77 FR 38078 - Notice of Extension of Concession Contract

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-26

... Extension of Concession Contract AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the terms of the listed concession contract, the National Park Service hereby gives public notice... INFORMATION: The contract listed below will expire by its terms on October 31, 2013. Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.23...

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (PPPs AND CONCESSIONS OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN BRAZIL

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C. A. G. Pereira

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the current regulation of public-private partnerships (PPPs and concessions of public services inBrazil. Under the Brazilian Constitution, certain public utility services and infrastructure works must be provided or built either directly by the government or through a government franchise. Such franchise takes the form of either concessions or PPPs. The difference between the two is based on the form of government contribution. PPPs are concessions in which part or all of the concessionaire’s compensation is paid by the government and does not come directly from the revenue gained through the service or work at issue. These contractual arrangements are available and actually employed throughout all government levels inBrazil. Most of the government activity in these areas in the past 20 years has adopted a concession or PPP format. By analyzing the main features of the Brazilian concession and PPP system, this paper aims to offer the international reader an introductory view of the legal framework behind most large-scale investments in Brazilian infrastructure. 

On the Pragmatics of Concessive Constructions in Italian and English Business Letter Discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Vergaro, Carla

2008-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of the pragmatic use of concessive constructions in business letter discourse. In linguistics concession has been analyzed primarily within concessive clauses which have been widely studied, either alone or compared with other syntactic categories such as adversative, causal or conditional clauses. The term…

Logging Concessions Enable Illegal Logging Crisis in the Peruvian Amazon

Science.gov (United States)

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N.; Sky, Melissa A. Blue; Pine, Justin

2014-04-01

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru's legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3% of all concessions supervised by authorities were suspected of major violations. Of the 609 total concessions, nearly 30% have been cancelled for violations and we expect this percentage to increase as investigations continue. Moreover, the nature of the violations indicate that the permits associated with legal concessions are used to harvest trees in unauthorized areas, thus threatening all forested areas. Many of the violations pertain to the illegal extraction of CITES-listed timber species outside authorized areas. These findings highlight the need for additional reforms.

Logging concessions enable illegal logging crisis in the Peruvian Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N; Sky, Melissa A Blue; Pine, Justin

2014-04-17

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru's legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3% of all concessions supervised by authorities were suspected of major violations. Of the 609 total concessions, nearly 30% have been cancelled for violations and we expect this percentage to increase as investigations continue. Moreover, the nature of the violations indicate that the permits associated with legal concessions are used to harvest trees in unauthorized areas, thus threatening all forested areas. Many of the violations pertain to the illegal extraction of CITES-listed timber species outside authorized areas. These findings highlight the need for additional reforms.

The private initiative in public infrastructure and public utilities concessions

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Juan Carlos Expósito Vélez

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Given the renewed and growing importance of the initiative of the private sector in developing public infrastructure and public utilities, especially as a consequence of the incentives created by the law, this study intends to address the various aspects of the new legal framework for the formation of concession contracts as a result of a particular initiative or idea and not as a product of the needs defined by the Administration, with a particular emphasis on the requirements for the formation of public works concessions, but without forgetting how the mechanism of private initiative applies to public utilities when they require a concession contract to be provided.

An integrative approach to research of deforestation under concession management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hepner, G.F.; Walker, R.T.

1991-01-01

A methodological approach integrating questionnaire research of tropical foresters with analyses of the actual patterns of concession logging and land use activities portrayed on various types of satellite imagery is discussed. The imagery analysis is necessary to: document the location place and magnitude of forest utilization and change in concession areas; confirm that responses vis-a-vis deforestation in the questionnaire correspond to observable behaviors as evidenced by the actual patterns of logging activities; and document the postharvest land utilization and conversion to other land uses. It is argued that this approach will link the process and pattern of logging activities to reveal the main factors leading to deforestation under the concession system of management. 20 refs

36 CFR 51.39 - What are some examples of outfitter and guide concession contracts?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are some examples of outfitter and guide concession contracts? 51.39 Section 51.39 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL... What are some examples of outfitter and guide concession contracts? Outfitter and guide concession...

Commercial Concession: Issues of Conceptual Apparatus

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Solomonov E. V.

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the theoretical issues of correlation of terms used to refer to the agreement of commercial concession, as well as related issues arising from legal practice and theory of civil law

36 CFR 51.80 - How will the Director establish franchise fees for multiple outfitter and guide concession...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... establish franchise fees for multiple outfitter and guide concession contracts in the same park area? 51.80... CONCESSION CONTRACTS Concession Contract Provisions § 51.80 How will the Director establish franchise fees... resource within a single park area, the Director will establish franchise fees for those concession...

Concession of Brazilian Federal Highways: Orphan Assets Evidence

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Samuel de Rezende Salgado

2017-01-01

Full Text Available One of the uses of public service concession contracts in Brazil is in the road infrastructure sector, existing at the federal level 21 roads’ concession contracts, totaling approximately 10 thousand kilometers, which is 12.6% of the federal road network. Whereas in this type of contract the government does not transfer ownership of the asset, but only access to the concessionaire for the operation of public services, this study aims to determine in which entity (public or private are registered the federal roads, object of the concession contracts. To address the research question, the financial statements of 21 utility companies or controlling group were analyzed, as well the balance sheet of the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT, all for the year 2014. The study findings show that the Brazilian federal highways are not recorded in public statements or in the financial statements of utility companies, providing evidence that these infrastructure assets meet the definition of orphan assets. Thus, the net worth of the ANTT is not adequately represented in its balance sheet.

The renewal of hydroelectric concessions, an opportunity for France and its territories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thibault, Benjamin

2017-01-01

After having recalled that the legal framework for hydroelectric concessions is based on a law adopted in 1919, the author outlines that the opening to competition has in fact emerged at the beginning of the 2000's under the influence of the European Commission. The author indicates and comments various measures implemented regarding the destiny of concessions reaching their expiration date. In this respect, the recent law related to energy transition and for a green growth created an actual possibility of an opening to competition of these concessions. The author comments the content of this law, and its conditions of application. After having outlined that these evolutions have finally built up a complete framework, the author outlines how this opening to competition for hydroelectric concessions can be an opportunity, for example for the development of a modern governance at the local level, and for a better implementation of energy transition

Best Practices for Tourism Concessions in Protected Areas: A Review of the Field

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Taylor Stein

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Despite the importance of protected areas (PAs worldwide to protect biodiversity, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development, throughout the world governments struggle to adequately fund PAs to meet conservation goals. Tourism is seen as a viable financial option for PAs, with tourism concessions through private sector partnerships gaining momentum that allows the overarching goal of preservation and conservation to remain with the state. However, without appropriate planning or best practices in place, tourism concessions can lead to such problems as waste, habitat destruction and the displacement of local people and wildlife. We analyzed tourism concession agreements in government documents from 22 countries to provide an overview of what best practices for tourism concessions are being established and what practices might need to be better incorporated into agreements. The greatest weaknesses of best practices appear to be with concession qualifications, legal, and financial responsibilities, while the strengths included environmental and empowerment/social responsibilities. This initial assessment of contract components will provide a baseline to further develop best practices and assist protected area managers, local communities, and conservation practitioners working with tourism in PAs to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on protected area management.

Fire emissions and regional air quality impacts from fires in oil palm, timber, and logging concessions in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marlier, Miriam E; DeFries, Ruth S; Kim, Patrick S; Koplitz, Shannon N; Jacob, Daniel J; Mickley, Loretta J; Myers, Samuel S

2015-01-01

Fires associated with agricultural and plantation development in Indonesia impact ecosystem services and release emissions into the atmosphere that degrade regional air quality and contribute to greenhouse gas concentrations. In this study, we estimate the relative contributions of the oil palm, timber (for wood pulp and paper), and logging industries in Sumatra and Kalimantan to land cover change, fire activity, and regional population exposure to smoke concentrations. Concessions for these three industries cover 21% and 49% of the land area in Sumatra and Kalimantan respectively, with the highest overall area in lowlands on mineral soils instead of more carbon-rich peatlands. In 2012, most remaining forest area was located in logging concessions for both islands, and for all combined concessions, there was higher remaining lowland and peatland forest area in Kalimantan (45% and 46%, respectively) versus Sumatra (20% and 27%, respectively). Emissions from all combined concessions comprised 41% of total fire emissions (within and outside of concession boundaries) in Sumatra and 27% in Kalimantan for the 2006 burning season, which had high fire activity relative to decadal emissions. Most fire emissions were observed in concessions located on peatlands and non-forested lowlands, the latter of which could include concessions that are currently under production, cleared in preparation for production, or abandoned lands. For the 2006 burning season, timber concessions from Sumatra (47% of area and 88% of emissions) and oil palm concessions from Kalimantan (33% of area and 67% of emissions) contributed the most to concession-related fire emissions from each island. Although fire emissions from concessions were higher in Kalimantan, emissions from Sumatra contributed 63% of concession-related smoke concentrations for the population-weighted region because fire sources were located closer to population centers. In order to protect regional public health, our results

Flexibility against efficiency? : an international study on value for money in hospital concessions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blanken, Anneloes

2008-01-01

Recently, the mechanisms adopted by governments for the provision of hospitals have changed considerably, with the concession arrangement gaining in popularity. A hospital concession concerns an arrangement between public and private organizations for the provision of a hospital, in which the

Regulação de Concessão de Rodovias e o Papel do Estado / Road Concession Regulation and the Role of State

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Laís Kimie Oshiro Caldeira

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This paper seeks to establish standards for the assessment of regulation applied to highway concessions to comply with the state’s role as insurer of the public interest. Methodology/approach/design – The methodology consisted of a literature review on the theory of regulation, applying them to the sector of road concessions and performing an evaluation of the form of state intervention and the fulfillment of its objectives. Findings – The result was the identification of standards to be followed by regulation for that allows the qualification of the state’s role in highway concessions in Brazil and the fulfillment of its objectives. Originality/value – This paper analyzes systemically the application of regulation in the road sector that has very specific market characteristics allowing an evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of regulation in meeting the state’s role. The results are useful and innovative for a critical evaluation of the current regulation in Brazil and its evolution, both for scholars in the field, and for specialists working in the regulatory agencies of the transport sector.

Concession Policy and Practice at the Russian Far East in 1920-1940s: Trade-Offs and Results

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Yudina Taisiya V.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Modern political leverage from western countries to Russia allows researchers to use domestic historical experience of 1920-1940s. International isolation of Soviet Russia induced the search of different ways out, including making concessionary agreements with foreign entrepreneurs. Since 1921 concessionary agreements were made between Soviet Russia/USSR and Germany, England, USA, Japan, Norway, Poland, Austria, Italy, France, Persia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Holland, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Turkey, China and Mongolia. Soviet economy began attracting private foreign capital. At the end of the 1920s Soviet government set a course to liquidate private property. Share of concessionary enterprises in the national economy decreased. But despite the absence of any new concessionary agreements since 1929, concessionary affairs in USSR lasted till mid-1940 and only with Japan because of its deep political meaning. The author analyzes Japan concessions’ activity, such as “Kita Karafuto Koogio Kabusiki Kaisha” and “Kita Karafuto Sekio Kabusiki Kaisha” in 1930-1940s (pre- and World War II period, workers’ socio-economic conditions, relations between Japanese concessioners and Soviet authorities. Permanent infringements of concessionary agreements by Japan concessioners including concessions workers’ food and goods supply, price making, Soviet workers’ housing provision and dismissal, meeting safety requirements were registered. However, neither Japan concessioners dissolve their enterprises nor Soviet authorities annulled concessionary agreements. The author concludes that originally in 1925 granting concessions to Japan businessmen in USSR was among the conditions of Japan government diplomatic recognition of USSR. Further Japan concessions in USSR were deterrent factor from Japan military invasion to the Russian Far East.

A Multilateral Negotiation Model for Cloud Service Market

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Dongjin; Sim, Kwang Mong

Trading cloud services between consumers and providers is a complicated issue of cloud computing. Since a consumer can negotiate with multiple providers to acquire the same service and each provider can receive many requests from multiple consumers, to facilitate the trading of cloud services among multiple consumers and providers, a multilateral negotiation model for cloud market is necessary. The contribution of this work is the proposal of a business model supporting a multilateral price negotiation for trading cloud services. The design of proposed systems for cloud service market includes considering a many-to-many negotiation protocol, and price determining factor from service level feature. Two negotiation strategies are implemented: 1) MDA (Market Driven Agent); and 2) adaptive concession making responding to changes of bargaining position are proposed for cloud service market. Empirical results shows that MDA achieved better performance in some cases that the adaptive concession making strategy, it is noted that unlike the MDA, the adaptive concession making strategy does not assume that an agent has information of the number of competitors (e.g., a consumer agent adopting the adaptive concession making strategy need not know the number of consumer agents competing for the same service).

Accounting interpretation of concession rights in the Republic of Bulgaria – topical issues  

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Rumiana Pozharevska

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The subject of this paper covers the topical problems for the Republic of Bulgaria on the recognition, presentation and disclosure of concession rights and transactions for accounting purposes. The issues identified by the authors have a regulatory, theoretical character and concern their practical application. The aspects studied within this paper are: recognition of concession rights as intangible assets and their positioning in the total amount of assets of concessionaire enterprises; requirement and readiness for disclosure of information relating to concession agreements. The authors seek to suggest solutions in the specified directions.

The Concessive Conjunct However

OpenAIRE

Sonoda, Kenji

2003-01-01

But is a conjunction, and it cannot be placed except at the beginning of a sentence. But however, the concessive conjunct similar in meaning to but, is an adverb, and it can be placed anywhere: at the beginning, in the midst, or at the end, of a sentence. Although the placement of however largely depends upon contrast or emphasis, it would not be so troublesome for non-native speakers of English to place it at the beginning, or at the end, of a sentence. The most difficult part for them will ...

Rodent models of adaptive decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Izquierdo, Alicia; Belcher, Annabelle M

2012-01-01

Adaptive decision making affords the animal the ability to respond quickly to changes in a dynamic environment: one in which attentional demands, cost or effort to procure the reward, and reward contingencies change frequently. The more flexible the organism is in adapting choice behavior, the more command and success the organism has in navigating its environment. Maladaptive decision making is at the heart of much neuropsychiatric disease, including addiction. Thus, a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie normal, adaptive decision making helps achieve a better understanding of certain diseases that incorporate maladaptive decision making as a core feature. This chapter presents three general domains of methods that the experimenter can manipulate in animal decision-making tasks: attention, effort, and reward contingency. Here, we present detailed methods of rodent tasks frequently employed within these domains: the Attentional Set-Shift Task, Effortful T-maze Task, and Visual Discrimination Reversal Learning. These tasks all recruit regions within the frontal cortex and the striatum, and performance is heavily modulated by the neurotransmitter dopamine, making these assays highly valid measures in the study of psychostimulant addiction.

Toward an Expanded Definition of Adaptive Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Susan D.

1997-01-01

Uses the lifespan, life-space model to examine the definition of adaptive decision making. Reviews the existing definition of adaptive decision making as "rational" decision making and offers alternate perspectives on decision making with an emphasis on the implications of using the model. Makes suggestions for future theory, research,…

Characteristic of student’s false concessive failure on fractions concept

Science.gov (United States)

Kurniawan, H.; Sutawidjaja, A.; As’ari, A. R.; Muksar, M.

2018-03-01

False concessive failure of students is students construction failure in achieving goals, where the process is false, the results obtained is true. This failure occurs because the schemes are not connected to each other, so it cannot form a new scheme. This research is a qualitative research that aim to describe the characteristics of students' false concessive failure on fractional concepts. This fractional concept is a fraction of the same part of the whole. To be able to solve the concept of this fraction, students must possess the concept of partition, the concept of addition and the concept of multiplication of the fraction.

The Language of the Internet – The Use of Concessive Conjunctions in Blogs by Companies Providing Private Tuition

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Jindřiška Kraťkova

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Concessions are said to be a key aspect of English semantics because concessive constructions create a place for contrast, i.e. contradicting relations. Several studies have been carried out on this topic (i.e. on the positioning of conjunctions, linguistic interference, etc.. The aim of this paper is to focus on the frequency of use of the most common concessive conjunctions in Internet discussions with native speakers who give private tuition. The focus is primarily on the main, most commonly used concessive conjunctions in tutoring blogs.

The administrative review of concession agreements

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Fatmira Hajdari

2014-01-01

The practice of concessionary agreements in Albania is only in its early steps of development. Furthermore, the legislation that provides for the concession agreements has suffered changes to reflect the international legislation. All of which have led to the case law encountering various issues, which we have only humbly tried to reflect in this paper, while also providing our opinion with regard to addressing them.

36 CFR 51.25 - Are there any other circumstances in which the Director may award a concession contract without...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... circumstances. The Director must publish a notice of his intention to award a concession contract to a specified... circumstances in which the Director may award a concession contract without public solicitation? 51.25 Section... in which the Director may award a concession contract without public solicitation? Notwithstanding...

Investment Analysis of Offshore Concessions in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.T.J. Smit (Han)

1997-01-01

textabstractDescribes the valuation of a complex capital project, the staged development of an oil field concession in the Netherlands. Stages of offshore petroleum development on the Dutch continental shelf; Asset valuation based on replication in financial markets; Major insights and conclusions.

36 CFR 51.81 - May the Director include “special account” provisions in concession contracts?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... concessioner in its operations. Repair and maintenance reserve funds may not be expended to construct real... provisions may not be included in concession contracts in lieu of a franchise fee, and funds from the... concessioner by the Director for use in its operations. (c) A concession contract must require the concessioner...

Federal Cartel Office interferes with the issuing of concessions for electricity and gas supply; Bundeskartellamt greift Strom- und Gaskonzessionsvergaben an

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jasper, Ute; Biemann, Jens [Heuking Kuehn Lueer Wojtek, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2012-03-08

Direct awarding of electricity or gas concessions to utility-owned companies or communal subsidiaries without competition is not permissible, according to current rulings of the BKartA. The BKartA assumes misuse of the market-dominating position of a community if it violates the specifications of Sect. 46 EnWG for the issuing of concessions. The trend towards recommunalisation is stopped at least in those cases where both an electricity concession and a gas concession are to be transferred simultaneously to a new community-owned utility.

Pricing Mining Concessions Based on Combined Multinomial Pricing Model

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Chang Xiao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A combined multinomial pricing model is proposed for pricing mining concession in which the annualized volatility of the price of mineral products follows a multinomial distribution. First, a combined multinomial pricing model is proposed which consists of binomial pricing models calculated according to different volatility values. Second, a method is provided to calculate the annualized volatility and the distribution. Third, the value of convenience yields is calculated based on the relationship between the futures price and the spot price. The notion of convenience yields is used to adjust our model as well. Based on an empirical study of a Chinese copper mine concession, we verify that our model is easy to use and better than the model with constant volatility when considering the changing annualized volatility of the price of the mineral product.

36 CFR 51.78 - Will a concession contract require a franchise fee and will the franchise fee be subject to...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... require a franchise fee and will the franchise fee be subject to adjustment? 51.78 Section 51.78 Parks... Concession Contract Provisions § 51.78 Will a concession contract require a franchise fee and will the franchise fee be subject to adjustment? (a) Concession contracts will provide for payment to the government...

77 FR 9698 - Notice of Extension of Concession Contracts

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-17

...-03 Dudley Food and Gulf Islands Beverage, Inc.. National Seashore. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Notice of Extension of Concession Contracts AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Public notice. SUMMARY: The National Park Service hereby...

36 CFR 51.48 - What happens to a right of preference in the event of termination of a concession contract for...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... in the event of termination of a concession contract for unsatisfactory performance or other breach... terminated a concession contract for less than satisfactory performance or other breach will not limit the... preference in the event of termination of a concession contract for unsatisfactory performance or other...

What is adaptive about adaptive decision making? A parallel constraint satisfaction account.

Science.gov (United States)

Glöckner, Andreas; Hilbig, Benjamin E; Jekel, Marc

2014-12-01

There is broad consensus that human cognition is adaptive. However, the vital question of how exactly this adaptivity is achieved has remained largely open. Herein, we contrast two frameworks which account for adaptive decision making, namely broad and general single-mechanism accounts vs. multi-strategy accounts. We propose and fully specify a single-mechanism model for decision making based on parallel constraint satisfaction processes (PCS-DM) and contrast it theoretically and empirically against a multi-strategy account. To achieve sufficiently sensitive tests, we rely on a multiple-measure methodology including choice, reaction time, and confidence data as well as eye-tracking. Results show that manipulating the environmental structure produces clear adaptive shifts in choice patterns - as both frameworks would predict. However, results on the process level (reaction time, confidence), in information acquisition (eye-tracking), and from cross-predicting choice consistently corroborate single-mechanisms accounts in general, and the proposed parallel constraint satisfaction model for decision making in particular. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controversial Aspects of the Subject of a Commercial Concession

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Temnikova N. A.

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with topical issues arising in the process of negotiation and performance of a commercial concession. The authors investigate law enforcement experience, norms of international law, theoretical studies regarding the ways of resolving the contradictions that arise

The Language of the Internet – The Use of Concessive Conjunctions in Blogs by Companies Providing Private Tuition

OpenAIRE

Jindřiška Kraťkova

2017-01-01

Concessions are said to be a key aspect of English semantics because concessive constructions create a place for contrast, i.e. contradicting relations. Several studies have been carried out on this topic (i.e. on the positioning of conjunctions, linguistic interference, etc.). The aim of this paper is to focus on the frequency of use of the most common concessive conjunctions in Internet discussions with native speakers who give private tuition. The focus is primarily on the main, most commo...

76 FR 2706 - Notice of Extension of Concession Contracts

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-14

... Florida, Inc. GUIS001-03 Dudley Food and Gulf Islands National Seashore. Beverage. JODR002-90... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE [NPS-WASO-CONC-0111-6327; 2410-OYC] Notice of Extension of Concession Contracts AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Public notice. DATES...

75 FR 52013 - Notice of Extension of Concession Contract

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-24

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Notice of Extension of Concession Contract AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Public notice. DATES: Effective Date: January 1, 2013. FOR FURTHER... contract for a period of two years through December 31, 2014. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The listed...

Public bus service and the concession contract in Andalusia. Effect of transmission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez Portales, S.; Maeso Gonzalez, E.

2016-07-01

The Andalusian sector of regular public passenger transport of general use, has beentraditionally characterized by being configured by a wide variety of operators of small andmedium-scale, where the concession contracts were the only and main economic activity.Over time, new trends have appeared on the market that have led to the evolution of thesector to other models. On the one hand, transformation of the business owner tocorporations, and secondly the penetration of large multinational companies which haveentered the sector through the acquisition and, on many occasions, absorbing existingconcession companies.This paper analyzes the changes experienced in the concession contracts related to theirchange of ownership and its impact on the current structure industry. The analysis showsan overview of the regular public transport system travelers utility road in Andalusia.The results are interesting for the planning and design of new concession contracts,extension approach of the current contracts and general optimization of the system forpromotion of a sustainable transport, which satisfies needs of users, respecting the rule offree market.In short, this paper aims to provide a deeper knowledge of the sector, from the point ofview of the operating companies that intergrates it, showing the evolution in existingbusiness structures. (Author)

The Danish Experience with Transferable Fishing Concessions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højrup, Thomas

2012-01-01

The task of the concise chapter is to describe the Danish experiences with a basic regulation based upon the principle of Transferable Fisheries Concessions, TFC - at the backgruund of the introduction of Transfreable Quotas in 2003 (pelagic fisheries) and 2007 (demersal fisheries). To do this th...... dependent upon the struggles on the financial markets, replacing sustainable fishing methods with heavy buttom trawling and undermining the future of young people in the fishing industry....

Profitability estimations in considering applications for concession in the energy sector; Loennsomhetsvurderinger ved konsesjonsbehandling i energisektoren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, M [Oslo Univ. (Norway). Sosialoekonomisk Inst.; Soevik, Y

1995-09-01

In Norway, most power development projects are subject to the 1917 law on the regulation of watercourses and its revision of 1992. This report discusses certain aspects of concession granting conditions laid down in this law. Part I describes some variants of the profitability concept and discusses the project owner`s incentives: He may feel encouraged to influence assessments of the damage and inconvenience his project might inflict on private and public interests because for him large compensations are connected with low project value. If there is doubt about a project`s worthiness of concession and its value for the owner is positive, then the owner may overstate the value and the positive external effects of the project and understate the negative ones. And vice versa for a project of negative value. Part II discusses some of the principle characteristics of today`s concession practice: quantification of costs in a power development project, estimation of production value, quantification of discount rate. Part III deals with possible linkage between concession granting authorities and various participants in a development project from the point of view of political science. 14 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

77 FR 12876 - Proposed Information Collection; Proposed Sale of Concession Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-02

... intangible assets such as the concession contract, right of preference in renewal, user days, or low fees... indirectly to such assets, the transaction may not be approved. The amount and type of information to be...

76 FR 35909 - Temporary Concession Contract for Blue Ridge Parkway

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... accommodations, food and beverage, retail sales, boat rentals, and other services at Crabtree Falls, Price Lake... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-WASO-CONC-0511-7182; 2410-OYC] Temporary Concession Contract for Blue Ridge Parkway AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of...

Conceptual model for concessioning in the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in Bulgaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todor Raychev

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to create a new conceptual model for sustainable development of the water sector in Bulgaria on the basis of concessions by statistical regions according to the NUTS-2 classification of the European Union. The essence of the proposed model includes an approach for consolidating the existing 66 WSS operators in three WSS operators – concessionaires. The approach is applied to provide WSS services for drinking and household needs of the population. WSS services for the sectors – Industry, Services, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries remain outside the scope of the study. The proposed model is based on statistical analyses of the effectiveness of the WSS operators working by statistical regions and the state of the technical infrastructure they use. Such concessioning by combining one region from the North and South Bulgaria should help to overcome the existing disproportions in the social and economical development and its harmonization in the regions of Northern and Southern Bulgaria. Its implementation should create new opportunities for introducing foreign direct investment which will contribute to the sustainable development of the water sector in the country. The practical significance of the proposed model for overall concessioning of the WSS sector is for Bulgaria as well as for other countries with low and middle incomes. The model is a part of a comprehensive study of a scientific project, according to the Ordinance No.9 of the Ministry of Education and Science of 08.08.2013, with No.NPI-130/2014, on the topic: „The concession as a factor for development of the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in the Republic of Bulgaria“.

Dry Ports-Seaports Sustainable Logistics Network Optimization: Considering the Environment Constraints and the Concession Cooperation Relationships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Hairui

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In China dry ports enter into a rapid development period now, however for many Chinese dry ports, the operation faces difficulties duo to inefficient logistics networks and cooperation relationship between dry ports and seaports. Focusing on the concession cooperation mechanism of seaports and dry ports, and the environmental constraints (carbon emissions and congestion cost, a bi-objective location-allocation MILP model for the sustainable hinterland-dry ports-seaports logistics network optimization is formulated, aiming at the system logistics costs and carbon emissions to be minimized. Moreover, for the cooperation mechanism of seaports to dry ports, a parameter called cooperation cost concession coefficient is proposed for the optimization model, and a new evaluation method based on the ordered weighted averaging (OWA operator is used to evaluate it. Then a location-allocation decision-making framework for the hinterland-dry port-seaport logistics network is proposed. The innovative aspect of the model is that it can proposes a effective and environment friendly dry ports location strategic and also give insights into the connective cooperation relationships, and cargo flows of the network. A case study involving configuration of dry ports in Henan Province is conducted, and the model is successfully applied.

Making Pedagogical Adaptability Less Obvious

Science.gov (United States)

Vagle, Mark D.

2016-01-01

In this article, I try to make pedagogical adaptability a bit less obvious. In particular, I use some post-structural philosophical ideas and some concepts at the intersections of social class and race to re-interpret Dylan Wiliam's conception of formative assessment. I suggest that this interpretation can provide opportunities to resist the urge…

The rationality of intuition: Studying adaptive heuristics in project decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stingl, Verena; Geraldi, Joana

This paper presents a research agenda for studying adaptive heuristics in project decision making. Project decisions are a potentially fruitful research field for adaptive heuristics. These decisions typically take place under time and information constraints, with high complexity and ambiguity...... - environments in which adaptive heuristics typically strive as effective decision tools. Yet, project decisions as a research topic introduce challenges that are currently not considered in the main body of adaptive heuristics research: the issue of group decision making, and the element of an unpredictable...... the limitations of these methods for project decision-making, and suggests alternative methodologies, suitable to cope with group decision-making and irreducible uncertainty....

Episodic memories predict adaptive value-based decision-making

Science.gov (United States)

Murty, Vishnu; FeldmanHall, Oriel; Hunter, Lindsay E.; Phelps, Elizabeth A; Davachi, Lila

2016-01-01

Prior research illustrates that memory can guide value-based decision-making. For example, previous work has implicated both working memory and procedural memory (i.e., reinforcement learning) in guiding choice. However, other types of memories, such as episodic memory, may also influence decision-making. Here we test the role for episodic memory—specifically item versus associative memory—in supporting value-based choice. Participants completed a task where they first learned the value associated with trial unique lotteries. After a short delay, they completed a decision-making task where they could choose to re-engage with previously encountered lotteries, or new never before seen lotteries. Finally, participants completed a surprise memory test for the lotteries and their associated values. Results indicate that participants chose to re-engage more often with lotteries that resulted in high versus low rewards. Critically, participants not only formed detailed, associative memories for the reward values coupled with individual lotteries, but also exhibited adaptive decision-making only when they had intact associative memory. We further found that the relationship between adaptive choice and associative memory generalized to more complex, ecologically valid choice behavior, such as social decision-making. However, individuals more strongly encode experiences of social violations—such as being treated unfairly, suggesting a bias for how individuals form associative memories within social contexts. Together, these findings provide an important integration of episodic memory and decision-making literatures to better understand key mechanisms supporting adaptive behavior. PMID:26999046

ACCOUNTING ON THE PARTICULARITIES THAT CONCESSION AGRICULTURAL UNITS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BOCHIS LEONICA

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Agriculture represents the branch of the material production which deals with growing crops and raising animals in order to obtain farm produce and some raw materials, as well asthe totality of works and methods used for this purpose. Agriculture has specific traits mainly induced by the traits of its results. Thereupon, what sets apart agriculture from other sectors of the economy is the volume, structure and concretization of the resources in the process of their consumption. The essential cause of these differences is the fact that land is the main production factor and that, compared to the development level of the production forces and the natural and biological factors, it behaves in a specific manner.Definitions and characteristics of agricultural activities are given also in The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS , respectively IAS 41, “Agriculture”. Hence, according to IAS 41 “Agriculture”, agricultural activity is defined as the management of the biological transformation of biological assets (living plants and animals into agricultural produce (harvested product of the entity's biological assets. The received concessions represent an important characteristic of these units and, as a particular case concerning such concessions, we will tackle the issue of terrains pertaining to the assets sold by the Romsilva National Forests Administration.

