 0.95 to 0.97, AUC = 0.96 to 0.98). The MN projection estimates a potential area of 363,230 ha for BMM. This increases to 382,464 ha in 2050. In 2080 decreased to 309,711 ha for CCSM3 and increases to 448,757 ha for ECHAM5. About 35% of the potential area for BMM would be exposed to changes towards warm-dry vegetation threshold. The LM showed that agriculture is more likely to occur nearby major roads, urban areas and small towns (P

Over the past twenty-five years the Duke history of economics faculty, together with the collection development librarians in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, have been gathering the papers of notable (mostly) twentieth century economists in what is now called The Economists Papers Project (EPP). Over time that archive has grown and become central to historical research on economics in the postwar period. The papers of Edwin Burmeister, Evsey Domar, Franklin Fisher, Duncan Foley, Lawrence Klein, Franco Modigliani, and Robert Solow, all MIT faculty or students, have attracted scholars from around the world. After Paul Samuelson's death in December 2009, his papers, by prior arrangement, came to the EPP and quickly became a magnet for historians of economics. In response, early in 2010 I was encouraged by my colleagues Kevin Hoover, Bruce Caldwell, Craufurd Goodwin, and Neil De Marchi to plan a conference in the History of Political Economy Annual Conference series to examine the history of MIT economics. After a year's worth of conversations and emails, I invited a number of individuals to consider a variety of projects exploring MIT's role in the transformation of American economics in the postwar period. That conference, held in April 2013 at the R. David Thomas Conference Center at Duke University, was sponsored as usual by the Duke University Press. However the very generous financial support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation made possible the expansion of the "standard" HOPE Conference into one that included a larger number of participants and papers. In the end the conferees learned that telling the story of MIT's role in the postwar period required attending to both the particular circumstances that shaped MIT and the various ways in which economics itself was changing.

in English with English title of the thesis: Language of SMS and French as a foreign language The central topic of the thesis is the language of short text messages (SMS) and/or the one of chat and their application in teaching of French as a foreign language (fr. abbreviation F.L.E., français langue étrangère). The aim is to answer the question so as to how to grasp linguo- didactically this modern sociolect of young users (not only) of French, typical of written communication via digital technologies, with the purpose of the purely practical use in the classes of French. Firstly, a linguistic description will be given in order to understand the mechanisms of the explored language code not only in French, but also partly in Czech and English, as well as the determination of the position of the SMS language as a socio-cultural phenomenon in the present-day French. The following research will be dealing with the identification and the analysis of the teaching activities using the SMS language found in approximately fifty text books of French intended for the learners of levels A1, A2, B1, B2. The next section offers the theoretical evaluation of the exploitability of the SMS language in the classes of French, having as a point of reference specialised works of didactics of foreign languages. The...

The COMPASS Collaboration at CERN has investigated the reaction $\pi^- \gamma \rightarrow \pi^-\pi^-\pi^+$ embedded in the Primakoff reaction of $190~\textrm{GeV}$ pions scattering in the Coulomb field of a lead target, $\pi^- \text{Pb} \rightarrow \pi^-\pi^-\pi^+ \text{Pb}$. Exchange of quasi-real photons is selected by isolating the sharp Coulomb peak observed at momentum transfer below $0.001~(\text{GeV}/c)^2$. Using a partial-wave analysis the amplitudes and relative phases of the $a_2(1320)$ and $\pi_2(1670)$ mesons have been extracted, and the Coulomb and the diffractive contributions have been disentangled. Measuring absolute production cross sections we have determined the radiative width of the $a_2(1320)$ to be $\Gamma_0(a_2(1320) \rightarrow \pi\gamma) = (358 \pm 6_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 42_{\textrm{syst}})~\textrm{keV}$. As the first measurement, $\Gamma_0(\pi_2(1670) \rightarrow \pi\gamma) = (181 \pm 11_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 27_{\textrm{syst}})~\textrm{keV} \cdot (\textrm{BR}^{\textrm{PDG}}_{f_2 \pi}/\textrm{BR}_{f_2 \pi})$ is obtained for the radiative width of the $\pi_2(1670)$, where in this analysis the branching ratio $\textrm{BR}^{\textrm{PDG}}_{f_2 \pi}=0.56$ has been used. We compare these values to previous measurements and theoretical predictions., Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures and 3 tables

The main aim of this diploma thesis is to find out, if the level of knowledge of German language at pupils at basic schools in the Czech Republic is increasing, stagnating or decreasing and what factors influence their results. In the theoretic part I am going to deal with testing of pupils in Europe and in the Czech Republic. After that there is introduced a list of all standard assessment tests of German language on level A1 and A2. Then there are compared standard assessment tests ?Fit in Deutsch? and ?Start Deutsch? with the tests of Czech School Inspection from 2012/2013. In the research part I focus on the development of pupils? knowledge of German language at basic schools. The research is based on the assigned tests from 2007, 2010 and 2013. On the basis of these tests and filled questionnaires I am trying to find answers on the set research questions and to check correctness of the set hypotheses or alternatively to find other factors that influence pupils? knowledge of German language.

