The goal of the Master thesis is to assess potential benefits and costs for Czech economy resulting from joining the euro-zone. The thesis also reviews the preparedness for the euro adoption in terms of fulfilment of both the nominal and real convergence criteria. First part summarizes the brief history of European monetary integration and theoretical aspects associated with function of monetary union. Follows the major part namely euro adoption in the Czech Republic where current status of fulfilment of maastricht convergence criteria and additional factors of real convergence will be analysed. This part of thesis also deals with direct and indirect impact of euro adoption on Czech economy. In the thesis I will also review current problems of euro-zone which could negatively affect the strategy of euro adoption in the Czech Republic.

The main aim of this dissertation is to investigate whether the price convergence between new and old EU member countries occurred. According to development of price level index it is shown that new member countries converge towards the EU27 and that old member countries more or less hover around their initial levels. Germany is chosen to be a benchmark country and thus the development towards Germany is also examined. The results reveal that new member states converge towards the benchmark country. However, in the case of old member states both convergence and divergence occurs. Furthermore, factors that may have an influence on such a development are investigated. The empirical research shows that GDP, hiring regulations and minimum wage and business regulation were of significance during the examined period, from 2000 to 2009 respectively.

The paper focuses on capital market integration at sovereign bond market in eleven selected euro zone countries (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain). The first main objective is to test the degree of capital market integration before and after the crisis using Germany as a benchmark country and also among them as well. Secondly it evaluates and provides reasons of capital integration in time. The examination is applied through i) sigma convergence ii) yield spreads iii) correlation matrix iv) cointegration tests. I found almost zero yield differences before crisis. After 2008 results show segmentation in euro zone countries with certain special characteristic for countries with high credit ratings.

The objective of this research is to gain a better understanding into the feasibility of establishing a monetary union in SADC in the context of the agreed targets set out by SADC and the African Union. Seven experts in the field of monetary integration within SADC participated in this research and their feedback was analysed and themes captured in terms of the five research questions posed. The questions posed as part of this research explores whether trading blocs are moving towards monetary union, whether the targets set out by SADC for monetary integration are being met, whether the time frame agreed by SADC is reasonable and whether there is political will from member countries for such a monetary union in SADC. The researcher has identified three main reasons why monetary union would be beneficial for the SADC region, and also identified the four pillars of monetary integration that is required for monetary integration to succeed. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Business-Information Technology (IT) convergence is increasingly becoming a source of competitive advantage in the global economy and its importance has been widely discussed and documented in recent years. The management question that remains unanswered is: what are critical success factors for business-IT convergence in the South African banking sector?This report seeks to explore critical success factors for business-IT convergence in the South African banking sector via a quantitative data analysis approach which aims to incorporate leading theories and frameworks on business-IT governance. In analysing the critical success factors for business-IT convergence, it attempts to provide the South African banking sector with recommendations that should be considered within the framework of a generic business-technology maturity model. Furthermore challenges to the value of business-IT convergence research, divergent views and new perspectives on business-IT convergence are presented.In the research, the motivation for business-IT convergence research is first discussed. Next, business-IT convergence is defined and key dimensions and levels of the business-IT convergence construct are presented. Lastly a review of factor models of business-IT convergence is presented and outcomes of assessment within the four banking clusters are presented.The goal is to be inclusive of many different perspectives. It is hoped that the research will spark helpful conversation on the merits of continued investigation of business-IT convergence. In closing, reflections on the business-IT convergence research stream are provided and key implications for research and practice are provided. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Neste trabalho, aplicamos o algoritmo Breadth-First Search para encontrar o tamanho de uma componente conectada no grafo aleatório de Erdos-Rényi. Uma cadeia de Markov é obtida deste procedimento. Apresentamos alguns resultados bem conhecidos sobre o comportamento dessa cadeia de Markov. Combinamos alguns destes resultados para obter uma proposição sobre a probabilidade da componente atingir um determinado tamanho e um resultado de convergência do estado da cadeia neste instante. Posteriormente, aplicamos o teorema de convergência de Darling (2002) a sequência de cadeias de Markov reescaladas e indexadas por N, o número de vértices do grafo, para mostrar que as trajetórias dessas cadeias convergem uniformemente em probabilidade para a solução de uma equação diferencial ordinária. Deste resultado segue a bem conhecida lei fraca dos grandes números para a componente gigante do grafo aleatório de Erdos-Rényi, no caso supercrítico. Além disso, obtemos o limite do fluído para um modelo epidêmico que é uma extensão daquele proposto em Kurtz et al. (2008). / In this work, we apply the Breadth-First Search algorithm to find the size of a connected component of the Erdos-Rényi random graph. A Markov chain is obtained of this procedure. We present some well-known results about the behavior of this Markov chain, and combine some of these results to obtain a proposition about the probability that the component reaches a certain size and a convergence result about the state of the chain at that time. Next, we apply the convergence theorem of Darling (2002) to the sequence of rescaled Markov chains indexed by N, the number of vertices of the graph, to show that the trajectories of these chains converge uniformly in probability to the solution of an ordinary dierential equation. From the latter result follows the well-known weak law of large numbers of the giant component of the Erdos-Renyi random graph, in the supercritical case. Moreover, we obtain the uid limit for an epidemic model which is an extension of that proposed in Kurtz et al. (2008).