Legal protection in the course and after the completion of procedures for awarding concessions in the energy management and water management; Rechtsschutz im Laufe und nach Beendigung des Konzessionsvergabeverfahrens in der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byok, Jan [Kanzlei Dr. Jan Byok, Duesseldorf (Germany); Dierkes, Mathias [Gelsenwasser AG, Recklinghausen (Germany)

2012-07-15

Water management concessions as well as energy management concessions are classified as service concessions or are treated in accordance to the principles of service concessions. The concessions are excluded from the regime of European procurement law and German antitrust law. Companies with an interest in a concession to be awarded are not situation without rights. Companies can review certain decisions judicially in connection with the awarding of concessions. The procedural question raises which legal process can be pursued in order to achieve an effective legal protection by the relevant interested party.

Memory Effect on Adaptive Decision Making with a Chaotic Semiconductor Laser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takatomo Mihana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate the effect of a memory parameter on the performance of adaptive decision making using a tug-of-war method with the chaotic oscillatory dynamics of a semiconductor laser. We experimentally generate chaotic temporal waveforms of the semiconductor laser with optical feedback and apply them for adaptive decision making in solving a multiarmed bandit problem that aims at maximizing the total reward from slot machines whose hit probabilities are dynamically switched. We examine the dependence of making correct decisions on different values of the memory parameter. The degree of adaptivity is found to be enhanced with a smaller memory parameter, whereas the degree of convergence to the correct decision is higher for a larger memory parameter. The relations among the adaptivity, environmental changes, and the difficulties of the problem are also discussed considering the requirement of past decisions. This examination of ultrafast adaptive decision making highlights the importance of memorizing past events and paves the way for future photonic intelligence.

Franchising of infrastructure concessions in Chile: A Policy Report

OpenAIRE

Eduardo Engel; Ronald Fischer; Alexander Galetovic

2000-01-01

This report describes and evaluates the present state of the Chilean infrastructure concessions program. This program is leading to a complete upgrade of Chile's highway system and has been recently extended to seaports. The main principles underlying the economics of franchising are examined and used to evaluate the programof privatizations of highways and seaports. Compared with experiences in other countries, theresults are fairly good. The infrastructure deficit has been greatly reduced, ...

Reductions in emissions from deforestation from Indonesia’s moratorium on new oil palm, timber, and logging concessions

Science.gov (United States)

Busch, Jonah; Ferretti-Gallon, Kalifi; Engelmann, Jens; Wright, Max; Austin, Kemen G.; Stolle, Fred; Turubanova, Svetlana; Potapov, Peter V.; Margono, Belinda; Hansen, Matthew C.; Baccini, Alessandro

2015-01-01

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, Indonesia instituted a nationwide moratorium on new license areas (“concessions”) for oil palm plantations, timber plantations, and logging activity on primary forests and peat lands after May 2011. Here we indirectly evaluate the effectiveness of this policy using annual nationwide data on deforestation, concession licenses, and potential agricultural revenue from the decade preceding the moratorium. We estimate that on average granting a concession for oil palm, timber, or logging in Indonesia increased site-level deforestation rates by 17–127%, 44–129%, or 3.1–11.1%, respectively, above what would have occurred otherwise. We further estimate that if Indonesia’s moratorium had been in place from 2000 to 2010, then nationwide emissions from deforestation over that decade would have been 241–615 MtCO2e (2.8–7.2%) lower without leakage, or 213–545 MtCO2e (2.5–6.4%) lower with leakage. As a benchmark, an equivalent reduction in emissions could have been achieved using a carbon price-based instrument at a carbon price of $3.30–7.50/tCO2e (mandatory) or $12.95–19.45/tCO2e (voluntary). For Indonesia to have achieved its target of reducing emissions by 26%, the geographic scope of the moratorium would have had to expand beyond new concessions (15.0% of emissions from deforestation and peat degradation) to also include existing concessions (21.1% of emissions) and address deforestation outside of concessions and protected areas (58.7% of emissions). Place-based policies, such as moratoria, may be best thought of as bridge strategies that can be implemented rapidly while the institutions necessary to enable carbon price-based instruments are developed. PMID:25605880

Tackling the Crisis through Concession Bargaining: Five Company Cases from Germany

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zagelmeyer, S.J.

2013-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to present an analysis of the nature and drivers of company‐level concession bargaining during the financial crisis 2008‐10 in Germany. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on five company case studies. Data collection methods include document analysis and

Inland Ports in the Republic of Croatia: Approvals for Port Activities instead of Concessions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran Vojković

2008-11-01

Full Text Available According to the 1998 Act on Inland Ports, the right to performall port activities within inland ports of the Republic ofCroatia is given on the basis of concession, obtained throughbidding. It has been noticed in practice that modem businessprocesses and traffic flows are more dynamic than before whenclassic concession relations were created. Also, types andamounts of cargo are changing every couple of years, which isfollowed by quick adjustments, instead of working according torigid and long-term defined decisions and concession contracts.Furthermore, the practice has shown for some activitiesthat the number of port providers (such as ship suppliers,port-agency and freight forwarders should not be limited. Thismeans that the system of a limited number of port providers isimportant only for the activities that require location within aport, as the port area is physically limited. Therefore, the newAct on Navigation and Inland Ports from 2007, whose framehas been completed by sub-law acts during 2008, has replacedthe complex concession system for performing activities in inlandports by a more liberal approval system. On the basis ofthese, higher dynamics of work of port providers is enabled aswell as easier adjustment to market conditions. Furthermore,the main limitation factor that determines the number of portusers becomes the available physical space within a port, whichprovides undisturbed competition, along with larger offer ofport services that do not require that space. It is also importantto point out that the new Act specifically includes distributionand cargo logistics, also processing and improvement of goodsas well as industrial activities including production that enablecomplete economic utilization of port capacities into the existingport activities, thus significantly changing the role of the portitself as a logistic centre.

Title 16 united states code §55 and its implications for management of concession facilities in Yosemite National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Lemons, John

1987-08-01

Yosemite National Park is one of the nation's most scenic and ecologically/geologically important parks. Unfortunately, the park is subject to extensive development of concession facilities and associated high levels of visitor use. Those concerned with preservation of the park's resources have attempted to limit the types and extent of such facilities to reduce adverse impacts. Strictly speaking, resolution of the preservation versus use controversy must be based on whether the National Park Service is adhering to its legislative mandate to regulate development and use in the parks. The common interpretation of legislative mandates for national parks, including Yosemite, is that they call for a difficult balancing between the conflicting goals of preservation and use. Accordingly, although concession developments cause significant impacts, they usually have been interpreted to be within the legal discretion allowed the secretary of the interior. However, the usual interpretations of the meanings of legislative mandates for Yosemite National Park have not considered Title 16 United States Code §55, which is a very restrictive statute limiting concession facilities. Many of the limitations imposed on concession facilities by the plain language of the statute have been exceeded. If it can be shown that 16 United States Code §55 is a valid statute, the policy implications for park management in Yosemite National Park would be considerable — namely, that significant reductions in concession facilities could be required. This article examines whether the statute can reasonably be thought to be valid and encourages others to conduct further examination of this question.

A concession system for public forests in "Mata Atlantica" Dominium, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Jorge Paladino Corrêa de Lima; Josh McDaniel

2002-01-01

Political and administrative limitations are real factors for a Management System for National Forest in Brazil, but some actions needs to be achieve. The concession system is economically feasible to create and manage National Forest in Atlantic area for sustainable timber production under actual wood world market condition. Brazil National Forest needs to be...

78 FR 27941 - Advertising and Sponsorship in Connection With Concessions Involving Privately Owned Improvements...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-13

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service RIN 0596-AC41 Advertising and Sponsorship in Connection... final directive allows holders of concession permits to advertise (1) inside buildings and other... final directive [[Page 27942

How Useful Are Climate Projections for Adaptation Decision Making?

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, J. B.; Vogel, J. M.

2011-12-01

Decision making is often portrayed as a linear process that assumes scientific knowledge is a necessary precursor to effective policy and is used directly in policy making. Yet, in practice, the use of scientific information in decision making is more complex than the linear model implies. The use of climate projections in adaptation decision making is a case in point. This paper briefly reviews efforts by some decision makers to understand climate change risks and to apply this knowledge when making decisions on management of climate sensitive resources and infrastructure . In general, and in spite of extensive efforts to study climate change at the regional and local scale to support decision making, few decisions outside of adapting to sea level rise appear to directly apply to climate change projections. A number of U.S. municipalities and states, including Seattle, New York City, Phoenix, and the States of California and Washington, have used climate change projections to assess their vulnerability to various climate change impacts. Some adaptation decisions have been made based on projections of sea level rise, such as change in location of infrastructure. This may be because a future rise is sea level is virtually certain. In contrast, decision making on precipitation has been more limited, even where there is consensus on likely changes in sign of the variable. Nonetheless, decision makers are adopting strategies that can be justified based on current climate and climate variability and that also reduce risks to climate change. A key question for the scientific community is whether improved projections will add value to decision making. For example, it remains unclear how higher-resolution projections can change decision making as long as the sign and magnitude of projections across climate models and downscaling techniques retains a wide range of uncertainty. It is also unclear whether even better information on the sign and magnitude of change would

Farmer Decision-Making for Climate Adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Lubell, M.; Niles, M.; Salerno, J.

2015-12-01

This talk will provide an overview of several studies of how farmers make decisions about climate change adaptation and mitigation. A particular focus will be the "limiting factors hypothesis", which argues that farmers will respond to the climate variables that usually have the largest impact on their crop productivity. For example, the most limiting factor in California is usually water so how climate change affects water will be the largest drive of climate adaptation decisions. This basic idea is drawn from the broader theory of "psychological distance", which argue that human decisions are more attuned to ideas that are psychologically closer in space, time, or other factors. Empirical examples come from California, New Zealand, and Africa.

The population ecology of despotism. Concessions and migration between central and peripheral habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Adrian Viliami; Winterhalder, Bruce

2014-03-01

Since despotism is a common evolutionary development in human history, we seek to understand the conditions under which it can originate, persist, and affect population trajectories. We describe a general system of population ecology equations representing the Ideal Free and Despotic Distributions for one and two habitats, one of which contains a despotic class that controls the distribution of resources. Using analytical and numerical solutions we derive the optimal concession strategy by despots with and without subordinate migration to an alternative habitat. We show that low concessions exponentially increase the time it takes for the despotic habitat to fill, and we discuss the trade-offs despots and subordinates confront at various levels of exploitation. Contrary to previous hypotheses, higher levels of despotism do not necessarily cause faster migration to alternative habitats. We further show how, during colonization, divergent population trajectories may arise if despotic systems experience Allee-type economies of scale.

The concession contracts assignment: general issues and controversies; A cessao de direitos e obrigacoes no contrado de concessao: aspectos gerais e questoes controversas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosa, Renata Gualberto Cordeiro [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

Considering the activities of exploration and production of oil and natural gas and the concession regimen applicable to them in Brazil, the assignment of rights and obligations of the concession contract is analyzed from the points of view of the Petroleum Law and the contract itself. This paper intend to address the legal aspects that support the general legal authorization and the rules of the concession contract, as well as the role of ANP in the approval of the transfer and in the development of technical rules, regarding its function as a regulatory agency. Two controversial issues, the transfer with retroactive effects and the transfer of part of the concession area, are analyzed in light of the general features of the transfer of rights and obligations. Finally, the 'cessao de fato' and its consequences will be considered for the study of assignment of rights with retroactive effects and the operations of sole risk.. (author)

Designing Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways using Many-Objective Robust Decision Making

Science.gov (United States)

Kwakkel, Jan; Haasnoot, Marjolijn

2017-04-01

Dealing with climate risks in water management requires confronting a wide variety of deeply uncertain factors, while navigating a many dimensional space of trade-offs amongst objectives. There is an emerging body of literature on supporting this type of decision problem, under the label of decision making under deep uncertainty. Two approaches within this literature are Many-Objective Robust Decision Making, and Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways. In recent work, these approaches have been compared. One of the main conclusions of this comparison was that they are highly complementary. Many-Objective Robust Decision Making is a model based decision support approach, while Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways is primarily a conceptual framework for the design of flexible strategies that can be adapted over time in response to how the future is actually unfolding. In this research we explore this complementarity in more detail. Specifically, we demonstrate how Many-Objective Robust Decision Making can be used to design adaptation pathways. We demonstrate this combined approach using a water management problem, in the Netherlands. The water level of Lake IJselmeer, the main fresh water resource of the Netherlands, is currently managed through discharge by gravity. Due to climate change, this won't be possible in the future, unless water levels are changed. Changing the water level has undesirable flood risk and spatial planning consequences. The challenge is to find promising adaptation pathways that balance objectives related to fresh water supply, flood risk, and spatial issues, while accounting for uncertain climatic and land use change. We conclude that the combination of Many-Objective Robust Decision Making and Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways is particularly suited for dealing with deeply uncertain climate risks.

Logging Concessions Enable Illegal Logging Crisis in the Peruvian Amazon

OpenAIRE

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N.; Sky, Melissa A. Blue; Pine, Justin

2014-01-01

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US?Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru's legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3%...

Complexity in organizations and environment - adaptive changes and adaptive decision-making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Fabac

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The features of complexity are ever more present in modern organizations and in environments in which they operate, trying to survive and be as competitive as possible. In the processes of, the so-called emergence, the formal organizational structure, designed purposefully and with a plan, is going through a change due to complexity and the need for adaptation. As a result, there is a variety of new informal groups. At the same time, the intended structural changes and business process changes occur because of the perception that the leadership and senior organizational management have of the strategic situation. Managers in modern organizations often use business intelligence (BI systems when making important business decisions. These systems offer support to the decision-making by gathering and processing relevant data and information about the company performance, but also about the data on conditions in close and remote environment. A modern company is characterized by the complex adaptive system, but the environment in which it operates together with other business subjects (agents is also complex. Consequently, the requirements for appropriate or optimal decisions and successfully completed activities are hard to meet. Given that expected future events and circumstances often occur in nonlinear mechanisms, the decisions made by following the models of traditional predicting and planning are not satisfactory. This calls for new approaches to decision making and acting.

Adaptation pathways: ecoregion and land ownership influences on climate adaptation decision-making in forest management

Science.gov (United States)

Todd A. Ontl; Chris Swanston; Leslie A. Brandt; Patricia R. Butler; Anthony W. D’Amato; Stephen D. Handler; Maria K. Janowiak; P. Danielle Shannon

2018-01-01

Climate adaptation planning and implementation are likely to increase rapidly within the forest sector not only as climate continues to change but also as we intentionally learn from real-world examples. We sought to better understand how adaptation is being incorporated in land management decision-making across diverse land ownership types in the Midwest by evaluating...

Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries: The Impact of Buffer Zones on Deforestation and Mining Concessions in the Peruvian Amazon

Science.gov (United States)

Weisse, Mikaela J.; Naughton-Treves, Lisa C.

2016-08-01

Many researchers have tested whether protected areas save tropical forest, but generally focus on parks and reserves, management units that have internationally recognized standing and clear objectives. Buffer zones have received considerably less attention because of their ambiguous rules and often informal status. Although buffer zones are frequently dismissed as ineffective, they warrant attention given the need for landscape-level approaches to conservation and their prevalence around the world—in Peru, buffer zones cover >10 % of the country. This study examines the effectiveness of buffer zones in the Peruvian Amazon to (a) prevent deforestation and (b) limit the extent of mining concessions. We employ covariate matching to determine the impact of 13 buffer zones on deforestation and mining concessions from 2007 to 2012. Despite variation between sites, these 13 buffer zones have prevented ~320 km2 of forest loss within their borders during the study period and ~1739 km2 of mining concessions, an outcome associated with the special approval process for granting formal concessions in these areas. However, a closer look at the buffer zone around the Tambopata National Reserve reveals the difficulties of controlling illegal and informal activities. According to interviews with NGO employees, government officials, and community leaders, enforcement of conservation is limited by uncertain institutional responsibilities, inadequate budgets, and corruption, although formal and community-based efforts to block illicit mining are on the rise. Landscape-level conservation not only requires clear legal protocol for addressing large-scale, formal extractive activities, but there must also be strategies and coordination to combat illegal activities.

Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries: The Impact of Buffer Zones on Deforestation and Mining Concessions in the Peruvian Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisse, Mikaela J; Naughton-Treves, Lisa C

2016-08-01

Many researchers have tested whether protected areas save tropical forest, but generally focus on parks and reserves, management units that have internationally recognized standing and clear objectives. Buffer zones have received considerably less attention because of their ambiguous rules and often informal status. Although buffer zones are frequently dismissed as ineffective, they warrant attention given the need for landscape-level approaches to conservation and their prevalence around the world-in Peru, buffer zones cover >10 % of the country. This study examines the effectiveness of buffer zones in the Peruvian Amazon to (a) prevent deforestation and (b) limit the extent of mining concessions. We employ covariate matching to determine the impact of 13 buffer zones on deforestation and mining concessions from 2007 to 2012. Despite variation between sites, these 13 buffer zones have prevented ~320 km(2) of forest loss within their borders during the study period and ~1739 km(2) of mining concessions, an outcome associated with the special approval process for granting formal concessions in these areas. However, a closer look at the buffer zone around the Tambopata National Reserve reveals the difficulties of controlling illegal and informal activities. According to interviews with NGO employees, government officials, and community leaders, enforcement of conservation is limited by uncertain institutional responsibilities, inadequate budgets, and corruption, although formal and community-based efforts to block illicit mining are on the rise. Landscape-level conservation not only requires clear legal protocol for addressing large-scale, formal extractive activities, but there must also be strategies and coordination to combat illegal activities.

The adaptive use of recognition in group decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Kämmer, Juliane E; Gaissmaier, Wolfgang; Reimer, Torsten; Schermuly, Carsten C

2014-06-01

Applying the framework of ecological rationality, the authors studied the adaptivity of group decision making. In detail, they investigated whether groups apply decision strategies conditional on their composition in terms of task-relevant features. The authors focused on the recognition heuristic, so the task-relevant features were the validity of the group members' recognition and knowledge, which influenced the potential performance of group strategies. Forty-three three-member groups performed an inference task in which they had to infer which of two German companies had the higher market capitalization. Results based on the choice data support the hypothesis that groups adaptively apply the strategy that leads to the highest theoretically achievable performance. Time constraints had no effect on strategy use but did have an effect on the proportions of different types of arguments. Possible mechanisms underlying the adaptive use of recognition in group decision making are discussed. © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Large-Scale Land Concessions, Migration, and Land Use: The Paradox of Industrial Estates in the Red River Delta of Vietnam and Rubber Plantations of Northeast Cambodia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jefferson Fox

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the implications of large-scale land concessions in the Red River Delta, Vietnam, and Northeast Cambodia with regard to urban and agricultural frontiers, agrarian transitions, migration, and places from which the migrant workers originated. Field interviews conducted near large-scale land concessions for industrial estates in the Red River Delta and rubber plantations in Northeast Cambodia suggest that these radically different concessions are paradoxically leading to similar reconfigurations of livelihoods, labor patterns, and landscapes despite basic differences in these forms of land use. Both the Red River Delta and Northeast Cambodia are frontier environments undergoing extensive agrarian change with migration to work in the large-scale land concessions leading to a shortage of farm labor that anticipates changes in farming practices and farm livelihoods. These population movements will lead to further land-use changes as governments invest in the infrastructure and services needed to support increased population density in the receiving areas. In addition, labor migrations associated with these investments affect land-use practices both at the site of the concession and the places from where the migrants originate.

Performance analysis of Brazilian highways under concession through the capacity and level of service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silveira Santos, T.; Martins Ribeiro, P.C.

2016-07-01

This paper proposes the development of a methodology to analyze the performance of highways under concession through the capacity and level of service, with special attention to Brazilian highways. The trajectory of transport infrastructure provision in Brazil and its performance assessment framework are mentioned, as well as an approach of the level of service concept and the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). An inventory of the highway with the necessary data to the model is proposed. This database should incorporate information from multiple data sources and its use will be important for the processing and compilation of raw data in order to structure a full informational basis. Then, it is developed a method for segmentation of homogeneous road sections, as conceptualized by HCM, and proposed a way of level of service measurement. Finally, there are analysis of the use of HCM in some highways concession programs in Brazil. (Author)

76 FR 20008 - Notice of Temporary Concession Contract for Assateague Island National Seashore, MD

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-11

... pre-packaged food and beverage. This action is necessary to avoid interruption of visitor services... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-WASO-CONC-0111-6544; 2410-OYC] Notice of Temporary Concession Contract for Assateague Island National Seashore, MD AGENCY: National Park Service...

[Public health infrastructure investment difficulties in Chile: concessions and public tenders].

Science.gov (United States)

Goyenechea, Matías

2016-05-12

This paper seeks to highlight the problems of gaps in health infrastructure in Chile, and to analyze the mechanisms by which it is provided. In Chile this is done in two ways: the first is through competitive bidding or sector-wide modality. The second way is through hospital concessions. Both mechanisms have had difficulties in recent years, which are reported. Finally, we propose ways to improve the provision of health infrastructure in Chile.

Trends on port concession disclosures in concessionaire financial statements in Bulgaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galina Sabcheva

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article is focused on the port concession disclosure of concessionaire financial statements in Bulgaria. The research is based on disclosure index development. The empirical study is based on publicly available information from annual financial statements. The results testify a higher level of disclosure to IFRS adoption entities than the domestic standards entities. There is a need to raise and specify the disclosure requirements for domestic standards applying companies.

Regime jurídico especial e as novas perspectivas das concessões de serviços públicos

OpenAIRE

Araujo, Rayan

2013-01-01

A Concessão de Serviços Públicos é um importante instituto dentro do vasto Direito Administrativo. Tem como principal função possibilitar o desenvolvimento de determinadas áreas, nas quais a Administração Pública não deve atuar, seja por impossibilidade, seja por ser mais benéfico à própria prestação do serviço. Dentro desse vasto ramo, um importante ponto a ser salientado são as diferenças entre essa figura e os demais contratos do Direito Administrativo. A Concessão apresenta uma série de a...

77 FR 1723 - Proposed Concession Contract for Shenandoah National Park-Alternative Formula for Calculating...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-11

... we include in concession contracts a franchise fee payable to the Government that is based upon... establish the required minimum franchise fee for the new contract, that fee will reflect speculative... concessioner offers to meet or exceed the minimum franchise fee that we would establish under the standard LSI...

75 FR 5115 - Temporary Concession Contract for Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ/NV

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-01

... National Recreation Area, AZ/NV AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of intention to award temporary concession contract for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. SUMMARY: Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.24, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service intends to award a...

Urban drainage design and climate change adaptation decision making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Qianqian

response impacts in the context of hydrological extremes are considered while the added intangible values (e.g. recreational amenities due to a nice blue-green neighbourhood) of adaptation options are often ignored or underestimated. In order to facilitate the development and implementation of water...... the benefits of provision of positive environmental values and the preservation of water resources. It is found that neglecting intangible values in climate adaptation assessment can easily bias the decision making; the reframed approach hence provide an important tool for assessment of additional benefits...... and costs of such innovative solutions. The thesis points towards an integrated framework for urban drainage adaptation design considering climate change effects and adaptation benefits and costs. The case studies show how the proposed framework can be utilized to manage the anticipated climate change risks...

The competitive concession assignment according to paragraph 46 EnWG. Procedure without rules and arbitrators; Die wettbewerbliche Vergabe von Konzessionen nach paragraph 46 EnWG. Verfahren ohne Regeln und Schiedsrichter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schau, Goetz-Friedrich [Niedersaechsisches Ministerium fuer Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Verkehr, Hannover (Germany). Landeskartellbehoerde

2011-01-15

Presently, the concession assignment regarding to paragraph 46 EnWG (Energy Economy Law) has a great practical significance. For the first time, the concession assignment proceeds in the background of the liberalized and regulated electricity and natural gas markets. The half-hearted legal obligation to the competition of concession as well as the so far dormant supervisory authorities result in a substantial juridical insecurity in the process at the expense of the competitor.

75 FR 54179 - National Park Service Concession Contracts; Implementation of Alternative Valuation Formula for...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-03

... reflects in part the requirement of the 1998 Act that NPS include in concession contracts a franchise fee... consequence, if the NPS were to establish the required minimum franchise fee for the new contract under the... a prospective concessioner offers to meet or exceed the minimum franchise fee established by NPS...

Urban drainage design and climate change adaptation decision making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qianqian Zhou

2012-10-15

adaptation actions (e.g. formulation of an appropriate service level). Furthermore, the risk-based economic approach enables an assessment and comparison of the expected benefits (due to saved flood damage) and corresponding costs of different adaptation measures. This gives more detailed insights into the pros and cons of different adaptation options, thus helping to optimize the efficiency and performance of urban drainage adaptation design. The thesis investigates impacts of uncertainties associated with not only the hydrological conditions (e.g. design intensities, climate change impacts), but also the present and future vulnerability conditions (e.g. impacts on assets). This enables a complete assessment of effects of various uncertainties in the climate change assessment process. Furthermore, in the study, two types of uncertainties are distinguished: 1) the overall uncertainty of an individual adaptation scenario, which may influence the choice of action; and 2) the marginal uncertainty between adaptation alternatives in order for a direct comparison of their efficiency once a decision of action is taken. Based on assessments of the two types of uncertainties, it is found that although climate change adaptation assessment is often associated with large uncertainties, it is still possible to identify robust adaptation options based on calculated marginal uncertainties. This is because that the uncertainties related to costing of floods and magnitude of climate impacts will be levelled out when comparing adaptation alternatives. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is also incorporated in the framework to assess the relative contribution of inherent uncertainties in the assessment. This allows an identification of critical/important uncertainties that matter for decision making and also provides a guide for further efforts to improve decision making in relation to climate change adaptation. Traditionally, assessment of climate change adaptation is based on conventional

Mechanism design of reverse auction on concession period and generalized quality for PPP projects

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xianjia WANG; Shiwei WU

2017-01-01

Reverse auctions of PPP projects usually require the bid to specify several characteristics of quality and the concession period to be fulfilled.This paper sets up a summary function of generalized quality,which contributes to reducing the dimensions of information.Thus,the multidimensional reverse auction model of a PPP project can be replaced by a two-dimensional direct mechanism based on the concession period and the generalized quality.Based on the theory of the revelation principle,the feasibility conditions,equilibrium solution and generalized quality requirements of such a mechanism,considering the influence of a variable investment structure are described.Moreover,two feasible multidimensional reverse auctions for implementing such a direct mechanism:Adjusting the scoring function and establishing a special reverse auction rule are built.The analysis shows that in these types of reverse auctions,optimal allocation can be achieved,the social benefit under the incomplete information will be maximized,and the private sector with the highest integrated management level wins the bid.In such a direct mechanism,the investment and financial pressure of the public sector can be reduced.

Problemas de estimação de custo de capital de empresas concessionárias no Brasil: uma aplicação à regulamentação de concessões rodoviárias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Zoratto Sanvicente

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Neste trabalho, discute-se a fixação de taxas de retorno de concessões no Brasil, com aplicação específica ao caso da metodologia da Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres (ANTT. Mostra-se a inadequação da regulamentação vigente, baseada no conceito de taxa interna de retorno (TIR, e não de custo de oportunidade do capital. A partir de um exemplo com dados referentes ao auge da crise financeira internacional (dezembro de 2008, evidencia-se também a falta de lógica decorrente da utilização de retornos e preços passados na estimação de taxas de retorno, um procedimento comum a toda a área de concessões de serviços públicos no Brasil. Propõe-se uma metodologia alternativa cujos resultados são sensíveis às condições correntes de mercado de capitais, que produz resultados coerentes com a situação então vigente.

Making it personal: Diversity and deliberation in climate adaptation planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roopali Phadke

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The vulnerabilities and health burdens of climate change fall disproportionately upon lower income communities and communities of color. Yet the very groups who are most affected by climate change impacts are least likely to be involved in climate adaptation discussions. These communities face critical barriers to involvement including historical disenfranchisement, as well as a sense that climate change is distant and not personally relevant. Boundary organizations are increasingly playing an important role in bringing science to bear on policy decision-making with respect to climate change adaptation, an issue fraught with political and ideological tensions. Our project aimed to engage underrepresented communities in climate change adaptation decision-making using a neighborhood consensus conference model developed and tested in several diverse districts of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Our partnership, a “linked chain” of boundary organizations, devised a neighborhood consensus conference model to present best-available climate data as tangible, place-based scenarios. In so doing, we made climate change “personal” for those who remain outside of climate change planning discourses and opened an opportunity for them to assess their community’s vulnerabilities and communicate their priorities for public investment. Our neighborhood-based model built trust and social capital with local residents and allowed us to bring new voices into conversations around climate change adaptation concerns and priorities. We believe this work will have a long term impact on local climate adaptation planning decisions.

