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This article is about Lithuanian small and medium business and it. integration problems in EU. There arc many problems for small and medium business: a lack of working capital and business information, absence of competitive business idea, large restraint in business regulation and others. The author explains what is necessary for appropriated conditions for small and medium business and for development it . practical activities. There are many possible ways to solve problems related with coming integration: to create favorable conditions, to differentiate the governmental attitude of different lays of businessmen, to create a competition environment and orientation for social problems of small and medium business. The author represents a business supporting forms, analyses the financial support of business. E.tablishing a clearcut definition of a small and medium business is no casy task. There is no single definition of what a small and medium business is. The Lithuanian government define a small and medium business as medium-sized enterprises, small enterprises (including micro·enterprises) and natural persons who shall, in the manner prescribed by law, enjoy the right to engage in independent commercial, production, professional or similar activities, including the activities which require a business certificate. According to the "Republic of Lithuania law on small and medium-sized business" a medium sized-enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 250 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 138 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 93 million. A small enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 50 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise dues not exceed LTL 24 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 17 million. A micro-enterprise shall be a small enterprise which complies with all the following conditions: less than 10 employces work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 7 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 5 million. In Lithuania small businesses exist in every type of trade, manufacturing, construction and services. In order of importance. however, they arc most important in retail trade, services, wholesale manufacturing. Entrepreneurs in small firms have been so successful at meeting the demands of rapidly changing markets that managers in large corporations have tried to mimic their results. Corporate managers' attempts have focused on creating small, free-wheeling, innovative units within the traditional, often rigid, company hierarchy. Small firms arc typically more flexible than large firms.

This article is about Lithuanian small and medium business and it. integration problems in EU. There arc many problems for small and medium business: a lack of working capital and business information, absence of competitive business idea, large restraint in business regulation and others. The author explains what is necessary for appropriated conditions for small and medium business and for development it . practical activities. There are many possible ways to solve problems related with coming integration: to create favorable conditions, to differentiate the governmental attitude of different lays of businessmen, to create a competition environment and orientation for social problems of small and medium business. The author represents a business supporting forms, analyses the financial support of business. E.tablishing a clearcut definition of a small and medium business is no casy task. There is no single definition of what a small and medium business is. The Lithuanian government define a small and medium business as medium-sized enterprises, small enterprises (including micro·enterprises) and natural persons who shall, in the manner prescribed by law, enjoy the right to engage in independent commercial, production, professional or similar activities, including the activities which require a business certificate. According to the "Republic of Lithuania law on small and medium-sized business" a medium sized-enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 250 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 138 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 93 million. A small enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 50 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise dues not exceed LTL 24 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 17 million. A micro-enterprise shall be a small enterprise which complies with all the following conditions: less than 10 employces work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 7 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 5 million. In Lithuania small businesses exist in every type of trade, manufacturing, construction and services. In order of importance. however, they arc most important in retail trade, services, wholesale manufacturing. Entrepreneurs in small firms have been so successful at meeting the demands of rapidly changing markets that managers in large corporations have tried to mimic their results. Corporate managers' attempts have focused on creating small, free-wheeling, innovative units within the traditional, often rigid, company hierarchy. Small firms arc typically more flexible than large firms.

This article is about Lithuanian small and medium business and it. integration problems in EU. There arc many problems for small and medium business: a lack of working capital and business information, absence of competitive business idea, large restraint in business regulation and others. The author explains what is necessary for appropriated conditions for small and medium business and for development it . practical activities. There are many possible ways to solve problems related with coming integration: to create favorable conditions, to differentiate the governmental attitude of different lays of businessmen, to create a competition environment and orientation for social problems of small and medium business. The author represents a business supporting forms, analyses the financial support of business. E.tablishing a clearcut definition of a small and medium business is no casy task. There is no single definition of what a small and medium business is. The Lithuanian government define a small and medium business as medium-sized enterprises, small enterprises (including micro·enterprises) and natural persons who shall, in the manner prescribed by law, enjoy the right to engage in independent commercial, production, professional or similar activities, including the activities which require a business certificate. According to the "Republic of Lithuania law on small and medium-sized business" a medium sized-enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 250 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 138 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 93 million. A small enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 50 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise dues not exceed LTL 24 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 17 million. A micro-enterprise shall be a small enterprise which complies with all the following conditions: less than 10 employces work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 7 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 5 million. In Lithuania small businesses exist in every type of trade, manufacturing, construction and services. In order of importance. however, they arc most important in retail trade, services, wholesale manufacturing.Entrepreneurs in small firms have been so successful at meeting the demands of rapidly changing markets that managers in large corporations have tried to mimic their results. Corporate managers' attempts have focused on creating small, free-wheeling, innovative units within the traditional, often rigid, company hierarchy. Small firms arc typically more flexible than large firms.

