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Selected AbstractsSurvey of quantitative feedback theory (QFT),INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 10 2001Isaac Horowitz QFT is an engineering design theory devoted to the practical design of feedback control systems. The foundation of QFT is that feedback is needed in control only when plant (P), parameter and/or disturbance (D) uncertainties (sets ,,={P}, ,,={D}) exceed the acceptable (A) system performance uncertainty (set ,,={A}). The principal properties of QFT are as follows. (1) The amount of feedback needed is tuned to the (,,, ,,, ,,) sets. If ,, ,exceeds' (,,, ,,), feedback is not needed at all. (2) The simplest modelling is used: (a) command, disturbance and sensor noise inputs, and (b) the available sensing points and the defined outputs. No special controllability test is needed in either linear or non-linear plants. It is inherent in the design procedure. There is no observability problem because uncertainty is included. The number of independent sensors determines the number of independent loop transmissions (Li), the functions which provide the benefits of feedback. (3) The simplest mathematical tools have been found most use ful,primarily frequency response. The uncertainties are expressed as sets in the complex plane. The need for the larger ,,, ,, sets to be squeezed into the smaller ,, set results in bounds on the Li(j,) in the complex plane. In the more complex systems a key problem is the division of the ,feedback burden' among the available Li(j,). Point-by-point frequency synthesis tremendously simplifies this problem. This is also true for highly uncertain non-linear and time-varying plants which are converted into rigorously equivalent linear time invariant plant sets and/or disturbance sets with respect to the acceptable output set ,,. Fixed point theory justifies the equivalence. (4) Design trade-offs are highly transparent in the frequency domain: between design complexity and cost of feedback (primarily bandwidth), sensor noise levels, plant saturation levels, number of sensors needed, relative sizes of ,,, ,, and cost of feedback. The designer sees the trade-offs between these factors as he proceeds and can decide according to their relative importance in his particular situation. QFT design techniques with these properties have been developed step by step for: (i) highly uncertain linear time invariant (LTI) SISO single- and multiple-loop systems, MIMO single-loop matrix and multiple-loop matrix systems; and (ii) non-linear and time-varying SISO and MIMO plants, and to a more limited extent for plants with distributed control inputs and sensors. QFT has also been developed for single- and multiple-loop dithered non-linear (adaptive) systems with LTI plants, and for a special class (FORE) of non-linear compensation. New techniques have been found for handling non-minimum-phase (NMP) MIMO plants, plants with both zeros and poles in the right half-plane and LTI plants with incidental hard non-linearities such as saturation. [source] Cover Picture: Laser & Photon.LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS, Issue 5 2008Rev. 2(5)/200 An artist's conception of laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy: A single laser beam is focused through a high power microscope objective to create a tight, diffraction-limited spot, which results in a single-beam optical trap powerful enough to capture and suspend cells up to 30 microns in diameter. Photons from the same laser beam scatter off molecular bonds in the sample and are used to construct a full Raman spectrum of the sample (see inset).(Cover picture: J. Chan, S. Fore, S. Wachsmann-Hogiu, and T. Huser, pp. 325-349, in this issue). [source] The Shaping of San Livelihood Strategies: Government Policy and Popular ValuesDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2002Michael Taylor The importance of understanding the livelihood strategies of poor people has received a fresh impetus over the last few years with the emphasis by many Western donors on poverty reduction. This article examines the livelihood strategies of San people in three villages on the northern peripheries of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Their economic marginalization is compounded by their ethnic background; a stigma that also marginalizes them politically and socially. The analysis presented here not only challenges stereotypes commonly associated with San by demonstrating the interconnectedness of different means of ,looking for life', but it also brings to the fore the importance of considering institutional factors that regulate livelihood strategies. The article focuses on some of the unexpected consequences of the wider policy environment, and on how the values associated with different ways of life affect material subsistence strategies. These are particularly pronounced for people with a heritage of hunting and gathering living in a society that regards such practices as ,backward'. [source] Delivery of care to diabetic patients with foot ulcers in daily practice: results of the Eurodiale Study, a prospective cohort studyDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008L. Prompers Abstract Aims To determine current management and to identify patient-related factors and barriers that influence management strategies in diabetic foot disease. Methods The Eurodiale Study is a prospective