Consommation de produits d'origine animale dans la concession forestière 039/11 de la SODEFOR à Oshwe (R.D. Congo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Semeki Ngabinzeke, J.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Consumption of Products of Animal Origin in the Forest Concession 039/11 of the SODEFOR to Oshwe (D.R. Congo. To identify the main foods of animal origin consumed by people living in the concession 039/11 of the forest Development Company (SODEFOR in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to specify the determinants of consumption, 120 households in 3 villages (Taketa, Ikala 1 and Mombele and in the base of Nteno were surveyed for 30 days. The results show that bush meat represents 72.00% of the number of meals followed by fish (24.00%, and livestock products finally (3.10%. In total, 30 species of animals including 4 which are legally banned from hunting have been identified, for a total biomass of 1235 kg. Mammals represent 97.00% of animals consumed with a predominance of artiodactyls (71.60%, primates (15.40%, and rodents (9.10%. The duikers, the bushes and the atherure are the most represented. The choice of consumption is guided by the availability of the product, taste, and eating habits. The majority of households are supplied by intermediaries to whom they primarily buy animal parts. This study suggests a long term follow-up of hunting with an assessment of the abundance of animal species to guide the SODEFOR in the decision-making.

Frequencies of decision making and monitoring in adaptive resource management.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byron K Williams

Full Text Available Adaptive management involves learning-oriented decision making in the presence of uncertainty about the responses of a resource system to management. It is implemented through an iterative sequence of decision making, monitoring and assessment of system responses, and incorporating what is learned into future decision making. Decision making at each point is informed by a value or objective function, for example total harvest anticipated over some time frame. The value function expresses the value associated with decisions, and it is influenced by system status as updated through monitoring. Often, decision making follows shortly after a monitoring event. However, it is certainly possible for the cadence of decision making to differ from that of monitoring. In this paper we consider different combinations of annual and biennial decision making, along with annual and biennial monitoring. With biennial decision making decisions are changed only every other year; with biennial monitoring field data are collected only every other year. Different cadences of decision making combine with annual and biennial monitoring to define 4 scenarios. Under each scenario we describe optimal valuations for active and passive adaptive decision making. We highlight patterns in valuation among scenarios, depending on the occurrence of monitoring and decision making events. Differences between years are tied to the fact that every other year a new decision can be made no matter what the scenario, and state information is available to inform that decision. In the subsequent year, however, in 3 of the 4 scenarios either a decision is repeated or monitoring does not occur (or both. There are substantive differences in optimal values among the scenarios, as well as the optimal policies producing those values. Especially noteworthy is the influence of monitoring cadence on valuation in some years. We highlight patterns in policy and valuation among the scenarios, and

Frequencies of decision making and monitoring in adaptive resource management

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Byron K.; Johnson, Fred A.

2017-01-01

Adaptive management involves learning-oriented decision making in the presence of uncertainty about the responses of a resource system to management. It is implemented through an iterative sequence of decision making, monitoring and assessment of system responses, and incorporating what is learned into future decision making. Decision making at each point is informed by a value or objective function, for example total harvest anticipated over some time frame. The value function expresses the value associated with decisions, and it is influenced by system status as updated through monitoring. Often, decision making follows shortly after a monitoring event. However, it is certainly possible for the cadence of decision making to differ from that of monitoring. In this paper we consider different combinations of annual and biennial decision making, along with annual and biennial monitoring. With biennial decision making decisions are changed only every other year; with biennial monitoring field data are collected only every other year. Different cadences of decision making combine with annual and biennial monitoring to define 4 scenarios. Under each scenario we describe optimal valuations for active and passive adaptive decision making. We highlight patterns in valuation among scenarios, depending on the occurrence of monitoring and decision making events. Differences between years are tied to the fact that every other year a new decision can be made no matter what the scenario, and state information is available to inform that decision. In the subsequent year, however, in 3 of the 4 scenarios either a decision is repeated or monitoring does not occur (or both). There are substantive differences in optimal values among the scenarios, as well as the optimal policies producing those values. Especially noteworthy is the influence of monitoring cadence on valuation in some years. We highlight patterns in policy and valuation among the scenarios, and discuss management

Sequential decision making in computational sustainability via adaptive submodularity

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Andreas; Golovin, Daniel; Converse, Sarah J.

2015-01-01

Many problems in computational sustainability require making a sequence of decisions in complex, uncertain environments. Such problems are generally notoriously difficult. In this article, we review the recently discovered notion of adaptive submodularity, an intuitive diminishing returns condition that generalizes the classical notion of submodular set functions to sequential decision problems. Problems exhibiting the adaptive submodularity property can be efficiently and provably near-optimally solved using simple myopic policies. We illustrate this concept in several case studies of interest in computational sustainability: First, we demonstrate how it can be used to efficiently plan for resolving uncertainty in adaptive management scenarios. Secondly, we show how it applies to dynamic conservation planning for protecting endangered species, a case study carried out in collaboration with the US Geological Survey and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Oil concession agreements and the evolution of the oil industry in the UAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizvi, S.N.A.

1993-01-01

A historical and analytical development of the oil industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is presented in this paper. Oil concession agreements are identified and examined in three distinct groups: old agreements, new agreements and participation agreements. Oil discoveries and production in other Emirates are also described. The gradual acquisition of control over these industries by their respective governments is a key feature of the paper. (UK)

76 FR 35909 - Temporary Concession Contract for Big South Fork National Recreation Area, TN/KY

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... Recreation Area, TN/KY. SUMMARY: Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.24, public notice is hereby given that the National... Concession Contract for Big South Fork National Recreation Area, TN/KY AGENCY: National Park Service... services within Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Tennessee and Kentucky, for a term not to exceed 3...

Adaptive Decision-Making Scheme for Cognitive Radio Networks

KAUST Repository

Alqerm, Ismail

2014-05-01

Radio resource management becomes an important aspect of the current wireless networks because of spectrum scarcity and applications heterogeneity. Cognitive radio is a potential candidate for resource management because of its capability to satisfy the growing wireless demand and improve network efficiency. Decision-making is the main function of the radio resources management process as it determines the radio parameters that control the use of these resources. In this paper, we propose an adaptive decision-making scheme (ADMS) for radio resources management of different types of network applications including: power consuming, emergency, multimedia, and spectrum sharing. ADMS exploits genetic algorithm (GA) as an optimization tool for decision-making. It consists of the several objective functions for the decision-making process such as minimizing power consumption, packet error rate (PER), delay, and interference. On the other hand, maximizing throughput and spectral efficiency. Simulation results and test bed evaluation demonstrate ADMS functionality and efficiency.

Revisiting the generation and interpretation of climate models experiments for adaptation decision-making (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Ranger, N.; Millner, A.; Niehoerster, F.

2010-12-01

Traditionally, climate change risk assessments have taken a roughly four-stage linear ‘chain’ of moving from socioeconomic projections, to climate projections, to primary impacts and then finally onto economic and social impact assessment. Adaptation decisions are then made on the basis of these outputs. The escalation of uncertainty through this chain is well known; resulting in an ‘explosion’ of uncertainties in the final risk and adaptation assessment. The space of plausible future risk scenarios is growing ever wider with the application of new techniques which aim to explore uncertainty ever more deeply; such as those used in the recent ‘probabilistic’ UK Climate Projections 2009, and the stochastic integrated assessment models, for example PAGE2002. This explosion of uncertainty can make decision-making problematic, particularly given that the uncertainty information communicated can not be treated as strictly probabilistic and therefore, is not an easy fit with standard decision-making under uncertainty approaches. Additional problems can arise from the fact that the uncertainty estimated for different components of the ‘chain’ is rarely directly comparable or combinable. Here, we explore the challenges and limitations of using current projections for adaptation decision-making. We report the findings of a recent report completed for the UK Adaptation Sub-Committee on approaches to deal with these challenges and make robust adaptation decisions today. To illustrate these approaches, we take a number of illustrative case studies, including a case of adaptation to hurricane risk on the US Gulf Coast. This is a particularly interesting case as it involves urgent adaptation of long-lived infrastructure but requires interpreting highly uncertain climate change science and modelling; i.e. projections of Atlantic basin hurricane activity. An approach we outline is reversing the linear chain of assessments to put the economics and decision-making

Forms of international movement of capital with special emphasis on the PPP and concessions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šovran Sanja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The state has always cooperated with the private sector in order to implement various activities in the best interest of public. The first models of public-private partnerships (PPP appeared at the time of the Roman Empire in the context of public works in construction of public baths, markets and ports. Contemporary international movement of capital is a phenomenon that has existed for over a century. When discussing the PPP in modern day terms, the expansion of private involvement in the public sector starts in the 1970s and the 1980s of the previous century, in public infrastructure projects and in most developed economies. The primary purpose of these arrangements is to reduce expenditures in state budgets, but also to achieve faster and better execution of work, reduce risk and efficiently manage the projects. This paper will briefly present the evolution of PPPs and concessions, with an emphasis on understanding money and capital throughout the evolution of PPP, contemporary forms of movement of capital, as well as equity in terms of globalization. The subject of this paper are also examples of the important PPPs and concessions from the construction of the Suez Canal until today.

36 CFR 51.24 - May the Director award a temporary concession contract without a public solicitation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... visitor services. Further, the Director must publish notice in the Federal Register of the proposed... infeasible. The Director must publish a notice of his intention to award a temporary concession contract to a... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May the Director award a...

77 FR 54924 - Temporary Concession Contract for the Operation of Lodging, Food and Beverage and Retail Services...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-WASO-CONC-10876; 2410-OYC] Temporary Concession Contract for the Operation of Lodging, Food and Beverage and Retail Services in Canyon de Chelly... services include lodging, food and beverage and retail. DATES: January 1, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

Study of Calculation Method on Concession Period of PPP Project in Mixed Financing Mode%混合融资的PPP项目特许期计算方法研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张芳; 马金平; 靳小青

2015-01-01

It is an important measure to lead the private capital to invest on infrastructure construction for the reform of financing structure in fixed assets in China,which makes the financing mode transmit from state single investment to multilateral co-investment. Therefore,it is of great practical significance to explore the problem of calculating the concession period of PPP project in the mixed financing mode. According to the financial management theory,this paper puts forward the calculation method of concession period based on the definition of the concession period,which can determine the concession period for different proportions of contribution and the private gains should be allocated according to the preset proportions. An example is provided to illustrate the application procedure of the method,and verify the reliability and applicability of the proposed method,which provides a reference for determining the concession period in mixed financing mode. This paper also points out the limitation and the future direction of the study.%引导民营资本投入基础设施建设领域是我国改革固定资产投融资结构的一项重要举措，使得我国基础设施建设的融资模式由过去的单一国家投资改为多方共同投资的混合融资模式。因此，探索混合融资模式下的 PPP 项目特许期如何计算的问题具有重要的现实意义。在对特许期的概念进行界定的基础上，根据财务管理理论提出了特许期计算方法。该方法可针对各方的不同投资比例，对在民营期内项目获得的收益，按预设分配比例进行分配的前提下，计算 PPP 项目的特许期。通过对实际案例的分析，说明了计算方法的应用过程，验证了方法的可靠性与适用性，这对于解决混合融资模式下特许期的计算问题具有较大的参考价值。

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Ecosystems - Benefits, Barriers and Decision‐Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Lea Ravnkilde

) -Simulation of decision and reaction patterns in relation to the belief in future climate changes and trajectory of decisions when knowledge about future climate is gradually increased (Paper 4. Simulation of Optimal Decision‐Making under the Impacts of Climate Change) Overall, the PhD thesis concludes...... the uncertainty about the actual benefits of adaptation and mitigation of climate change and complicates the process of deciding how to act. Paper 3 provides a more in‐depth empirical analysis of actual decision‐making, considering rural Nepalese households dependent on agricultural production. Paper 3 finds...... to consider long‐term strategies. This underlines the importance of linking development with the fight against climate change in order to secure increased freedom of action for the world’s poorest, thereby increasing their ability to adapt and make optimal decisions for the future. Because climate change...

Integrating climate change adaptation in energy planning and decision-making - Key challenges and opportunities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olhoff, Anne; Olsen, Karen Holm

2011-01-01

management framework is used as the basis for identifying key challenges and opportunities to enhance the integration of climate change adaptation in energy planning and decision-making. Given its importance for raising awareness and for stimulating action by planners and decision-makers, emphasis is placed......Energy systems are significantly vulnerable to current climate variability and extreme events. As climate change becomes more pronounced, the risks and vulnerabilities will be exacerbated. To date, energy sector adaptation issues have received very limited attention. In this paper, a climate risk...... barriers to integration of climate risks and adaptive responses in energy planning and decision making. Both detailed assessments of the costs and benefits of integrating adaptation measures and rougher ‘order of magnitude’ estimates would enhance awareness raising and momentum for action....

Resistance and Contingent Contestations to Large-Scale Land Concessions in Southern Laos and Northeastern Cambodia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian G. Baird

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, there have been considerable concerns raised regarding the social and environmental impacts of large-scale land concessions for plantation development in various parts of the world, especially in the tropics, including in Laos and Cambodia. However, there is still much to learn about the various connections and interactions associated with reactions to what are often referred to as “land grabs”, and the ways they are associated or not associated with broader social movements and networks opposed to land grabbing. There is also the need to develop language for discussing these circumstances, something I aim to contribute to in this article. Here, I present four different cases of types of resistance, or what I refer to as contingent contestations, to land concessions in southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia (two from each country, focusing on the perspectives and associated strategies of smallholder farmers, but without ignoring broader issues. I consider the roles of locals in these contestations, through emphasizing the importance of histories, identities/ethnicities, politics, and geography in determining the types of responses to these land deals that emerge, and the strategies that are adopted for contesting these developments.

Conceptual model for concessioning in the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in Bulgaria

OpenAIRE

Todor Raychev

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to create a new conceptual model for sustainable development of the water sector in Bulgaria on the basis of concessions by statistical regions according to the NUTS-2 classification of the European Union. The essence of the proposed model includes an approach for consolidating the existing 66 WSS operators in three WSS operators – concessionaires. The approach is applied to provide WSS services for drinking and household needs of the population. WSS services fo...

Make way for the climate. National adaptation strategy. The policy paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-11-01

The policy paper is a background document of the interdepartmental memorandum 'Make way for climate', in which the outline is described for a national strategy for adaptation to the consequences of climate change. [mk] [nl

A framework for modeling adaptive forest management and decision making under climate change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasoul Yousefpour

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Adapting the management of forest resources to climate change involves addressing several crucial aspects to provide a valid basis for decision making. These include the knowledge and belief of decision makers, the mapping of management options for the current as well as anticipated future bioclimatic and socioeconomic conditions, and the ways decisions are evaluated and made. We investigate the adaptive management process and develop a framework including these three aspects, thus providing a structured way to analyze the challenges and opportunities of managing forests in the face of climate change. We apply the framework for a range of case studies that differ in the way climate and its impacts are projected to change, the available management options, and how decision makers develop, update, and use their beliefs about climate change scenarios to select among adaptation options, each being optimal for a certain climate change scenario. We describe four stylized types of decision-making processes that differ in how they (1 take into account uncertainty and new information on the state and development of the climate and (2 evaluate alternative management decisions: the "no-change," the "reactive," the "trend-adaptive," and the "forward-looking adaptive" decision-making types. Accordingly, we evaluate the experiences with alternative management strategies and recent publications on using Bayesian optimization methods that account for different simulated learning schemes based on varying knowledge, belief, and information. Finally, our proposed framework for identifying adaptation strategies provides solutions for enhancing forest structure and diversity, biomass and timber production, and reducing climate change-induced damages. They are spatially heterogeneous, reflecting the diversity in growing conditions and socioeconomic settings within Europe.

Would science serve decision-making to adapt the impact of climate change? Introduction to Climate Change Adaptation – scientific evidence, assessment framework and decision-making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gin-Rong Liu Peiwen Lu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We live in challenging times with a heightened sense of uncertainty and unpredictability. Climate change, with its impact on disruptive events as well as gradual trends, has been addressed in scientific studies and become increasingly important in policymaking. This rises up a great need on scientific integration and knowledge transformation. The Taiwan Integrated Research Programme on Climate Change Adaptation Technology (TaiCCAT is formed under this concern. Directing by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST, it carries a strong intention to explore and to conduct adequate knowledge of climate change and adaptation strategies for decision-making supports. The TaiCCAT highly recommends the approach of cross-disciplinary collaboration from environmental studies to adaptation governance. The result can therefore be more contributive to reflect the complexity of the changing world.

Collaborative use of geodesign tools to support decision-making on adaptation to climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eikelboom, T.; Janssen, R.

2017-01-01

Spatial planners around the world need to make climate change adaptation plans. Climate adaptation planning requires combining spatial information with stakeholder values. This study demonstrates the potential of geodesign tools as a mean to integrate spatial analysis with stakeholder participation

Concession renewal of Kembs' hydroelectric head on the Rhine river

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, P.; Defoug, H.; Petit, D.

2000-07-01

In order to evaluate the different impacts of the concession renewal of Kembs' water head on the Rhine river, all aspects have been considered and are reported in this document: international aspects, influence of the dam on navigation and floods, hydrology of Alsace plain, ecological, energetic and economical aspects, leisure and safety aspects. Several questions have to be put forward which concern the transfrontier relations, the water rights, the problem of derivations, of Rhine river maintenance, the turbine and water depth warranty problems, the flow rate and the restoration of the Rhine island. All these questions must be tackled by the impact study. The implementation of a local procedure follow up made of a permanent technical working group and of a management committee is recommended. (J.S.)

Training Adaptive Decision-Making.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbott, Robert G.; Forsythe, James C.

2014-10-01

Adaptive Thinking has been defined here as the capacity to recognize when a course of action that may have previously been effective is no longer effective and there is need to adjust strategy. Research was undertaken with human test subjects to identify the factors that contribute to adaptive thinking. It was discovered that those most effective in settings that call for adaptive thinking tend to possess a superior capacity to quickly and effectively generate possible courses of action, as measured using the Category Generation test. Software developed for this research has been applied to develop capabilities enabling analysts to identify crucial factors that are predictive of outcomes in fore-on-force simulation exercises.

49 CFR 23.47 - What is the base for a recipient's goal for concessions other than car rentals?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Transportation PARTICIPATION OF DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN AIRPORT CONCESSIONS Goals, Good Faith... rental operations. (c) The dollar amount of a management contract or subcontract with a non-ACDBE and the gross receipts of business activities to which a management or subcontract with a non-ACDBE pertains are...

Adapting Scott and Bruce's General Decision-Making Style Inventory to Patient Decision Making in Provider Choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Sophia; Soyez, Katja; Gurtner, Sebastian

2015-05-01

Research testing the concept of decision-making styles in specific contexts such as health care-related choices is missing. Therefore, we examine the contextuality of Scott and Bruce's (1995) General Decision-Making Style Inventory with respect to patient choice situations. Scott and Bruce's scale was adapted for use as a patient decision-making style inventory. In total, 388 German patients who underwent elective joint surgery responded to a questionnaire about their provider choice. Confirmatory factor analyses within 2 independent samples assessed factorial structure, reliability, and validity of the scale. The final 4-dimensional, 13-item patient decision-making style inventory showed satisfactory psychometric properties. Data analyses supported reliability and construct validity. Besides the intuitive, dependent, and avoidant style, a new subdimension, called "comparative" decision-making style, emerged that originated from the rational dimension of the general model. This research provides evidence for the contextuality of decision-making style to specific choice situations. Using a limited set of indicators, this report proposes the patient decision-making style inventory as valid and feasible tool to assess patients' decision propensities. © The Author(s) 2015.

Milkfish (Chanos chanos Fry Concession System in Bolinao, Pangasinan: Implications to Coastal Resources Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Severino Salmo III

2000-12-01

Full Text Available The ecological and socioeconomic implications of the concession system on milkfish (Chanos chanos Forssk. fry in Bolinao, Pangasinan were evaluated from 1996 to 1999. Monitoring of landed catch from 1996 to 1998 showed that the seasonal trend and annual volume of catch varied widely during the three-year period. The fry season in 1996 and 1997 lasted seven months, starting from the second week of April to the second week of October. However, during the 1998 season, fry were available for eight months starting in the second week of March and ending in November. The peak period also varied considerably during the three-year period. In 1996, peak abundance of fry was observed in the last week of July while in 1997 and 1998, the peak was during the second week of May. The volume of total catch for the entire season also varied widely, from as low as ~400,000 fry (1997 to as high as 2,400,000 fry (1996. The concessionaire “postor” has the sole right to buy all fry caught within the municipal waters. Thus, s/he dictates the buying price. Moreover, the existing concession system has no mechanism to regulate harvest of milkfish fry gathering. This arrangement allows the concessionaire to enjoy huge economic benefits while the fry gatherers only get a minimal share in the income. To promote sustainable and equitable harvest of milkfish fry, a new access arrangement through a permit system was proposed by the fry gatherers. The proposed permit system will promote a sustainable harvest of milkfish fry through the implementation of a closed period during the fry season. Compared to the present concession system, the permit system is believed to be more equitable because of the abolition of the 1/3 cut levied by the concessionaire on the landed catch. The permit system also facilitates a mechanism that provides for transparency on the selling/buying price. More importantly, fry gatherers will have the opportunity to sell to buyers offering a relatively

Understanding and applying principles of social cognition and decision making in adaptive environmental governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel A. DeCaro

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Environmental governance systems are under greater pressure to adapt and to cope with increased social and ecological uncertainty from stressors like climate change. We review principles of social cognition and decision making that shape and constrain how environmental governance systems adapt. We focus primarily on the interplay between key decision makers in society and legal systems. We argue that adaptive governance must overcome three cooperative dilemmas to facilitate adaptation: (1 encouraging collaborative problem solving, (2 garnering social acceptance and commitment, and (3 cultivating a culture of trust and tolerance for change and uncertainty. However, to do so governance systems must cope with biases in people's decision making that cloud their judgment and create conflict. These systems must also satisfy people's fundamental needs for self-determination, fairness, and security, ensuring that changes to environmental governance are perceived as legitimate, trustworthy, and acceptable. We discuss the implications of these principles for common governance solutions (e.g., public participation, enforcement and conclude with methodological recommendations. We outline how scholars can investigate the social cognitive principles involved in cases of adaptive governance.

The influence of economic incentives linked to road safety indicators on accidents: the case of toll concessions in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel, Thais; Vassallo, José Manuel; Herraiz, Israel

2013-10-01

The goal of this paper is to evaluate whether the incentives incorporated in toll highway concession contracts in order to encourage private operators to adopt measures to reduce accidents are actually effective at improving safety. To this end, we implemented negative binomial regression models using information about highway characteristics and accident data from toll highway concessions in Spain from 2007 to 2009. Our results show that even though road safety is highly influenced by variables that are not managed by the contractor, such as the annual average daily traffic (AADT), the percentage of heavy vehicles on the highway, number of lanes, number of intersections and average speed; the implementation of these incentives has a positive influence on the reduction of accidents and injuries. Consequently, this measure seems to be an effective way of improving safety performance in road networks. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A framework for modeling adaptive forest management and decision making under climate change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yousefpour, Rasoul; Temperli, Christian; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl

2017-01-01

optimal for a certain climate change scenario. We describe four stylized types of decision-making processes that differ in how they (1) take into account uncertainty and new information on the state and development of the climate and (2) evaluate alternative management decisions: the “no......-change,” the “reactive,” the “trend-adaptive,” and the “forward-looking adaptive” decision-making types. Accordingly, we evaluate the experiences with alternative management strategies and recent publications on using Bayesian optimization methods that account for different simulated learning schemes based on varying......Adapting the management of forest resources to climate change involves addressing several crucial aspects to provide a valid basis for decision making. These include the knowledge and belief of decision makers, the mapping of management options for the current as well as anticipated future...

Monitoring urban transformation in the old foreign concessions of Shanghai from 1987 to 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lefebvre, A; Corpetti, T; Courty, N

2014-01-01

This paper is concerned with morphological change analysis in the old foreign concessions of Shanghai from 1969 to 2010. To that end, we use a series of 17 Landsat TM and Landsat ETM + images on which we estimate some feature parameters. The analysis of the resulting time series enables to isolate changes from traditional constructions to new buildings or gardens. Our results show that 70% of the old urban pattern was converted in modern high-rise buildings and green spaces

Concession renewal of Kembs' hydroelectric head on the Rhine river; Renouvellement de la concession de la chute hydro-electrique de Kembs sur le Rhin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baron, P.; Defoug, H.; Petit, D

2000-07-15

In order to evaluate the different impacts of the concession renewal of Kembs' water head on the Rhine river, all aspects have been considered and are reported in this document: international aspects, influence of the dam on navigation and floods, hydrology of Alsace plain, ecological, energetic and economical aspects, leisure and safety aspects. Several questions have to be put forward which concern the transfrontier relations, the water rights, the problem of derivations, of Rhine river maintenance, the turbine and water depth warranty problems, the flow rate and the restoration of the Rhine island. All these questions must be tackled by the impact study. The implementation of a local procedure follow up made of a permanent technical working group and of a management committee is recommended. (J.S.)

The Business of Co-Production: Assessing Efforts to Bridge Science and Decision-Making for Adaptation in California

Science.gov (United States)

Webber, S.; MacDonald, G. M.

2016-12-01

The last decades have seen scholars argue for a greater integration of science and decision-making in order to more effectively respond to climate change. It has been suggested that overcoming the gap between science, on the one hand, and policy-making and management, on the other, requires building bridges through methods of co-production, creating actionable science, or through boundary organizations. In this paper, we review attempts at co-production for policy-making and management in the context of climate change adaptation in California. Building on field research, including numerous interviews conducted with scientists and decision-makers who are co-producers of adaptation projects, we make three arguments. First, we show that an emphasis on co-production and science-informed climate change adaptation decision-making has bolstered a contract-oriented, and decentralized network-based model of producing climate science. Second, reviewing successes and failures in co-production - as reported in interviews - indicates that it is principally in cases of neatly defined, and spatially and temporarily narrow decision-making contexts, and with highly motivated decision-makers, that climate science is used. Finally, we suggest that the ideas of co-production and actionable science may have increased the institutional and organizational burden at the science-decision interface, lengthening the boundary-organization-chain rather than necessarily facilitating adaptive policy-making and management.

Desalinization, legislative evolution of the concession processes. Colombia as case of study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Lastra-Mier

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Colombia is a country that has an abundant offer of hydric resources. However, this offer is conditioned to the climatic characteristics of the territory and diverse ocean-atmospheric phenomenon (El Niño / La Niña. This disparity of conditions comports excess periods or scarcity periods of water. In this case, alternatives are necessaries for supply the needs of the coast zones populations. The desalinisation of marine waters is an alternative for supply a possible hydric deficit, but is necessary to define and explain the concepts and scopes of this process, from his juridical nature, competencies of the governing entity that regulate them and his concessions.

Do adapted vignettes improve medical decision-making capacity for individuals with Alzheimer's disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Thalén, Liv; Heimann Mühlenbock, Katarina; Almkvist, Ove; Eriksdotter, Maria; Sundström, Erik; Tallberg, Ing-Mari

2017-12-01

Medical decision-making capacity (MDC) is known to decline in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The vignette method uses hypothetical information as a prerequisite for measuring the capacity to make well-informed decisions to clinical trials. Our aim was to investigate if adapted vignettes can help individuals with mild AD to assimilate information, make decisions and express them in an understandable way, compared to corresponding decisions based on linguistically more demanding vignettes, as measured by the Swedish Linguistic Instrument for Medical Decision-making (LIMD). Two vignettes from LIMD were altered linguistically with the aim to facilitate understanding for individuals with AD. An experimental within-subject design was used to study the influence on MDC of readability (original/adapted vignettes) and content (two different clinical trials). We included 24 patients with mild AD in this prospective study, which read all four vignettes along with a few other tests. This allowed us to investigate the association between MDC and cognitive function. Adapted vignettes did not yield significant differences regarding MDC as compared with original vignettes using a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. A difference was found between the two clinical trials where LIMD score was significantly higher for Kidney disease than hypertension vignettes. Our results indicate that adapted vignettes may not improve MDC for individuals with mild AD. MDC was affected by which clinical trial the vignettes regarded, which implies that other factors affecting MDC need to be investigated, like length of text and vocabulary used. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Toolbox for uncertainty; Introduction of adaptive heuristics as strategies for project decision making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stingl, Verena; Geraldi, Joana

2017-01-01

This article presents adaptive heuristics as an alternative approach to navigate uncertainty in project decision-making. Adaptive heuristic are a class of simple decision strategies that have received only scant attention in project studies. Yet, they can strive in contexts of high uncertainty...... they are ‘ecologically rational’. The model builds on the individual definitions of ecological rationality and organizes them according to two types of uncertainty (‘knowable’ and ‘unknowable’). Decision problems and heuristics are furthermore grouped by decision task (choice and judgement). The article discusses...... and limited information, which are the typical project decision context. This article develops a conceptual model that supports a systematic connection between adaptive heuristics and project decisions. Individual adaptive heuristics succeed only in specific decision environments, in which...

Examining Challenges Related to the Production of Actionable Climate Knowledge for Adaptation Decision-Making: A Focus on Climate Knowledge System Producers

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, K.; Preston, B. L.; Tenggren, S.; Klein, R.; Gerger-Swartling, Å.

