This study explored the “sustainable city” by focusing on pro-cycling policies as a way to adapt theprinciple of sustainability to urban reality, as impacting the shape of the urban context and the lives of itsinhabitants. The case of the City of Seoul provided the opportunity to discuss potential and pitfallcharacterizing the implementation of pro-cycling policies, in light of the broader international contextoffering cases and examples that are here used as background for the analysis and interpretation of the case ofSeoul. This paper has two main parts. The first questions the key determinants of pro-cycling policies oftenproclaimed as “best-practices” in the field of cycling policies. It suggests that the overall level of cycling ismore related to government policies rather than history, culture, topography and climate. The identifiedgovernment policies have something in common. Firstly, cycling policies have evolved into an essential partof urban planning (cycling-inclusive urban planning). Secondly, they are created through the partnershipbetween the state, the private sector and civil society organizations based on the collaborative planninggovernance. Thirdly, policy components of hard and soft measures tend to be designed based on the needs ofthe great majority of citizens, particularly users. The second part explores the main causes of theshortcomings charactering pro-cycling policies in the case of Seoul. It argues that the main causes aredifficulties of achieving cooperation among different levels of government, the lack of opportunities forcitizen’s participation, the problems of hard components (cycling infrastructure) which is not based onpeople’s needs, unbalanced policy mixture of hard and soft components (non-infrastructural measures).Pro-cycling policies can play a significant role in achieving the sustainable city. To implement cyclingpolicies as a way of achieving the sustainable city, cultural and social shifts should be entailed. Theimplementation of pro-cycling can contribute to this cultural shift which is fundamental to the sustainable city.This is a cycle that has to be turned into a virtuous cycle leading to the city and urban community towardssustainability. However, if the created cycling policies are not based on the partnership and collaboration withvarious stakeholders, they are not likely to get society-wide support, meet the needs of users, and thus reachthe targeted goals. This is also true of Seoul. Even though the City of Seoul set up ambitious goals andinvested a lot of city budget, it could not achieve the desired aims. As a novice in pro-cycling policies, it isinevitable for the city experience trial and error. To reduce trial and error and develop more suitable policies,the city needs to explore best practices of cycling policies around world and adapt them to the local context.

Innovation is often related to positive outcomes for the majority to enjoy that enhances welfare and facilitates everyday activities. In different fields of study (economics, management, sociology, history and science and technology) it is becoming a field of magnitude (Malerba and Brusoni, 2007). Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) discuss the emerging interest of innovation in the field of social science. Although the interest within the subject of innovation is high, very little research has been done regarding the aim to contribute to the design innovation policy, developed by scholars studying the field of innovation. One often so neglected study within innovation is in the field of negative unintended consequences of innovation (NUCoI) (Sveiby et al, 2012). One main contributor of innovative activities is organizational operations leading to value for end customers. While firms often have the aim to create value with innovation for the greater benefit in society, sometimes these value-creating mechanisms may create unintended negative consequences in addition to the positive effects. While innovations are increasing in rapidness and numbers of output produced, the effects on society and the natural environment needs to be highlighted. With assumptions regarding vague CSR implementation in corporations (Newell, 2005), this research tries to grasp understanding on how NUCoI is perceived from the managerial perspective in organizations regarding their stakeholder viewpoint. As a starting point, the authors use Charlie Chaplin’s famous quote “More than machinery, we need humanity” from the movie “The Great Dictator” indicating the importance of caring for various stakes. Purpose: The aim of this research is to highlight the new field of study in social science; Negative unintended consequences of innovation (NUCoI) in relation to the societal natural environment (society and the natural environment). The research contributes to the existing frameworks on organizational value creation mechanisms in innovation policy to incorporate the aspect of negative consequences of innovation (NCoI), in terms of sustainability to highlight the importance of secondary stakeholders. Results: The new Extended Value Creation Mechanism for Global Sustainability, the Societal-Natural-Environment Stakeholder Framework of Innovation and Global Sustainability framework (SNE SFI GS-framework), aims to contribute in the long-term perspective for research in innovation policy by highlighting one aspect of a field of the often so neglected societal natural environment perspective, when competing rivalry becomes too fierce. The framework highlights the importance of secondary stakeholders, where primary stakeholders may act as a “link” between the organization and secondary stakeholders. Additionally, the authors suggest going to basic practices regarding sustainability with valuating the natural resources for a prospering sustainable society. The aspects in the research include stakeholder-theory, value-creation in terms of the societal natural environment, and innovation as a field of social science, negative consequences and organizational sense-making.

Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų banko Lehman Brothers žlugimu prasidėjusios tarptautinės finansų krizės metu išryškėjusi efektyvaus banko paskolų portfelio rizikos valdymo svarba lėmė griežtėjantį bankų sektoriaus reguliavimą, todėl manytina, kad esant tokioms bankų rinkos sąlygoms Lietuvoje ir toliau dažnės kreditavimas sindikuotos kreditavimo sutarties forma. Nors Lietuvos bankininkystės praktikoje ši kreditavimo sutartis nėra naujas reiškinys, Lietuvos teisės doktrinoje sindikuotas kreditavimas ir su juo susijusios teorinės ir praktinės problemos yra praktiškai nenagrinėtos, o teisminių ginčų šioje srityje kol kas nėra. Todėl šio darbo tyrimo tikslas buvo išanalizuoti tarptautinėje praktikoje daugiausiai teisinių diskusijų keliančius sindikuoto kreditavimo procese kylančius teorinius ir praktinius klausimus bei juos įvertinti Lietuvos teisės kontekste. Darbe nagrinėjama sindikuotos kreditavimo sutarties samprata tarptautinėje ir Lietuvos teisėje, sindikuoto kreditavimo organizavimo procedūra, Organizatoriaus ir būsimo kredito gavėjo bei kitų sindikato dalyvių tarpusavio santykiai, Organizatoriaus atsakomybės klausimai, Mandato rašto teisinė reikšmė, sindikato bankų tarpusavio santykiai, jų teisių ir pareigų įgyvendinimas pagal sindikuoto kreditavimo sutartį, banko Agento vaidmuo sindikuoto kreditavimo procese bei atskleidžiamas pastarųjų klausimų vertinimas Lietuvos teisės normų kontekste. Darbe daugiausiai naudotas lyginamasis tyrimo metodas, lyginant iš esmės dviejų šalių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / World economic turmoil, which has started after a collapse of Lehman Brothers, a bank of United States of America, had emphasized the importance of effective bank’s credit portfolio risk management and this in turn determined a stricter regulation of banking sector. Therefore, it is supposed that in Lithuania, due to the latter conditions, a frequency of lending by using the form of a syndicate lending agreement will increase. Though in Lithuanian banking practice the syndicate lending is not a phenomenon, in Lithuanian law doctrine there were almost no analysis regarding syndicated lending and theoretical and practical issues related thereto, moreover, there are no precedent cases in this field. Therefore, the objective of these master theses is to analyze practical and theoretical issues of syndicate lending process, which raise most disputes in international practice, also to assess these questions in the context of Lithuanian law system. In these theses the various issues were examined focusing on: the concept of syndicate credit agreement in international practice and Lithuanian law, arranging process of syndicate lending, relationships between an Arranger and a Borrower and relationships between the Arranger and other syndicate members, the issues of the Arranger’s liabilities, the purpose of Mandate Letter, the relationships among syndicate members themselves, the implementation of syndicate members’ rights and liabilities under syndicate credit agreement, the role of... [to full text]