There seems to be a higher challenge today for teachers across Europe and the USA to respond to an increasing diversity of students. Responding to diversity implies understanding individual student characteristics and matching differentiated teaching within an inclusive atmosphere to enable everyone to participation actively in all classroom activities (see e.g., Gay, 2000). Student diversity is seen as arising from three main sources: (a) A cultural one due to the impact of an increasing number of immigrants and increasing mobility within and across countries. Recent EU reports note that "Teachers may be confronted with different cultures, religions, and languages in a single learning environment" (Eurydice, 2002, p.48); "Teachers/ trainers are faced with socially, culturally and ethnically diverse pupils/trainees and challenges them to deal with more and more heterogeneous classes" (EC Directorate General for Education and Culture 2003, 35). (b) Both the above reports add a second major factor: the policy of mainstreaming of students with impairments or special needs, which calls "for the acquisition by teachers of specific skills, such as the ability to offer teaching geared to individual needs and adapt the curriculum accordingly" (Eurydice 2002, 47). One may add to this the wider democratic concerns on the entitlement of each student to reach his or her potential, whether as gifted or as having a different learning style: "It is unacceptable for any teacher to respond to any group of children (or any individual child) as though the children were inappropriate, inconvenient, beyond hope, or not in need of focused attention" (Tomlinson 2001, 21). "The teacher . has to adapt or prepare the curriculum in such a way that the needs of all pupils, those with special educational needs, gifted pupils and their peers, are sufficiently met" (Meijer 2003, Para 3.2.2). (c) There is also a new concern about the difficulties that are faced in modern society by youths who fail to achieve adequate levels of literacy or drop out of school, together with an awareness of the multiplicity and complexity of competencies required in today's society (Gregory and Kuzmich 2005). This concern has been strong in Europe but is also a worldwide concern: In the learning society, social stratification is increasingly based on a division between the haves and have-nots in terms of skills and qualifications. Dropping out from school, therefore, has much more lasting consequences than it had in the past, since it can mark an individual for life and greatly narrow the range of career choices open to them. Schools are at the centre of the learning society and life-long learning begins there. (EC 2001, Sect. 4.5, see also Eurydice 1994, UNESCO 2004) ; peer-reviewed

Es un estudio de historia empresarial que describe los estrechos nexos que se establecieron en Colombia entre familia, poder político y negocios alrededor de Francisco Montoya Zapata, el empresario colombiano más exitoso e influyente en la primera mitad del siglo XIX. Don Pacho, como le decían sus contemporáneos, equivale en el campo económico de su época, lo que Santander en lo político y jurídico, Francisco de Caldas en lo científico y José Miguel Restrepo en lo intelectual. A través de una exhaustiva localización de fuentes, especialmente en notarias, archivos de prensa y bibliotecas, se buscó la identificación de las características de la compleja conducta empresarial de Francisco Montoya, para cuya presentación ordenada, se utilizó el recurso de la biografía, ubicando al personaje en relación con los sucesos y procesos de índole social, cultural económica y política nacional e internacional de su época. Los capítulos del libro siguen la vida y obra del empresario y algunos miembros de su familia con espíritu emprendedor, empeñados en sacar adelante sus negocios en un entorno que ofrecía múltiples restricciones al logro del éxito económico. Esto lo condujo a intervenir activamente en política y a participar en el gobierno, quizás como una manera de proteger sus intereses, bastante vulnerables a factores externos como la guerra, la difícil geografía y la pobreza general del país. ; It is a study of business history that describes the close ties that were established in Colombia between family, political power and business around Francisco Montoya Zapata, the most successful and influential Colombian businessman in the first half of the 19th century. Don Pacho, as his contemporaries told him, is equivalent in the economic field of his time, what Santander in the political and legal, Francisco de Caldas in the scientific and José Miguel Restrepo in the intellectual. Through an exhaustive location of sources, especially in notaries, press archives and libraries, the identification of the characteristics of the complex business conduct of Francisco Montoya was sought, for whose orderly presentation, the resource of biography was used, locating the character in relation to the events and processes of a social, cultural, economic and national and international political nature of his time. The chapters of the book follow the life and work of the entrepreneur and some members of his family with an entrepreneurial spirit, determined to carry out their businesses in an environment that offered multiple restrictions to the achievement of economic success. This led him to actively intervene in politics and participate in the government, perhaps as a way to protect his interests, quite vulnerable to external factors such as war, the difficult geography and the general poverty of the country.