This dissertation examines Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, which has developed into one of the most popular entertainment brands for adults. Expressing and shaping adult sensibilities of the time Adult Swim has been able to become the most popular cable network for (male) adults 18 to 34 years old. Launched in 2001, Adult Swim emerged at a moment in the U.S. when technological developments were changing the television landscape and the meaning of adulthood was fervently being discussed in the media as assumptions and realities of adult life continued to be in conflict. The goal of this dissertation is to understand the contemporary society and media culture as well as the defining characteristics and tensions of contemporary adulthood, adult taste, and adult culture by investigating Adult Swim's rise to a popular entertainment brand among young adults. Through a contextualized critical analysis of selected Adult Swim television texts, representation of Adult Swim in the mainstream press, and Adult Swim fans' online discussions in Adult Swim's official message boards this dissertation interrogates what branding/programming strategies it uses to appeal to its "adult" viewers, how it constructs and understands its "adult" viewers, and how it establishes its brand identity. With its low-budget, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) style of cartoon and live comedy series that are full of ironic, pop culture references and absurd, surreal humor, Adult Swim has established a unique sensibility that resonates with many young adults and built itself as a "different" and "creative" network brand. However, this dissertation demonstrates that Adult Swim's "unconventional," "edgy" brand identity relies on its male-centric programming strategies that either render women invisible or make use of blatantly sexist jokes for its "adult" appeal. In addition, this dissertation explains that despite featuring many queer characters Adult Swim appropriates queer identity and politics to advance itself as a "subversive," "non-mainstream" and "different" network (a brand identity that greatly appeals to young adults) rather than to subvert heteronormativity and promote LGBT rights. Furthermore, this dissertation interrogates how Adult Swim uses interactive media to invite its viewers to participate in shaping and maintaining its brand identity as a network that "listens to" its viewers and to form sensibility and feelings of conand to construct o form an affective relationship with the Adult Swim brand and to establish itself as a brand that "listens to" and understands the sensibility, affect, and feelings of contemporary young adults who comprise the Adult Swim audience.

Despite the restricted morphology and distribution of sloths today, fossils sloths show a wide variety of forms and behaviors and used to range from South America to Alaska. These extinct forms have in the past simply been lumped together as "ground sloths", separated from modern "tree sloths". However there are intermediate forms that have been posited to be semi-arboreal. In other groups such as primates the shape of the shoulder blade has been shown to vary significantly between groups with different arboreal behaviors. This study used geometric morphometrics to examine the scapulae of modern and extinct sloths to show that these three locomotor groups can in fact be distinguished by their shoulder blade shape. Juveniles of giant ground sloths also have significantly different shoulder blade shapes than the much larger adults, however they do not overlap with the smaller intermediate sloths, so may have been just as terrestrial as their parents despite their much smaller size. Finally, ontogenetic trajectories of several sloth genera do not show evidence of having different slopes. They start and end in different areas of morhospace but are all on parallel paths. This argues against the hypothesis of convergence in modern tree sloths, which despite both having an unusual suspensory lifestyle are not closely related. Rather they are both retaining an ancestral growth trajectory that all sloths have possessed.

