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Real Problem (real + problem)
Selected AbstractsEuropean Integration: Popular Sovereignty and a Politics of BoundariesEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Hans Lindahl The problem raised by popular sovereignty in the framework of the EU is not whether it is relevant to European integration; it is. The problem is another, namely the identity and, thus, the boundary of a democratic polity. The very idea of ,European' integration suggests that integration is only imaginable by reference to the closure provided by an identity, a boundary that is normative rather than merely geographical. In this minimal sense, a European people is the necessary presupposition of integration, not merely its telos. Bluntly, there is no integration without inclusion and, also, no integration without exclusion. This, then, is the real problem raised by popular sovereignty in a European context: if there is no such thing as non-exclusionary integration, how can a reflection on the boundedness of European integration be more than a rationalisation of exclusion? [source] ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE: THE FAILURE OF NEW YORK'S GET STATUTEFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 2 2006Jeremy Glicksman The quandary of Jewish women unable to remarry because of their husbands' refusal to grant them religious divorces is a real problem affecting real people. Husbands are wielding this lopsided power to "extort" money from their wives, obtain favorable child custody settlements, property settlements, and child support payments. The burgeoning divorce rate is certain to exacerbate this problem. Already, this situation has garnered international attention. In the wake of New York's legislative attempt to remedy this problem, countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, have promulgated legislative solutions to this dilemma. New York is the only state in the United States to pass such a statute. Unfortunately, New York's statute is flawed because it is of limited applicability and still allows for situations in which the Jewish wife is civilly divorced but religiously married. This Note proposes amending New York's statute to make it applicable to any and all divorce proceedings and to any barrier to remarriage. This Note will further recommend that the proposed amended statute should be adopted worldwide. [source] Minerals and phytic acid interactions: is it a real problem for human nutrition?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2002H. Walter Lopez Summary Because of its high density of negatively charged phosphate groups, phytic acid (PA) forms very stable complexes with mineral ions rendering them unavailable for intestinal uptake. Indeed, the first step in mineral absorption requires that the mineral remains in the ionic state. As the PA content of the diet increases, the intestinal absorption of zinc, iron and calcium decreases. The inhibitory effects of PA on magnesium or copper are more controversial. Nevertheless, PA does not occur alone in foods and is often consumed with various compounds. Phytates are always present in vegetal matrix composed of fibres, minerals, trace elements and other phytomicronutrients. Thus, in order to evaluate mineral absorption from phytate-rich products, all components of diet and food interactions should be considered and it is hard to predict mineral bioavailability in such products by using only the phytate content. [source] Constructing linguistic versions for the multicriteria decision support systems preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation I and IIINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 7 2003J. M. Martín The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a real problem of multicriteria decision making (MCDM) where information, as much quantitative as qualitative, coexists. The traditional methods of MCDM developed for the EIA discriminates in favor of quantitative information at the expense of qualitative information, because we are unable to integrate this latter information inside their procedure. In this study, we present two new multicriteria decision fuzzy methods called fuzzy in preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (FPROMETHEE2T) I and II, which are able to integrate inside their procedure quantiative and qualitative information. This has been performed by applying a new linguistic representation model based on two tuples. These methods, although they have been developed for EIA problems, can be applied to all sorts of decision-making problems, with information of any nature. Therefore, the application of this method to real problems will lead to better results in MCDM. The main interest of our investigation group currently is to develop a set of different multicriteria decision fuzzy methods to be integrated inside a software program that works as a multicriteria decision aid. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The Financial Crisis: Causes and Lessons,JOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 3 2010Kenneth E. Scott The author argues that the root cause of the recent crisis was a housing bubble whose origins can be traced to loose monetary policy and a government housing policy that continually pushed for lower lending standards to increase home ownership. The negative consequences of such policies were amplified when transmitted throughout the financial system by financial institutions through the process of securitization. In attempting to assess culpability for the crisis and identify possible reforms, the author focuses on three categories: 1Defects in Financial Products: Without criticizing derivatives and the process of securitization, the author identifies the sheer complexity of the securities as a major source of the problem,for which the solution is a simpler security design combined with greater disclosure about the underlying assets being securitized. 