[Note: See PDF for correct symbols.] Perchlorate (ClO4-) is an important energetic component of solid rocket fuel. The major source of ClO4- pollution is the military, space program and supporting industries. ClO4- is recalcitrant in the environment and is potentially toxic. The California Department of Health Services adopted an action level of 4 ppb for perchlorate in potable water. Microorganisms that reduce ClO4- to chloride and molecular oxygen have been isolated. For designing an efficient biological-based ground water ClO4- remediation strategy, the biochemical and molecular data on the enzymatic reduction of ClO4- are needed. The ClO4- respiring organism, perc1ace when grown using either ClO4- or NO3- as a terminal electron acceptor produced ClO4- reductase to a significant extent. The ClO4- reductase activity appeared to be within the periplasmic space, with activities as high as 14, 000 nmol-1 min-1 mg protein-1, indicating that it is a soluble enzyme. A ClO4- reductase from cell-free extracts of perc1ace was purified 10-fold by ion-exchange and molecular exclusion fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The ClO4- reductase catalyzed the reduction of ClO4- at a Vmax and Km of 4.8 Units mg protein-1 and 34.5 M, respectively. Maximal activity was recorded at 25-30oC and pH 7.5 – 8.0. Perc1ace ClO4- reductase is a dimer with molecular masses of 35.07 kDa and 75.1 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight/Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) analysis of the 35 kDa protein revealed several tryptic peptides. To study the genetic determinants of ClO4- reductase, the amino terminal sequences of 22 tryptic peptides of the approximately 35 kDa ClO4- reductase subunit were obtained by electrospray mass spectrometry. GenBank Blast analysis of the amino acid sequences revealed similarity to reductases, dehydrogenases and heme proteins. In batch studies of in vitro reduction of perchlorate, perc1ace ClO4- reductase reduced perchlorate in water with either NADH or methyl viologen as an electron donor. Less enzyme activity was observed with methanol and ethanol. Experiments showed that ClO4- reductase immobilized to Ca alginate reduced ClO4-. Additional studies are focusing on optimization of reaction conditions for perchlorate reduction by immobilized perchlorate reductases, molecular characterization of the overall genetic determinants of ClO4- bioreduction by perc1ace by cloning the genes using degenerate primers designed from the amino acid sequences of ClO4- reductase tryptic peptides and over-expression of recombinant ClO4- reductase. Such a recombinant enzyme available in large quantities can be immobilized and safely used for the treatment of perchlorate contaminated ground water on site. Treatment systems designed to employ cell-free enzymes catalyze the ClO4- reduction reaction without the production of biomass wastes. Moreover, the spent enzymes can be regenerated and reused, substantially reducing cost.