Nederländernas och Sveriges nationella narkotikapolitik är olika. Nederländerna är kända för att ha en liberal politik med fokus på skademinskning, medan Sverige har en mer restriktiv strategi med fokus på användningsminskning. Forskning om effektiviteten i bådas politik saknas och bör därför studeras för att bekämpa narkotikarelaterade problem på ett korrekt sätt. I en tid med snabb globalisering är en jämförelse mellan Nederländerna och Sverige beträffande narkotikafrågor därför nödvändig för att analysera. Denna artikel kommer att studera hur länderna har närmat sig varandra under perioden 2005–2020 och svaret kommer ges inom tre kategorier: (1) förebyggning, (2) behandling och skademinskning samt (3) kontroll. Med hjälp av en jämförande policyanalys (CPA) kommer data att samlas in med hjälp av dokument och artiklar om utvecklingen i länderna samt statistik som visar genomföranden av policy. Dessa tillhandahålls av European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Resultaten visar att länderna har närmat sig varandra i vissa kategorier, främst beträffande (2) behandling och skademinskning, med mer skademinskning genomförd i svenska intergripanden, och (3) kontroll, där Nederländerna har blivit striktare mot vissa delar av narkotikaförsäljningen i kampen mot kriminalitet, samtidigt som man genomfört skadareducerande ingripanden. Båda länderna har infört delar av den andres politiken samtidigt som de följer sina traditionella åsikter angående (1) förebyggande. Framtida forskning bör fortsätta att analysera effektiviteten i policy och jämföra dessa eftersom samarbete mellan en effektiv narkotikapolitik framgångsrikt kan upprätthålla kampen mot globala narkotikaproblem. / The national drug policies of the Netherlands and Sweden are divergent. The Netherlands is known to have a liberal policy with a focus on harm reduction, while Sweden has a restrictive approach focusing on use reduction. Current research on the effectiveness of both policies is lacking and should, therefore, be studied to properly fight drug-related issues. Furthermore, in a time of rapid globalization, a comparison between the Netherlands and Sweden regarding drug issues is essential to analyse. This paper aims to study how the countries have converged in the period 2005-2020, dividing the research question into three categories: (1) prevention, (2) treatment and harm reduction and (3) control. Using a Comparative Policy Analysis (CPA), data will be collected using documents and articles on the developments of the countries as well as statistics showing implementation of the policies, provided by European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The results present some form of convergence in some categories, mostly regarding (2) treatment and harm reduction, with more harm reduction implemented in Swedish interventions, and (3) control, where The Netherlands has become more strict towards some parts in the fight against drug supply and criminality, while also implementing harm reductive interventions. Both countries have implemented parts of the other's policy while following their traditional views regarding (1) prevention. Further research should continue to analyse the effectiveness of the policies and compare since cooperation between effective drug policies can successfully maintain the fight against global drug issues.

In terms of dress, there are various misconceptions that exist in our ever-so conscious society, which can make Easterners in the Occident neglect aesthetics that are linked to their roots. Orientalist notions of the Middle East and its complex history of conflict have both played their part in developing a cultural disconnection between the East and the Western world. This area of investigation explores the recontextualization of a selection of original and cultural elements from the Levant and Arabian Peninsula by the means of construction within men’s suits, thobes and accompanying traditional attire. The work implies to challenge the Western world’s dominant influence on fashion, where it becomes crucial to assert cultural aspects linked to facts and aesthetic value. What could be deemed as lacking in fashion is an intricate appropriation of Levantine and Arabian elements in relation to shape, proportion and material. In this exploration, it is executed through placing the selected components alongside Westerly ‘reserved’ categories such as the exaggerated shoulder pad, where each action is influenced by the outcome of the previous. The result can be described as a convergence between expressions that are culturally polarizing, which can reinvent the narrative of Westerly misperceived dress and symbols that are both ubiquitous and preserved in the transcultural region.