2Defects in Risk Management: Thanks in large part to agency and other incentive problems, there was universal underestimation of risks by mortgage originators and financial institutions throughout the securitization chain. Changing incentive pay structures is part of the solution, and so are better accounting rules for SPEs. But more effective regulatory oversight and ending "too big to fail" may well be the only way to curb excessive private risk-taking. 3Defects in Government Policy and Regulation: While acknowledging the need for more effective oversight, the author argues that there was ample existing authority for U.S. regulators to have addressed these issues. Lack of power and authority to regulate was not at the heart of the problem,the real problem was lack of foresight and judgment about the unexpected. After expressing doubt that regulators can prevent major financial failures, the author recommends greater attention to devising better methods of resolving such failures when they occur. One of the main goals is to ensure that losses are borne not by taxpayers but by private investors in a way that maintains incentives for market discipline while limiting spillover costs to the entire system. [source] Recent advances in mycotoxin determination in food and feed by hyphenated chromatographic techniques/mass spectrometryMASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS, Issue 1 2006Stefano Sforza Abstract Mycotoxins are fungal toxins produced by molds, which occur universally in food and feed derivatives, and are produced under certain environmental conditions in the field before harvest, post-harvest, during storage, processing, and feeding. Mycotoxin contamination is one of the most relevant and worrisome problem concerning food and feed safety because it can cause a variety of toxic acute and chronic effects in human and animals. In this review we report the use of mass spectrometry in connection with chromatographic techniques for mycotoxin determination by considering separately the most diffuse class of mycotoxins: patulin, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, trichothecenes, and fumonisins. Although the selectivity of mass spectrometry is unchallenged if compared to common GC and LC detection methods, accuracy, precision, and sensitivity may be extremely variable concerning the different mycotoxins, matrices, and instruments. The sensitivity issue may be a real problem in the case of LC/MS, where the response can be very different for the different ionization techniques (ESI, APCI, APPI). Therefore, when other detection methods (such as fluorescence or UV absorbance) can be used for the quantitative determination, LC/MS appears to be only an outstanding confirmatory technique. In contrast, when the toxins are not volatile and do not bear suitable chromophores or fluorophores, LC/MS appears to be the unique method to perform quantitative and qualitative analyses without requiring any derivatization procedure. The problem of exact quantitative determination in GC/MS and LC/MS methods is particularly important for mycotoxin determination in food, given the high variability of the matrices, and can be solved only by the use of isotopically labeled internal standards or by the use of ionization interfaces able to lower matrix effects and ion suppressions. When the problems linked to inconstant ionization and matrix effects will be solved, only MS detectors will allow to simplify more and more the sample preparation procedures and to avoid clean-up procedures, making feasible low-cost, high-throughput determination of mycotoxins in many different food matrices. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Vaccination: is it a real problem for anesthesia and surgery?PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 5 2006JOHN CURRIE FRCA No abstract is available for this article. [source] Erfordert die Informationsgesellschaftflexiblere Arbeitsmärkte?PERSPEKTIVEN DER WIRTSCHAFTSPOLITIK, Issue 1 2003Gunther Tichy The paper argues that increased complexity rather than faster change is the real problem. Dealing with complexity affords adaptability and organisational learning. Short-term flexibility, however, is detrimental to adaptability and learning as it hinders the accumulation of firm-specific capabilities , and, consequently, of country-specific ones at the macro level. The ability of the firm to absorb and act upon knowledge depends to a large extent on staff continuity and motivation. [source] Benchmarks and control charts for surgical site infectionsBRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 7 2000T. L. Gustafson Background Although benchmarks and control charts are basic quality improvement tools, few surgeons use them to monitor surgical site infection (SSI). Obstacles to widespread acceptance include: (1) small denominators, (2) complexities of adjusting for patient risk and (3) scepticism about their true purpose (cost cutting, surgical privilege determination or improving outcomes). Methods The application of benchmark charts (using US national SSI rates as limits) and control charts (using facility rates as limits) was studied in 51 hospitals submitting data to the AICE National Database Initiative. SSI