The general aim of the study was to determine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on the perceived success of the pipeline gas company. This type of study has not been conducted previously for such a pipeline gas company and as such, a valuable contribution could be made to a more effective entrepreneurial orientation in the business environment. Two questionnaires were administered, which focused on entrepreneurial orientation and perceived success of business respectively. A response rate of 87.63% was obtained from a sample of 97 employees at management level in the pipeline gas company concerned. The results showed a statistically significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business development as variable of business success. The data also revealed correlations among the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation, some with significant differences for various demographic groups and their level of entrepreneurial skills. Limitations within the study were discussed and recommendations were made for future research. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Inom institutionsvård för ungdomar har det visat sig vara viktigt med en kombination av teoretiskt förankrade teorier och metoder och övriga pro-sociala aktiviteter. I föreliggande studie har syftet varit att undersöka vilka teorier och metoder som tillämpas på särskilda ungdomshem inom Statens institutionsstyrelse (SiS) regi samt om det finns en samstämmighet mellan de teorier och metoder som personalen anser tillämpas. Vidare var syftet att undersöka vilka aktiviteter som är tänkta att främja ett positivt behandlingsutfall för ungdomarna på institutionerna, samt vilka hinder och möjligheter som kan identifieras i organisationerna avseende att integrera teori, metod och behandlingsfrämjande aktiviteter till en terapeutisk helhet. Studien har både en kvantitativ och kvalitativ metodansats då en enkätundersökning genomförts med personal på tre utvalda institutioner, vilket har kompletterats med material från två projektmöten. Studiens resultat visar att personalen på institutionerna är samstämmiga i sitt arbete avseende teori och metod, men att det finns vissa brister. Alla tre institutionerna har ett stort och varierat utbud av pro-sociala aktiviteter men delar av personalen arbetar inte aktivt med dessa. Studien visar även att det finns likheter mellan de hinder och möjligheter som kan identifieras inom respektive organisation. I studien diskuteras vad som kan tänkas vara de bidragande orsakerna till det resultat som framkommit. Institutionsvården är i behov av ständig utveckling vilket gör studien relevant för socialt arbete.

The main result of this thesis is an original proof that every word has finite width in a compact $p$-adic analytic group. The proof we give here is an alternative to Andrei Jaikin-Zapirain's recent proof of the same result, and utilises entirely group-theoretical ideas. We accomplish this by reducing the problem to a proof that every word has finite width in a profinite group which is virtually a polycyclic pro-$p$ group. To obtain this latter result we first establish that such a group can be embedded as an open subgroup of a group of the form $N_1M_1$, where $N_1$ is a finitely generated closed normal nilpotent subgroup, and $M_1$ is a finitely generated closed nilpotent-by-finite subgroup; we then adapt a method of V. A. Romankov. As a corollary we note that our approach also proves that every word has finite width in a polycyclic-by-finite group (which is not profinite). As a supplementary result we show that for finitely generated closed subgroups $H$ and $K$ of a profinite group the commutator subgroup $[H,K]$ is closed, and give examples to show that various hypotheses are necessary. This implies that the outer-commutator words have finite width in profinite groups of finite rank. We go on to establish some bounds for this width. In addition, we show that every word has finite width in a product of a nilpotent group of finite rank and a virtually nilpotent group of finite rank. We consider the possible application of this to soluble minimax groups.