Was beeinflusst den Studienerfolg eines betriebswirtschaftlichen Studiums in Form der erreichten Abschlussnote? Aus der Perspektive der Studierenden, der staatlichen Hochschulpolitik und der Hochschulen sind dabei unterschiedliche Einflussfaktoren von Bedeutung: Die Note der Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, das Alter und Geschlecht des Studierenden, die Entscheidungen des Studierenden hinsichtlich der Studienschwerpunkte und der Studiendauer (Semesterzahl) oder die Frage, ob systematische Notenunterschiede zwischen dem klassischen Diplom- und dem Bachelorabschluss existieren. Diese Aspekte sind Ausgangspunkt der vorliegenden Regressionsanalyse. Sie basiert auf einem Datensatz von 263 auswertbaren Antworten ehemaliger Studierender (Alumni) des Fachbereichs Betriebswirtschaft (BW) der Ernst-Abbe-Fachhochschule (EAFH) Jena. Zentrale Ergebnisse sind: Erstens hängt die Note der Hochschulzugangsberechtigung eng mit der Studienabschlussnote zusammen: Bessere Noten bei der Zugangsberechtigung sind mit besseren Studienabschlussnoten verbunden. Zweitens existiert kein Zusammenhang von Alter oder Geschlecht des Studierenden und seiner Abschlussnote. Drittens zeigt sich, dass die Schwerpunktwahl zum Teil einflussreich ist, während die kurze Dauer des Studiums (gemessen an der Einhaltung der Regelstudienzeit) in jedem Fall mit einer besseren Abschlussnote einhergeht. Dies kann mittels der Endogenität von Schwerpunktwahl und Dauer des Studiums auf Grund des Entscheidungsverhaltens der Studierenden erklärt werden. Viertens hat die Art des Abschlusses (Bachelor oder Diplom) bzw. dessen Aktualität keinen Einfluss. Studying business economics: An empirical analysis of determinants and predictors of grades This paper is concerned with the factors that influence a students success, ie grade, in studying business economics. As to students, universities and higher education policy, different aspects play a role, e.g. student's record in the final year of high school, student's decisions as to majors, demographic factors (age and sex), the time length of studies, the influence of university reform (the introduction of Bachelor and Master degrees instead of the old diploma) or the question of grade inflation. The regression analysis relies on a data set of 263 questionnaires of alumni of the department of business economics at Ernst-Abbe-University of Applied Sciences Jena. These former students graduated between 1996 and 2011. The empirical findings suggest, that: First, high school records are good predictors of university grades. Second, age and gender do not influence students grade achievement. Third, the decisions as to majors reveals a mixed result on grades but the number of years spent at the university clearly influences grades: students that fail to finish their studies in accordance with suggested 3.5 and 4 year plans exhibit a lower grade outcome. The paper provides an explanation based on the endogenity of students decisions with respect to these both aspects of their studies. Finally, there is no evidence that university reform is related to grade achievement and that a kind of grade inflation has taken place during the last 15 years.

The Bachelor thesis "A2 - a fortnightly cultural magazine and its way towards the actual topics in 2011" is trying to comprehensively describe the seventh year of the A2's existence, especially the key values of its gatekeeping. The quantified textual patterns of the magazine are based on quantitative research of the whole year and imply expectations about the specific journalistic genres. Similarly, the proportionality between the two major sections of the cultural magazine - artistic creations and social issues and development - are described alongside with the most frequent contributors and the prerequisites for their work as cultural publicists. The following qualitative research analyzes the issues focused on cultural criticism or artistic profession (specifically issues 3 - The magazines about literature elsewhere, 12 - Popculture monsters, 18 - Cultural journalism and 23 - Profession: artist). The thesis is trying to reveal the key values for choosing the covered topics and how A2 uses the genre of essay, which is often the key part of particular issues. Apart from that, the thesis seeks common features of the coverage of specific artworks in the magazine compared to other Czech media. The thesis is based on the discoveries of its author and Zuzana Cajtlerová whose Bachelor thesis describes...