cohort study of 1232 consecutive individuals presenting with a new diabetic foot ulcer in 14 centres across Europe. We determined the use of management strategies: referral, use of offloading, vascular imaging and revascularization. Results Twenty-seven percent of the patients had been treated for > 3 months before referral to a foot clinic. This varied considerably between countries (6,55%). At study entry, 77% of the patients had no or inadequate offloading. During follow-up, casting was used in 35% (0,68%) of the plantar fore- or midfoot ulcers. Predictors of use of casting were male gender, large ulcer size and being employed. Vascular imaging was performed in 56% (14,86%) of patients with severe limb ischaemia; revascularization was performed in 43%. Predictors of use of vascular imaging were the presence of infection and ischaemic rest pain. Conclusion Treatment of many patients is not in line with current guidelines and there are large differences between countries and centres. Our data suggest that current guidelines are too general and that healthcare organizational barriers and personal beliefs result in underuse of recommended therapies. Action should be undertaken to overcome these barriers and to guarantee the delivery of optimal care for the many individuals with diabetic foot disease. [source] Prediabetes and the big baby,DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 1 2008D. R. Hadden Abstract The concept of prediabetes has come to the fore again with the worldwide epidemic of Type 2 diabetes. The careful observations of W. P. U. Jackson and his colleagues in Cape Town, South Africa 50 years ago still deserve attention. Maternal hyperglycaemia cannot be the only cause of fetal macrosomia, and the pathophysiological reason for the unexplained stillbirth in late diabetic pregnancy still eludes us. The biochemical concepts of ,facilitated anabolism' and ,accelerated starvation' were developed by Freinkel as explanations of the protective mechanisms for the baby during the stresses of pregnancy. Some of these nutritional stresses may also occur in the particular form of early childhood malnutrition known in Africa as kwashiorkor, where subcutaneous fat deposition, carbohydrate intolerance, islet hyperplasia and sudden death may follow a period of excess carbohydrate and deficient protein intake. Different feeding practices in different parts of the world make comparisons uncertain, but there is evidence for insulin resistance in both the macrosomic fetus of the hyperglycaemic mother and in the child with established kwashiorkor. These adaptive changes in early development may play both a physiological and a pathological role. Worldwide studies of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy are gradually establishing acceptable diagnostic criteria, appropriate screening procedures and an evidence base for treatment. Nevertheless the challenge of prediabetes and the big baby is still with us,in Jackson's words,,diabetes mellitus is a fascinating condition,the more we know about it the less we understand it'. [source] The Argument from the finer-grained content of colour experiences A redefinition of its role within the debate between McDowell and non-conceptual theoristsDIALECTICA, Issue 1 2003Annalisa COLIVA In this paper I address the question of whether the fact that our colour experiences have a finer-grained content than our ordinary colour concepts allow us to represent should be taken as a threat to theories of the conceptual content of experience. In particular, I consider and criticise McDowell's response to that argument and propose a possible development of it. As a consequence, I claim that the role of the argument from the finer-grained content of experience has to be redefined. In particular, I acknowledge that this problem is helpful in order to bring to the fore the issue of the proper characterisation of the constraints upon the possession conditions of perceptual demonstrative concepts. Yet, I contend that, in light of the foregoing discussion, it is neutral with respect to the dispute between conceptual and non-conceptual theorists. For that dispute hinges on whether it is possible to have experiences with a certain content independently of having the concepts, which are needed for its canonical specification and not on whether those experiences are conceptualisable in all their finesse of grain. [source] Occurrence and distribution of sesamoid bones in squamates: a comparative approachACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 3 2010Adriana Jerez Abstract Jerez, A., Mangione, S. and Abdala, V. 2010. Occurrence and distribution of sesamoid bones in squamates: a comparative approach.,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 295,305 Sesamoids are defined as skeletal elements that develop within a continuous band of regular dense connective tissue (tendon or ligament) adjacent to an articulation or joint. In this work, we discuss developmental data on two squamate species, provide data on the onset of the squamate sesamoids and the muscles they are associated to. Our results show that Mabuya mabouya and Liolaemus albiceps exhibited rather similar ontogenetic patterns and that the first sesamoids appear in embryos. The ossifying sesamoid timing is different between M. mabouya and L. albiceps, being faster in the former. In adults, we found 41 sesamoids, considering both fore and hindlimbs. We did