2017-12-01

Many challenges to adaptation decision-making and action have been identified across peer-reviewed and gray literature. These challenges have primarily focused on the use of climate knowledge for adaptation decision-making, the process of adaptation decision-making, and the needs of the decision-maker. Studies on climate change knowledge systems often discuss the imperative role of climate knowledge producers in adaptation decision-making processes and stress the need for producers to engage in knowledge co-production activities and to more effectively meet decision-maker needs. While the influence of climate knowledge producers on the co-production of science for adaptation decision-making is well-recognized, hardly any research has taken a direct approach to analyzing the challenges that climate knowledge producers face when undertaking science co-production. Those challenges can influence the process of knowledge production and may hinder the creation, utilization, and dissemination of actionable knowledge for adaptation decision-making. This study involves semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observations to analyze, identify, and contextualize the challenges that climate knowledge producers in Sweden face as they endeavor to create effective climate knowledge systems for multiple contexts, scales, and levels across the European Union. Preliminary findings identify complex challenges related to education, training, and support; motivation, willingness, and culture; varying levels of prioritization; professional roles and responsibilities; the type and amount of resources available; and professional incentive structures. These challenges exist at varying scales and levels across individuals, organizations, networks, institutions, and disciplines. This study suggests that the creation of actionable knowledge for adaptation decision-making is not supported across scales and levels in the climate knowledge production landscape. Additionally

The buyer-supplier interface under just-in-time relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, R G

1990-08-01

In any contractural relationship, legally and ethically, all parties much benefit. Minor concessions to one party can be significant gains for the other. To establish the win/win environment, it is sometimes necessary to make reasonable concessions that preserve the overall objective of the JIT concept. It is good business sense to make those concessions that are inexpensive and guarantee greater control. The concessions discussed strengthen the buyer-seller relationship and aid in reaching the objectives of JIT.

Assessing Affective and Deliberative Decision-Making: Adaptation of the Columbia Card Task to Brazilian Portuguese.

Science.gov (United States)

Kluwe-Schiavon, Bruno; Sanvicente-Vieira, Breno; Viola, Thiago W; Veiga, Eduardo; Bortolotto, Vanessa; Grassi-Oliveira, Rodrigo

2015-11-20

The ability to predict reward and punishment is essential for decision-making and the ability to learn about an ever-changing environment. Therefore, efforts have been made in understanding the mechanisms underlying decision-making, especially regarding how affective and deliberative processes interact with risk behavior. To adapt to Brazilian Portuguese the Columbia Card Task (CCT) and investigate affective and deliberative processes involved in decision-making. This study had two main phases: (1) a transcultural adaptation and (2) a pilot study. The feedback manipulation among the three conditions of CCT had an effect on the risk-taking level (p accounting for 17% of the variance. The Brazilian CCT performs well and is a versatile method for the assessment of affective and deliberative decision-making under risk according to different feedback manipulation scenarios. This study goes further, comparing electrodermal activity during hot and warm conditions and addressing an advantageous level index analysis to asses deliberative processing.

On the Road to Holistic Decision Making in Adaptive Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahsa Emami-Taba

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Security is a critical concern in today's software systems. Besides the interconnectivity and dynamic nature of network systems, the increasing complexity in modern software systems amplifies the complexity of IT security. This fact leaves attackers one step ahead in exploiting vulnerabilities and introducing new cyberattacks. The demand for new methodologies in addressing cybersecurity is emphasized by both private and national corporations. A practical solution to dynamically manage the high complexity of IT security is adaptive security, which facilitates analysis of the system's behaviour and hence the prevention of malicious attacks in complex systems. Systems that feature adaptive security detect and mitigate security threats at runtime with little or no administrator involvement. In these systems, decisions at runtime are balanced according to quality and performance goals. This article describes the necessity of holistic decision making in such systems and paves the road to future research.

A decision analysis approach to climate adaptation: comparing multiple pathways for multi-decadal decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, B. B.; Little, L.

2013-12-01

Policy planners around the world are required to consider the implications of adapting to climatic change across spatial contexts and decadal timeframes. However, local level information for planning is often poorly defined, even though climate adaptation decision-making is made at this scale. This is especially true when considering sea level rise and coastal impacts of climate change. We present a simple approach using sea level rise simulations paired with adaptation scenarios to assess a range of adaptation options available to local councils dealing with issues of beach recession under present and future sea level rise and storm surge. Erosion and beach recession pose a large socioeconomic risk to coastal communities because of the loss of key coastal infrastructure. We examine the well-known adaptation technique of beach nourishment and assess various timings and amounts of beach nourishment at decadal time spans in relation to beach recession impacts. The objective was to identify an adaptation strategy that would allow for a low frequency of management interventions, the maintenance of beach width, and the ability to minimize variation in beach width over the 2010 to 2100 simulation period. 1000 replications of each adaptation option were produced against the 90 year simulation in order to model the ability each adaptation option to achieve the three key objectives. Three sets of adaptation scenarios were identified. Within each scenario, a number of adaptation options were tested. The three scenarios were: 1) Fixed periodic beach replenishment of specific amounts at 20 and 50 year intervals, 2) Beach replenishment to the initial beach width based on trigger levels of recession (5m, 10m, 20m), and 3) Fixed period beach replenishment of a variable amount at decadal intervals (every 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years). For each adaptation option, we show the effectiveness of each beach replenishment scenario to maintain beach width and consider the implications of more

Keys to success for data-driven decision making: Lessons from participatory monitoring and collaborative adaptive management

Science.gov (United States)

Recent years have witnessed a call for evidence-based decisions in conservation and natural resource management, including data-driven decision-making. Adaptive management (AM) is one prevalent model for integrating scientific data into decision-making, yet AM has faced numerous challenges and limit...

A framework for modeling adaptive forest management and decision making under climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yousefpour, Rasoul; Temperli, Christian; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Thorsen, Bo Jellesmark; Meilby, Henrik; Lexer, Manfred J.; Lindner, Marcus; Bugmann, Harald; Borges, Jose G.; Palma, João H.N.; Ray, Duncan; Zimmermann, Niklaus E.; Delzon, Sylvain; Kremer, Antoine; Kramer, Koen; Reyer, Christopher P.O.; Lasch-Born, Petra; Garcia-Gonzalo, Jordi; Hanewinkel, Marc

2017-01-01

Adapting the management of forest resources to climate change involves addressing several crucial aspects to provide a valid basis for decision making. These include the knowledge and belief of decision makers, the mapping of management options for the current as well as anticipated future

The concession contractual quantity limit agreements in the light of energy law and cartel law; Konzessionsvertragliche Mengengrenzvereinbarungen im Lichte von Energierecht und Kartellrecht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoech, Thomas; Kalwa, Feh [Kanzlei Hoech und Partner, Dortmund (Germany)

2009-12-15

In the year 2009, the Federal Cartel Office (Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany) reached to two decisions on the cartel legal validity of quantity limit agreements in franchise agreements and on their handling with the survey and calculation of concession deliveries. In both cases, the Federal Cartel Office proceeds from an offence against paragraph 19 sect. 1 GWB (law against the restriction of competition) and paragraph 19 sect. 2 GWB. Under this aspect, the authors of the contribution under consideration report on different legal questions. The question arises whether paragraph 19 GWB is applicable to the decided facts at all, or whether the exclusion regulation paragraph 111 sect. 1 of the Energy Economy Law (EnWG) intervenes. The authors describe the right of concession delivery and the two resolutions of the Federal Cartel Office. Afterwards, these resolutions are appreciated regarding to the raised legal questions.

Logging or conservation concession: Exploring conservation and development outcomes in Dzanga-Sangha, Central African Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marieke Sandker

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The Dzanga-Sangha landscape consists of a national park surrounded by production forest. It is subject to an integrated conservation and development project (ICDP. In collaboration with the ICDP personnel, a participatory model was constructed to explore wildlife conservation and industrial logging scenarios for the landscape. Three management options for the landscape′s production forest were modelled: (I ′predatory logging′, exploitation by a logging company characterised by a lack of long-term plans for staying in the landscape, (II sustainable exploitation by a certified logging company, and (III conservation concession with no commercial timber harvesting. The simulation outcomes indicate the extreme difficulties to achieve progress on either conservation or development scenarios. Both logging scenarios give best outcomes for development of the local population. However, the depletion of bushmeat under the predatory logging scenario negatively impacts the population, especially the BaAka pygmy minority who most strongly depend on hunting for their income. The model suggests that conservation and development outcomes are largely determined by the level of economic activity, both inside and outside the landscape. Large investments in the formal sector in the landscape without any measures for protecting wildlife (Scenario I leads to some species going nearly extinct, while investments in the formal sector including conservation measures (Scenario II gives best outcomes for maintaining wildlife populations. The conservation concession at simulated investment levels does not reduce poverty, defined here in terms of monetary income. Neither does it seem capable of maintaining wildlife populations since the landscape is already filled with settlers lacking economic opportunities as alternatives to poaching.

Using social network analysis to evaluate health-related adaptation decision-making in Cambodia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Kathryn J; Alexander, Damon; Miller, Fiona; Dany, Va

2014-01-30

Climate change adaptation in the health sector requires decisions across sectors, levels of government, and organisations. The networks that link these different institutions, and the relationships among people within these networks, are therefore critical influences on the nature of adaptive responses to climate change in the health sector. This study uses social network research to identify key organisational players engaged in developing health-related adaptation activities in Cambodia. It finds that strong partnerships are reported as developing across sectors and different types of organisations in relation to the health risks from climate change. Government ministries are influential organisations, whereas donors, development banks and non-government organisations do not appear to be as influential in the development of adaptation policy in the health sector. Finally, the study highlights the importance of informal partnerships (or 'shadow networks') in the context of climate change adaptation policy and activities. The health governance 'map' in relation to health and climate change adaptation that is developed in this paper is a novel way of identifying organisations that are perceived as key agents in the decision-making process, and it holds substantial benefits for both understanding and intervening in a broad range of climate change-related policy problems where collaboration is paramount for successful outcomes.

Using Social Network Analysis to Evaluate Health-Related Adaptation Decision-Making in Cambodia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathryn J. Bowen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Climate change adaptation in the health sector requires decisions across sectors, levels of government, and organisations. The networks that link these different institutions, and the relationships among people within these networks, are therefore critical influences on the nature of adaptive responses to climate change in the health sector. This study uses social network research to identify key organisational players engaged in developing health-related adaptation activities in Cambodia. It finds that strong partnerships are reported as developing across sectors and different types of organisations in relation to the health risks from climate change. Government ministries are influential organisations, whereas donors, development banks and non-government organisations do not appear to be as influential in the development of adaptation policy in the health sector. Finally, the study highlights the importance of informal partnerships (or ‘shadow networks’ in the context of climate change adaptation policy and activities. The health governance ‘map’ in relation to health and climate change adaptation that is developed in this paper is a novel way of identifying organisations that are perceived as key agents in the decision-making process, and it holds substantial benefits for both understanding and intervening in a broad range of climate change-related policy problems where collaboration is paramount for successful outcomes.

The Role of Theory Adaptation in the Making of a Reference Discipline

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Annemette; Vendelø, Morten Thanning

2015-01-01

Information Systems (IS) scholars repeatedly debate the nature of the IS discipline. A series of articles have debated whether the IS field has become a reference discipline. While many scholars have argued this question from a perceptual point of view, we address it by examining the role of theo...... adaptation, have a higher probability of being referenced by other disciplines. Finally, we discuss the implications of the manner in which IS scholars borrow theory regarding the IS discipline's prospects of becoming a reference discipline.......Information Systems (IS) scholars repeatedly debate the nature of the IS discipline. A series of articles have debated whether the IS field has become a reference discipline. While many scholars have argued this question from a perceptual point of view, we address it by examining the role of theory...... adaptation in the making of a reference discipline. Based on a review of how the sensemaking theory from organization studies is adapted and used in IS research, we show that papers that adapt and use sensemaking theory as a central construct in the theoretical framework – in other words – engaging in theory...

Local content in the concession contract: influences and perspectives; Conteudo local no contrato de concessao: influencias e perspectivas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Repsold Junior, Hugo; Freitas, Jucelino L. de; Souza, Renata Barrouin C. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The Petroleum Industry in Brazil had its scenario altered by Constitutional Amendment number 9, through the 9.478/1997 Law, that constituted the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), which is responsible for elaborating the Finals Tender Protocol and promoting the Bid's to concede the rights of exploration and production, celebrating concession contracts and controlling its execution. Thus, the ANP has promoted five Bid Rounds, since 1999, and is promoting the Round Six, in 2004. In order to accomplish with the federal government policies, ANP has been taking measures to foment the development of National Petroleum Industry through inclusion of Local Content commitment and Preferential Clauses for national suppliers. The objective of this will be, therefore, analyze the historical construction of these Clauses and Commitments as well as its influences about the decision making process in Bids Rounds. We'll discuss Local Content compromises under the possible economic and legal consequences regarding the non-accomplishment. Finally, we intend to consider the perspectives for the next rounds under the Local Content's Clauses and Commitments view, analyzing its influences regarding attractiveness of areas that are to be included in future Bids and the National Petroleum Industry. (author)

Understanding and applying principles of social cognition and decision making in adaptive environmental governance

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental governance systems are under greater pressure to adapt and to cope with increased social and ecological uncertainty from stressors like climate change. We review principles of social cognition and decision making that shape and constrain how environmental governance...

Filter. Remix. Make.: Cultivating Adaptability through Multimodality

Science.gov (United States)

Dusenberry, Lisa; Hutter, Liz; Robinson, Joy

2015-01-01

This article establishes traits of adaptable communicators in the 21st century, explains why adaptability should be a goal of technical communication educators, and shows how multimodal pedagogy supports adaptability. Three examples of scalable, multimodal assignments (infographics, research interviews, and software demonstrations) that evidence…

High-level enterprise and low-level radioactivity: two hazards in developing-country uranium concessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erickson, D.M.; Gillis, M.

1980-01-01

Multinational uranium-mining activities in developing countries (LDCs) have posed new and important problems for LDCs because of the nature of the extractive enterprises and the nature of the mineral. If the LDCs are to realize their expected financial and growth objectives from uranium exploitation, they will need to exercise as much vigilance in negotiating and monitoring contracts with state-owned multinational enterprises as with privately-owned multinationals. In order for these objectives to be achieved without costly sacrifices in occupational health and the environment, LDC governments will need to develop concession agreements, mining codes, and public-health and labor standards that limit the scope of low-level radioactivity damage. 39 references

The Role of Remote Sensing for Understanding Large-Scale Rubber Concession Expansion in Southern Laos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mutlu Özdoğan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Increasing global demand for natural rubber began in the mid-2000s and led to large-scale expansion of plantations in Laos until rubber latex prices declined greatly beginning in 2011. The expansion of rubber did not, however, occur uniformly across the country. While the north and central Laos experienced mostly local and smallholder plantations, rubber expansion in the south was dominated by transnational companies from Vietnam, China and Thailand through large-scale land concessions, often causing conflicts with local communities. In this study we use satellite remote sensing to identify and map the expansion of large-scale rubber plantations in Champasak Province—the first area in southern Laos to host large-scale rubber development—and document the biophysical impacts on the local landscape, which of course is linked to social impacts on local people. Our study demonstrates that the expansion of rubber in the province was rapid and did not always conform to approved concession area locations. The mono-culture nature of rubber plantations also had the effect of homogenizing the landscape, eclipsing the changes caused by local populations. We argue that by providing a relatively inexpensive way to track the expansion of rubber plantations over space and time, remote sensing has the potential to provide advocates and other civil society groups with data that might otherwise remain limited to the restricted domains of state regulation and private sector reporting. However, we also caution that while remote sensing has the potential to provide strong public evidence about plantation expansion, access to and control of this information ultimately determines its value.

The new gas law and the concession of use of pipeline; A nova lei do gas e a concessao para uso de gasoduto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiad, Patricia S. [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Faculdade de Direito; Lima, Juliana Cardoso de [Escritorio Doria, Jacobina, Rosado e Gondinho Advogados, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The development of the gas industry and the recent energy crises in Latin America demand an adequate answer from the legal framework. There are three main projects in course in Legislative which aim at regulating the gas industry specifically: Law Project n. 226 of 2005, of ex-senator Tourinho; Law Project n. 6.673 of 2006, of Executive; and Law Project n. 6.666 of 2006, of Deputy Luciano Zica. The pipeline is the materialization of the integration among the countries of the continent. The adoption of mechanisms to make feasible the regional integration and to stimulate the private sector, in order to react against the progressive deficit between consumption and exploration of energy, becomes fundamental to the industry. In compliance with the current legislation, the transportation of gas is made through authorization. The discussion focus on the possibility of public tender for concession of the service and how it would stimulate the market. (author)

Training support for Naturalistic Decision Making : Serious gaming for adaptive performance of military personnel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mun, Y.; Hulst, A.H. van der; Oprins, E.A.P.B.; Schraagen, J.M.C.

2017-01-01

Introduction: For effective decision making in the 21st century where operational environments are complex and uncertain, there is a strong need for training support and its practical application to naturalistic, real-world settings. In this contribution, we focus on training of adaptive performance

Managing for climate change on protected areas: An adaptive management decision making framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner-McAllister, Sherri L; Rhodes, Jonathan; Hockings, Marc

2017-12-15

Current protected area management is becoming more challenging with advancing climate change and current park management techniques may not be adequate to adapt for effective management into the future. The framework presented here provides an adaptive management decision making process to assist protected area managers with adapting on-park management to climate change. The framework sets out a 4 step process. One, a good understanding of the park's context within climate change. Secondly, a thorough understanding of the park management systems including governance, planning and management systems. Thirdly, a series of management options set out as an accept/prevent change style structure, including a systematic assessment of those options. The adaptive approaches are defined as acceptance of anthropogenic climate change impact and attempt to adapt to a new climatic environment or prevention of change and attempt to maintain current systems under new climatic variations. Last, implementation and monitoring of long term trends in response to ecological responses to management interventions and assessing management effectiveness. The framework addresses many issues currently with park management in dealing with climate change including the considerable amount of research focussing on 'off-reserve' strategies, and threats and stress focused in situ park management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observations to support adaptation: Principles, scales and decision-making

Science.gov (United States)

Pulwarty, R. S.

2012-12-01

As has been long noted, a comprehensive, coordinated observing system is the backbone of any Earth information system. Demands are increasingly placed on earth observation and prediction systems and attendant services to address the needs of economically and environmentally vulnerable sectors and investments, including energy, water, human health, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, biodiversity, and national security. Climate services include building capacity to interpret information and recognize standards and limitations of data in the promotion of social and economic development in a changing climate. This includes improving the understanding of climate in the context of a variety of temporal and spatial scales (including the influence of decadal scale forcings and land surface feedbacks on seasonal forecast reliability). Climate data and information are central for developing decision options that are sensitive to climate-related uncertainties and the design of flexible adaptation pathways. Ideally monitoring should be action oriented to support climate risk assessment and adaptation including informing robust decision making to multiple risks over the long term. Based on the experience of global observations programs and empirical research we outline- Challenges in developing effective monitoring and climate information systems to support adaptation. The types of observations of critical importance needed for sector planning to enhance food, water and energy security, and to improve early warning for disaster risk reduction Observations needed for ecosystem-based adaptation including the identification of thresholds, maintenance of biological diversity and land degradation The benefits and limits of linking regional model output to local observations including analogs and verification for adaptation planning To support these goals a robust systems of integrated observations are needed to characterize the uncertainty surrounding emergent risks

Perceptions, realities, concession-What is driving the integration of European energy policies?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pointvogl, Andreas

2009-01-01

Today's European energy policy is characterised by national approaches portraying it as one of the least successful areas of integration despite its importance for our everyday life. This exploratory study presents a new way in analysing the approaches and processes operative in this area. It introduces a new dimension of policy evaluation, the role of national energy majors, and proposes its utilisation in the increasingly important method of using indexes for energy supply security. By doing so, the relevance of perceptions of energy supply security for energy policy integration is highlighted, pointing at the concessions necessary to overcome the integratory deadlock. The indexes proposed in this paper can provide insights for policy-makers and researchers into the ongoing integration process and the crucial importance energy business plays therein. Finally, the exploratory methodology developed in this essay can be employed in various other policy areas to classify, discover and analyse policy directions.

‘BRS MAGNA’ – a novel grape cultivar for juice making, with wide climatic adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Ritschel

2014-11-01

Full Text Available ‘BRS Magna’ is a-novel cultivar to make grape juice, which presents intermediate productive cycle and wide climatic adaptation, released as an alternative to improve the color, the sweetness and the flavor of grape juice in Brazil.

Adaptation research meets adaptation decision-making. Second Nordic international conference on climate change adaption. Programme and abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

Nearly two years have passed since a small team of researchers began a new chapter in Nordic co-operation on climate change by organising a conference in Stockholm, Sweden. The conference, entitled Climate Adaptation in the Nordic Countries - Science, Practice, Policy, co-ordinated by the Stockholm Environment Institute and hosted by Stockholm University in November 2010, was the first of its kind in the Nordic region. Since the European Commission adopted its White Paper on adaptation to climate change in 2009, many of that document's 33 actions have been implemented, a climate change adaptation platform, Climate-ADAPT, was launched at the European Environment Agency in March this year, and just a week before this conference the Commission concluded a public consultation of stakeholders and experts in member states designed to feed into the preparation of a European Union adaptation strategy. The 2012 conference therefore presents an ideal opportunity to take stock of ongoing efforts and to consider how adaptation research efforts are keeping pace with policy demands as well as the needs of public and private decision-makers operating at a range of scales. It brings together researchers, public and private decision- makers, as well as those who plan and realize adaptation plans. Session themes include, among others: national and local adaptation plans, climate portals and climate services, adaptation in developing countries, legal aspects of adaptation, economic appraisal of adaptation, analysing and handling risk and uncertainty, urban planning and scenarios. The contributors have very diverse backgrounds, ranging from biosciences to social sciences, economics to geo-sciences, and engineering to architecture. Interest in climate change adaptation in the Nordic region is clearly high, with over 70% of our participants drawn from the five Nordic countries, but the conference has also managed to attract participation from further afield, with registrations

DySOA : Making service systems self-adaptive

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siljee, J; Bosloper, [No Value; Nijhuis, J; Hammer, D; Benatallah, B; Casati, F; Traverso, P

2005-01-01

Service-centric systems exist in a very dynamic environment. This requires these systems to adapt at runtime in order to keep fulfilling their QoS. In order to create self-adaptive service systems, developers should not only design the service architecture, but also need to design the

Can Conservation Contracts Co-exist with Change? Payment for Ecosystem Services in the Context of Adaptive Decision-Making and Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Tanya; Murtinho, Felipe; Cárdenas Camacho, Luis Mario; Crespo, Patricio; McHugh, Sarah; Salmerón, David

2015-01-01

This paper considers the ability of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs to operate in the context of dynamic and complex social-ecological systems. Drawing on the experiences of two different PES programs in Latin America, we examine how PES institutions fit with the tenets of adaptive decision-making for sustainable resource management. We identify how the program goals and the connection to the market influence the incentive structure, information gathering, learning and feedback processes, and the structure of decision-making rights, specifically the ability to make and modify resource-use rules. Although limited in their generalizability, findings from the two case studies suggest a tension between the contractual model of PES and adaptive decision-making in natural resource systems. PES programs are not inherently decentralized, flexible management tools, as PES contracts tend to restrict decision-making rights and offer minimal flexibility mechanisms to change resource-use practices over the duration of the contract period. Furthermore, PES design and flexibility is heavily dependent on the goals and mission of the buyer and the respective market. If PES is to facilitate sustainable resource management, greater attention is needed to assess how the institutional design of the PES contracts influence the motivation and capacity of participants and program officers alike to adaptively manage the respective resource systems.

Can conservation contracts co-exist with change? Payment for ecosystem services in the context of adaptive decision-making and sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Tanya; Murtinho, Felipe; Cárdenas Camacho, Luis Mario; Crespo, Patricio; McHugh, Sarah; Salmerón, David

2015-01-01

This paper considers the ability of payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs to operate in the context of dynamic and complex social-ecological systems. Drawing on the experiences of two different PES programs in Latin America, we examine how PES institutions fit with the tenets of adaptive decision-making for sustainable resource management. We identify how the program goals and the connection to the market influence the incentive structure, information gathering, learning and feedback processes, and the structure of decision-making rights, specifically the ability to make and modify resource-use rules. Although limited in their generalizability, findings from the two case studies suggest a tension between the contractual model of PES and adaptive decision-making in natural resource systems. PES programs are not inherently decentralized, flexible management tools, as PES contracts tend to restrict decision-making rights and offer minimal flexibility mechanisms to change resource-use practices over the duration of the contract period. Furthermore, PES design and flexibility is heavily dependent on the goals and mission of the buyer and the respective market. If PES is to facilitate sustainable resource management, greater attention is needed to assess how the institutional design of the PES contracts influence the motivation and capacity of participants and program officers alike to adaptively manage the respective resource systems.

Pietro Filippo Bernini, son of Gianlorenzo, and the mediation of the courts of Madrid and Paris for the concession of his prebend in Santa Maria Maggiore of Rome

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Margarita de Alfonso Caffarena

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The intervention of queen Maria Teresa of Austria at the court of Madrid resulted in the concession of a prebend to Pietro Filippo Bernini, the eldest son of Gianlorenzo and canon of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

Evaluating a multispecies adaptive management framework: Must uncertainty impede effective decision-making?

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Smith, David R.; McGowan, Conor P.; Daily, Jonathan P.; Nichols, James D.; Sweka, John A.; Lyons, James E.

2013-01-01

Application of adaptive management to complex natural resource systems requires careful evaluation to ensure that the process leads to improved decision-making. As part of that evaluation, adaptive policies can be compared with alternative nonadaptive management scenarios. Also, the value of reducing structural (ecological) uncertainty to achieving management objectives can be quantified.A multispecies adaptive management framework was recently adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for sustainable harvest of Delaware Bay horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus, while maintaining adequate stopover habitat for migrating red knots Calidris canutus rufa, the focal shorebird species. The predictive model set encompassed the structural uncertainty in the relationships between horseshoe crab spawning, red knot weight gain and red knot vital rates. Stochastic dynamic programming was used to generate a state-dependent strategy for harvest decisions given that uncertainty. In this paper, we employed a management strategy evaluation approach to evaluate the performance of this adaptive management framework. Active adaptive management was used by including model weights as state variables in the optimization and reducing structural uncertainty by model weight updating.We found that the value of information for reducing structural uncertainty is expected to be low, because the uncertainty does not appear to impede effective management. Harvest policy responded to abundance levels of both species regardless of uncertainty in the specific relationship that generated those abundances. Thus, the expected horseshoe crab harvest and red knot abundance were similar when the population generating model was uncertain or known, and harvest policy was robust to structural uncertainty as specified.Synthesis and applications. The combination of management strategy evaluation with state-dependent strategies from stochastic dynamic programming was an informative approach to

Marketing de relacionamento e software de CRM: estudo de caso em uma concessionária de automóveis

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Jaqueline Silva

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Devido à complexidade do mercado brasileiro, as organizações, com visão de longo prazo, procuram estabelecer um relacionamento duradouro com seus clientes em busca da fidelização e do aumento das margens de ganho por cliente ao longo do tempo. Sendo assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar os resultados estratégicos da gestão de clientes através do Customer Relationship Management (CRM e do Marketing de Relacionamento na rede de concessionárias Alpha, matriz, na cidade de Novo Hamburgo (RS. Realizou-se um estudo de caso qualitativo na rede de concessionárias Alpha, em Novo Hamburgo, por meio de entrevistas com os gestores da área de CRM, Marketing e Vendas, bem como a análise de documentos e pesquisas disponibilizados pela empresa. Os resultados obtidos possibilitaram evidenciar que a utilização de ferramentas e estratégias de Marketing de Relacionamento e CRM permite uma melhor gestão das informações e a elaboração de estratégias para o aumento da satisfação, retenção e fidelização dos clientes, conforme a teoria pressupõe. Para pesquisas futuras, sugere-se o aprofundamento do tema, buscando maior compreensão das percepções e atitudes intrínsecas dos clientes com uma abordagem no âmago qualitativo da fidelização.

Adaptive Management for Decision Making at the Program and Project Levels of the Missouri River Recovery Program

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Thom, Ronald M.; Anderson, Michael G.; Tyre, Drew; Fleming, Craig A.

2009-02-28

The paper, “Adaptive Management: Background for Stakeholders in the Missouri River Recovery Program,” introduced the concept of adaptive management (AM), its principles and how they relate to one-another, how AM is applied, and challenges for its implementation. This companion paper describes how the AM principles were applied to specific management actions within the Missouri River Recovery Program to facilitate understanding, decision-making, and stakeholder engagement. For context, we begin with a brief synopsis of the Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP) and the strategy for implementing adaptive management (AM) within the program; we finish with an example of AM in action within Phase I of the MRPP.

Impacts of Agricultural Decision Making and Adaptive Management on Food Security in Africa

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Caylor, K. K.; Evans, T. P.; Estes, L. D.; Sheffield, J.; Plale, B. A.; Attari, S.

2014-12-01

Despite massive investments in food aid, agricultural extension, and seed/fertilizer subsidies, nearly 1 billion people in the developing world are food insecure and vulnerable to climate variability. Sub-Saharan Africa is most vulnerable, as approximately 25% of its people are undernourished (FAO/FAOSTAT 2013) and 96% of its cropland is rainfed (FAO 2002). The ability of subsistence farmers to respond to changes in water availability involves both inter-and intra-seasonal adaptation. Adaptive capacity diminishes over the season as decisions are made, resources are used, and the set of possible futures becomes restricted. Assessing the intra-seasonal adaptive capacity of smallholders requires integrating physical models of hydrological and agricultural dynamics with farmer decision-making at fine temporal (e.g. weekly) and spatial (e.g. crop field) scales. However, there is an intrinsic challenge to modeling the dynamics of these sociohydrologic systems, because important and uncharacterized spatial and temporal scale mismatches exist between the level at which the water resource is best understood and the level at which human dynamics are more predictable. For example, the skill of current process-based land surface models is primarily confined to short-term (daily to weekly), national- to regional-scale assessments, and reliable agricultural yield estimates and forecasts for small-scale farming systems remain elusive. In contrast, process-based social science modeling has focused on agent-based approaches that generate fine-scale (individual to community) dynamics over rather coarse time scales (yearly to decadal). A major obstacle to addressing this mismatch is the fundamental fact that the highest skill domain of one framework is essentially unpredictable in the other. We present a coupled sociohydrological observation framework designed to addressing this gap, and demonstrate its utility to understand relationships between climate variability, decision making

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE OIL AND MINING CONCESSION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

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Cătălina Georgeta DINU

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Concession is the oldest form of cooperation between the state and companies to exploit oil being found in the Middle East since the late nineteenth century. In colonized countries the right of exploitation belonged to the companies of the suzerain states. Invoking national interest, dispute over natural resources has increased in direct proportion to the increasing importance of these resources and inversely proportional to the decrease in quantity. A dull but intense battle at this point characterizes natural resources, especially of oil and mining of precious metals. Therefore, we can say that the power exerted on natural resources determines the ranking of countries of the world economic power and living standards of the population. Use of natural resources as an effective weapon in the economic consolidation became state policy and the expansion of exploration and exploitation in foreign lands required the development of complex regulations. Therefore, this study aims at presenting an analytic perspective of foreign law - specific states with relevant impact on the exploitation of natural resources - and the presentation of some features of international law.