This study presents new vision how to upgrade business higher education at the Faculty of Economics at University of Tourism and Management in Skopje (UTMS). This paper is result of analyses of best practices of leading higher education institutions as well authors experience in higher education and business education and practice. The UTMS is orientated to introduce best practices and objective standards in order to offer high-quality business education for its students. UTMS has mission for permanent implementation of quality improvement measures as a way to achieve high professional and academic standards and become part of prosperous and respective Universities. In order to achieve this goal, UTMS plan to use additional measures, outcomes assessment as a way to measure institutional effectiveness, as well as effective technique for identifying where changes and improvements are necessary. UTMS has developed Students Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan (SLOAP) as a way to reach this goal. Based on permanent analysis of students needs as well as business sector suggestions about desirable level of knowledge, skills and competence of the students from Faculty of Economics, gained from conducted evaluations, UTMS decide to make additional improvement and development of business education. This process have 4 phases: 1) evaluation of students attitude towards curricula and the instructors efficiency, 2)preparation of the SLOAP (Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan) document, 3) implementation of two direct measures from the SLOAP through assessment analysis and action planning, and 4) monitoring changes and improvements made as a result of action planning. The first phase was completed in spring semester 2012, as well as second one with development of Comprehensive Exam and Capstone Course as direct measures. Complete SLOAP also has indirect measures like student satisfaction inventory, course evaluations, alumni, and employers' surveys, and a variety of other student learning outcomes assessments. UTMS plan to use first two direct measures for Student Learning Outcomes Assessment as pilot project, and if it shows success whole process of SLOA can be implemented as permanent methodology for success improvement at UTMS. This process will be also used to develop a strategy for improving the effectiveness and quality of the Faculty of Economics and its programs.

Background & objectives: Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is one of the major constituents of krait venom associated with several pathophysiological actions like myotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, etc. As there was no specific antiserum available against Bungarus fasciatus venom, this study was done with synthetic herbal compounds, anti PLA2 rabbit antiserum and commercial polyvalent snake venom antiserum to neutralize the PLA2 induced toxicities in experimental models. Methods: B. fasciatus venom phospholipase A2 fraction 38 (BF-38) was isolated by ion exchange chromatography, molecular weight was determined by mass spectrometry and its N terminal amino acid sequence was identified. Monospecific rabbit antiserum was raised against the PLA2 in presence of Freund complete adjuvant. The neutralization of PLA2 induced toxicities was done in in vitro and in in vivo models using synthetic herbal compounds, anti PLA2 rabbit antiserum and commercial polyvalent snake venom antiserum. Results: A toxic PLA2 (BF-38) was purified from the B. fasciatus venom by CM-cellulose and HPLC, of 13.17 kDa and a minor band of 7.3 kDa using ESI-MS. The 13.17 kDa PLA2 sequence was NLYQFKNMIQC. The 7.3 kDa toxin sequence was RKCLTKYSQDNES and was found to be

We show that if an operator T is bounded on weighted Lebesgue space L^2(w) and obeys a linear bound with respect to the A_2 constant of the weight, then its commutator [b,T] with a function b in BMO will obey a quadratic bound with respect to the A_2 constant of the weight. We also prove that the kth-order commutator T^k_b=[b,T^{k-1}_b] will obey a bound that is a power (k+1) of the A_2 constant of the weight. Sharp extrapolation provides corresponding L^p(w) estimates. The results are sharp in terms of the growth of the operator norm with respect to the A_p constant of the weight for all 1, Comment: To appear in Trans. A.M.S

The capabilities of the package exams for automatic generation of (statistical) exams in R are extended by adding support for learning management systems: As in earlier versions of the package exam generation is still based on separate Sweave files for each exercise - but rather than just producing different types of PDF output files, the package can now render the same exercises into a wide variety of output formats. These include HTML (with various options for displaying mathematical content) and XML specifications for online exams in learning management systems such as Moodle or OLAT. This flexibility is accomplished by a new modular and extensible design of the package that allows for reading all weaved exercises into R and managing associated supplementary files (such as graphics or data files). The manuscript discusses the readily available user interfaces, the design of the underlying infrastructure, and how new functionality can be built on top of the existing tools.