not find any intrataxonomic differences, or any differences between the right and left side of the specimens in relation to the sesamoid presence. We recognize four types of sesamoids: (1) embedded sesamoids; (2) interosseus sesamoids; (3) glide sesamoids; and (4) supporting sesamoids. A table is included with a preliminary survey of the sesamoid distribution pattern in 10 Squamate clades. [source] Looking beyond food aid to livelihoods, protection and partnerships: strategies for WFP in the Darfur statesDISASTERS, Issue 2007Helen Young The humanitarian crisis in Darfur remains extremely serious. The optimism that followed the signing of the Abuja Peace Accord was followed by a rapid deterioration in security on the ground in part associated with increasing factionalism in various rebel movements. This paper briefly reviews the evolution of the crisis, its impact on lives and livelihoods and the response by the World Food Programme (WFP) to June 2006. The major challenges and issues facing the food aid programme in the previous 18 months included: dealing with insecurity while maintaining or even extending programme outreach; the need to link protection with assistance more explicitly; and determining the wider impact of food aid programming on the processes and institutions linked with the conflict. The paper discusses the main strategic issues facing WFP in the future such as: integrating security and protection with needs assessments and operational decisions, broadening response strategies beyond food aid and bringing livelihoods to the fore, the need to review cost-efficiency, promoting partnerships and strengthening national and regional capacities. [source] Impacts of a woody invader vary in different vegetation communitiesDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 5 2008T. J. Mason Abstract The impact of an exotic species in natural systems may be dependent not only on invader attributes but also on characteristics of the invaded community. We examined impacts of the invader bitou bush, Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata, in fore and hind dune communities of coastal New South Wales, Australia. We compared invader impacts on vegetation structure, richness of both native and exotic growth forms and community variability in fore and hind dunes. We found that impacts of bitou invasion were context specific: in fore dune shrublands, functionally distinct graminoid, herb and climber rather than shrub growth forms had significantly reduced species richness following bitou invasion. However, in forested hind dunes, the functionally similar native shrub growth form had significantly reduced species richness following bitou invasion. Density of vegetation structure increased at the shrub level in both fore and hind dune invaded communities compared with non-invaded communities. Fore dune ground-level vegetation density declined at invaded sites compared with non-invaded sites, reflecting significant reductions in herb and graminoid species richness. Hind dune canopy-level vegetation density was reduced at invaded compared with non-invaded sites. Bitou bush invasion also affected fore dune community variability with significant increases in variability of species abundances observed in invaded compared with non-invaded sites. In contrast, variability among all hind dune sites was similar. The results suggest that effects of bitou bush invasion are mediated by the vegetation community. When bitou bush becomes abundant, community structure and functioning may be compromised. [source] FISCAL FEDERALISM, STATE LOBBYING AND DISCRETIONARY FINANCE: EVIDENCE FROM INDIAECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 1 2010RONGILI BISWAS In the quasi-federal democratic polity that India has, lobbying for central funds by the states is often done in a subliminal fashion. Hence, it becomes difficult to get an account of how much lobbying has been done to a particular end. Our paper attempts at constructing certain political proxy variables to quantify the extent of such lobbying in India. We quantify lobbying through the ministerial representation in the council of ministers. We also use several time and state dummies to account for the constituent states' political alignment with the center as well as the coalition and the reform period breaks in the Indian system. Taking panel data that cover 29 years and 14 major states we show that our constructed variables do explain disparity in central fiscal disbursements under the non-formulaic "discretionary" head in a robust way. Our findings remain true even after we take into account the impact of endogeneity of net state income on the transfers. Additionally, our exercise brings to the fore the fact that the coalition governments and economic reform measures impact upon state lobbying at the center in a significant manner. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 23'2008ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 23 2008Article first published online: 3 DEC 200 Issue 23 is a paper symposium on "DNA sequencing and genotyping". It consists of 22 contributions covering a wide spectrum of investigations in the area of DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis and the latest technologies for DNA sequencing and genotyping on microfluidic devices. Ten contributions deal with microchip-based electrophoresis analyses of DNA, an indication that miniaturized devices may surge to the fore for medical sequencing applications on individual DNA samples, as well as for forensic applications. [source] The evolving UK wind energy industry: critical policy and management aspects of the emerging research agendaENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2006Peter A. Strachan Abstract In recent years, renewable energy , and in particular wind power , has come to the fore of both international and UK national environmental policy debates. In addition to helping to meet its Kyoto obligations, the British Government has indicated its desire for a much larger slice of the international wind energy market, and has consequently developed a national strategy to stimulate a more vibrant UK wind energy industry. With this in mind, the British Government's Climate Change Programme (DETR, 2000) and more recent Energy White Paper (DTI, 2003) outline the UK energy strategy for the coming two decades, with wind power featuring as a core component. This article critically considers the prospects for the development of a wind energy industry in the UK and introduces five strategic opportunities and five strategic barriers in this evolving segment of the energy market. The article concludes with recommendations to enhance public acceptance of wind energy and four important areas for future research are outlined. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Phenotypic diagnosis of dwarfism in six Friesian horsesEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2008W. BACK Summary An extreme form of abnormal development, dwarfism, is common in man and some animals, but has not been officially reported in horses. Within the Friesian horse breed, congenital dwarfism has been recognised for many years, but no detailed report exists on its phenotype. The most salient feature of the dwarf syndrome is the physeal growth retardation in both limbs and ribs. Affected animals have approximately 25% shorter fore- and hindlimbs and approximately 50% reduced bodyweight. Post natal growth is still possible in these animals, albeit at a slower rate: the head and back grow faster than the limbs and ribs leading to the characteristic disproportional growth disturbance. Thus, mature dwarfs exhibit a normal, but a relatively larger head conformation, a broader chest with narrowing at the costochondral junction, a disproportionally long back, abnormally short limbs, hyperextension of the fetlocks and narrow long-toed hooves. Furthermore, a dysplastic metaphysis of the distal metacarpus and metatarsus is radiographically evident. Microscopic analysis of the growth plates at the costochondral junction shows an irregular transition from cartilage to bone, and thickening and disturbed formation of chondrocyte columns, which is similar to findings in osteochondrodysplasia. [source] Correlation between routine radiographic findings and early racing career in French TrottersEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue S36 2006C. ROBERT Summary Reasons for performing study: The relationship between the presence of radiological abnormalities and subsequent racing performance is controversial. However, as training is expensive and time consuming, it would save time and money to identify subjects with osteo-articular lesions not compatible with a normal racing career on the basis of routine radiographic screenings at yearling age. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of osteo-articular lesions on racing ability in French Trotters and identify radiographic changes associated with failure in ,qualification', in order to provide objective criteria for selection of horses based on their osteo-articular status. Hypothesis: The influence of radiographic findings (RF) on racing ability depends on their nature, location, clinical relevance and number. Methods: The limbs of 202 French Trotters were radiographed just before they started training. All the RF were graded according to a standardised protocol depending on their severity. The success in ,qualification' (first race in career of French Trotters) was the criteria used to assess racing ability. Breeders and trainers were questioned about the causes for horses not racing. Results: Overall 113 (55.9%) horses qualified. Osteoarticular lesions were directly responsible for nonqualification in 31% of the horses. Subjects with more than one abnormal RF, with abnormal RF on the fore-, hind-fetlock or proximal tarsus were less likely to qualify. Dorsal modelling in the front fetlock and osteochondrosis of the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur also significantly reduced the qualification rate. Conclusions: Most RF are compatible with beginning a racing career, but severe RF or multiple abnormal RF significantly compromise future racing career. Potential relevance: This study supports the use of routine radiographic programmes for detection of osteoarticular lesions in yearlings. A synthetic radiographic score, based on both the severity and the number of lesions, could be useful for breeders and trainers as complementary information to select their horses. [source] Treatment of chronic or recurrent proximal suspensory desmitis using radial pressure wave therapy in the horseEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004O. M. CROWE Summary Reasons for performing study: Proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD) is diagnosed with increasing frequency in