rates were risk adjusted by calculating a new statistic, the standardized infection ratio (SIR), based on the risk index suggested by the Centers for Disease Control National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Study. Fourteen different types of control chart were examined and 115 suspiciously high or low monthly rates were flagged. Participating hospital epidemiologists investigated and classified each flag as ,a real problem' (potentially preventable) or ,not a problem' (beyond the control of personnel at this facility). Results None of the standard, widely recommended, control charts studied showed practical value for identifying either preventable rate increases or outbreaks (clusters due to a single organism). On the other hand, several types of risk-adjusted control chart based on the SIR correctly identified most true opportunities for improvement. Sensitivity, specificity and receiver,operator characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the XmR chart of monthly SIRs would be useful in hospitals with smaller surgical volumes (ROC area = 0·732, P = 0·001). For larger hospitals, the most sensitive and robust SIR chart for real-time monitoring of surgical infections was the mXmR chart (ROC area = 0·753, P = 0·0005). © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd [source] THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH: THE CASE OF RURAL CHINA, 1979,1987ECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 2 2006IAN WILLS This is an extended and slightly revised version of an article by Wills and Yang published in Policy, Vol. 9, No. J, Autumn 1993. The article was derived from a paper by Yang, Wang and Wills published in the China Economic Review in 1992. The idea for the empirical study, the analytical model and the procedure for quantifying changes in property rights came from Xiaokai Yang. The study illustrates his ability to apply inframarginal concepts to real problems. [source] Constructing linguistic versions for the multicriteria decision support systems preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation I and IIINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 7 2003J. M. Martín The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a real problem of multicriteria decision making (MCDM) where information, as much quantitative as qualitative, coexists. The traditional methods of MCDM developed for the EIA discriminates in favor of quantitative information at the expense of qualitative information, because we are unable to integrate this latter information inside their procedure. In this study, we present two new multicriteria decision fuzzy methods called fuzzy in preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (FPROMETHEE2T) I and II, which are able to integrate inside their procedure quantiative and qualitative information. This has been performed by applying a new linguistic representation model based on two tuples. These methods, although they have been developed for EIA problems, can be applied to all sorts of decision-making problems, with information of any nature. Therefore, the application of this method to real problems will lead to better results in MCDM. The main interest of our investigation group currently is to develop a set of different multicriteria decision fuzzy methods to be integrated inside a software program that works as a multicriteria decision aid. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Constrained Kalman Filtering: Additional ResultsINTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2010Adrian Pizzinga Summary This paper deals with linear state space modelling subject to general linear constraints on the state vector. The discussion concentrates on four topics: the constrained Kalman filtering versus the recursive restricted least squares estimator; a new proof of the constrained Kalman filtering under a conditional expectation framework; linear constraints under a reduced state space modelling; and state vector prediction under linear constraints. The techniques proposed are illustrated in two real problems. The first problem is related to investment analysis under a dynamic factor model, whereas the second is about making constrained predictions within a GDP benchmarking estimation. Résumé Cet article traite des modèles espace-état sujets aux restrictions linéaires générales sur le vecteur d'état. La discussion se concentre autour de quatre aspects: le filtrage de Kalman restreint versus l'estimateur de moindres carrés restreint recursive; une nouvelle preuve du filtrage de Kalman restreint sous le cadre de l'espérance conditionelle; restrictions linéaires aux modèles espace-état réduits; et la prédiction d'état sous restrictions linéaires. Les techniques proposées sont illustrées par deux problèmes réels. Le premier problème est concerné par l'analyse d'investissement sous un modèle à facteur dynamique, tandis que le second concerne les prédictions restreintes dans l'estimation de benchmarking. [source] Applications of the DM-GRASP heuristic: a surveyINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008Luis F. Santos Abstract Recent research has shown that the hybridization of metaheuristics is a powerful mechanism to develop more robust and efficient methods to solve hard optimization problems. The combination of different techniques and concepts behind metaheuristics, if well designed, has the potential to exploit their advantages while diminishing their drawbacks, which results in methods suited to a more diverse set of real problems. The DM-GRASP heuristic is one such hybrid method that has achieved