Water security and adaptive capacity for climate: Learning lessons from drought decision making in U.S. urban contexts

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Dilling, L.

2017-12-01

Cities in the U.S. have been adapting to drought for many years, implementing a combination of mechanisms to cope with climate and water variability and increasing population. Cities are also at the frontline for making decisions about adaptation to climate change. Are decisions made to cope with drought helping cities to build the adaptive capacity necessary for adapting to climate change? We examined this question by conducting interviews with practitioners involved in drought management at urban water utilities across the U.S. to understand responses to drought and perceptions of their effectiveness. We then drew on established criteria for evaluating successful adaptation (effectiveness, efficiency, equity and legitimacy) to analyze whether these drought policies would build adaptive capacity for climate change. We find that drought responses overall are seen as successful in helping cities balance the demand and supply of water, and maintain system reliability as well as improve water awareness, but can have unintended consequences and shift vulnerability in unexpected ways. For example, even though cities are successful at reducing water use when needed, some are concerned with the increasing difficulty of finding new water savings during a future drought. Secondly, water conservation can affect revenue, impacting the ability of cities to plan for maintenance and capital costs. Third, the social acceptability of policy options is critical and depends on perceived fairness and other factors. Water managers are also challenged by "no fail" expectations that make it difficult to experiment. Moreover some measures can shift vulnerability from one risk, such as running out of water, to another risk, such as water becoming too expensive, lowering quality, or not meeting other key infrastructure design requirements. These findings demonstrate that adaptation measures that seek to reduce exposure to water scarcity can impact aspects of adaptive capacity, and shift

Concessões privadas de saneamento no Brasil: bom negócio para quem? Private provision of water supply and sanitation services in Brazil: whose benefit?

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Marcelo Coutinho Vargas

2004-12-01

Full Text Available O texto procura analisar o papel potencial que a iniciativa privada pode desempenhar atualmente no abastecimento de água e no esgotamento sanitário das cidades brasileiras, podendo tanto contribuir para melhorar a qualidade e expandir a oferta dos serviços, como para aumentar a exclusão dos mais pobres, à luz de três estudos de caso sobre "privatizações" ocorridas neste setor na região sudeste: a concessão dos serviços de água e esgotos de Limeira (SP, Niterói (RJ e cinco cidades fluminenses que integram a área principal da chamada Região dos Lagos a grupos privados nacionais e estrangeiros. Busca-se analisar as conseqüências da privatização sobre a qualidade, o alcance social, os custos e o impacto ambiental destes serviços, enfatizando os arranjos institucionais e os mecanismos de regulação que permitem (ou não aos poderes públicos e à sociedade exercer algum grau de controle sobre o desenvolvimento do setor durante a vigência da concessão. Os estudos de caso, comparados entre si e com experiências internacionais recentes, apresentam resultados ambivalentes, que permitem estabelecer alguns limites e condições para a sustentabilidade social, econômica e ambiental do envolvimento de operadores privados neste setor nos países em desenvolvimento.This paper seeks to analyze the potential role the private sector may play on water and sewerage services (WSS in Brazilian cities, contributing to improve its quality and social reach or rather to increase the exclusion of the urban poor. It focus on three case studies about the "privatization" of this sector in southeastern municipalities in Brazil: the concession of WSS from Limeira, in São Paulo State, from Niterói and five other municipalities belonging to the Lakes Region, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, to domestic and foreign private operators. The case studies try to analyze the consequences of these concessions to the quality, the social reach, the economic and

Adapting the SLIM diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting: joint decision making by science and practice.

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Jansen, Sophia C; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Duijzer, Geerke; Ter Beek, Josien; Hiddink, Gerrit J; Feskens, Edith J M

2013-05-08

Although many evidence-based diabetes prevention interventions exist, they are not easily applicable in real-life settings. Moreover, there is a lack of examples which describe the adaptation process of these interventions to practice. In this paper we present an example of such an adaptation. We adapted the SLIM (Study on Lifestyle intervention and Impaired glucose tolerance Maastricht) diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting, in a joint decision making process of intervention developers and local health care professionals. We used 3 adaptation steps in accordance with current adaptation frameworks. In the first step, the elements of the SLIM intervention were identified. In the second step, these elements were judged for their applicability in a real-life setting. In the third step, adaptations were proposed and discussed for those elements which were deemed not applicable. Participants invited for this process included intervention developers and local health care professionals (n=19). In the first adaptation step, a total of 22 intervention elements were identified. In the second step, 12 of these 22 intervention elements were judged as inapplicable. In the third step, a consensus was achieved for the adaptations of all 12 elements. The adapted elements were in the following categories: target population, techniques, intensity, delivery mode, materials, organisational structure, and political and financial conditions. The adaptations either lay in changing the SLIM protocol (6 elements) or the real-life working procedures (1 element), or a combination of both (4 elements). The positive result of this study is that a consensus was achieved within a relatively short time period (nine months) between the developers of the SLIM intervention and local health care professionals on the adaptations needed to make SLIM applicable in a Dutch real-life setting. Our example shows that it is possible to combine the perspectives of scientists and

Integrating adaptive governance and participatory multicriteria methods: a framework for climate adaptation governance

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Stefania Munaretto

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Climate adaptation is a dynamic social and institutional process where the governance dimension is receiving growing attention. Adaptive governance is an approach that promises to reduce uncertainty by improving the knowledge base for decision making. As uncertainty is an inherent feature of climate adaptation, adaptive governance seems to be a promising approach for improving climate adaptation governance. However, the adaptive governance literature has so far paid little attention to decision-making tools and methods, and the literature on the governance of adaptation is in its infancy in this regard. We argue that climate adaptation governance would benefit from systematic and yet flexible decision-making tools and methods such as participatory multicriteria methods for the evaluation of adaptation options, and that these methods can be linked to key adaptive governance principles. Moving from these premises, we propose a framework that integrates key adaptive governance features into participatory multicriteria methods for the governance of climate adaptation.

Decision-Making under Uncertainty for Water Sustainability and Urban Climate Change Adaptation

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Kelli L. Larson

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Complexities and uncertainties surrounding urbanization and climate change complicate water resource sustainability. Although research has examined various aspects of complex water systems, including uncertainties, relatively few attempts have been made to synthesize research findings in particular contexts. We fill this gap by examining the complexities, uncertainties, and decision processes for water sustainability and urban adaptation to climate change in the case study region of Phoenix, Arizona. In doing so, we integrate over a decade of research conducted by Arizona State University’s Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC. DCDC is a boundary organization that conducts research in collaboration with policy makers, with the goal of informing decision-making under uncertainty. Our results highlight: the counterintuitive, non-linear, and competing relationships in human–environment dynamics; the myriad uncertainties in climatic, scientific, political, and other domains of knowledge and practice; and, the social learning that has occurred across science and policy spheres. Finally, we reflect on how our interdisciplinary research and boundary organization has evolved over time to enhance adaptive and sustainable governance in the face of complex system dynamics.

Coastal Adaptation Planning for Sea Level Rise and Extremes: A Global Model for Adaptation Decision-making at the Local Level Given Uncertain Climate Projections

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Turner, D.

2014-12-01

Understanding the potential economic and physical impacts of climate change on coastal resources involves evaluating a number of distinct adaptive responses. This paper presents a tool for such analysis, a spatially-disaggregated optimization model for adaptation to sea level rise (SLR) and storm surge, the Coastal Impact and Adaptation Model (CIAM). This decision-making framework fills a gap between very detailed studies of specific locations and overly aggregate global analyses. While CIAM is global in scope, the optimal adaptation strategy is determined at the local level, evaluating over 12,000 coastal segments as described in the DIVA database (Vafeidis et al. 2006). The decision to pursue a given adaptation measure depends on local socioeconomic factors like income, population, and land values and how they develop over time, relative to the magnitude of potential coastal impacts, based on geophysical attributes like inundation zones and storm surge. For example, the model's decision to protect or retreat considers the costs of constructing and maintaining coastal defenses versus those of relocating people and capital to minimize damages from land inundation and coastal storms. Uncertain storm surge events are modeled with a generalized extreme value distribution calibrated to data on local surge extremes. Adaptation is optimized for the near-term outlook, in an "act then learn then act" framework that is repeated over the model time horizon. This framework allows the adaptation strategy to be flexibly updated, reflecting the process of iterative risk management. CIAM provides new estimates of the economic costs of SLR; moreover, these detailed results can be compactly represented in a set of adaptation and damage functions for use in integrated assessment models. Alongside the optimal result, CIAM evaluates suboptimal cases and finds that global costs could increase by an order of magnitude, illustrating the importance of adaptive capacity and coastal policy.

Event-based knowledge elicitation of operating room management decision-making using scenarios adapted from information systems data.

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Dexter, Franklin; Wachtel, Ruth E; Epstein, Richard H

2011-01-07

No systematic process has previously been described for a needs assessment that identifies the operating room (OR) management decisions made by the anesthesiologists and nurse managers at a facility that do not maximize the efficiency of use of OR time. We evaluated whether event-based knowledge elicitation can be used practically for rapid assessment of OR management decision-making at facilities, whether scenarios can be adapted automatically from information systems data, and the usefulness of the approach. A process of event-based knowledge elicitation was developed to assess OR management decision-making that may reduce the efficiency of use of OR time. Hypothetical scenarios addressing every OR management decision influencing OR efficiency were created from published examples. Scenarios are adapted, so that cues about conditions are accurate and appropriate for each facility (e.g., if OR 1 is used as an example in a scenario, the listed procedure is a type of procedure performed at the facility in OR 1). Adaptation is performed automatically using the facility's OR information system or anesthesia information management system (AIMS) data for most scenarios (43 of 45). Performing the needs assessment takes approximately 1 hour of local managers' time while they decide if their decisions are consistent with the described scenarios. A table of contents of the indexed scenarios is created automatically, providing a simple version of problem solving using case-based reasoning. For example, a new OR manager wanting to know the best way to decide whether to move a case can look in the chapter on "Moving Cases on the Day of Surgery" to find a scenario that describes the situation being encountered. Scenarios have been adapted and used at 22 hospitals. Few changes in decisions were needed to increase the efficiency of use of OR time. The few changes were heterogeneous among hospitals, showing the usefulness of individualized assessments. Our technical advance is the

Event-based knowledge elicitation of operating room management decision-making using scenarios adapted from information systems data

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Epstein Richard H

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background No systematic process has previously been described for a needs assessment that identifies the operating room (OR management decisions made by the anesthesiologists and nurse managers at a facility that do not maximize the efficiency of use of OR time. We evaluated whether event-based knowledge elicitation can be used practically for rapid assessment of OR management decision-making at facilities, whether scenarios can be adapted automatically from information systems data, and the usefulness of the approach. Methods A process of event-based knowledge elicitation was developed to assess OR management decision-making that may reduce the efficiency of use of OR time. Hypothetical scenarios addressing every OR management decision influencing OR efficiency were created from published examples. Scenarios are adapted, so that cues about conditions are accurate and appropriate for each facility (e.g., if OR 1 is used as an example in a scenario, the listed procedure is a type of procedure performed at the facility in OR 1. Adaptation is performed automatically using the facility's OR information system or anesthesia information management system (AIMS data for most scenarios (43 of 45. Performing the needs assessment takes approximately 1 hour of local managers' time while they decide if their decisions are consistent with the described scenarios. A table of contents of the indexed scenarios is created automatically, providing a simple version of problem solving using case-based reasoning. For example, a new OR manager wanting to know the best way to decide whether to move a case can look in the chapter on "Moving Cases on the Day of Surgery" to find a scenario that describes the situation being encountered. Results Scenarios have been adapted and used at 22 hospitals. Few changes in decisions were needed to increase the efficiency of use of OR time. The few changes were heterogeneous among hospitals, showing the usefulness of

Climate change and animal diseases: making the case for adaptation.

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Cáceres, Sigfrido Burgos

2012-12-01

The exponential expansion of the human population has led to overexploitation of resources and overproduction of items that have caused a series of potentially devastating effects, including ocean acidification, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, the spread of invasive flora and fauna and climatic changes - along with the emergence of new diseases in animals and humans. Climate change occurs as a result of imbalances between incoming and outgoing radiation in the atmosphere. This process generates heat. As concentrations of atmospheric gases reach record levels, global temperatures are expected to increase significantly. The hydrologic cycle will be altered, since warmer air can retain more moisture than cooler air. This means that some geographic areas will have more rainfall, whereas others have more drought and severe weather. The potential consequences of significant and permanent climatic changes are altered patterns of diseases in animal and human populations, including the emergence of new disease syndromes and changes in the prevalence of existing diseases. A wider geographic distribution of known vectors and the recruitment of new strains to the vector pool could result in infections spreading to more and potentially new species of hosts. If these predictions turn out to be accurate, there will be a need for policymakers to consider alternatives, such as adaptation. This review explores the linkages between climate change and animal diseases, and examines interrelated issues that arise from altered biological dynamics. Its aim is to consider various risks and vulnerabilities and to make the case for policies favoring adaptation.

A model of adaptive decision-making from representation of information environment by quantum fields

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Bagarello, F.; Haven, E.; Khrennikov, A.

2017-10-01

We present the mathematical model of decision-making (DM) of agents acting in a complex and uncertain environment (combining huge variety of economical, financial, behavioural and geopolitical factors). To describe interaction of agents with it, we apply the formalism of quantum field theory (QTF). Quantum fields are a purely informational nature. The QFT model can be treated as a far relative of the expected utility theory, where the role of utility is played by adaptivity to an environment (bath). However, this sort of utility-adaptivity cannot be represented simply as a numerical function. The operator representation in Hilbert space is used and adaptivity is described as in quantum dynamics. We are especially interested in stabilization of solutions for sufficiently large time. The outputs of this stabilization process, probabilities for possible choices, are treated in the framework of classical DM. To connect classical and quantum DM, we appeal to Quantum Bayesianism. We demonstrate the quantum-like interference effect in DM, which is exhibited as a violation of the formula of total probability, and hence the classical Bayesian inference scheme. This article is part of the themed issue `Second quantum revolution: foundational questions'.

A model of adaptive decision-making from representation of information environment by quantum fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagarello, F; Haven, E; Khrennikov, A

2017-11-13

We present the mathematical model of decision-making (DM) of agents acting in a complex and uncertain environment (combining huge variety of economical, financial, behavioural and geopolitical factors). To describe interaction of agents with it, we apply the formalism of quantum field theory (QTF). Quantum fields are a purely informational nature. The QFT model can be treated as a far relative of the expected utility theory, where the role of utility is played by adaptivity to an environment (bath). However, this sort of utility-adaptivity cannot be represented simply as a numerical function. The operator representation in Hilbert space is used and adaptivity is described as in quantum dynamics. We are especially interested in stabilization of solutions for sufficiently large time. The outputs of this stabilization process, probabilities for possible choices, are treated in the framework of classical DM. To connect classical and quantum DM, we appeal to Quantum Bayesianism. We demonstrate the quantum-like interference effect in DM, which is exhibited as a violation of the formula of total probability, and hence the classical Bayesian inference scheme.This article is part of the themed issue 'Second quantum revolution: foundational questions'. © 2017 The Author(s).

The Fundamental Principles Drawn from the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Field of Public Procurement and Concessions

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Catalin-Silviu SARARU

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This article aims to present major guidelines in case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU in the field of public procurement and concessions. Court, with the mission to enforce EU law in the interpretation and uniform application of the Treaties, has contributed to establishing the content of the principles which apply in the award, conclusion, amendment and termination of public procurement contracts and concessions, and in shaping the principles applicable to review against abuses carried out by the contracting entity in the award procedure. This article analyzed the principles of transparency and impartiality in the award of these contracts and described the means by which these goals are achieved in practice: non-discriminatory description of the subject-matter of the contract, equal treatment of operators involved in awarding the contract, mutualrecognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence, the principle of equal treatment of public and private operators, appropriate time-limits in which the undertakings concerned of any Member State are able to prepare their offers. Ensuring the application of EU rules in the field of public contractscan not be achieved without the existence of an effective judicial review based on the principle of effectiveness means legal action and the principle of equivalence. Knowledge the content of theseprinciples is particularly important for a uniform application of EU law on public contracts in all Member States.

Economic valuation of a toll road concession with traffic guarantees and the abandonment option

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Frances Fischberg Blank

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Governments worldwide have been encouraging private participation in transportation infrastructure. To increase the feasibility of a project, public-private partnership (PPP may include guarantees or other support to reduce the risks for private investors. It is necessary to value these opportunities under a real options framework and thereby analyze the project's economic feasibility and risk allocation. However, within this structure, sponsors have an implicit option to abandon the project that should be simultaneously valued. Thus, this article proposes a hypothetical toll road concession in Brazil with a minimum traffic guarantee, a maximum traffic ceiling, and an implicit abandonment option. Different combinations of the minimum and maximum levels are presented, resulting in very high or even negative value added to the net present value (NPV. The abandonment option impacts the level of guarantee to be given. Governments should calibrate an optimal level of guarantees to avoid unnecessarily high costs, protect the returns of the sponsor, and lower the probability of abandonment.

Adaptive decision making in a dynamic environment: a test of a sequential sampling model of relative judgment.

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Vuckovic, Anita; Kwantes, Peter J; Neal, Andrew

2013-09-01

Research has identified a wide range of factors that influence performance in relative judgment tasks. However, the findings from this research have been inconsistent. Studies have varied with respect to the identification of causal variables and the perceptual and decision-making mechanisms underlying performance. Drawing on the ecological rationality approach, we present a theory of the judgment and decision-making processes involved in a relative judgment task that explains how people judge a stimulus and adapt their decision process to accommodate their own uncertainty associated with those judgments. Undergraduate participants performed a simulated air traffic control conflict detection task. Across two experiments, we systematically manipulated variables known to affect performance. In the first experiment, we manipulated the relative distances of aircraft to a common destination while holding aircraft speeds constant. In a follow-up experiment, we introduced a direct manipulation of relative speed. We then fit a sequential sampling model to the data, and used the best fitting parameters to infer the decision-making processes responsible for performance. Findings were consistent with the theory that people adapt to their own uncertainty by adjusting their criterion and the amount of time they take to collect evidence in order to make a more accurate decision. From a practical perspective, the paper demonstrates that one can use a sequential sampling model to understand performance in a dynamic environment, allowing one to make sense of and interpret complex patterns of empirical findings that would otherwise be difficult to interpret using standard statistical analyses. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Abusive behaviour of grid operators within concession procedures and grid acquisitions with respect to paragraph paragraph 30, 32 EnWG; Missbraeuchliches Verhalten von Netzbetreibern bei Konzessionierungsverfahren und Netzuebernahmen nach paragraph paragraph 30, 32 EnWG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Peter [ZNER (Germany); Humboldt-Univ. zu Berlin (Germany). Energierecht; Becker Buettner Held, Berlin (Germany); Templin, Wolf [Kanzlei Boos Hummel und Wegerich, Berlin (Germany)

2013-02-15

The competition for the power distribution systems has inflamed all over in the Federal Republic of Germany due to the fact that concession contracts have a running time of only twenty years and end not later than 31st December, 1994. Those concession contracts will end currently. Thus the old affiliated companies have to fear for their market position. Under this aspect, the authors of the contribution under consideration report on the abusive behaviour of grid operators at licensing procedures and grid acquisitions with respect to paragraph paragraph 30, 32 Energy Economy Law. The authors report on the unilateral monopole consideration of the authorities and court as well as on the abusive behaviour of the old concessionaires from the standpoint of energy law and cartel law.

"This Guy Is Japanese Stuck in a White Man's Body": A Discussion of Meaning Making, Identity Slippage, and Cross-Cultural Adaption.

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Armour, William S.

2001-01-01

Addresses two issues within a general theory of cross-cultural adaption. One concerns the extent to which cross-cultural adaption is activated by the ability to make meaning in Japanese as a foreign language; the second investigated the phenomenon of identity slippage. Six life histories of informants who had learned Japanese after age 11 are used…

Regulação deliberativa: em busca do interesse público na regulação de contratos de concessão de longo prazo / Deliberative Regulation: Searching the Public Interest on the Regulation of Long-Term Concession Contracts

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Milton Carvalho Gomes

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose – The purpose of this article is to propose a regulatory model that allows the maintenance of the public interest in situations governed by long-term public contracts, through deliberative democracy tools, and the regulatory agencies have the role of mediation of the deliberative process. Methodology/approach/design – This articles approach is based on the analysis of justifying theories of regulation by the public interest, of theories that refute this possibility (public choice, and of theories that turn to the regulatory design as a way of avoiding the distortion of the purposes of regulation, to assess the possible ways of deliberative regulation of long-term public procurement, as well as the role of agencies in this context. Findings – It was concluded that by means of deliberative procedures, regulation can be constructed to assure the service to the public interest, as well as to maintain it over time, and independent regulatory agencies have the role of mediating the deliberative process between the social actors, public and private, interested. It was also found that deliberative regulation broadens the legitimacy of regulatory acts and reinforces its independence from other spheres of government, with positive results in terms of regulatory governance. Practical implications – The conclusions propose new developments on the regulatory process, form, participants, democratic legitimacy, as well as on the role of independent regulatory Agencies in this process, being able to have immediate application in the modeling of the decision-making process in the regulation of long-term concession contracts. Originality/value – The text is original, as it proposes a new debate in Brazil, about a real difficulty that is the regulation of long-term public contracts and their constant adaptation to the dynamic of variable public interests throughout the time, proposing ways to be followed to solve the issue. Resumo Propósito �

Reproductive concessions between related and unrelated members promote eusociality in bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Aline C R; Miranda, Elder A; Del Lama, Marco A; Nascimento, Fábio S

2016-05-23

Animal societies exhibit remarkable variation in their breeding strategies. Individuals can maximize their fitness by either reproducing or by helping relatives. Social hymenopterans have been key taxa for the study of Hamilton's inclusive fitness theory because the haplodiploid sex-determination system results in asymmetric relatedness among breeders producing conflict over the partitioning of reproduction. In small cooperative groups of insects, totipotent individuals may maximize their inclusive fitness by controlling reproduction despotically rather than helping their relatives. Here, we demonstrate that the dominant females of the primitively eusocial bee Euglossa melanotricha (Apidae: Euglossini) control reproduction, but concede part of the reproductive output with their related and unrelated subordinates. As expected, a dominant female capitalizes on the direct reproduction of related subordinates, according to her interests. We found that reproductive skew was positively correlated with relatedness. The concessions were highly reduced in mother-daughter and sibling nests (relatedness r ± s.d. = 0.54 ± 0.02 and 0.79 ± 0.02, respectively) but much more egalitarian in unrelated associations (r = -0.10 ± 0.01). We concluded that reproductive skew in these primitively eusocial bees is strongly related to the genetic structure of associations, and also that females are able to assess pairwise relatedness, either directly or indirectly, and use this information to mediate social contracts.

The development of adaptive decision making: Recognition-based inference in children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Sebastian S; Ruggeri, Azzurra; Pachur, Thorsten

2016-09-01

Judgments about objects in the world are often based on probabilistic information (or cues). A frugal judgment strategy that utilizes memory (i.e., the ability to discriminate between known and unknown objects) as a cue for inference is the recognition heuristic (RH). The usefulness of the RH depends on the structure of the environment, particularly the predictive power (validity) of recognition. Little is known about developmental differences in use of the RH. In this study, the authors examined (a) to what extent children and adolescents recruit the RH when making judgments, and (b) around what age adaptive use of the RH emerges. Primary schoolchildren (M = 9 years), younger adolescents (M = 12 years), and older adolescents (M = 17 years) made comparative judgments in task environments with either high or low recognition validity. Reliance on the RH was measured with a hierarchical multinomial model. Results indicated that primary schoolchildren already made systematic use of the RH. However, only older adolescents adaptively adjusted their strategy use between environments and were better able to discriminate between situations in which the RH led to correct versus incorrect inferences. These findings suggest that the use of simple heuristics does not progress unidirectionally across development but strongly depends on the task environment, in line with the perspective of ecological rationality. Moreover, adaptive heuristic inference seems to require experience and a developed base of domain knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Adapting Cognitive Task Analysis to Investigate Clinical Decision Making and Medication Safety Incidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Russ, Alissa L; Militello, Laura G; Glassman, Peter A; Arthur, Karen J; Zillich, Alan J; Weiner, Michael

2017-05-03

Cognitive task analysis (CTA) can yield valuable insights into healthcare professionals' cognition and inform system design to promote safe, quality care. Our objective was to adapt CTA-the critical decision method, specifically-to investigate patient safety incidents, overcome barriers to implementing this method, and facilitate more widespread use of cognitive task analysis in healthcare. We adapted CTA to facilitate recruitment of healthcare professionals and developed a data collection tool to capture incidents as they occurred. We also leveraged the electronic health record (EHR) to expand data capture and used EHR-stimulated recall to aid reconstruction of safety incidents. We investigated 3 categories of medication-related incidents: adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, and drug-disease interactions. Healthcare professionals submitted incidents, and a subset of incidents was selected for CTA. We analyzed several outcomes to characterize incident capture and completed CTA interviews. We captured 101 incidents. Eighty incidents (79%) met eligibility criteria. We completed 60 CTA interviews, 20 for each incident category. Capturing incidents before interviews allowed us to shorten the interview duration and reduced reliance on healthcare professionals' recall. Incorporating the EHR into CTA enriched data collection. The adapted CTA technique was successful in capturing specific categories of safety incidents. Our approach may be especially useful for investigating safety incidents that healthcare professionals "fix and forget." Our innovations to CTA are expected to expand the application of this method in healthcare and inform a wide range of studies on clinical decision making and patient safety.

Planejamento e Controle Orçamentário em Empresas Concessionárias de Rodovias: Uma Pesquisa Empírica

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Fábio de Azevedo Pereira

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to identify the characteristics of budgetary enterprises of the branch road concession in Brazil. This is a descriptive study, conducted among the companies registered with the Brazilian Association of Highway Concessionaire. As a result it was found that 73% of dealers as the main methodology used for activities that the budget is an extension of Activity-based Costing (ABC. This fact is justified, because in this business firms undertake different and complex infrastructure projects and measurement activities is essential for the control of resources and meet the goals established for the development of these works.

Adaptive Automation Based on Air Traffic Controller Decision-Making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

IJtsma (Student TU Delft), Martijn; Borst, C.; Mercado Velasco, G.A.; Mulder, M.; van Paassen, M.M.; Tsang, P.S.; Vidulich, M.A.

2017-01-01

Through smart scheduling and triggering of automation support, adaptive automation has the potential to balance air traffic controller workload. The challenge in the design of adaptive automation systems is to decide how and when the automation should provide support. This paper describes the design

Tax effect of the concession agreement, production sharing agreement and service contract; Analise dos efeitos tributarios dos contratos de concessao, partilha de producao e servicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Botelho, Rodrigo Jacobina [Escola de Magistratura do Tribunal de Justica do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EMERJ), RJ (Brazil); Instituicao de Ensino Superior no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Escritorio Doria, Jacobina, Rosado e Gondinho Advogados Associados, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Area de Direito Tributario

2008-07-01

The different nature of the E and P agreements recommends an analysis of the tax incidence in order to avoid the increasing of costs due to an inaccurate taxation process. The revenue obtained from Services Agreements must be, under the Brazilian legal system, taxed as the revenues obtained from the Concession Agreements, since those revenues are related to the risks supported, the investments and financial exposure, among others elements and not related to a specific public service provided. (author)

European Portuguese adaptation and validation of dilemmas used to assess moral decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Carina; Gonçalves, Ana Ribeiro; Pasion, Rita; Ferreira-Santos, Fernando; Paiva, Tiago Oliveira; Melo E Castro, Joana; Barbosa, Fernando; Martins, Isabel Pavão; Marques-Teixeira, João

2018-03-01

Objective To adapt and validate a widely used set of moral dilemmas to European Portuguese, which can be applied to assess decision-making. Moreover, the classical formulation of the dilemmas was compared with a more focused moral probe. Finally, a shorter version of the moral scenarios was tested. Methods The Portuguese version of the set of moral dilemmas was tested in 53 individuals from several regions of Portugal. In a second study, an alternative way of questioning on moral dilemmas was tested in 41 participants. Finally, the shorter version of the moral dilemmas was tested in 137 individuals. Results Results evidenced no significant differences between English and Portuguese versions. Also, asking whether actions are "morally acceptable" elicited less utilitarian responses than the original question, although without reaching statistical significance. Finally, all tested versions of moral dilemmas exhibited the same pattern of responses, suggesting that the fundamental elements to the moral decision-making were preserved. Conclusions We found evidence of cross-cultural validity for moral dilemmas. However, the moral focus might affect utilitarian/deontological judgments.