horses and radial pressure wave therapy (RPWT) is a widely used therapy for painful orthopaedic conditions in man and dogs. There are, however, few published data as to the outcome of its use in PSD. Objective: To evaluate the use of RPWT in the treatment of chronic or recurrent PSD in the horse, an injury which carries a poor prognosis for return to athletic function with conservative management alone. Hypothesis: RPWT and controlled exercise improves the prognosis of chronic or recurrent PSD in the horse when compared to previously published results of controlled exercise alone. Methods: The use of RPWT in the management of chronic or recurrent proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD) was evaluated in 65 horses. Diagnosis was based on response to local analgesia, ultrasonography and radiography. Horses were classified according to severity of ultrasonographic lesions, whether fore- or hindlimbs were affected, and duration of lameness prior to diagnosis. Horses were treated 3 times at 2-week intervals and followed a controlled exercise programme; they were reassessed clinically and ultrasonographically 10,12 weeks after diagnosis, when further exercise recommendations were made dependent upon the animal's progress. Results: Forty-one percent of horses with hindlimb lameness and 53% with forelimb lameness were nonlame and returned to full work 6 months after diagnosis. The prognosis was significantly affected by the ultrasonographic grade at the time of diagnosis and by ultrasonographic evidence of resolution of the lesion in hindlimb cases. Conclusions: These findings, when compared to previously published results of treatment using controlled exercise alone, suggest that RPWT improves the prognosis for PSD in the hindlimb. Potential relevance: RPWT is a useful treatment modality for chronic or recurrent PSD when combined with controlled exercise. Further studies are required on the effect of RPWT employing histology and biomechanics in order to fully evaluate its use on equine tissues. [source] Equine laminitis: cryotherapy reduces the severity of the acute lesionEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004A. W. Van Eps Summary Reasons for performing study: The hypometabolic and vasoconstrictive effects of cryotherapy could prevent the development of laminitis. Objectives: To use distal limb cryotherapy to prevent laminitis induced by alimentary carbohydrate overload. Methods: Laminitis was induced in 6 Standardbred horses that had one front limb continuously cooled in an ice/water mixture. Lameness evaluation, blinded lamellar histological grading and analysis for lamellar matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) mRNA expression were used to evaluate the severity of laminitis. Results: Cryotherapy was well tolerated and effective in cooling the feet. In each horse no lameness was observed in the treated limbs. Laminitis histology scores in the treated limbs were significantly less than those of the corresponding untreated forelimbs (P<0.05). Laminitis histology scores in the treated limbs were also significantly less than those of the untreated limbs (fore- and hind) as a group (P<0.05). Expression of MMP-2 mRNA in the iced feet was significantly (P<0.05) less than that detected in the untreated feet. Conclusions: Cryotherapy, when applied to one foot, markedly reduced the severity of acute laminitis in this study. We propose that vasoconstriction (preventing delivery of haematogenous trigger factors) and hypometabolism (reduction in lamellar MMP activity) were the primary therapeutic mechanisms. Potential relevance: Although further research is needed, we suggest cryotherapy as a potentially effective prophylactic strategy in horses at risk of developing acute laminitis. [source] The periaqueductal grey modulates sensory input to the cerebellum: a role in coping behaviour?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2009Nadia L. Cerminara Abstract The paths that link the periaqueductal grey (PAG) to hindbrain motor circuits underlying changes in behavioural responsiveness to external stimuli are unknown. A major candidate structure for mediating these effects is the cerebellum. The present experiments test this directly by monitoring changes in size of cerebellar responses evoked by peripheral stimuli following activation of the PAG. In 22 anaesthetized adult Wistar rats, climbing fibre field potentials were recorded from the C1 zone in the paramedian lobule and the copula pyramidis of the cerebellar cortex evoked, respectively, by electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral fore- and hindlimb. An initial and a late response were attributable to activation of A, and A, peripheral afferents respectively (hindlimb onset latencies 16.9 and 23.8 ms). Chemical stimulation at physiologically-identified sites in the ventrolateral PAG (a region known to be associated with hyporeactive immobility) resulted in a significant reduction in size of both the A, and A, evoked field potentials (mean reduction relative to control ± SEM, 59 ± 7.5 and 66 ± 11.9% respectively). Responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the dorsal or ventral funiculus of the spinal cord were also reduced by PAG stimulation, suggesting that part of the modulation may occur at supraspinal sites (including at the level of the inferior olive). Overall, the results provide novel evidence of descending control into