promising results. It is a hybrid version of the GRASP metaheuristic that incorporates a data-mining process. In this work, we review how this hybridization was designed and survey the results of its practical applications evaluated until now. [source] Symbolism and the construction of political products: analysis of the political marketing strategies of peruvian President Alejandro ToledoJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2004Pedro Patrón-Galindo Abstract This paper introduces a discussion on how to construct and systematise symbols constructions that serve to define the guidelines for political discourses, using rhetorical methodology. It analyses the political marketing strategies of current Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and, more specifically, his efforts to recover popularity after one-and-a-half years in office. The fundamental hypothesis is that Toledo has not been able to construct a solid character (apart from being in opposition to Alberto Fujimori), who would be the protagonist in the ,story' of solving the real problems of the people, which, according to the opinion polls, are lack of employment, lack of opportunities, and lack of money for daily expenses. The rhetorical approach, based on Kenneth Burke's Dramatism Theory, is useful for understanding the construction of the political spectacle, the scene where all the marketing strategies and tools are applied. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications [source] Theistic Ethics and the Euthyphro DilemmaJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS, Issue 1 2002Richard Joyce It is widely believed that the Divine Command Theory is untenable due to the Euthyphro Dilemma. This article first examines the Platonic dialogue of that name, and shows that Socrates's reasoning is faulty. Second, the dilemma in the form in which many contemporary philosophers accept it is examined in detail, and this reasoning is also shown to be deficient. This is not to say, however, that the Divine Command Theory is true,merely that one popular argument for rejecting it is unsound. Finally some brief thoughts are presented concerning where the real problems lie for the theory. [source] Laïcité and multiculturalism: the Stasi Report in context1THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Murat Akan Abstract French republican universalism , expressed most strongly in the principle and practice of laïcité, and multiculturalism have constituted opposite poles on questions of citizenship and integration. The report of the Stasi Commission on laïcité on 11 December 2003 and the following legislation on the donning of religious symbols in French public schools have once again, spurred debates over the meanings and practices of laïcité. The report and the law have been interpreted in different ways. Some have presented them as a reaffirmation of a historically constituted laïcité under new circumstances, others as a divergence from the real problems of racism, unemployment and gender inequality. In this article, I offer an alternative reading by supplementing a critical reading of the report with an analysis of its historical and immediate institutional context. I evaluate the Stasi Report in its immediate context of institutional change, and in the historical context of selected developments concerning laïcité since the 1905 law separating churches and State. I argue that the Stasi Report marks a fundamental break with French republican universalism, and I show that this break occurred contemporaneously with key gestures of multiculturalism: the establishment of the French Muslim Council and the creation of Muslim high schools under contract with the French state. This double movement to narrow the boundaries of laïcité, and for the state to expand the boundaries of identity-specific, Muslim public institutions and private schooling constitutes a reorganization of the public sphere in France which qualifies as a move towards multiculturalism. [source] Considerations of scale in biodiversity conservationANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 3 2010J. T. Du Toit Abstract The dilemma of conservation practice lies in weighing the urgency for action against the need for sustainable long-term solutions, with urgent responses incurring the risk of failure and long-term solutions incurring the cost of time. Wisdom of hindsight reveals that sustainable solutions are not achieved when conservation action is initiated at an inappropriate scale. Here, I review recent studies that have included considerations of scale to illustrate how conservation problems and solutions might be unapparent, or even counterintuitive, to conservation practitioners responding to issues at the scales at which they were first perceived. Case studies cover the conservation of ecosystems, ecosystem services, species and populations. These studies collectively illustrate how most biodiversity conservation efforts can be improved by considering the problem at a broader spatiotemporal scale than that at which local natural resource management has traditionally operated. Globalization is increasingly challenging conservation practitioners to search for solutions across an ever-wider range of spatiotemporal scales and institutional levels. Identifying real problems and threats at relevant scales is part of conservation triage, when opportunity costs and cost efficiencies of alternative interventions are evaluated and ranked, before action is implemented through the appropriate institutional levels. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||