In this dissertation I claim that Michel Foucault is a pro-enlightenment philosopher. I argue that his critical history of thought cultivates a state of being autonomous in thought and action which is indicative of a kantian notion of maturity. In addition, I contend that, because he follows a nietzschean path to enlightenment, Foucault’s elaboration of freedom proceeds from his critique of who we are, which includes a rejection of humanism’s experiential limits. At the same time, and perhaps most importantly, I also suggest that Foucault articulates a posthumanist conception of finitude and being. To begin with, I show that on humanism’s path to edghtenment, which is established by Rousseau, Kant and Hegel and currently advocated by Rawls and Taylor, a philosophy of the autonomous subject who desires self-actualisation through recogrution precedes the epistemologcal and political critiques which generate humanism’s objective, normative and subjective axes of experience. On the basis of Foucault’s archzological, genealogical and, when they operate together, critical historical critiques of these conditions of possibility for autonomy and recogrution, I maintain that humanism fails to teach us how to think or act freelythat is, as critical thought that delivers enhghtenment-and that humanism’s knowledge of the world and its justice in politics necessitate the confined exclusion of those who are different and the submission of subjectivity of those who are normal. In response to the immaturity that is at the heart of humanism, I illustrate that Foucault deploys archeology, genealogy and critical history to excavate his posthumanist, enlightenment alternatives of savoir, pouvoir and ethico-morality. After he relocates an explanation of cause and effect in the human sciences from savioir to the relations between savoir and pouvoir, I explicate how Foucault reconceives, firstly, the way pouvoir is exercised by productive mechanisms, which discipline the body and regulate the citizen, and, secondly, the nature of pouvoir, which he characterises as governmentality, or one’s action upon the actions of others. He then retlunks freedom as the vis-a-vis of pouvoir/savoir, and I demonstrate how critical history reveals that, prior to the hermeneutic relation to self wluch is at the centre of humanism’s conception of moral identity, ethical subjectivity in antiquity is formed through an ascetic, agonistic freedom that is based on a practical relation to self. Foucault uses this as a blueprint for the present, in which an ethico-political state of being autonomous in thought and action is constituted over against our limits of pouvoir/savoir. I thus claim that Foucault’s portrayal as an anti-enlightenment philosopher, who proffers nothing but anormative critique and amoral freedom, represents the perspective of those for whom to be anti-humanism is akin to being antienlightenment. These criticisms are exposed as misguided by the thesis that I verify in this dissertation, which is that critical history qua critique, thence an ontology, namely, Foucault’s critical ontology, brings about maturity and endorses an ehghtenment that is both contra- and post-humanism.

Background: Current research has demonstrated that aspirin and fish oil (EFA) increase plasma levels of specialized pro-resolution molecules (SPMs). This study investigates their effects on SPM precursor pools in platelet rich fibrin (PRF). Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to take aspirin; EFA or aspirin and EFA. Four hours later, SPM precursor levels were quantified using combined Liquid Chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The differences between the groups: Aspirin (yes or no), EFA (yes or no), were analyzed by ANCOVA, testing for group differences after covarying out the baseline value. Results: There were 4 significant interactions, 1 with an aspirin effect, 2 with an EFA effect, and 64 with no difference between the groups. The significant interaction effect was found for the following lipidome: LPE(20:4), LPI(16:1), LPI(18:1), and LPI(20:3). Aspirin decreased the LPG(16:4) levels, and EFA decreased the LPE(22:5) and PG(16:0/18:0) lipidomes. Conclusions: Some SPM precursor pools in PRF were increased following supplementation.

Communicating climate change and other long-term environmental issues to the wider public is a challenging process involving many barriers to action. Visualisations have the ability to overcome these barriers. Furthermore, the benefits of visual images over verbal information have been supported. However, there is a lack of research on how visual images can motivate behaviour. Based on Elaborated Intrusion theory, it is proposed that visual images can be internalised as mental images which can act as a ‘motivational bridge’ for pro-environmental behaviour. Six studies exposed participants to visual pro-environmental messages. Throughout all studies images were internalised as mental images, associated with intrusive thoughts. Consistently, mental images were strongly associated with pro-environmental goals and behaviour change (self-report and actual). Also, interfering with visual mental imagery, using cognitive tasks, reduced self-reported behaviour change (Study 6). Overall, two motivational roles of mental imagery emerged: mental images can trigger pro-environmental goals and can strengthen the relationship between pro-environmental goals and behaviour. The development, strength, and vividness of mental imagery depended on interacting individual and message characteristics. A vivid message was more effective when the message topic was relevant to the target individual (Study 2). Also, a message in line with existing values evoked more vivid mental imagery (Studies 2 to 6). A message could activate specific values as well if mental imagery was not interfered with (Study 5 and 6). And finally, positive and negative images were associated with different feelings, but could both be internalised and motivate behaviour (Study 3 and 6). A combined message could overcome the negative feelings associated with a fear appeal (Study 6). This thesis developed a theoretical framework, integrating approaches from social and cognitive psychology, which can help explain and predict responses to visual environmental messages. Six studies showed that the effect of a visual image on behaviour depends, among other factors, on its ability to trigger recurring mental imagery. Insights provide opportunities for designing evidence based visual pro-environmental messages. In turn this can maximise the impact visual messages have on changing people’s pro-environmental behaviour.

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