motor control centres, and provide the basis for future studies into the role of the PAG in regulating motor activity in different behavioural states and in chronic pain. [source] Caribbean Children's Geographies: A Case Study of JamaicaGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2007Therese Ferguson Understanding children's lives within the various spaces, places, and environments they inhabit is critical to making their worlds safer, facilitating their participatory roles in society, and implementing policies relevant to their realities. While the children's geographies scholarship is rapidly growing, much of the research is still centred on children in the ,West', with less focus on those in developing countries. Within the Third World, the Caribbean itself is slightly marginalised. This article uses the island-nation of Jamaica as a case study within the Caribbean region, examining some of the areas of interest in research on children's environments, and reflecting upon progress made in the range of methodological and theoretical approaches brought to the research agenda. It suggests prospective directions for future research to further a critical approach to this expanding field, both within Jamaica and the wider region. It ends by briefly raising some ethical issues for consideration, arising from advancing a research agenda with children at its fore. [source] Enigmatic Variations: Honours Degree Assessment Regulations in the UKHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2008Mantz Yorke The debate in the UK about the continued existence of the honours degree classification led to a survey of the assessment regulations in 35 varied higher education institutions. This revealed considerable variation in the way in which honours degree classifications are determined, and also in the handling of weak performances by students. Such variability, deriving from a system in which institutional autonomy is to the fore, raises a question about equitability in the treatment of students. A brief allusion is made to the variability in assessment regulations in the US and Australia. [source] Aesthetics of Celebration, Tension and Memory: Nigeria Urban Art HistoryHISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2008Adérónké Adésolá Adésŕnyŕ This essay, among other things, addresses the question of origin of Nigerian Urban art, a genre basically found in urban spaces. It highlights the various nomenclatures by which the genre has been tagged to date and provides a robust debate on the pioneer and later urban artists in the country noting the characteristics and nuances of their art. Besides establishing the character of Nigerian urban art as compelling and significant to understanding the aesthetic sensibilities and nuances of the producer culture, issues of identity, training, authorship, patronage, social memory and social responsibility, morality and immorality and how they inform, shape and complicate the creative endeavors of urban artists are brought to the fore. In this insightful interrogation of history, people and spaces one finds the emergence of a new artistic order in which Nigerian urban artists establish and expand their own idioms, unite politics with art, engage their own audiences, cultivate their own clientele, tell their own stories and that of the society, create and endorse new identities, and increasingly expand their socioeconomic space. Their creative formats essentially transform into markets where people, products and services unite. They also serve as cultural lenses through which one gain insights into class struggle in a postcolonial society and how a critical mass of the Nigerian public interprets leadership, commerce, and culture. [source] The American national interest and global public goodsINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2002Joseph S. Nye Jr Since the end of the Cold War, Americans have been divided over how to be involved with the rest of the world. In the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks, the debate between those who favour a unilateral foreign policy and those who advocate a multilateral approach has been brought to the fore in American politics and the media. In this article, Joseph Nye proposes a conception of the American national interest grounded in multilateralism. He argues that, although the United States remains the world's leading power, it cannot act alone to solve global problems such as transnational terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and global warming. Although the United States is the only country in a position to take the lead in protecting ,global public goods', such as an open international economic system and international stability, it will maintain its current predominance only if it works to establish international consensus on issues of global importance. [source] Performance of finite volume solutions to the shallow water equations with shock-capturing schemesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 10 2002K. S. Erduran Abstract Numerical methods have become well established as tools for solving problems in hydraulic engineering. In recent years the finite volume method (FVM) with shock capturing capabilities has come to the fore because of its suitability for modelling a variety of types of flow; subcritical and supercritical; steady and unsteady; continuous and discontinuous and its ability to handle complex