European Portuguese adaptation and validation of dilemmas used to assess moral decision-making

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Carina Fernandes

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective To adapt and validate a widely used set of moral dilemmas to European Portuguese, which can be applied to assess decision-making. Moreover, the classical formulation of the dilemmas was compared with a more focused moral probe. Finally, a shorter version of the moral scenarios was tested. Methods The Portuguese version of the set of moral dilemmas was tested in 53 individuals from several regions of Portugal. In a second study, an alternative way of questioning on moral dilemmas was tested in 41 participants. Finally, the shorter version of the moral dilemmas was tested in 137 individuals. Results Results evidenced no significant differences between English and Portuguese versions. Also, asking whether actions are “morally acceptable” elicited less utilitarian responses than the original question, although without reaching statistical significance. Finally, all tested versions of moral dilemmas exhibited the same pattern of responses, suggesting that the fundamental elements to the moral decision-making were preserved. Conclusions We found evidence of cross-cultural validity for moral dilemmas. However, the moral focus might affect utilitarian/deontological judgments.

Introduction of new technologies and decision making processes: a framework to adapt a Local Health Technology Decision Support Program for other local settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulin, Paule; Austen, Lea; Scott, Catherine M; Poulin, Michelle; Gall, Nadine; Seidel, Judy; Lafrenière, René

2013-01-01

Introducing new health technologies, including medical devices, into a local setting in a safe, effective, and transparent manner is a complex process, involving many disciplines and players within an organization. Decision making should be systematic, consistent, and transparent. It should involve translating and integrating scientific evidence, such as health technology assessment (HTA) reports, with context-sensitive evidence to develop recommendations on whether and under what conditions a new technology will be introduced. However, the development of a program to support such decision making can require considerable time and resources. An alternative is to adapt a preexisting program to the new setting. We describe a framework for adapting the Local HTA Decision Support Program, originally developed by the Department of Surgery and Surgical Services (Calgary, AB, Canada), for use by other departments. The framework consists of six steps: 1) development of a program review and adaptation manual, 2) education and readiness assessment of interested departments, 3) evaluation of the program by individual departments, 4) joint evaluation via retreats, 5) synthesis of feedback and program revision, and 6) evaluation of the adaptation process. Nine departments revised the Local HTA Decision Support Program and expressed strong satisfaction with the adaptation process. Key elements for success were identified. Adaptation of a preexisting program may reduce duplication of effort, save resources, raise the health care providers' awareness of HTA, and foster constructive stakeholder engagement, which enhances the legitimacy of evidence-informed recommendations for introducing new health technologies. We encourage others to use this framework for program adaptation and to report their experiences.

Consideration of consumer installation fees upon termination of concession contracts in the gas economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schumacher, K.S.

1995-01-01

At the Fourth Conference of the Forum Institute on 18 and 19 January 1995 there was a motion to grant the electricity supply an exceptional status in takeover price negotiations in order to do justice to the cost-price coupling prescribed in that sector. This was intended to legitimatise the abandonment of all managerial, market-oriented methods of calculating the actual value of an electricity network. These ideas met with well-founded opposition of the same conference. In the gas economy cost-price coupling is less rigid because here price formation is largely determined by substitution competition with other energy carriers (mineral oil, district heating, electricity). In view of these circumstances the present article deals exclusively with the termination of gas concession contracts. Because of the affinity of Articles 9 and 10 of the General Terms of the Gas Supply to Article 9 and 10 of the General Terms of the Electricity Supply some of the thoughts presented here also apply to the electricity supply. However, the results found here for the gas economy cannot be transferred to the electricity economy without modification. (orig.) [de

Dead certain: confidence and conservatism predict aggression in simulated international crisis decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Dominic D P; McDermott, Rose; Cowden, Jon; Tingley, Dustin

2012-03-01

Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that confidence and conservatism promoted aggression in our ancestral past, and that this may have been an adaptive strategy given the prevailing costs and benefits of conflict. However, in modern environments, where the costs and benefits of conflict can be very different owing to the involvement of mass armies, sophisticated technology, and remote leadership, evolved tendencies toward high levels of confidence and conservatism may continue to be a contributory cause of aggression despite leading to greater costs and fewer benefits. The purpose of this paper is to test whether confidence and conservatism are indeed associated with greater levels of aggression-in an explicitly political domain. We present the results of an experiment examining people's levels of aggression in response to hypothetical international crises (a hostage crisis, a counter-insurgency campaign, and a coup). Levels of aggression (which range from concession to negotiation to military attack) were significantly predicted by subjects' (1) confidence that their chosen policy would succeed, (2) score on a liberal-conservative scale, (3) political party affiliation, and (4) preference for the use of military force in real-world U.S. policy toward Iraq and Iran. We discuss the possible adaptive and maladaptive implications of confidence and conservatism for the prospects of war and peace in the modern world.

“Superficial Water Concessions In Light Of The General Theory of the Administrative Act” The Incidence of the Public Law’s Dogmatic Tradition of Public Law Within Environmental Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Gómez-Rey

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This paper seeks the determine the ways in which anomalous decisions derived from the particularization and constitutionalization of environmental law can arise given the general theory of administrative action. This is seen through the lens of a study and characterization of administrative decisions issued by the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca –CAR- within the superficial water concessions procedure. It also discusses the conceptual contents of these licenses.

Fourth Graders Make Inventions Using SCAMPER and Animal Adaptation Ideas

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Mahjabeen; Carignan, Anastasia

2016-01-01

This study explores to what extent the SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Rearrange) technique combined with animal adaptation ideas learned through form and function analogy activities can help fourth graders generate creative ideas while augmenting their inventiveness. The sample consisted of 24…

Adaptive digital filters

CERN Document Server

Kovačević, Branko; Milosavljević, Milan

2013-01-01

“Adaptive Digital Filters” presents an important discipline applied to the domain of speech processing. The book first makes the reader acquainted with the basic terms of filtering and adaptive filtering, before introducing the field of advanced modern algorithms, some of which are contributed by the authors themselves. Working in the field of adaptive signal processing requires the use of complex mathematical tools. The book offers a detailed presentation of the mathematical models that is clear and consistent, an approach that allows everyone with a college level of mathematics knowledge to successfully follow the mathematical derivations and descriptions of algorithms.   The algorithms are presented in flow charts, which facilitates their practical implementation. The book presents many experimental results and treats the aspects of practical application of adaptive filtering in real systems, making it a valuable resource for both undergraduate and graduate students, and for all others interested in m...

Adaptive Rationality, Adaptive Behavior and Institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volchik Vyacheslav, V.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The economic literature focused on understanding decision-making and choice processes reveals a vast collection of approaches to human rationality. Theorists’ attention has moved from absolutely rational, utility-maximizing individuals to boundedly rational and adaptive ones. A number of economists have criticized the concepts of adaptive rationality and adaptive behavior. One of the recent trends in the economic literature is to consider humans irrational. This paper offers an approach which examines adaptive behavior in the context of existing institutions and constantly changing institutional environment. It is assumed that adaptive behavior is a process of evolutionary adjustment to fundamental uncertainty. We emphasize the importance of actors’ engagement in trial and error learning, since if they are involved in this process, they obtain experience and are able to adapt to existing and new institutions. The paper aims at identifying relevant institutions, adaptive mechanisms, informal working rules and practices that influence actors’ behavior in the field of Higher Education in Russia (Rostov Region education services market has been taken as an example. The paper emphasizes the application of qualitative interpretative methods (interviews and discourse analysis in examining actors’ behavior.

Hunting pressure on cracids (Cracidae: Aves in forest concessions in Peru

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Javier Barrio

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The impact of timber exploitation on biodiversity is usually increased by hunting in the exploited area. Proper forest management practices on areas under commercial exploitation minimize hunting and damage to the forest. Large species of Cracidae, the most endangered family of birds in the Neotropics, are among the first to be affected in a Neotropical forest damaged by timber-extraction activities, and where at least moderate hunting occurs. Herein an assessment of cracids is carried out in three areas with selective logging in Peru in 2004 and 2005, is used to evaluate hunting pressure. Tree inventory trails were used as transects, and density was calculated using the line transect methodology. Four species of cracids were evaluated, and density was calculated for three of them. The area with lower hunting pressure, Maderyja, showed higher cracid diversity and was the only with the presence of razor-billed curassows (Mitu tuberosum and blue-throated pining-guans (Pipile cumanensis, two sought-after prey species. Areas where hunting intensity is higher had lower cracid diversity. The density of the M. tuberosum was high in Maderyja: 11.3 ind/km2 (95% CI: 7.4 – 17.3 ind/km2. In contrast, Spix’s guan (Penelope jacquacu did not show a marked difference among areas, unless compared to heavily hunted sites. The higher diversity of cracids and the density found for razor-billed curassows suggests Maderyja had low hunting pressure in the past and is properly managed towards wildlife. Currently, the Peruvian Amazon is being opened for forestry concessions and hydrocarbons exploitation and proper management towards wildlife is necessary to guarantee the conservation of susceptible taxa such as cracids.

Introduction of new technologies and decision making processes: a framework to adapt a Local Health Technology Decision Support Program for other local settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poulin P

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Paule Poulin,1 Lea Austen,1 Catherine M Scott,2 Michelle Poulin,1 Nadine Gall,2 Judy Seidel,3 René Lafrenière1 1Department of Surgery, 2Knowledge Management, 3Public Health Innovation and Decision Support, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada Purpose: Introducing new health technologies, including medical devices, into a local setting in a safe, effective, and transparent manner is a complex process, involving many disciplines and players within an organization. Decision making should be systematic, consistent, and transparent. It should involve translating and integrating scientific evidence, such as health technology assessment (HTA reports, with context-sensitive evidence to develop recommendations on whether and under what conditions a new technology will be introduced. However, the development of a program to support such decision making can require considerable time and resources. An alternative is to adapt a preexisting program to the new setting. Materials and methods: We describe a framework for adapting the Local HTA Decision Support Program, originally developed by the Department of Surgery and Surgical Services (Calgary, AB, Canada, for use by other departments. The framework consists of six steps: 1 development of a program review and adaptation manual, 2 education and readiness assessment of interested departments, 3 evaluation of the program by individual departments, 4 joint evaluation via retreats, 5 synthesis of feedback and program revision, and 6 evaluation of the adaptation process. Results: Nine departments revised the Local HTA Decision Support Program and expressed strong satisfaction with the adaptation process. Key elements for success were identified. Conclusion: Adaptation of a preexisting program may reduce duplication of effort, save resources, raise the health care providers' awareness of HTA, and foster constructive stakeholder engagement, which enhances the legitimacy of evidence

Influența Directivei 2014/23/UE privind concesiunile asupra dreptului național român

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălina Georgeta DINU

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Concession contracts were neglected by the European law, especially by the directives on public procurement in 2004, which were only marginally covering public works concessions and the concessions were not subject to any specific regulation. Therefore, the Directive 2014/23/EU comes to cover a dead angle of the European law of public business contracts. Concessions are still in the same shadow cone on domestic plan, the Romanian legislation waiving in 2006 a legislative act dedicated exclusively to these contracts, as a result of the directives transposition at that moment. Yet this time, by implementing the Directive 2014/23/EU, the institution of concession is reinvigorated, to the detriment of the voices which sustained the lack of practical importance of this type of contract and of a distinction between this and public procurement. We are interested to analyze the manner in which this transposition was performed, both in form, and especially in substance: was the European legislation adapted by developing a clear domestic legislative framework or are we witnessing an ad literam assumption, which will enforce multiple amendments and supplements, similarly to the previous legislative experience in the field; are the assigned guided principles observed, are unequivocal procedures regulated and characterized by transparency?

Application of stakeholder-based and modelling approaches for supporting robust adaptation decision making under future climatic uncertainty and changing urban-agricultural water demand

Science.gov (United States)

Bhave, Ajay; Dessai, Suraje; Conway, Declan; Stainforth, David

2016-04-01

Deep uncertainty in future climate change and socio-economic conditions necessitates the use of assess-risk-of-policy approaches over predict-then-act approaches for adaptation decision making. Robust Decision Making (RDM) approaches embody this principle and help evaluate the ability of adaptation options to satisfy stakeholder preferences under wide-ranging future conditions. This study involves the simultaneous application of two RDM approaches; qualitative and quantitative, in the Cauvery River Basin in Karnataka (population ~23 million), India. The study aims to (a) determine robust water resources adaptation options for the 2030s and 2050s and (b) compare the usefulness of a qualitative stakeholder-driven approach with a quantitative modelling approach. For developing a large set of future scenarios a combination of climate narratives and socio-economic narratives was used. Using structured expert elicitation with a group of climate experts in the Indian Summer Monsoon, climatic narratives were developed. Socio-economic narratives were developed to reflect potential future urban and agricultural water demand. In the qualitative RDM approach, a stakeholder workshop helped elicit key vulnerabilities, water resources adaptation options and performance criteria for evaluating options. During a second workshop, stakeholders discussed and evaluated adaptation options against the performance criteria for a large number of scenarios of climatic and socio-economic change in the basin. In the quantitative RDM approach, a Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model was forced by precipitation and evapotranspiration data, coherent with the climatic narratives, together with water demand data based on socio-economic narratives. We find that compared to business-as-usual conditions options addressing urban water demand satisfy performance criteria across scenarios and provide co-benefits like energy savings and reduction in groundwater depletion, while options reducing

Make way for the climate. National adaptation strategy. The interdepartmental memorandum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-11-01

This memorandum describes the outline of a national strategy for adaptation to the consequences of climate change. The memorandum is the first report of the Adapting Spatial Planning to Climate Change programme (ARK). [mk] [nl

Building adaptive capacity in Assam

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Soumyadeep Banerjee

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A starting point for adapting to longer-term climate change could be adaptation to short-term climate variability and extreme events. Making more informed choices about the use of remittances can enhance the adaptive capacity of remittance-receiving households.

Understanding climate change adaptation and adaptive capacity: synthesis report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patino, L. [Policy Research Initiative, Government of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2010-09-15

In 2007, the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division (CCIAD) offered its support to research projects that were involved in understanding and improving adaptation and adaptive capacity and contributed to climate change decision-making and policy development in Canada. 20 research projects were commissioned by the CCIAD. With the collaboration of NRCan, the principal findings raised by the commissioned projects were synthesized by the Policy Research Initiative (PRI). Common themes and main messages are introduced in this synthesis report, and policy and program aspects that promote adaptive capacity to climate change in Canada are identified. Common themes and important messages emerging from the research projects, as well as the processes and barriers to adaptation and adaptive capacity identified in the commissioned projects, were discussed during a workshop held in Ottawa in 2009. Five main themes and four common barriers to adaptation were found. 25 refs.

Adaptive management of natural resources-framework and issues

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, B.K.

2011-01-01

Adaptive management, an approach for simultaneously managing and learning about natural resources, has been around for several decades. Interest in adaptive decision making has grown steadily over that time, and by now many in natural resources conservation claim that adaptive management is the approach they use in meeting their resource management responsibilities. Yet there remains considerable ambiguity about what adaptive management actually is, and how it is to be implemented by practitioners. The objective of this paper is to present a framework and conditions for adaptive decision making, and discuss some important challenges in its application. Adaptive management is described as a two-phase process of deliberative and iterative phases, which are implemented sequentially over the timeframe of an application. Key elements, processes, and issues in adaptive decision making are highlighted in terms of this framework. Special emphasis is given to the question of geographic scale, the difficulties presented by non-stationarity, and organizational challenges in implementing adaptive management. ?? 2010.

Adaptation and validation of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese.

Science.gov (United States)

Cotrena, Charles; Branco, Laura Damiani; Fonseca, Rochele Paz

2018-03-01

Decision making (DM) is among the most important abilities for everyday functioning. However, the most widely used measures of DM come from behavioral paradigms, whose ecological validity and standalone use has been criticized in the literature. Though these issues could be addressed by the use of DM questionnaires as a complementary assessment method, no such instruments have been validated for use in Brazilian Portuguese. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct the translation and validation of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire (MDMQ) for use in a Brazilian population. The adaptation of the MDMQ involved the following steps: translation, back-translation, expert review and pilot study. These steps were followed by factor analysis and internal consistency measurements, which led to the exclusion of 4 items from the scale. The 18-item version of the MDMQ was then administered to a validation sample consisting of healthy adults, as well as patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The instrument displayed good internal consistency, with the hypervigilance subscale showing the lowest, though still acceptable, Cronbach's alpha value. Its factor structure was comparable to that of the original MDMQ according to confirmatory factor analysis. Nevertheless, the MDMQ was sensitive to both depression severity and the presence of MDD and BD, both of which are known to have an impact on DM ability. The version of the MDMQ produced in the present study may be an important addition to neuropsychological assessment batteries with a focus on DM and related abilities.

Adaptation and validation of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Cotrena

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Decision making (DM is among the most important abilities for everyday functioning. However, the most widely used measures of DM come from behavioral paradigms, whose ecological validity and standalone use has been criticized in the literature. Though these issues could be addressed by the use of DM questionnaires as a complementary assessment method, no such instruments have been validated for use in Brazilian Portuguese. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct the translation and validation of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire (MDMQ for use in a Brazilian population. Methods: The adaptation of the MDMQ involved the following steps: translation, back-translation, expert review and pilot study. These steps were followed by factor analysis and internal consistency measurements, which led to the exclusion of 4 items from the scale. The 18-item version of the MDMQ was then administered to a validation sample consisting of healthy adults, as well as patients with bipolar disorder (BD and major depressive disorder (MDD. Results: The instrument displayed good internal consistency, with the hypervigilance subscale showing the lowest, though still acceptable, Cronbach's alpha value. Its factor structure was comparable to that of the original MDMQ according to confirmatory factor analysis. Nevertheless, the MDMQ was sensitive to both depression severity and the presence of MDD and BD, both of which are known to have an impact on DM ability. Conclusion: The version of the MDMQ produced in the present study may be an important addition to neuropsychological assessment batteries with a focus on DM and related abilities

A responsabilidade social das empresas considerada nas decisões de concessão de crédito por bancos de desenvolvimento no estado de Santa Catarina

OpenAIRE

Aragão, Sueli Duarte

2000-01-01

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Sócio-Econômico. Análise de aspectos da responsabilidade social das empresas tomadoras de recursos junto aos bancos de desenvolvimento no Estado de Santa Catarina, que, nas perspectivas da gestão da qualidade total e da gestão ambiental, são considerados nas decisões para a concessão do crédito. Identifica as normatizações existentes na legislação em vigor sobre o Balanço Social e as orientações internas das instituiçõ...

Adapting to Change: The Value of Change Information and Meaning-Making

Science.gov (United States)

van den Heuvel, Machteld; Demerouti, Evangelia; Bakker, Arnold B.; Schaufeli, Wilmar B.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this 3-wave study is to examine the micro process of how employees adapt to change over time. We combined Conservation of Resources theory with insights from the organizational change literature to study employees in a Dutch police district undergoing reorganization. A model was tested where employee adaptability, operationalized by…

Integrating adaptive governance and participatory multicriteria methods: a framework for climate adaptation governance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Munaretto, S.; Siciliano, G.; Turvani, M.

2014-01-01

Climate adaptation is a dynamic social and institutional process where the governance dimension is receiving growing attention. Adaptive governance is an approach that promises to reduce uncertainty by improving the knowledge base for decision making. As uncertainty is an inherent feature of climate

Analysis of Swedish Forest Owners' Information and Knowledge-Sharing Networks for Decision-Making: Insights for Climate Change Communication and Adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

André, Karin; Baird, Julia; Gerger Swartling, Åsa; Vulturius, Gregor; Plummer, Ryan

2017-06-01

To further the understanding of climate change adaptation processes, more attention needs to be paid to the various contextual factors that shape whether and how climate-related knowledge and information is received and acted upon by actors involved. This study sets out to examine the characteristics of forest owners' in Sweden, the information and knowledge-sharing networks they draw upon for decision-making, and their perceptions of climate risks, their forests' resilience, the need for adaptation, and perceived adaptive capacity. By applying the concept of ego-network analysis, the empirical data was generated by a quantitative survey distributed to 3000 private forest owners' in Sweden in 2014 with a response rate of 31%. The results show that there is a positive correlation, even though it is generally weak, between forest owner climate perceptions and (i) network features, i.e. network size and heterogeneity, and (ii) presence of certain alter groups (i.e. network members or actors). Results indicate that forest owners' social networks currently serve only a minimal function of sharing knowledge of climate change and adaptation. Moreover, considering the fairly infrequent contact between respondents and alter groups, the timing of knowledge sharing is important. In conclusion we suggest those actors that forest owners' most frequently communicate with, especially forestry experts providing advisory services (e.g. forest owner associations, companies, and authorities) have a clear role to communicate both the risks of climate change and opportunities for adaptation. Peers are valuable in connecting information about climate risks and adaptation to the actual forest property.

Adaptive ethnography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berth, Mette

2005-01-01

This paper focuses on the use of an adaptive ethnography when studying such phenomena as young people's use of mobile media in a learning perspective. Mobile media such as PDAs and mobile phones have a number of affordances which make them potential tools for learning. However, before we begin to...... formal and informal learning contexts. The paper also proposes several adaptive methodological techniques for studying young people's interaction with mobiles.......This paper focuses on the use of an adaptive ethnography when studying such phenomena as young people's use of mobile media in a learning perspective. Mobile media such as PDAs and mobile phones have a number of affordances which make them potential tools for learning. However, before we begin...... to design and develop educational materials for mobile media platforms we must first understand everyday use and behaviour with a medium such as a mobile phone. The paper outlines the research design for a PhD project on mobile learning which focuses on mobile phones as a way to bridge the gap between...

Stimulus to local industries in oil and natural gas exploration and production concessions contracts : the Brazilian experience; Estimulos a industria nacional nos contratos de concessao das atividades de exploracao e producao de petroleo e gas natural no Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pedroso, Daniel Cleverson; Moreira, Jose Guilherme de Souza [Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis (ANP), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The Oil Law, 1997, established the functions of the Agencia Nacional do Petroleo (ANP) to implement, in its area of competence, the Brazilian national energy politic. The principles of the Brazilian national energy politic include the preservation of national interest, promotion and expansion of the labor market, free competition and the expansion of Brazil's competitiveness in the international market. The ANP started then a series of actions designed to meet, within their sphere of action, the objectives defined by law. These actions include studies to diagnose the capacity and competitiveness of local supplier and inclusion, in the concession contracts, clauses aimed to stimulating the development of local suppliers and ensure equal treatment, by the new dealers, of local suppliers and foreign. From a historical overview, the development of these actions, and the improvements made possible by the management of concession contracts, have reached their goals. The results obtained so far indicate that the actions carried out are a valid and effective tool in stimulating development of local suppliers. (author)

Adaptation decision-making in the Nordic Countries: assessing the potential for joint action

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhola, Sirkku; Goodsite, Michael Evan; Davis, Marion

2014-01-01

on the issue. This paper explores the potential for Nordic cooperation on adaptation; specifically, for the development of a regional adaptation strategy. In particular, it addresses two questions (1) What is the current state of adaptation in the Nordic countries? and (2) What are the potential benefits...

Regret and adaptive decision making in young children.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Eimear; McCormack, Teresa; Beck, Sarah R; Feeney, Aidan

2015-07-01

In line with the claim that regret plays a role in decision making, O'Connor, McCormack, and Feeney (Child Development, 85 (2014) 1995-2010) found that children who reported feeling sadder on discovering they had made a non-optimal choice were more likely to make a different choice the next time around. We examined two issues of interpretation regarding this finding: whether the emotion measured was indeed regret and whether it was the experience of this emotion, rather than the ability to anticipate it, that affected decision making. To address the first issue, we varied the degree to which children aged 6 or 7 years were responsible for an outcome, assuming that responsibility is a necessary condition for regret. The second issue was addressed by examining whether children could accurately anticipate that they would feel worse on discovering they had made a non-optimal choice. Children were more likely to feel sad if they were responsible for the outcome; however, even if they were not responsible, children were more likely than chance to report feeling sadder. Moreover, across all conditions, feeling sadder was associated with making a better subsequent choice. In a separate task, we demonstrated that children of this age cannot accurately anticipate feeling sadder on discovering that they had not made the best choice. These findings suggest that although children may feel regret following a non-optimal choice, even if they were not responsible for an outcome, they may experience another negative emotion such as frustration. Experiencing either of these emotions seems to be sufficient to support better decision making. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptive testing for making unidimensional and multidimensional classification decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Groen, M.M.

2014-01-01

Computerized adaptive tests (CATs) were originally developed to obtain an efficient estimate of the examinee’s ability, but they can also be used to classify the examinee into one of two or more levels (e.g. master/non-master). These computerized classification tests have the advantage that they can

Visual Cues for an Adaptive Expert System.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Helen B.

NCR (National Cash Register) Corporation is pursuing opportunities to make their point of sale (POS) terminals easy to use and easy to learn. To approach the goal of making the technology invisible to the user, NCR has developed an adaptive expert prototype system for a department store POS operation. The structure for the adaptive system, the…

Towards Measuring the Adaptability of an AO4BPEL Process

OpenAIRE

Botangen, Khavee Agustus; Yu, Jian; Sheng, Michael

2017-01-01

Adaptability is a significant property which enables software systems to continuously provide the required functionality and achieve optimal performance. The recognised importance of adaptability makes its evaluation an essential task. However, the various adaptability dimensions and implementation mechanisms make adaptive strategies difficult to evaluate. In service oriented computing, several frameworks that extend the WS-BPEL, the de facto standard in composing distributed business applica...

Fair adaptation to climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paavola, Jouni; Adger, W. Neil

2006-01-01

This article identifies social justice dilemmas associated with the necessity to adapt to climate change, examines how they are currently addressed by the climate change regime, and proposes solutions to overcome prevailing gaps and ambiguities. We argue that the key justice dilemmas of adaptation include responsibility for climate change impacts, the level and burden sharing of assistance to vulnerable countries for adaptation, distribution of assistance between recipient countries and adaptation measures, and fair participation in planning and making decisions on adaptation. We demonstrate how the climate change regime largely omits responsibility but makes a general commitment to assistance. However, the regime has so far failed to operationalise assistance and has made only minor progress towards eliminating obstacles for fair participation. We propose the adoption of four principles for fair adaptation in the climate change regime. These include avoiding dangerous climate change, forward-looking responsibility, putting the most vulnerable first and equal participation of all. We argue that a safe maximum standard of 400-500 ppm of CO 2 concentrations in the atmosphere and a carbon tax of $20-50 per carbon equivalent ton could provide the initial instruments for operationalising the principles. (author)

Coyotes, Concessions and Construction Companies: Illegal Water Markets and Legally Constructed Water Scarcity in Central Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Reis

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Many regions of (semiarid Mexico, such as the Valley of Toluca, face challenges due to rapid growth and the simultaneous overexploitation of groundwater. The water reform of the 1990s introduced individual water rights concessions granted through the National Water Commission (Comisión Nacional del Agua, or CONAGUA. Since then, acquiring new water rights in officially 'water-scarce' aquifers is only possible through official rights transmissions from users ceding their rights. With the law prohibiting the sale of water rights, a profitable illegal market for these rights has emerged. The key actor in the water rights allocation network is the coyote, functioning as a broker between a people wanting to cede water rights and those needing them, and b the formal and informal spheres of water rights allocation. Actors benefitting from water rights trading include the coyote and his 'working brigades', water users selling surplus rights, and (senior and lower-level staff in the water bureaucracy. The paper concludes that legally constructed water scarcity is key to the reproduction of illegal water rights trading. This has important implications regarding the current push for expanding regularisation of groundwater extraction in Mexico. Currently, regularisation does not counter overexploitation, while possibly leading to a de facto privatisation of groundwater.

Artigos Tecnológicos: Gerenciamento do Ponto de Corte na Concessão do Crédito Direto ao Consumidor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hugo Crespi Júnior

2017-03-01

Full Text Available O crédito direto ao consumidor é concedido de forma massificada por meio de modelos informatizados de credit scoring que visam eliminar os maus pagadores, assim evitando prejuízos financeiros decorrentes da inadimplência. No entanto, ao recusarem os maus pagadores, esses modelos, balanceados por critérios meramente financeiros, também recusam um grande número de bons pagadores, o que pode reduzir o potencial de ganhos da empresa varejista. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo mostrar que, incluindo a margem operacional para definir o ponto de corte para concessão de crédito, a rentabilidade da empresa pode melhorar. Foram utilizadas a medida estatística Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC e a abordagem de Stein (2005 para construir simulações em torno de valores reais praticados no mercado, as quais permitiram confirmar que, ao flexibilizar o ponto de corte levando em consideração a margem operacional, o resultado geral da empresa pode ser maximizado.

A proposal for amending administrative law to facilitate adaptive management

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, Robin K.; Ruhl, J.B.; Brown, Eleanor D.; Williams, Byron K.

2017-01-01

In this article we examine how federal agencies use adaptive management. In order for federal agencies to implement adaptive management more successfully, administrative law must adapt to adaptive management, and we propose changes in administrative law that will help to steer the current process out of a dead end. Adaptive management is a form of structured decision making that is widely used in natural resources management. It involves specific steps integrated in an iterative process for adjusting management actions as new information becomes available. Theoretical requirements for adaptive management notwithstanding, federal agency decision making is subject to the requirements of the federal Administrative Procedure Act, and state agencies are subject to the states' parallel statutes. We argue that conventional administrative law has unnecessarily shackled effective use of adaptive management. We show that through a specialized 'adaptive management track' of administrative procedures, the core values of administrative law—especially public participation, judicial review, and finality— can be implemented in ways that allow for more effective adaptive management. We present and explain draft model legislation (the Model Adaptive Management Procedure Act) that would create such a track for the specific types of agency decision making that could benefit from adaptive management.

Pengaruh Pemanenan Hasil Hutan Terhadap Tingkat Kerusakan. Tegakan Tinggal Pada Dua Hak Pengusahaan Hutan (Hph) Di Kalimantan Barat (the Effect of Logging to Residual Stand Damages in Two Forest Concessions in West Kalimantan)

OpenAIRE

Suhartana, Sona

1993-01-01

Disturbed soil and vegetation caused by logging operation is difficult to be avoided, even in good logging operation.Past studies related to this problem. shows that forest concessions in Sumatera and Kalimantan used Indonesia Selective Cutting System (TPTI) as a basic activity in logging operation. However, because of the weakness of goverment control activity, most of the companies were looking for financial benefit only and neglect the sustainability of the forest.The aim of this study ...