O tema desta dissertação é a capacidade de leverage1 que a linha de negócio do financiamento de wholesale apresenta sobre a linha de negócio do financiamento de retalho. De facto, a opção estratégica de financiar a linha de negócio de wholesale, apesar da sua baixa rentabilidade direta e elevado investimento de capital, potencia a rentabilidade da linha de financiamento de retalho e como consequência a rentabilidade global do negócio da financeira. As sociedades contemporâneas experimentaram nas últimas décadas mudanças tão rápidas e profundas que alteraram a maior parte dos comportamentos. Como resposta, e, muitas vezes, antecipando e propiciando até essas transformações, a lógica dos mercados modificou-se tendo em vista a otimização dos lucros. O sector automóvel não ficou imune a este padrão e procurou as melhores soluções para aumentar as vendas. Como diz Lipovetsky, “nasceu uma nova modernidade: ela coincidiu com a ‘civilização do desejo’ que se formou ao longo da segunda metade do século XX. […] O sistema fordiano hiperconsumismo, assente na difusão de produtos estandardizados, deu lugar a uma economia de variedade e da reatividade em que, não só a qualidade, mas também o tempo, a inovação e a renovação dos produtos se tornaram critérios de competitividade das empresas. Em simultâneo, a distribuição, o marketing e a comunicação inventaram novos utensílios destinados a conquistar mercados.» (Lipovetsky, 2009: 7-8) A febre do consumo, o turboconsumismo, como o batizou o filósofo francês engendrou novas fórmulas para que as pessoas possam aceder a diferentes bens, recorrendo ao crédito. Como explorar criativamente essas modalidades para as financeiras do ramo automóvel é o tema do presente estudo.O meu propósito é o de aproveitar a experiência profissional e académica dos últimos anos e tratar os dados empíricos de forma a atingir conclusões que possam ser validadas pela comunidade académica e que propiciem elementos de debate para todos os que intervêm nesta área nos planos prático e teórico. The theme of this dissertation is the ability to leverage3 that the line of business of wholesale funding4 shows on the business line of retail funding. That is, the strategic option of financing the business line of wholesale, despite its low direct profitability and high capital investment, powers the profitability of retail funding and consequently the overall profitability of the business of finance. In recent decades, contemporary societies have experienced such rapid and profound changes that they have altered most of their behaviors. Often anticipating and providing up to these transformations, the logic of the markets has changed in order to optimize its own profits. The automotive sector was not immune to this standard and sought the best solutions to increase sales. As Lipovetsky said, "a new modernity was born: it coincided with the ‘civilization of desire' that took form over the second half of the twentieth century. [...] The hyper-consumerism Fordist system, based on the diffusion of standardized products, led to an economy of variety and reactivity, whereby not only the quality but also the time, innovation and renewal of products have become the competitive criteria of companies. At the same time, distribution, marketing and communication invented new tools to conquer the markets." (Lipovetsky, 2009: 7-8). The fever of consumption, the turbo- consumerism, as the French philosopher named it, engendered new formulas so that people can access different goods using credit. How to creatively exploit those modalities for the automotive financial industry is the subject of this study.My purpose is to avail my work and academic experience in the area of business finance and treat the empirical data in order to reach conclusions that can be validated by the academic community and provide elements for discussion to all those involved in this area in theoretical and practical plans.

Wirtschaftsverbände, unternehmernahe Stiftungen, Institute und Initiativen fordern mehr ökonomische Bildung an Schulen. Die vorliegenden Studien zeigen, dass sie als locker verbundene Lobbyisten zusammen mit einigen Wirtschaftsdidaktikern ein gut finanziertes politisch-pädagogisches Netzwerk bilden. Seine Akteure und Aktivitäten finden parteipolitische Unterstützung vor allem bei CDU und FDP. In und mittels der ökonomischen Bildung befördert dieses Netzwerk die Interessen der privaten unternehmerischen Wirtschaft sowie politische Positionen des wirtschaftsliberal-konservativen Spektrums. In diesem Sinne sollen auch die Schülerinnen und Schüler einseitig beeinflusst werden. Das legen Analysen einiger Unterrichtsmaterialien nahe, die Akteure aus diesem Netzwerk entwickelt haben und verbreiten. Pluralistische Ansätze in Wirtschaftstheorie und Wirtschaftspolitik sucht man dort meist vergebens. Über Lehr-Lern-Materialien strebt insbesondere die Finanzindustrie nach Präsenz im Klassenzimmer, ihre Mitarbeiter sollen zu Finanzieller Allgemeinbildung unterrichten. Das ist eine bemerkenswerte Vermischung von Bildungsauftrag und Gewinninteressen. Fasst man die Ergebnisse der einzelnen, explorativen Analysen zusammen steht zu befürchten, dass ein Schulfach Wirtschaft zum Fach der Wirtschaft und Wirtschaftsverbände wird und wirtschaftsliberal-konservatives Denken in die Schulen bringen soll. Den Unternehmer- und Wirtschaftsverbänden steht aber kein Alleinvertretungsanspruch für „die Wirtschaft“ zu. Auch Akteure wie Gewerkschaften, Umwelt- und Verbraucherverbände haben zu wirtschaftlichen Themen Wichtiges zu sagen.