topography easily. This paper is an assessment and comparison of the performance of finite volume solutions to the shallow water equations with the Riemann solvers; the Osher, HLL, HLLC, flux difference splitting (Roe) and flux vector splitting. In this paper implementation of the FVM including the Riemann solvers, slope limiters and methods used for achieving second order accuracy are described explicitly step by step. The performance of the numerical methods has been investigated by applying them to a number of examples from the literature, providing both comparison of the schemes with each other and with published results. The assessment of each method is based on five criteria; ease of implementation, accuracy, applicability, numerical stability and simulation time. Finally, results, discussion, conclusions and recommendations for further work are presented. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Auditor Independence: A Comparative Descriptive Study of the UK, France and ItalyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 2 2002Joanna E. Stevenson The independence of the external auditor has long been a subject of great debate, particularly by UK and US interested parties. With the growth and globalisation of the large multi-disciplinary firms, it has again been pushed to the fore: new ethical guidance issued by international bodies such as La Fédération des Experts- Comptables Européens (FEE) and The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the activities of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Independence Standards Board in the US have encouraged a wider consideration of the issue. In Europe, the European Commission has issued a Consultative Paper containing fundamental principles for adoption into Member States' own regulation on statutory auditor independence. Increasing pressure for the removal of obstacles to a single European audit market have resulted in safeguards of auditor independence in some countries being described as undesirable barriers. This paper considers the issue of statutory auditor independence across three EU Member States: the UK, France and Italy, by comparing the ethical guides and the legal and professional regulations in place, highlighting and discussing areas of divergence, and contrasting them with the EC's Consultative Paper. It takes into account factors such as culture and the historical development of auditing in order to explore the differences found. The paper demonstrates that positions taken in France and Italy on the issue of auditor independence differ markedly from that taken by the UK profession. Of the three countries reviewed, the UK viewpoint has most obviously influenced the drafting of the EC Paper. The implications of these variances for EU harmonisation are discussed, and the paper concludes that there is a clear need for empirical study of this important issue in Europe to better understand the reasons for differing perceptions and attitudes, and the repercussions of these differences on the process of European audit harmonisation. [source] Scientific Realism as a Meta-Theory of International PoliticsINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2002Fred Chernoff The recent increase in interest in scientific realist foundations for international relations theory, spearheaded by Wendt in various works, most fully articulated in his Social Theory of International Politics, and supported by a number of other authors, has brought to the fore a set of related issues in the philosophy of the social sciences. The advocacy of scientific realism in the international relations literature has largely taken the form of attacks on various nonscientific realist foundational theories. Consequently, the success of the arguments for scientific realism depends in large measure on the accuracy of the characterizations of the competing views. This paper argues that Wendt and others have misrepresented the challengers and have thus overstated the superiority of scientific realism. The paper further considers the aims and purposes of providing meta-theoretical foundations for IR theories, and argues that when the alternative accounts are properly described, the purposes are better satisfied by the latter and, in particular, by a version of Duhemian conventionalism. [source] What have We Learnt from the Convergence Debate?JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2003Nazrul Islam This paper surveys the convergence literature. It begins by laying out different definitions of convergence and by showing the link between the convergence issue and the growth theory debate. The paper then follows the convergence research conducted along four different approaches, namely the cross-section, panel, time-series, and distribution approaches. The paper shows the association of these methodological approaches with various definitions of convergence and highlights the connections among the convergence results. It shows that, despite some impressions to the contrary, there is considerable agreement among the results. Although the convergence research might not have solved the growth debate entirely, it has helped both the neoclassical and the new growth theories to adapt and evolve. The research on convergence has established new stylized facts regarding cross-country growth regularities. It has brought to fore the existence of large technological and institutional differences