Making sense of polarities in health organizations for policy and leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Carmel M

2010-10-01

Making sense of complex adaptive clinical practice and health systems is a pressing challenge as health services continue to struggle to adapt to changing internal and external constraints. In this Forum, we begin with Dervin's Sense-Making theories and research in communications. This provides a conceptual and theoretical context for this editions research on comparative complexity of family medicine consultations in the USA, models for adaptive leadership in clinical care and social networking to make sense of health promotion challenges for young people. Finally, a Sense-Making schema is proposed. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Substantial criteria of decision of the communities in the selection of a network operator in energy-related concession agreements; Materiellrechtliche Entscheidungskriterien der Gemeinden bei der Auswahl des Netzbetreibers in energiewirtschaftlichen Konzessionsvertraegen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buedenbender, Ulrich [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Buergerliches Recht, Energiewirtschaft und Arbeitsrecht

2011-07-01

In light of the local roads authority, the communities decide on which partner adopts the operation of the local distribution network for electricity and gas. The question of the selection criteria has been neglected largely. The author of the book under consideration analyzes the relevant issues in energy law and antitrust law including european legal and constitutional issues. Several aspects to be considered in the rightful selection of the concession contract partner are shown. Legal consequences of disregarding the legally prescribed selection criteria are discussed.

Competitive bidding tactics for new exploration concessions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawley, P.W.; Bramley, A.D.; Castellani, J.M. [Little (Arthur D.), London (United Kingdom)

1994-12-31

In some (mostly developing) countries, oil companies compete for new exploration agreements by bidding the key economic parameters. We believe that an increasing number of companies are making generous offers in order to win bids, in the expectation of being able to renegotiate economic terms if they make a discovery. However, the tactic damages the performance of the E and P industry in developing countries - for governments and companies alike. The means of combating `tactical overbidding` rests largely with governments and national oil companies in making better contracts and taking a cautious approach to the evaluation of bids. Reputable companies can contribute to the process by emphasising that their bids are formulated in good faith and based on sound commercial considerations. (author)

Competitive bidding tactics for new exploration concessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawley, P.W.; Bramley, A.D.; Castellani, J.M.

1994-01-01

In some (mostly developing) countries, oil companies compete for new exploration agreements by bidding the key economic parameters. We believe that an increasing number of companies are making generous offers in order to win bids, in the expectation of being able to renegotiate economic terms if they make a discovery. However, the tactic damages the performance of the E and P industry in developing countries - for governments and companies alike. The means of combating 'tactical overbidding' rests largely with governments and national oil companies in making better contracts and taking a cautious approach to the evaluation of bids. Reputable companies can contribute to the process by emphasising that their bids are formulated in good faith and based on sound commercial considerations. (author)

An Integrated Framework to Analyze Local Decision Making and Adaptation to Sea-Level Rise in Coastal Regions in Santos-Brazil, Broward County-USA and Selsey-UK

Science.gov (United States)

Marengo, J. A.; Muller-Karger, F. E.; Pelling, M.; Reynolds, C. J.; Merril, S. B.; Nunes, L. H.; Paterson, S.; Gray, A.; Lockman, J. T.; Kartez, J.; Moreira, F.; Greco, R.; Harari, J.; Souza, C. G.; Alves, L. M.; Hosokawa, E.; Tabuchi, E.

2016-12-01

One of the clear signals of present climate change is sea level rise (SLR). There is mounting evidence of other changes, including warmer temperatures in many localities, and changes in the intensity and frequency of extreme meteorological events, including wind, rain, and waves. A rising sea level combined with these factors and tides is expected to affect coastal communities through a number of processes, including increased risk of flooding and contamination of water sources. An international collaboration between Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States was designed to evaluate local decision making processes and to open convening space for local urban managers to reflect on possible actions toward adaption to SLR and the constraints imposed by framing administrative and institutional structures. The overall goal of the project is to help coastal communities better understand factors that facilitate or hinder their intrinsic, local decision-making processes related to planning for adaptation to risk. The project carried out these tests in 2014 and 2015 in one coastal city in each partnering nation. The framework was designed by an interdisciplinary team that incorporated social and natural scientists from these three nations, and which included local government officials. To support the overall goal, this paper 1) discusses some aspects of adaptive capacity and participant survey research conducted through the project, 2) presents technical modelling results for adaptation options that may reduce the potential damages of SLR and storm surge in each location, and 3) identifies project design considerations for similar transnational adaptation projects.

Adapting EVIAVE methodology as a planning and decision-making tool in Venezuela

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamorano, M.; Paolini, A.; Ramos, A.; Rodriguez, M.L.

2009-01-01

Landfills in Venezuela have serious problems regarding their location, design and operation. In fact, basic waste disposal is one of the main weaknesses of the municipal waste management in this country. The Venezuelan Ministry of Environment and Renewable Resources has studied and identified the negative impacts of operating landfills, but no program has been implemented to determine the cause-effect relation of these impacts or to design strategies to counteract with the serious environmental and health risks generated. This paper describes how EVIAVE methodology can be successfully used for landfill diagnosis, and shows how this type of landfill diagnosis was applied in Venezuela. For our research study, we carried out both a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the environmental problems generated by 22 landfills in Venezuela. Our study was based on the following environmental indexes: Landfill Environment, Environmental Risk, Environmental Value, and Probability of Contamination. For the purposes of our study, it was first necessary to adapt EVIAVE to the legal system and social context in Venezuela. The results obtained confirmed the applicability of this methodology to Venezuelan landfills. EVIAVE was found to be an effective planning tool that provided crucial information for the development of action plans, which would improve landfill operation, and help make decisions pertaining to their closure, sealing and eventual recovery.

A proposal for amending administrative law to facilitate adaptive management

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, Robin K.; Ruhl, J. B.; Brown, Eleanor D.; Williams, Byron K.

2017-07-01

In this article we examine how federal agencies use adaptive management. In order for federal agencies to implement adaptive management more successfully, administrative law must adapt to adaptive management, and we propose changes in administrative law that will help to steer the current process out of a dead end. Adaptive management is a form of structured decision making that is widely used in natural resources management. It involves specific steps integrated in an iterative process for adjusting management actions as new information becomes available. Theoretical requirements for adaptive management notwithstanding, federal agency decision making is subject to the requirements of the federal Administrative Procedure Act, and state agencies are subject to the states’ parallel statutes. We argue that conventional administrative law has unnecessarily shackled effective use of adaptive management. We show that through a specialized ‘adaptive management track’ of administrative procedures, the core values of administrative law—especially public participation, judicial review, and finality— can be implemented in ways that allow for more effective adaptive management. We present and explain draft model legislation (the Model Adaptive Management Procedure Act) that would create such a track for the specific types of agency decision making that could benefit from adaptive management.

Research on self-esteem in decision-making and decision-making styles in orienteering athletes

OpenAIRE

Eroğlu Başak; Özkan Zekiye; Eroğlu Arif Kaan; Bilgin Şakire

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the self-esteem in decision making and decision-making styles of orienteering athletes in terms of different variables. 157 male and 43 female orienteering athletes, making a total of 200 athletes that joined the 3rd Level of Turkey Championship in 2015 have participated in this study which is in a survey model. The data collection tools were the Melbourne Decision-making. Quastionnaire I-II and the Personal Information Form which were adapted into Turkish ...

The Democratic Window of Opportunity: Evidence from Riots in sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Aidt, Toke Skovsgaard; Leon, Gabriel

2014-01-01

We show that drought-induced changes in the intensity of riots lead to moves towards democracy in sub-Saharan Africa, and that these changes are often a result of concessions made as a result of the riots. This provides evidence that low-intensity conflict can have a substantial short-run impact on democratic change, and supports the "window of opportunity" hypothesis: droughts lead to an increase in the threat of conflict, and incumbents often respond by making democratic concessions. Thi...

Investigation of autistic traits through strategic decision-making in games with adaptive agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, Alexis B; Grossman, Emily; Krichmar, Jeffrey L

2017-07-17

Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by difficulties in communicating and cooperating with other people. Impairment in Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to infer what another person is thinking, may contribute to these social deficits. The present study assesses the relationship between autistic traits and decision-making in a socioeconomic game environment that measures ToM and cooperation. We quantified participant strategy during game play with computer agents that simulated aspects of ToM or fixed strategy agents with static behaviors or heuristics. Individuals with higher Autism Quotient (AQ) scores cooperated less than subjects with low AQ scores with the ToM agents. In contrast, subjects with higher AQ scores cooperated more with fixed strategy agents. Additionally, subjects with higher AQ scores spent more time than low AQ subjects signaling cooperative intent in games with fixed strategy agents while spending less time signaling cooperation with adaptive agents, indicating a preference toward systemizing behaviors in the face of uncertainty. We conclude that individuals with high levels of autistic traits are less likely to utilize ToM as a cognitive strategy, even when it is beneficial, to achieve a desired outcome.

International comparative analysis of E and P regulatory issues; Analise comparativa internacional de aspectos regulatorios em E e P

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martins, Erica Cristina da Fonseca; Almedia, Mariana Lessa Rego de; Baleroni, Rafael Baptista [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Faculdade de Direito

2004-07-01

The oil industry is one of the more global sectors of the economy, with its economic agents acting and competing at the same time in many countries. The limitation of available funds for investment and competition in global scale make the host countries adapt some elements of their concession instruments, as a way to attract greater investments. The comparison of legal framework of diverse host countries is an essential part in this process of decision and an indispensable tool to help the host countries in the dispute for the attraction of international investors. Therefore, to place Brazil in this process of global competition between States is necessary the knowledge and the comparison between the conditions offered for its legal system and offered for countries considered as models of attraction of investment. This work intends to offer a comparative study of relevant legal aspects for the oil industry, amongst them: characterization of the concession instrument; reach of the participation of the state-owned company; intervention of the State in the private management. The comparison will be made between countries with different characteristics, to obtain a consolidation of paradigms that helps the evolution of the Brazilian exploration and production legal framework. (author)

Adaptive behavior of children with visual impairment

OpenAIRE

Anđelković Marija

2014-01-01

Adaptive behavior includes a wide range of skills necessary for independent, safe and adequate performance of everyday activities. Practical, social and conceptual skills make the concept of adaptive behavior. The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into the existing studies of adaptive behavior in persons with visual impairment. The paper mainly focuses on the research on adaptive behavior in children with visual impairment. The results show that the acquisition of adaptive skills is ...

Adaptive Management of Environmental Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, J. Angus; Watts, Robyn J.; Allan, Catherine; Conallin, John C.

2018-03-01

Adaptive management enables managers to work with complexity and uncertainty, and to respond to changing biophysical and social conditions. Amid considerable uncertainty over the benefits of environmental flows, governments are embracing adaptive management as a means to inform decision making. This Special Issue of Environmental Management presents examples of adaptive management of environmental flows and addresses claims that there are few examples of its successful implementation. It arose from a session at the 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics held in Australia, and is consequently dominated by papers from Australia. We classified the papers according to the involvement of researchers, managers and the local community in adaptive management. Five papers report on approaches developed by researchers, and one paper on a community-led program; these case studies currently have little impact on decision making. Six papers provide examples involving water managers and researchers, and two papers provide examples involving water managers and the local community. There are no papers where researchers, managers and local communities all contribute equally to adaptive management. Successful adaptive management of environmental flows occurs more often than is perceived. The final paper explores why successes are rarely reported, suggesting a lack of emphasis on reflection on management practices. One major challenge is to increase the documentation of successful adaptive management, so that benefits of learning extend beyond the project where it takes place. Finally, moving towards greater involvement of all stakeholders is critical if we are to realize the benefits of adaptive management for improving outcomes from environmental flows.

Interactive Strategy-Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben Juul

2015-01-01

This article outlines an interactive strategy-making model that combines central reasoning with ongoing learning from decentralised responses. The management literature often presents strategy as implementing an optimal plan identified through rational analysis and ascribes potential shortcomings...... to failed communication and execution of the planned actions. However, effective strategy-making comprises both central reasoning from forward-looking planning considerations and decentralised responses to emerging events as interacting elements in a dynamic adaptive system. The interaction between...

Adaptive Management: From More Talk to Real Action

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Byron K.; Brown, Eleanor D.

2014-02-01

The challenges currently facing resource managers are large-scale and complex, and demand new approaches to balance development and conservation goals. One approach that shows considerable promise for addressing these challenges is adaptive management, which by now is broadly seen as a natural, intuitive, and potentially effective way to address decision-making in the face of uncertainties. Yet the concept of adaptive management continues to evolve, and its record of success remains limited. In this article, we present an operational framework for adaptive decision-making, and describe the challenges and opportunities in applying it to real-world problems. We discuss the key elements required for adaptive decision-making, and their integration into an iterative process that highlights and distinguishes technical and social learning. We illustrate the elements and processes of the framework with some successful on-the-ground examples of natural resource management. Finally, we address some of the difficulties in applying learning-based management, and finish with a discussion of future directions and strategic challenges.

Adaptations in Play

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Ida Kathrine Hammeleff

2017-01-01

2010). Such adaptations make use of different strategies for capturing the various aspects of their source. Talisman: Digital Edition (Nomad Games 2014) largely adopts the same primary mechanics of the board game Talisman (Fantasy Flight Games 2008) while StarCraft: The Board Game (Fantasy Flight Games...... from television or cinema (Woods 2012). Furthermore, since the early days of digital games, tabletop games have served as a source of inspiration for many video-game designers, and more recently we have seen the occurrence of tabletop game adaptations of popular video-games such as StarCraft (Blizzard...... similarities and differences equally and thus challenges the ‘ideology of fidelity’ that has long permeated the field of adaption studies. This presentation explores adaptations between digital and non-digital games. This analysis is inspired by intermedial studies (e.g. Elleström 2010) that distinguishes...

Making the Tacit Explicit: Rethinking Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy in International Student Academic Adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Blasco, Maribel

2015-01-01

The article proposes an approach, broadly inspired by culturally inclusive pedagogy, to facilitate international student academic adaptation based on rendering tacit aspects of local learning cultures explicit to international full degree students, rather than adapting them. Preliminary findings are presented from a focus group-based exploratory…

[Adapting and validating the generic instrument CollaboRATE™ to measure women's participation in health related decision-making during the reproductive process].

Science.gov (United States)

Bravo, Paulina; Contreras, Aixa; Dois, Angelina; Villarroel, Luis

2018-05-01

There is a worldwide interest in involving patients in health related decisions, so patients can actively search for therapeutic options and choose course of action that allows them to have better quality of life and wellbeing. The majority of the instruments available to capture the degree of participation in medical decision-making are in English and have been developed in high income countries. To adapt and validate for the Chilean context the instrument CollaboRATE™, to measure women's participation in medical decisions during the reproductive process. Cross-sectional study to adapt and validate the instrument CollaboRATE™. Maternity units in Santiago, Chile. Puerperal women in maternity units of three public hospitals. Translation and back-translation, cultural and linguistic relevance with service users and final revision by experts. Study for validation with 90 puerperal women. The Chilean version of CollaboRATE™ demonstrated to be a reliable instrument to capture the degree of patients' participation in medical decision-making. Cronbach alpha was above 0.89. This study provides the first instrument to capture the prevalence of SDM in a Latin American country. This instrument will be critical in future research efforts that seek to explore to what extent people are being involved in the decisions related to their healthcare. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Competitive bidding tactics for new exploration concessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawley, P.D.; Bramley, A.D.; Castellani, J.M.

1992-01-01

In some (mostly developing) countries, oil companies compete for new exploration agreements by bidding the key economic parameters. Companies are faced with a trade off between profitability of potential discoveries and probability of winning the bid. The authors believe that an increasing number of companies are making generous offers in order to win bids, in the expectation of being able to renegotiate economic terms if they make a discovery. This tactic is hard to recognize and may have a good chance of success, due to the strength of the oil company's bargaining position upon discovery. However, the tactic damages the performance of the E and P industry in developing countries --- for governments and companies alike. This paper reports that the means of combating tactical underbidding rest largely with governments and national oil companies in making better contracts and taking a cautious approach to the evaluation of bids. Reputable companies can contribute to the process by emphasizing that their bids are formulated in good faith and based on sound commercial considerations

Adaptation: Needs, Financing and Institutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, Richard J.T.; Kartha, Sivan; Persson, Aasa; Watkiss, Paul; Ackerman, Frank; Downing, Thomas E.; Kjellen, Bo; Schipper, Lisa (Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm (SE))

2008-07-01

Regardless of the efforts put into mitigation, some impacts of climate change are already unavoidable. Adaptation to climate change has therefore become a key component of domestic climate policy, along with mitigation. Adaptation has also become key to the success of global climate policy. Without an agreement on supporting adaptation in developing countries, there will be no agreement on mitigation. Strong mitigation efforts make it more likely that adaptation will be effective and affordable. The world cannot rely on adaptation alone: it would eventually lead to a level of climate change to which adaptation is no longer feasible. Government action is needed to create an enabling environment for adaptation. This includes removing existing financial, legal, institutional and knowledge barriers to adaptation, and strengthening the capacity of people and organisations to adapt. The success of adaptation relies on the success of development, and vice versa. Poverty reduction, good governance, education, environmental protection, health and gender equality all contribute to adaptive capacity. Substantially more money is needed to support adaptation in developing countries. Current levels of funding will soon have to be scaled up by two orders of magnitude (from US$ hundreds of million to US$ tens of billion per year). An agreement on adaptation in Copenhagen in 2009 will need to include concrete steps towards a strengthened knowledge base for adaptation, substantially more funding for developing countries, and enhanced adaptation planning and implementation at the national level. Recommendations: Developed countries should accept a transparent, principle-based allocation of responsibility for adaptation funding, resulting in adequate, new and additional money to support adaptation programmes in developing countries. Levies on carbon market transactions and auctioning emission permits are two existing mechanisms of generating new and additional funds consistent with

Decision Making in Concurrent Multitasking: Do People Adapt to Task Interference?

Science.gov (United States)

Nijboer, Menno; Taatgen, Niels A.; Brands, Annelies; Borst, Jelmer P.; van Rijn, Hedderik

2013-01-01

While multitasking has received a great deal of attention from researchers, we still know little about how well people adapt their behavior to multitasking demands. In three experiments, participants were presented with a multicolumn subtraction task, which required working memory in half of the trials. This primary task had to be combined with a secondary task requiring either working memory or visual attention, resulting in different types of interference. Before each trial, participants were asked to choose which secondary task they wanted to perform concurrently with the primary task. We predicted that if people seek to maximize performance or minimize effort required to perform the dual task, they choose task combinations that minimize interference. While performance data showed that the predicted optimal task combinations indeed resulted in minimal interference between tasks, the preferential choice data showed that a third of participants did not show any adaptation, and for the remainder it took a considerable number of trials before the optimal task combinations were chosen consistently. On the basis of these results we argue that, while in principle people are able to adapt their behavior according to multitasking demands, selection of the most efficient combination of strategies is not an automatic process. PMID:24244527

Decision making in concurrent multitasking: do people adapt to task interference?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Menno Nijboer

Full Text Available While multitasking has received a great deal of attention from researchers, we still know little about how well people adapt their behavior to multitasking demands. In three experiments, participants were presented with a multicolumn subtraction task, which required working memory in half of the trials. This primary task had to be combined with a secondary task requiring either working memory or visual attention, resulting in different types of interference. Before each trial, participants were asked to choose which secondary task they wanted to perform concurrently with the primary task. We predicted that if people seek to maximize performance or minimize effort required to perform the dual task, they choose task combinations that minimize interference. While performance data showed that the predicted optimal task combinations indeed resulted in minimal interference between tasks, the preferential choice data showed that a third of participants did not show any adaptation, and for the remainder it took a considerable number of trials before the optimal task combinations were chosen consistently. On the basis of these results we argue that, while in principle people are able to adapt their behavior according to multitasking demands, selection of the most efficient combination of strategies is not an automatic process.

Value-based decision-making battery: A Bayesian adaptive approach to assess impulsive and risky behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Pooseh, Shakoor; Bernhardt, Nadine; Guevara, Alvaro; Huys, Quentin J M; Smolka, Michael N

2018-02-01

Using simple mathematical models of choice behavior, we present a Bayesian adaptive algorithm to assess measures of impulsive and risky decision making. Practically, these measures are characterized by discounting rates and are used to classify individuals or population groups, to distinguish unhealthy behavior, and to predict developmental courses. However, a constant demand for improved tools to assess these constructs remains unanswered. The algorithm is based on trial-by-trial observations. At each step, a choice is made between immediate (certain) and delayed (risky) options. Then the current parameter estimates are updated by the likelihood of observing the choice, and the next offers are provided from the indifference point, so that they will acquire the most informative data based on the current parameter estimates. The procedure continues for a certain number of trials in order to reach a stable estimation. The algorithm is discussed in detail for the delay discounting case, and results from decision making under risk for gains, losses, and mixed prospects are also provided. Simulated experiments using prescribed parameter values were performed to justify the algorithm in terms of the reproducibility of its parameters for individual assessments, and to test the reliability of the estimation procedure in a group-level analysis. The algorithm was implemented as an experimental battery to measure temporal and probability discounting rates together with loss aversion, and was tested on a healthy participant sample.

An Analysis of the Constitutional Court Ruling on the Annulment of the Provisions on Coastal Water Concessions (HP-3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Riza Damanik

2013-05-01

Full Text Available After the annulment of the Coastal Water Concessions (HP-3 in 16 June 2011, traditional fisher folk organization leaders found a great fighting spirit to further follow-up the Constitutional Court Ruling to support their daily lives. For those who are being “evicted” from their living space (the coastal waters, they want to reclaim their rights through constitutional ways. Likewise, those who (feel to have lost their existence as Indonesian traditional fisher folk are impatient to find out whether there is a breakthrough in the Constitutional Court Ruling that can restore the fisher folk’s family way of life. The ruling itself was complex and not easy to understand: 169 pages, with complex writing systematic and typical legal language. For this reason, the analysis of the Constitutional Court Ruling regarding the Judicial Review on Law No. 27 of 2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands was necessary in order to provide a simpler representation of the Constitutional Court Ruling, and one that is expected to trigger a constructive discussion to implement the favorable parts of the decree for the greatest welfare of the people.

A holistic strategy for adaptive land management

Science.gov (United States)

Adaptive management is widely applied to natural resources management. Adaptive management can be generally defined as an iterative decision-making process that incorporates formulation of management objectives, actions designed to address these objectives, monitoring of results, and repeated adapta...

Adapting playware to multiple players

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Þorsteinsson, Arnar Tumi; Lund, Henrik Hautop; Mastorakis, Nikos

2011-01-01

With the creation of playware as intelligent hardware and software that creates play, it is possible to adapt the play tool to the individual user, and even to multiple users playing at the same time with the play tool. In this paper, we show how it is possible to implement adaptivity in modular...... to such differences, and argues that adaptivity is needed to make games fit to the individual users in both single-player games and multi-player games. As a case study, we implemented such adaptivity on modular interactive tiles for the single-user game ColorTimer, and for the multiple-user games PingPong, in which...

Decision making in specialist forensic psychiatric (the psychological aspect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shmakova E.V.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of a study of psychological factors of decision making amongforensic psychiatric specialists. Given the survey data of10 medical psychologists and 10 psychiatrists carrying out compulsory treatment in the psychiatric hospital №5, Moscow Department of Public Health, in comparison with the control group, consisting of professionals working in the field of education, manufacturing, services and technology. Methodical complex included: 1. The Epstein questionnaire of the intuitive style (adaptation Kornilova T. V., Kornilov S. A.; A new questionnaire of tolerance/intolerance to uncertainty (Kornilova T. V.; Melbourne questionnaire of decision making (adaptation T. V.Kornilova; The questionnaire «Personal factors of decision making»(T.V. Kornilova; TheV. Smecalo and V. M. Kucher method; The Tsvetkova Method; 7. The questionnaire «Styles of thinking» by R. Bramsonand Harrison (adaptation of A. A. Alekseev; 8.The questionnaire «Scale of base convictions» (R.Yanov-Boulemane, adaptation M.A. Padun, A.V. Kotelnikov; 9. The check-list aimed to identify the type of decisions taken by the expert in professional activity, their frequency, importance, subjective evaluation is necessary for decision making qualities and to evaluate the most significant opinions of other persons in the decision-making process. There were defined the characteristics of decision making depending on gender. The relationships between type of activity and frequency of occurrence of different types of decisions in professional activities of specialists were revealed. Analyzed the relationship between consideration of the views of others when making decisions and activity.

International student adaptation to academic writing in higher education

CERN Document Server

Tran, Ly Thi

2013-01-01

Academic writing is a key practice in higher education and central to international students' academic success in the country of education. International Student Adaptation to Academic Writing in Higher Education addresses the prominent forms of adaptation emerging from international students' journey to mediate between disciplinary practices, cultural norms and personal desires in meaning making. It introduces new concepts that present different patterns of international student adaptation including surface adaptation, committed adaptation, reverse adaptation and hybrid adaptation. Drawing on

Adaptive vehicle motion estimation and prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Liang; Thorpe, Chuck E.

1999-01-01

Accurate motion estimation and reliable maneuver prediction enable an automated car to react quickly and correctly to the rapid maneuvers of the other vehicles, and so allow safe and efficient navigation. In this paper, we present a car tracking system which provides motion estimation, maneuver prediction and detection of the tracked car. The three strategies employed - adaptive motion modeling, adaptive data sampling, and adaptive model switching probabilities - result in an adaptive interacting multiple model algorithm (AIMM). The experimental results on simulated and real data demonstrate that our tracking system is reliable, flexible, and robust. The adaptive tracking makes the system intelligent and useful in various autonomous driving tasks.

Conservation and adaptation to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooke, Cassandra

2008-12-01

The need to adapt to climate change has become increasingly apparent, and many believe the practice of biodiversity conservation will need to alter to face this challenge. Conservation organizations are eager to determine how they should adapt their practices to climate change. This involves asking the fundamental question of what adaptation to climate change means. Most studies on climate change and conservation, if they consider adaptation at all, assume it is equivalent to the ability of species to adapt naturally to climate change as stated in Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Adaptation, however, can refer to an array of activities that range from natural adaptation, at one end of the spectrum, to sustainability science in coupled human and natural systems at the other. Most conservation organizations deal with complex systems in which adaptation to climate change involves making decisions on priorities for biodiversity conservation in the face of dynamic risks and involving the public in these decisions. Discursive methods such as analytic deliberation are useful for integrating scientific knowledge with public perceptions and values, particularly when large uncertainties and risks are involved. The use of scenarios in conservation planning is a useful way to build shared understanding at the science-policy interface. Similarly, boundary organizations-organizations or institutions that bridge different scales or mediate the relationship between science and policy-could prove useful for managing the transdisciplinary nature of adaptation to climate change, providing communication and brokerage services and helping to build adaptive capacity. The fact that some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are active across the areas of science, policy, and practice makes them well placed to fulfill this role in integrated assessments of biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change.

Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asian Timber Concessions: a Critical Evaluation of Policy Mechanisms and Guidelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rona A. Dennis

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Tropical deforestation is leading to a loss of economically productive timber concessions, as well as areas with important environmental or socio-cultural values. To counteract this threat in Southeast Asia, sustainable forest management (SFM practices are becoming increasingly important. We assess the tools and guidelines that have been developed to promote SFM and the progress that has been made in Southeast Asia toward better logging practices. We specifically focus on practices relevant to biodiversity issues. Various regional or national mechanisms now inform governments and the timber industry about methods to reduce the impact of production forestry on wildlife and the forest environment. However, so many guidelines have been produced that it has become difficult to judge which ones are most relevant. In addition, most guidelines are phrased in general terms and lack specific recommendations targeted to local conditions. These might be reasons for the generally slow adoption of SFM practices in the region, with only a few countries having incorporated the guidelines into national legislation. Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos are among the frontrunners in this process. Overall there is progress, especially in the application of certification programs, the planning and management of high conservation value forests, the regulation and control of hunting, and silvicultural management. To reduce further forest loss, there is a need to accelerate the implementation of good forest management practices. We recommend specific roles for governments, the forestry industry, and nongovernmental organizations in further promoting the implementation of SFM practices for biodiversity conservation.

Career success criteria and locus of control as indicators of adaptive readiness in the career adaptation model.

OpenAIRE

Zhou, W.; Guan, Y.; Xin, L.; Mak, M.C.K.; Deng, Y.

2016-01-01

The present research had two goals. The first goal was to identify additional individual characteristics that may contribute to adaptive readiness. The second goal was to test if these characteristics fit the career adaptation model of readiness to resources to responses. We examined whether career success criteria (measured at Time 1) and career locus of control (measured at Time 1) would contribute to adaptivity and predict university students’ career decision-making self-efficacy (measured...