This study is part of a larger effort to explore the impact of agricultural research on poverty reduction. It examines the diffusion and impact of hybrid maize in selected resettlement areas of rural Zimbabwe, paying particular attention to varieties made widely available from the mid-1990s onwards. While "Zimbabwe's Green Revolution" of the early 1980s was characterized by the widespread adoption of hybrid maize varieties and significant increases in yields, the subsequent diffusion of newer varieties occurred more slowly and had a more modest impact. Several factors account for this. Government now plays a much-reduced role and one that increasingly focuses on "better farmers." Private-sector institutions that have entered the maize sector operate mainly in areas of high agricultural potential. Consequently, "adoption" partly reflects "choice" but also the (sometimes) limited physical availability of varieties. A further factor is the nature of the technology being introduced. Newer varieties are bred to meet the evolving needs of commercial farmers, but these new needs -- most notably improved disease resistance -- are not shared by the farmers in our survey and are not associated with significantly higher yields where use of fertilizers is limited. A further consideration is that information is disseminated via multiple channels and in a fragmentary fashion in an environment where tolerance of dissent is limited, the behavior of neighbors is viewed suspiciously and some actors involved in dissemination (such as extension workers) are increasingly viewed with mistrust. The presumption that farmers "learn from each other" is less applicable in circumstances such as these. Our case studies indicate links between the production of maize in excess of subsistence needs, the accumulation of assets such as livestock and tools, payment of school fees, and the acquisition of inputs such as fertilizer and labor for the subsequent cropping season. This coincides with the views of farmers who see high-yielding varieties of maize as an influential factor in raising livelihood above the level of poverty that prevailed when they first moved into the area. However, new varieties appear to have increased incomes only marginally. When we control for farmer characteristics and the endogeneity of adoption, use of these new varieties increases crop incomes only by about 10 percent; a 10-percent increase in maize income is associated with an increase in livestock holdings ranging from 4 to 12 percent. However, these modest impacts result in an improved ability to deal with vulnerability. Hybrids do raise productivity in maize production. Higher income from maize, and from other crops, leads to investment in livestock. And livestock holdings are an important means through which child health is protected when drought occurs. All such changes are associated with an improvement in well-being and a reduction in poverty ; Non-PR ; IFPRI1; GRP26 ; FCND

BirdLife International has so far developed Action Plans for 37 bird species. The plans, although not legally binding, have been approved by the Ornis Committee (EU DG Environment) and most of them have also been endorsed by the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention. Three of the species covered by the SAPs are Mediterranean seabirds: Audouin´s gull (Larus audouinii), Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus) and Mediterranean shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii). The documents, which have been produced through a participatory process involving tens of experts across the range of the taxa, provide information on the biology, ecology and threats, but the most important feature is the list of specific objectives and actions which are ranked according to their priority and urgency. Alongside actions addressing species-specific conservation needs, such as site protection and management, a number of activities aimed at the conservation of these species are common and refer to wide policies such as land-use planning, fishery, tourist development and pollution control. The documents represent the most up-to-date and scientifically-based source of information for planning and implementing conservation activities across the Mediterranean, to be implemented by both governmental and non governmental organisations. ; BirdLife International ha desarrollado hasta la fecha planes de acción para 37 especies de aves. Los planes, aunque no son vinculantes, han sido aprobados por el comité Ornis de la Unión Europea y la mayor parte de ellos ha sido ratificados por el comité permanente de la convención de Berna. Tres de las especies que cuentan con planes de acción son aves marinas: la gaviota de Audouin (Larus audouinii), la pardela balear (Puffinus mauretanicus) y el cormorán moñudo del Mediterráneo (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii). Los documentos, generados a través de un proceso participativo en el que han colaborado decenas de expertos, proporcionan información sobre la biología, ecología y amenazas de las especies aunque el aspecto más importante es el listado de objetivos específicos y acciones que aparecen ordenadas según prioridad y urgencia. Los planes sugieren acciones de amplio espectro, comunes a todas las especies, tales como una correcta ordenación territorial, de la pesca, del desarrollo turístico y el control de la contaminación, junto con acciones referentes a las necesidades de conservación de cada especie, tales como protección y gestión de los lugares de cría. Estos documentos representan la fuente de información más actualizada y con más base científica de que disponemos para llevar a cabo acciones de conservación en el Mediterráneo por parte de las organizaciones gubernamentales o no gubernamentales.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), many crops grown by subsistence farmers are severely affected by virus diseases. These diseases are distinct from each other and have various means of spread and perennation. Many are widely distributed in the region. The causal agents of several virus diseases have been characterized and diagnostic methods developed. Crop varieties with acceptable levels of resistance are being developed for some of these diseases. However, this information and the materials are often not utilized effectively by the national programs due to inadequate institutional capacity. The introduction of new germplasm, distribution of improved varieties, and intensified agricultural practices have resulted in the emergence of new strains of existing viruses that cause severe food security problems in SSA. In addition, minor or relatively unknown diseases are emerging as major disease problems. In contrast to fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and insect pests, research on plant viruses requires specialized and costly equipment and well-trained scientifi c personnel to exploit new knowledge and translate this into practical solutions. In recent years, uncertainties for agriculture in the global economy, as well as domestic socioeconomic and political environments, have greatly affected the viability of research institutions in SSA. National agricultural research programs have consequently had diffi culty in maintaining adequate capacity for research, technology development, and uptake in order to achieve sustainable crop production. Consequently, the national agricultural research institutions continue to rely on expertise in Europe and North America and international donors for the largest part of their research program and operational support. In the twenty-fi rst century, research impact on poverty elimination in SSA will depend not only on generating new knowledge, but also on the effective utilization of scientific innovations and technologies by national programs of SSA to address virus disease problems associated with crop improvement. These national programs are at different stages of institutional maturity. New funding paradigms must be explored and exploited. These should emphasize the importance of innovative research partnerships and alliances that "cross frontiers" and blend "new science" with conventional knowledge. Thus technologies can be improved and end products developed which the farmers of the region can use. This paper addresses several analytical and conceptual issues related to plant virology in SSA and provides practical insights regarding coalition building, networking, and technology exchange among north–south and south–south partners. These strategies provide better opportunities to improve research capacity in the national programs and give impetus to the promotion of effective pathways for rapid technology uptake. We hope that this conference will help to give a clearer understanding of the challenges ahead, opportunities available, and different options that can be exploited to identify practical solutions for many of the challenges posed by virus disease problems to sustainable agricultural productivity in SSA.