across countries and has given rise to new methodologies for quantifying and analyzing these differences. This is providing a new information base for analysis of technological and institutional diffusion and for further development of growth theory in general. [source] Reconfigurable ankle rehabilitation robot for various exercisesJOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue S1 2006Jungwon Yoon This paper presents a reconfigurable ankle rehabilitation robot to cover various rehabilitation exercise modes. The designed robot can allow desired ankle and foot motions, including toe and heel raising as well as traditional ankle rotations, since the mechanism can generate relative rotation between the fore and rear platforms as well as pitch and roll motions. In addition, the robotic device can be reconfigured from a range of motion (ROM)/strengthening exercise device to a balance/proprioception exercise device by simply incorporating an additional plate. Further, the action of the device is twofold in the sense that while a patient's foot is fastened firmly to the ROM/strengthening device for task specific training, that person can also stand on the balance/proproception device. To perform each mode of ROM, strengthening, and proproception exercises, a unified position-based impedance control is systematically developed taking into account the desired position and velocity. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Vertebrate limb development and possible clues to diversity in limb formJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Cheryll Tickle Abstract Chick embryos are good models for vertebrate development. The principles that underlie chick wing development have been discovered and there is increasing knowledge about the molecules involved. The importance of identifying molecules is that this provides a direct link to understanding the genetic basis of diversity in form. Chick wing development will be compared with limb development in other vertebrates. Possible mechanisms that could lead to variations in form, including limb reductions and limblessness, differences between fore- and hindlimbs, limb proportions, and interdigital webbing can be suggested. J. Morphol. 252:29,37, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The future of political campaigning: the American exampleJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2003Dick Morris Abstract The Internet will provide a way to force direct democracy to the fore, replacing many of the prerogatives now reserved for representative democracy. This is especially true in Europe where the continental integration of the economy has not been matched by integrated political democracy. Lobbying in the UK will become less relevant as the EU comes to predominate. Lobbying in the future will have to be directed downward , to mobilise the public , rather than upward, attempting to influence the Parliament. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications. [source] Rapport-building activities in corner shop interactionsJOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2004María E. Placencia This paper examines a range of interactional activities participants carry out in the course of corner shop transactions in Quito, Ecuador. These activities include: phatic communication exchanges as traditionally conceived, that is, conventionalized forms such as how-are-you and health inquiries; individualized exchanges in the form of conversational work around a range of topics (e.g. politics, health, school); and creative language play activities (e.g. wordplay and linguistic play with names). These activities are described as reflecting participants' orientation to the maintenance of positive rapport or friendly relations (Aston 1988a) with the effect that the service transaction becomes a pleasant and even an entertaining encounter. Such orientation is described here in relation to the familiarity existing between shopkeepers and customers as a result of frequent contact in the context of the barrio(residential neighbourhoods) in Quito. As such the study lends support, from a different socio-cultural perspective, to recent work in the area that highlights the centrality of phatic communication in task-oriented interactions in English (cf. Coupland 2000a, 2000b, 2003), and brings to the fore a wider range of activities which appear to be employed for rapport-building purposes in service encounters. [source] Constitutional democracy and civic nationalismNATIONS AND NATIONALISM, Issue 3 2007DONALD IPPERCIEL ABSTRACT. This article seeks to bring to the fore the intrinsic link between constitutional democracy and the civic nation, relying on Jürgen Habermas's theory of democracy. This theoretical framework will serve as the basis for a communicative understanding of civic nationalism, underscoring the notable role played by language. Attention will be given to the normative dimension that allows for the legitimisation of national divisions of a civic space bound by universal rights. The prime motivation behind this article is thus political-philosophical, although empirical examples, drawn particularly from the French revolutionary discourse, will be brought to bear. And since a civic nation construed in communicative terms has necessary linguistic implications, cases of multilingual and multinational states will be examined. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||