This article is about Lithuanian small and medium business and it. integration problems in EU. There arc many problems for small and medium business: a lack of working capital and business information, absence of competitive business idea, large restraint in business regulation and others. The author explains what is necessary for appropriated conditions for small and medium business and for development it . practical activities. There are many possible ways to solve problems related with coming integration: to create favorable conditions, to differentiate the governmental attitude of different lays of businessmen, to create a competition environment and orientation for social problems of small and medium business. The author represents a business supporting forms, analyses the financial support of business. E.tablishing a clearcut definition of a small and medium business is no casy task. There is no single definition of what a small and medium business is. The Lithuanian government define a small and medium business as medium-sized enterprises, small enterprises (including micro·enterprises) and natural persons who shall, in the manner prescribed by law, enjoy the right to engage in independent commercial, production, professional or similar activities, including the activities which require a business certificate. According to the "Republic of Lithuania law on small and medium-sized business" a medium sized-enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 250 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 138 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 93 million. A small enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 50 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise dues not exceed LTL 24 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 17 million. A micro-enterprise shall be a small enterprise which complies with all the following conditions: less than 10 employces work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 7 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 5 million. In Lithuania small businesses exist in every type of trade, manufacturing, construction and services. In order of importance. however, they arc most important in retail trade, services, wholesale manufacturing. Entrepreneurs in small firms have been so successful at meeting the demands of rapidly changing markets that managers in large corporations have tried to mimic their results. Corporate managers' attempts have focused on creating small, free-wheeling, innovative units within the traditional, often rigid, company hierarchy. Small firms arc typically more flexible than large firms.

Globalleşme ve teknolojinin, özellikle bilgi işlem ve bilgisayar teknolojilerinin hızlı gelişimi dünya çapında bilgisayar programlarına olan hakların korunmasını hayati önemli kılmıştır. Avrupa Birliği dünya politikasının ve global ekonominin yeni aktörü olarak çok haraketli bilgisayar programları endüstrisini korumak ve bu endüstrinin gelecekteki gelişimi için altyapı oluşturmak amacıyla, 91/250/EEC saylı Bilgisayar Programları Yönergesini de kabul ederek, bir takım önemli adımlar atmıştır. Sovyetler Birliği'nin çöküşüyle dünya sahnesine adım atan Bağımsızlıklarını Yeni Kazanmış Ülkeler kendilerini yasal boşluk içerisinde buldular ve bu nedenle çeşitli zorluklar yaşadılar. Azerbaycan Cumhuriyeti bu ülkelerden biridir. Fikri haklar, özellikle bilgisayar programlarının korunması alanındaki eski kanunların yetersizliği zamanın şartlarına uygun, yeni yasaların bir an once kabul edilmesini gerektiriyordu. Bu sorunları çözmekte Avrupa Birliği ile işbirliği genç Azerbaycan Cumhuriyeti için hayati öneme sahiptir. Azerbaycan Cumhuriyeti ve Avrupa Toplulukları arasında imzalanan Ortaklık ve İşbirliği Antlaşması ve Sovietler Birliği'nin çokmesinden hemen sonra Avrupa Birliği tarafından başlatılan Bağımsız Devletler Topluluğu'na Teknik Yardım -TACIS programı çerçevesinde Avrupa Topluluğu Azerbaycan'da gerekli hukuksal reformların yapılmasına faal katkıda bulunmuştur. Son yıllarda Azerbaycan Fikri Hakların korunmasında önemli rola sahip başlıca uluslararası antlaşmalara katılmış ve yeni Fikri Haklar Kanununu yasalaştırmıştır. Bir çok yönleriyle bu kanun Ortaklık ve İşbirliği Antlaşması şartlarını yerine getiriyor. Globalization and rapid development of technology, especially developments in computer and information processing technologies made it vital for protection of property rights in computer programs allover the world. The European Union as a new actor in world politics and global economy made very important steps toward protecting the highly dynamic software industry, including adaptation of Directive on Software 91/250/EEC, thus creating a favorable ground for further development of the industry. The Newly Independent States which entered into world scene after the collapse of the Soviet Union found themselves in a legal vacuum and have experienced many troubles with the old laws and new environment. Azerbaijan Republic is one of these states. The inadequate laws on protection of copyright, especially on protection of computer programs asked urgently to adopt new, up-to-date legislative acts answering to the realties of the time. In solving these problems, the cooperation with the EU is vital for young Azerbaijan Republic. By the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and Azerbaijan Republic, and by the technical assistance program for Commonwealth of Independent States- TACIS launched almost after the collapse of the Soviet Union the EU actively contributed to complete the task of legal reforms in Azerbaijan. Recently, Azerbaijan joined to main International Conventions on protection of IPRs and new law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights was adopted. In many aspects this law complies with the PCA provisions.

This article is about Lithuanian small and medium business and it. integration problems in EU. There arc many problems for small and medium business: a lack of working capital and business information, absence of competitive business idea, large restraint in business regulation and others. The author explains what is necessary for appropriated conditions for small and medium business and for development it . practical activities. There are many possible ways to solve problems related with coming integration: to create favorable conditions, to differentiate the governmental attitude of different lays of businessmen, to create a competition environment and orientation for social problems of small and medium business. The author represents a business supporting forms, analyses the financial support of business. E.tablishing a clearcut definition of a small and medium business is no casy task. There is no single definition of what a small and medium business is. The Lithuanian government define a small and medium business as medium-sized enterprises, small enterprises (including micro·enterprises) and natural persons who shall, in the manner prescribed by law, enjoy the right to engage in independent commercial, production, professional or similar activities, including the activities which require a business certificate. According to the "Republic of Lithuania law on small and medium-sized business" a medium sized-enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 250 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 138 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 93 million. A small enterprise is a firm that meets following conditions: less than 50 employees work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise dues not exceed LTL 24 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 17 million. A micro-enterprise shall be a small enterprise which complies with all the following conditions: less than 10 employces work in such enterprise and the annual income of the enterprise does not exceed LTL 7 million or the book value of the enterprise's assets does not exceed LTL 5 million. In Lithuania small businesses exist in every type of trade, manufacturing, construction and services. In order of importance. however, they arc most important in retail trade, services, wholesale manufacturing. Entrepreneurs in small firms have been so successful at meeting the demands of rapidly changing markets that managers in large corporations have tried to mimic their results. Corporate managers' attempts have focused on creating small, free-wheeling, innovative units within the traditional, often rigid, company hierarchy. Small firms arc typically more flexible than large firms.

SUMMARY:
From the very beginning of the Trans-Siberian railway's construction, the Finance Minister S. Iu. Witte, had highlighted the decisive importance of colonization to the venture's eventual success or failure. In analogous fashion, the question of settlement was intimately related to the building of the Trans-Manchurian Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). The eventual result of a convoluted intra-bureaucratic process was a community of Jewish migrants living in China's Northeast, where the railroad bridged the Sungari. Granted religious freedoms in the hope that they would generate freight for the CER, the Jews shared the city with the railway technocrats, who lived on the hillside overlooking the city blocks that covered the riverside flats where opium poppies had grown until the 1890s.

The 1913 municipal census data reveals the actual dimensions of Harbin's sizeable Jewish community. In Siberia, only Irkutsk had more (6,100 in 1909). However, taken as a percentage of Russian passport holders, Harbin's 5,032 Jews added up to 11.5%. In Irkutsk, they were only 5.6%. In addition to schools that simply ignored the numerus clausus of Imperial Russia, Harbin had several synagogues, a burial brotherhood, cheder , cemetery, mikva , old age home, Talmud Torah, Jewish Women's Charity Committee, and library. Population data shows a stable community in terms of age structure and sex ratio. Totals from the metric books of the Jewish community provided by the Heilongjiang Provincial Archive also corroborate this conclusion.

The Finance Ministry's continued defense of this anomaly in the bleak and anti-Semitic atmosphere of pogrom Russia posited a relationship between state and society fundamentally different from the status quo in European Russia. In the Far East social organization and initiative were, by and large, regarded as allies of the state. Furthermore, life in the borderland allowed interethnic strife to be absorbed by international competition. In essence, the Jews of Harbin were hailed as the Cossacks of the twentieth century, where cavalry raid had been replaced by trade war and stockade had given way to stock exchange.

So how "imperial" was Harbin, after all? At first glance, it is doubly imperial, both as a contiguous piece of the Russian Empire in its final days and as the cutting edge of Russian imperialism in its attempt to subjugate and even annex a(nother) large chunk of northeast China. On careful archival examination, however, we find that Witte's devious methods and Kokovtsov/Khorvat's able defense actually led to the creation of an urban environment, both politically and socially far from the norms of the Russian Empire, just a bordercrossing away. Harbin's Jewish community was one of the chief beneficiaries of this liberal alternative, owing its existence and prosperity to rules of play that Siberia and European Russia would never see. Until 1950, minyans would meet at Harbin.

Zu Beginn des 20.Jahrhunderts fanden noch nahezu alle Geburten im privaten Hause statt. In der ersten Hälfte des Jahrhunderts begann der Übergang von der traditionellen Hausgeburtshilfe zur klinischen Geburtshilfe. Nach dem 2. Weltkrieg setzte sich diese Entwicklung fort und es vollzog sich in der DDR der vollständige Übergang zur klinischen Geburtshilfe. 1970 betrug der Anteil der Klinikentbindungen 99,1 %. Von staatlicher Seite wurde die Klinikentbindung eindeutig gefördert. Im "Gesetz über den Mutter- und Kinderschutz und die Rechte der Frau" (1950) wurde die Schaffung von Entbindungsbetten und der Ausbau der Schwangerenberatungsstellen, mit Registrierung aller schwangeren Frauen angeordnet. Die Beratungsstellen und die geburtshilflichen Kliniken bilden eine Einheit. Der Schwerpunkt der Hebammenausbildung wurde auf die Ausbildung zur Anstaltshebamme gelegt. Es wurden Niederlassungsbeschränkungen für Hebammen eingeführt, sodass es ab Ende der 60er Jahre praktisch keine selbständigen Hebammen mehr gab. Ein direktes Verbot der Hausgeburtshilfe in der DDR ist nicht nachzuweisen. In den 70er Jahren wurden neue Methoden (programmierte Geburt) und neue Technik (Kardiotokographie und Ultraschall) in den geburtshilflichen Abteilungen eingeführt. In den westeuropäischen Ländern, v. a. der Bundesrepublik kam es zu einer zunehmenden Kritik der Frauen an dieser Art der Geburtshilfe. Es wurde die "familienfreundliche Geburtshilfe" propagiert und die Hausgeburt wiederentdeckt. In der DDR blieben massive Forderungen nach familienfreundlicher Geburtshilfe aus. Ein Wiederaufleben der Hausgeburt war nicht zu verzeichnen. Andere soziale, gesellschaftliche und politische Gegebenheiten in der DDR als in der BRD könnten als Gründe vermutet werden. ; At the beginning of the 20th century nearly all child births took place in private homes. In the first part of this century the transition from the traditional home deliveries to childbirth hospital began. This development continued after the second world war, and in the GDR there was a complete transition to childbirth taking place practically only in hospitals. In 1970 99,1% of all deliveries took place in the obstetrical department of a hospital. This Government policy was engendered in the law of 1950 "Gesetz über den Mutter- und Kinderschutz und die Rechte der Frau" (Law concerning the Rights of Women and Protection of Mothers and Children.). This law required the creation of obstetrical departments in hospitals and extension of information and antenatal care centres for pregnant women, with the aim of registering all pregnant women. The information and antenatal care centres and the obstetrical departments were to form a joint unit. The training of midwives assumed their working place to be the hospital. Midwives were no longer allowed to be self-employed, hence by the end of the sixties there no midwives practising privately, although there is no evidence of childbirth at home being forbidden. In the seventies new methods and technology: programmed births along with sonography and cardiotokography were introduced into antenatal care. In western European countries, notably The Federal Republic of Germany, women increasingly criticised these new methods as unnatural and as not family friendly. The demand for family friendly births arose, and with it for childbirth at home and domiciliary midwives. Childbirth at home had been rediscovered. In the GDR there was no increased demand for changes in antenatal or obstetrical care. A rediscovery of childbirth at home did not take place. A different social and political environment can be assumed as the reason for this.

When biologists investigate the present marine and coastal ecosystems, they always have to take into account the influence of human activity. Indeed, a real 'natural' biotope can no longer be found on our planet and this is most certainly true for North-western Europe, traditionally one of the most densely populated regions on earth. Common sense often states that this human influence only became significant during the last centuries (e.g. due to the industrialisation) and only evolved into 'a problem' in recent decades. However, when ecological data are viewed into a true historical, and even pre-historical perspective, another story appears. Quaternary geologists now realise that they have to replace the traditional paradigm of marine transgressions and regressions, used to explain the evolution of the Belgian coastal plain, by a new model in which humans play a markedly more prominent role. Evidence is growing that our ancestors voluntarily or unconsciously shaped their coast, instead of adapting to its naturally changing morphology. This breakthrough only became possible because geologists started to pay more attention to historical data and archaeological fieldwork, making their research interdisciplinary. The same process is now developing within ecology, since it is gradually more and more appreciated that historical, but certainly archaeological data provide the necessary time dimension for recent studies. The organic material excavated at archaeological sites often forms a biological sample dating from times in which biology was not yet invented. Using archaeology, it becomes possible to investigate the impact of man on marine and coastal environments during ancient times, and it has, for example, recently been proven that the growing exploitation of marine resources, perhaps even the onset of an overexploitation, can already be traced in late medieval collections of animal remains from Flanders. The use of archaeological data offers possibilities but also presents dangers. Most important is that it must always be taken into account that the data excavated are filtered, and biased, by human activities. Therefore, in order to interpret archaeological finds, one must also study human behaviour. This explains why archaeology cannot merely be treated as a natural science but also belongs to the humanities. Former human behaviour cannot be reconstructed and understood completely by rational laws and models, since it is also the result of ideology, symbolism, religion, and social phenomena such as gender differentiation, status, identity, or the structure of society (and therefore politics). In a way, the intrigues at the republican court at Rome have influenced the evolution of the Belgian coast as much as any sea-level rise. Indeed, somewhere at the low tide level, the sciences and the humanities meet.