What Drives Farmers to Make Top-Down or Bottom-Up Adaptation to Climate Change and Fluctuations? A Comparative Study on 3 Cases of Apple Farming in Japan and South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Fujisawa, Mariko; Kobayashi, Kazuhiko; Johnston, Peter; New, Mark

2015-01-01

Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Farmers have been exposed to multiple stressors including climate change, and they have managed to adapt to those risks. The adaptation actions undertaken by farmers and their decision making are, however, only poorly understood. By studying adaptation practices undertaken by apple farmers in three regions: Nagano and Kazuno in Japan and Elgin in South Africa, we categorize the adaptation actions into two types: farmer initiated bottom-up adaptation and institution led top-down adaptation. We found that the driver which differentiates the type of adaptation likely adopted was strongly related to the farmers’ characteristics, particularly their dependence on the institutions, e.g. the farmers’ cooperative, in selling their products. The farmers who rely on the farmers’ cooperative for their sales are likely to adopt the institution-led adaptation, whereas the farmers who have established their own sales channels tend to start innovative actions by bottom-up. We further argue that even though the two types have contrasting features, the combinations of the both types of adaptations could lead to more successful adaptation particularly in agriculture. This study also emphasizes that more farm-level studies for various crops and regions are warranted to provide substantial feedbacks to adaptation policy. PMID:25822534

What drives farmers to make top-down or bottom-up adaptation to climate change and fluctuations? A comparative study on 3 cases of apple farming in Japan and South Africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariko Fujisawa

Full Text Available Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Farmers have been exposed to multiple stressors including climate change, and they have managed to adapt to those risks. The adaptation actions undertaken by farmers and their decision making are, however, only poorly understood. By studying adaptation practices undertaken by apple farmers in three regions: Nagano and Kazuno in Japan and Elgin in South Africa, we categorize the adaptation actions into two types: farmer initiated bottom-up adaptation and institution led top-down adaptation. We found that the driver which differentiates the type of adaptation likely adopted was strongly related to the farmers' characteristics, particularly their dependence on the institutions, e.g. the farmers' cooperative, in selling their products. The farmers who rely on the farmers' cooperative for their sales are likely to adopt the institution-led adaptation, whereas the farmers who have established their own sales channels tend to start innovative actions by bottom-up. We further argue that even though the two types have contrasting features, the combinations of the both types of adaptations could lead to more successful adaptation particularly in agriculture. This study also emphasizes that more farm-level studies for various crops and regions are warranted to provide substantial feedbacks to adaptation policy.

Farming System Evolution and Adaptive Capacity: Insights for Adaptation Support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jami L. Dixon

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Studies of climate impacts on agriculture and adaptation often provide current or future assessments, ignoring the historical contexts farming systems are situated within. We investigate how historical trends have influenced farming system adaptive capacity in Uganda using data from household surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions and observations. By comparing two farming systems, we note three major findings: (1 similar trends in farming system evolution have had differential impacts on the diversity of farming systems; (2 trends have contributed to the erosion of informal social and cultural institutions and an increasing dependence on formal institutions; and (3 trade-offs between components of adaptive capacity are made at the farm-scale, thus influencing farming system adaptive capacity. To identify the actual impacts of future climate change and variability, it is important to recognize the dynamic nature of adaptation. In practice, areas identified for further adaptation support include: shift away from one-size-fits-all approach the identification and integration of appropriate modern farming method; a greater focus on building inclusive formal and informal institutions; and a more nuanced understanding regarding the roles and decision-making processes of influential, but external, actors. More research is needed to understand farm-scale trade-offs and the resulting impacts across spatial and temporal scales.

Adaptation to Climate change Impacts on the Mediterranean islands' Agriculture (ADAPT2CLIMA)

Science.gov (United States)

Giannakopoulos, Christos; Karali, Anna; Lemesios, Giannis; Loizidou, Maria; Papadaskalopoulou, Christina; Moustakas, Konstantinos; Papadopoulou, Maria; Moriondo, Marco; Markou, Marinos; Hatziyanni, Eleni; Pasotti, Luigi

2016-04-01

Agriculture is one of the economic sectors that will likely be hit hardest by climate change, since it directly depends on climatic factors such as temperature, sunlight, and precipitation. The EU LIFE ADAPT2CLIMA (http://adapt2clima.eu/en/) project aims to facilitate the development of adaptation strategies for agriculture by deploying and demonstrating an innovative decision support tool. The ADAPT2CLIMA tool will make it possible to simulate the impacts of climate change on crop production and the effectiveness of selected adaptation options in decreasing vulnerability to climate change in three Mediterranean islands, namely Crete (Greece), Sicily (Italy), and Cyprus. The islands were selected for two reasons: firstly, they figure among the most important cultivation areas at national level. Secondly, they exhibit similarities in terms of location (climate), size, climate change threats faced (coastal agriculture, own water resources), agricultural practices, and policy relevance. In particular, the tool will provide: i) climate change projections; ii) hydrological conditions related to agriculture: iii) a vulnerability assessment of selected crops; iv) an evaluation of the adaptation options identified. The project is expected to contribute significantly to increasing climate resilience of agriculture areas in Sicily, Cyprus and Crete as well as at EU and international level by: • Developing, implementing and demonstrating an innovative and interactive decision support tool (ADAPT2CLIMA tool) for adaptation planning in agriculture that estimates future climate change impacts on local water resources, as well as the climate change vulnerability of the agricultural crop production in the project areas; • Evaluating the technical and economic viability of the implementation of the ADAPT2CLIMA tool; • Developing climate change adaptation strategies for agriculture (including a monitoring plan) for the three project areas and presenting them to the competent

Birds surveyed in the harvested and unharvested areas of a reduced-impact logged forestry concession, located in the lowland subtropical humid forests of the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felton, A.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available As part of a larger study of reduced-impactlogging effects on bird community composition,we surveyed birds from December to Februaryduring the 2003-2004 wet-season within harvestedand unharvested blocks of the La Chonta forestryconcession, Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.The logged forest was harvested using reduced-impactlogging techniques between one and fouryears previously. During point count surveys, weidentified 5062 individual birds, belonging to 155species, and 33 families. We provide a list of birdspecies found within the harvested andunharvested blocks of the concession for thebenefit of other researchers assessing theresponses of Neotropical avifauna to disturbance,and to facilitate increased understanding of thediverse bird assemblages found within thelowland subtropical humid forests of Bolivia.

Unauthorised adaptation of computer programmes - is criminalisation a solution?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Muswaka

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In Haupt t/a Softcopy v Brewers Marketing Intelligence (Pty Ltd 2006 4 SA 458 (SCA Haupt sought to enforce a copyright claim in the Data Explorer computer programme against Brewers Marketing Intelligence (Pty Ltd. His claim was dismissed in the High Court and he appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal. The Court held that copyright in the Data Explorer programme vested in Haupt. Haupt acquired copyright in the Data Explorer programme regardless of the fact that the programme was as a result of an unauthorised adaptation of the Project AMPS programme which belonged to Brewers Marketing Intelligence (Pty Ltd.This case note inter alia analyses the possibility of an author being sued for infringement even though he has acquired copyright in a work that he created by making unauthorised adaptations to another's copyright material. Furthermore, it examines whether or not the law adequately protects copyright owners in situations where infringement takes the form of unauthorised adaptations of computer programmes. It is argued that the protection afforded by the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 (Copyright Act in terms of section 27(1 to copyright owners of computer programmes is narrowly defined. It excludes from its ambit of criminal liability the act of making unauthorised adaptation of computer programmes. The issue that is considered is therefore whether or not the unauthorised adaptation of computer programmes should attract a criminal sanction. In addressing this issue and with the aim of making recommendations, the legal position in the United Kingdom (UK is analysed. From the analysis it is recommended that the Copyright Act be amended by the insertion of a new section, section 27(1(A, which will make the act of making an unauthorised adaptation of a computer programme an offence. This recommended section will close the gap that currently exists in our law with regard to unauthorised adaptations of computer programmes.

Model-Based Design of Adaptive Embedded Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basten, T.; Hamberg, R.; Reckers, F.; Verriet, J.

2013-01-01

Today’s embedded systems have to operate in a wide variety of dynamically changing environmental circumstances. Adaptivity, the ability of a system to autonomously adapt itself, is a means to optimise a system’s behaviour to accommodate changes in its environment. It involves making in-product

THE MAKING OF DECISION MAKING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Yuji Tamura

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Quantum Electronics was a Brazilian startup in the 1990's that was acquired by an American equity fund in 2012. They are currently the largest manufacturer of vehicle tracking and infotainment systems. The company was founded by three college friends, who are currently executives at the company: Camilo Santos, Pedro Barbosa and Luana Correa. Edward Hutter was sent by the equity fund to take over the company’s finances, but is having trouble making organizational decisions with his colleagues. As a consultant, I was called to help them improve their decision making process and project prioritization. I adapted and deployed our firm's methodology, but, in the end, its adequacy is shown to be very much in question. The author of this case study intends to explore how actual organizational decisions rely on different decision models and their assumptions, .as well as demonstrate that a decision model is neither absolutely good nor bad as its quality is context dependent.

Why Make the World Move?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith Evan Green

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The next horizons of human-computer interaction promise a whirling world of digital bytes, physical bits, and their hybrids. Are human beings prepared to inhabit such cyber-physical, adaptive environments? Assuming an optimistic view, this chapter offers a reply, drawing from art and art history, environmental design, literature, psychology, and evolutionary anthropology, to identify wide-ranging motivations for the design of such “new places” of human-computer interaction. Moreover, the author makes a plea to researchers focused in the domain of adaptive environments to pause and take a longer, more comprehensive, more self-reflective view to see what we’re doing, to recognize where we are, and to possibly find ourselves and others within our designed artifacts and systems that make the world move.

Economics of Climate Change Adaptation | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Literature on the economics of climate change adaptation - especially in developing countries - is generally scarce, and this weakens the premise on which adaptation decisions are made. Moreover, there is no standard framework or toolkit to guide researchers and policymakers in this kind of decision-making. This grant ...

The impact of the special participation tax at offshore concessions with high production of hydrocarbons; O impacto da participacao especial na decisao de investimento em projetos de concessoes offshore com superproducao de hidrocarbonetos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gandra, Rodrigo Mendes; Poznyakov, Karolina Maria. E-mails: rodrigo_gandra@ig.com.br; karolina@ig.com.br

2004-07-01

The main objective this technical study is to show the economic impact of payment of Special Participation into capex of projects in fields with high production of hydrocarbons. We would like to show how the actual payment of Special Participation can be really hard to the economic viability of projects. Even so, this technical study take an induction, it mays be showed as a representation to retract the real situation in a big companies that which have considerable opportunities for development of concessions with high potential to produce hydrocarbons. We are willing to present a sample of an alternative assessment. (author)

Science-policy interface in transformative adaptive flood risk management - decision-making in Austria

Science.gov (United States)

Thaler, Thomas; Attems, Marie-Sophie; Rauter, Magdalena; Fuchs, Sven

2016-04-01

Facing the challenges of climate change, this paper aims to analyse and to evaluate the multiple use of flood alleviation schemes with respect to social transformation in communities exposed to flood hazards in Europe. The overall goals are: (1) the identification of indicators and parameters necessary for strategies to increase societal resilience, (2) an analysis of the institutional settings needed for societal transformation, and (3) perspectives of changing divisions of responsibilities between public and private actors necessary to arrive at more resilient societies. As such, governance is done by people interacting and defining risk mitigation measures as well as climate change adaptation are therefore simultaneously both outcomes of, and productive to, public and private responsibilities. Building off current knowledge this paper focussed on different dimensions of adaptation and mitigation strategies based on social, economic and institutional incentives and settings, centring on the linkages between these different dimensions and complementing existing flood risk governance arrangements. As such, the challenges of adaptation to flood risk will be tackled by converting scientific frameworks into practical assessment and policy advice. This paper used the Formative Scenario Analysis (FSA) as a method to construct well-defined sets of assumptions to gain insight into a system and its potential future development, based on qualitatively assessed impact factors and rated quantitative relations between these factors, such as impact and consistency analysis. The purpose of this approach was to develop scenarios, where participations develop their own strategies how to implement a transformative adaptation strategy in flood risk management. In particular, the interaction between researcher, the public and policy makers was analysed. Challenges and limitations were assessed, such as benefits on costs of adaptation measures, for the implementation of visions to

Decision Making in Concurrent Multitasking : Do People Adapt to Task Interference?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijboer, Menno; Taatgen, Niels A.; Brands, Annelies; Borst, Jelmer P.; van Rijn, Hedderik

2013-01-01

While multitasking has received a great deal of attention from researchers, we still know little about how well people adapt their behavior to multitasking demands. In three experiments, participants were presented with a multicolumn subtraction task, which required working memory in half of the

Adaptive radar resource management

CERN Document Server

Moo, Peter

2015-01-01

Radar Resource Management (RRM) is vital for optimizing the performance of modern phased array radars, which are the primary sensor for aircraft, ships, and land platforms. Adaptive Radar Resource Management gives an introduction to radar resource management (RRM), presenting a clear overview of different approaches and techniques, making it very suitable for radar practitioners and researchers in industry and universities. Coverage includes: RRM's role in optimizing the performance of modern phased array radars The advantages of adaptivity in implementing RRMThe role that modelling and

Exploring adaptive program behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonnichsen, Lars Frydendal; Probst, Christian W.

Modern computer systems are increasingly complex, with ever changing bottlenecks. This makes it difficult to ensure consistent performance when porting software, or even running it. Adaptivity, ie, switching between program variations, and dynamic recompilation have been suggested as solutions....... Both solutions come at a cost; adaptivity issues a runtime overhead and requires more design effort, while dynamic recompilation takes time to perform. In this project, we plan to investigate the possibilities, limitations, and benefits of these techniques. This abstract covers our thoughts on how...

Adapting to change : the value of change information and meaning-making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, Machteld; Demerouti, E.; Bakker, A.B.; Schaufeli, W.B.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this 3-wave study is to examine the micro process of how employees adapt to change over time. We combined Conservation of Resources theory with insights from the organizational change literature to study employees in a Dutch police district undergoing reorganization. A model was

Adapting to change: The value of change information and meaning-making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, M.; Demerouti, E.; Bakker, A.B.; Schaufeli, W.B.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this 3-wave study is to examine the micro process of how employees adapt to change over time. We combined Conservation of Resources theory with insights from the organizational change literature to study employees in a Dutch police district undergoing reorganization. A model was

Towards a Typology of Adaptive Governance in the Digital Government Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Cancan; Medaglia, Rony; Zheng, Lei

2018-01-01

and of accountability between government and non-government actors is critical to developing different types of adaptive governance. Findings show that the distribution of decision-making power and of accountability can be decoupled, resulting in three types of adaptive governance – namely polycentric, agile......, and organic governance. We contribute to research by detailing and empirically testing the notion of adaptive governance in a digital government context, and to practice by highlighting the role of the distribution of decision-making power and of accountability in devising adaptive governance strategies....... there is an increasing need to establish forms of collaboration that can respond to swift changes in the environment related to technology and citizen demands. Drawing on the analysis of four cases of IT-related project collaboration, we put forward that the degree of sharing of decision-making power...

Adaptive error detection for HDR/PDR brachytherapy: Guidance for decision making during real-time in vivo point dosimetry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kertzscher Schwencke, Gustavo Adolfo Vladimir; Andersen, Claus E.; Tanderup, Kari

2014-01-01

Purpose:This study presents an adaptive error detection algorithm (AEDA) for real-timein vivo point dosimetry during high dose rate (HDR) or pulsed dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy (BT) where the error identification, in contrast to existing approaches, does not depend on an a priori reconstruction ......, and the AEDA’s capacity to distinguish between true and false error scenarios. The study further shows that the AEDA can offer guidance in decision making in the event of potential errors detected with real-time in vivo point dosimetry....... of the dosimeter position reconstruction. Given its nearly exclusive dependence on stable dosimeter positioning, the AEDA allows for a substantially simplified and time efficient real-time in vivo BT dosimetry implementation. Methods:In the event of a measured potential treatment error, the AEDA proposes the most...

Análise do monitoramento de descargas atmosféricas na área de concessão da companhia força e luz do oeste em Guarapuava, Estado do Paraná = Analysis of the monitoring of atmospheric discharges in the area of cocession of the western força e luz company in Guarapuava, state of Paraná

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aparecido Ribeiro de Andrade

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Objetivando uma análise do monitoramento da incidência de descargasatmosféricas, a região de concessão da Companhia Força e Luz do Oeste (CFLO, localizada no município de Guarapuava, Estado do Paraná, foi selecionada para um estudo realizado no período de janeiro a dezembro de 2003. Após a descrição da dinâmica da entrada de massas de ar, foi possível identificar a ocorrência de descargas atmosféricas e compará-las com as interrupções de energia. Para tanto, foram criados mapas de densidade de descargas atmosféricas dentro da área de concessão da CFLO para posterior análise de sua influênciano fornecimento de energia elétrica. O monitoramento das descargas atmosféricas e a comparação da incidência desse fenômeno com a ocorrência de interrupções no fornecimento de energia elétrica possibilitaram concluir que tais eventos estão diretamenterelacionados, e que a área rural da região em estudo sofre uma interferência maior.Aiming to analyze the monitoring of the atmospheric discharges incidence, the concession area of Companhia Força e Luz do Oeste (CFLO – Western Power and Light Company, located in the district of Guarapuava, state of Paraná, was chosen for a study developed in2003, from January to December. After the air masses dynamics description, it was possible to identify the occurrence of atmospheric discharges and to compare them to the energy interruptions. To that end, atmospheric discharges density maps were created within the CFLO concession area for a later analysis of their influence in the electric energy supply. The monitoring of the atmospheric discharges and the comparison between this phenomenon and the occurrence of interruptions in the electric energy supply enabled this study. Results showed that such events are directly related, and that the rural area of the region under study underwent a major interference.

A holistic strategy for adaptive land management

Science.gov (United States)

Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Duniway, Michael C.; Pyke, David A.; Bestelmeyer, Brandon T.; Wills, Skye A.; Brown, Joel R.; Karl, Jason W.; Havstad, Kris M.

2012-01-01

Adaptive management is widely applied to natural resources management (Holling 1973; Walters and Holling 1990). Adaptive management can be generally defined as an iterative decision-making process that incorporates formulation of management objectives, actions designed to address these objectives, monitoring of results, and repeated adaptation of management until desired results are achieved (Brown and MacLeod 1996; Savory and Butterfield 1999). However, adaptive management is often criticized because very few projects ever complete more than one cycle, resulting in little adaptation and little knowledge gain (Lee 1999; Walters 2007). One significant criticism is that adaptive management is often used as a justification for undertaking actions with uncertain outcomes or as a surrogate for the development of specific, measurable indicators and monitoring programs (Lee 1999; Ruhl 2007).

Multinational Corporate Strategy-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben Juul; Andersson, Ulf

2017-01-01

from corporate headquarters. The model considers local subsidiary actions of both operational and strategic nature and we argue that it may be futile to distinguish between these effects as incremental operational responses can cumulate into more substantial changes over time with dimensions...... the complementary effects of central planning and decentralized decision-making. We present and synthesize these rather field specific perspectives and try to synthesize insights from both fields in an adaptive strategy-making model including the effects of autonomous subsidiary initiatives and intended mandates...

Processo de formulação de estratégias competitivas pelo modelo de campos e armas da competição: verificação da aplicabilidade a uma concessionária e da eficácia na geração de estratégias que aumentem sua competitividade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valmor Reckziegel

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Os objetivos do estudo relatado neste artigo foram verificar como aplicar o processo de formulação da estratégia competitiva prescrito pelo modelo de campos e armas da competição (CAC e avaliar sua eficácia, deficiências e dificuldades, por meio de teste realizado numa concessionária de tratores para aeroportos. O CAC é utilizado para formular a estratégia competitiva de negócio, representada pelos campos da competição, e as estratégias operacionais, representadas pelas armas da competição, usando variáveis qualitativas e quantitativas, com o objetivo de aumentar a competitividade empresarial. No estudo, os dados foram levantados por meio de entrevistas junto aos dirigentes da concessionária e, para a avaliação das propostas de estratégias, recorreu-se ao método popperiano dedutivo de prova. Os resultados evidenciaram que o CAC é capaz de gerar estratégias competitivas aderentes à realidade da concessionária, pois todas as estratégias de negócio foram aceitas pelos diretores e apenas 7% das ações estratégicas operacionais sugeridas não foram aceitas. A relevância e a contribuição científica do estudo decorrem da verificação da aplicabilidade do processo prescrito pelo CAC. O estudo proporcionou a aquisição de conhecimento sobre um instrumento alternativo da Teoria da Competitividade e sugere-se aplicar sua metodologia de maneira complementar a modelos consagrados na literatura em estratégia, como o modelo do posicionamento, RBV e do Balanced Scorecard.

Solar Adaptive Optics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas R. Rimmele

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Adaptive optics (AO has become an indispensable tool at ground-based solar telescopes. AO enables the ground-based observer to overcome the adverse effects of atmospheric seeing and obtain diffraction limited observations. Over the last decade adaptive optics systems have been deployed at major ground-based solar telescopes and revitalized ground-based solar astronomy. The relatively small aperture of solar telescopes and the bright source make solar AO possible for visible wavelengths where the majority of solar observations are still performed. Solar AO systems enable diffraction limited observations of the Sun for a significant fraction of the available observing time at ground-based solar telescopes, which often have a larger aperture than equivalent space based observatories, such as HINODE. New ground breaking scientific results have been achieved with solar adaptive optics and this trend continues. New large aperture telescopes are currently being deployed or are under construction. With the aid of solar AO these telescopes will obtain observations of the highly structured and dynamic solar atmosphere with unprecedented resolution. This paper reviews solar adaptive optics techniques and summarizes the recent progress in the field of solar adaptive optics. An outlook to future solar AO developments, including a discussion of Multi-Conjugate AO (MCAO and Ground-Layer AO (GLAO will be given.

Environmentally-adapted local energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moe, N; Oefverholm, E [NUTEK, Stockholm (Sweden); Andersson, Owe [EKAN Gruppen (Sweden); Froste, H [Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm (Sweden)

1997-10-01

Energy companies, municipalities, property companies, firms of consultants, environmental groups and individuals are examples of players working locally to shape environmentally adapted energy systems. These players have needed information making them better able to make decisions on cost-efficient, environmentally-adapted energy systems. This book answers many of the questions they have put. The volume is mainly based on Swedish handbooks produced by the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development, NUTEK, together with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. These handbooks have been used in conjunction with municipal energy planning, local Agenda 21 work, to provide a basis for deciding on concrete local energy systems. The contents in brief: -The book throws new light on the concept of energy efficiency; -A section on the environment compares how air-polluting emissions vary with different methods of energy production; -A section contains more than 40 ideas for measures which can be profitable, reduce energy consumption and the impact on the environment all at the same time; -The book gives concrete examples of new, alternative and environmentally-adapted local energy systems. More efficient use of energy is included as a possible change of energy system; -The greatest emphasis is laid upon alternative energy systems for heating. It may be heating in a house, block of flats, office building or school; -Finally, there are examples of environmentally-adapted local energy planning.

Behavioural Decision Making and Suggestional Processes

OpenAIRE

Molz, Günter

2001-01-01

Common features between the domains of behavioural decision making and suggestional processes are discussed. These features are allocated in two aspects. First, behavioural decision making and suggestional processes are traditionally considered to provoke inadequate human behaviour. In this article arguments are put forward against this interpretation: Actions induced by non-rational decisions and / or by suggestional processes often have adaptive functions. Second, two common themat...

Adaptation in integrated assessment modeling: where do we stand?

OpenAIRE

Patt, A.; van Vuuren, D.P.; Berkhout, F.G.H.; Aaheim, A.; Hof, A.F.; Isaac, M.; Mechler, R.

2010-01-01

Adaptation is an important element on the climate change policy agenda. Integrated assessment models, which are key tools to assess climate change policies, have begun to address adaptation, either by including it implicitly in damage cost estimates, or by making it an explicit control variable. We analyze how modelers have chosen to describe adaptation within an integrated framework, and suggest many ways they could improve the treatment of adaptation by considering more of its bottom-up cha...

Adaptive resolution simulation of supramolecular water : The concurrent making, breaking, and remaking of water bundles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zavadlav, Julija; Marrink, Siewert J; Praprotnik, Matej

The adaptive resolution scheme (AdResS) is a multiscale molecular dynamics simulation approach that can concurrently couple atomistic (AT) and coarse-grained (CG) resolution regions, i.e., the molecules can freely adapt their resolution according to their current position in the system. Coupling to

The Multiplicity of Controls and the Making of Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Revellino, Silvana; Mouritsen, Jan

2009-01-01

are mediated by unique sets of technologies of control. In this process the innovation changes and adapts. This thesis is drawn from the case of Italian Autostrade's innovation Telepass which was an automatic toll collection devise developed to make traffic fast, safe and fluid. Throughout its development...... satisfaction, productivity and highly pointed achievement targets. This multiplicity of controls changed and adapted to the innovation as the innovation unfolds. The controls were part of the innovation more likely than an external device to make it transparent. They engaged the individual trials and changed...

Assessment of policy makers' individual and organizational capacity to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for maternal and child health policy making in Nigeria: a cross-sectional quantitative survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Uneke, Chigozie Jesse; Sombie, Issiaka; Keita, Namoudou; Lokossou, Virgil; Johnson, Ermel; Ongolo-Zogo, Pierre; Uro-Chukwu, Henry Chukwuemeka

2017-09-01

Throughout the world, there is increasing awareness and acknowledgement of the value of research evidence in the development of effective health policy and in quality health care practice and administration. Among the major challenges associated with the lack of uptake of research evidence into policy and practice in Nigeria is the capacity constraints of policymakers to use research evidence in policy making. To assess the capacity of maternal and child health policy makers to acquire, access, adapt and apply available research evidence. This cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted at a national maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) stakeholders' engagement event. An evidence to policy self-assessment questionnaire was used to assess the capacity of forty MNCH policy makers to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for policy making. Low mean ratings were observed ranging from 2.68-3.53 on a scale of 5 for knowledge about initiating/conducting research and capacity to assess authenticity, validity, reliability, relevance and applicability of research evidence and for organizational capacity for promoting and using of research for policy making. There is need to institute policy makers' capacity development programmes to improve evidence-informed policymaking.

Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit for Climate Change Adaptation ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Many African countries, regions and organizations are making plans for climate change adaptation. If such plans are to be effective, they will need to be monitored and evaluated on an ongoing basis. This grant will support the integration of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in climate change adaptation initiatives by ...

Cyclone, Salinity Intrusion and Adaptation and Coping Measures in Coastal Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebak Kumar Saha

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Although households in the coastal areas of Bangladesh undertake various adaptation and coping measures to minimise their vulnerability to cyclone hazards and salinity intrusion, these autonomous measures have received little attention in the past. However, the Government of Bangladesh has recently emphasised the importance of understanding these measures so that necessary interventions to make households more resilient to natural hazards and the adverse impacts of climate change can be introduced. This paper, based on secondary sources, explores adaptation and coping measures that households in the coastal areas of Bangladesh undertake to minimise their vulnerability to cyclone hazards and salinity intrusion. This paper shows that many of the adaptation and coping measures contribute to making households less vulnerable and more resilient to cyclone hazards and salinity intrusion, although some coping measures do the opposite as they reduce households’ adaptive capacities instead of improving them. This paper argues that the adaptation and coping measures that contribute to reducing households’ vulnerability to natural hazards need to be supported and guided by the government and NGOs to make them more effective. Additionally, measures that make households more vulnerable also need to be addressed by the government and NGOs, as most of these measures are related to and constrained by both poverty, and because the households have little or no access to economic opportunities.

Development and Standardization of the Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale: Application of Item Response Theory to the Assessment of Adaptive Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Tassé, Marc J.; Schalock, Robert L.; Thissen, David; Balboni, Giulia; Bersani, Henry, Jr.; Borthwick-Duffy, Sharon A.; Spreat, Scott; Widaman, Keith F.; Zhang, Dalun; Navas, Patricia

2016-01-01

The Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS) was developed using item response theory (IRT) methods and was constructed to provide the most precise and valid adaptive behavior information at or near the cutoff point of making a decision regarding a diagnosis of intellectual disability. The DABS initial item pool consisted of 260 items. Using IRT…

Adapting to an Uncertain Climate: Lessons From Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Capela Lourenco, T.; Rovisco, A.; Groot, A.M.E.; Nilsson, C.; Füssel, H.M.; Bree, van L.

2014-01-01

Climate change highlights the challenges for long-term policy making in the face of persistent and irreducible levels of uncertainties. It calls for the development of flexible approaches, innovative governance and other elements that contribute to effective and adaptive decision-making. Exploring

Ethical Decision Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauesen, Linne Marie

2012-01-01

of the interaction between a corporation and its stakeholders. Methodology/approach: This paper offers a theoretical 'Organic Stakeholder Model' based on decision making theory, risk assessment and adaption to a rapidly changing world combined with appropriate stakeholder theory for ethical purposes in decision...... applicable): The Model is based on case studies, but the limited scope of the length of the paper did not leave room to show the empirical evidence, but only the theoretical study. Originality / value of a paper: The model offers a new way of combining risk management with ethical decision-making processes...... by the inclusion of multiple stakeholders. The conceptualization of the model enhances business ethics in decision making by managing and balancing stakeholder concerns with the same concerns as the traditional risk management models does – for the sake of the wider social responsibilities of the businesses...

A New Multi-Agent Approach to Adaptive E-Education

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Cheng, Peng

Improving customer satisfaction degree is important in e-Education. This paper describes a new approach to adaptive e-Education taking into account the full spectrum of Web service techniques and activities. It presents a multi-agents architecture based on artificial psychology techniques, which makes the e-Education process both adaptable and dynamic, and hence up-to-date. Knowledge base techniques are used to support the e-Education process, and artificial psychology techniques to deal with user psychology, which makes the e-Education system more effective and satisfying.

Adaptive governance : Towards a stable, accountable and responsive government

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, M.F.W.H.A.; van der Voort, H.G.

2016-01-01

Organizations are expected to adapt within a short time to deal with changes that might become disruptive if not adequately dealt with. Yet many organizations are unable to adapt effectively or quickly due to the established institutional arrangements and patterns of decision-making and

Adaptive bra designs for the individuals with special needs

Science.gov (United States)

Imran, A.; Drean, E.; Schacher, L.; Adolphe, D.

2017-10-01

Nowadays the numbers of disabled and elderly people is increasing, and the development of adaptive clothing for these people is in demand. The purpose of this study is to add features in bra design, to make it “Easy on, Easy off", to encourage the hemiplegic females to begin to dress themselves and to make dressing easier and more protective for them. This adaptive bra design will offer benefits to the wearer that include independence, conformity to culture, concealment of the disability, comfort, psychological contentment, safety, and durability. Our adaptive bra will promote harmony between functionality and aesthetics. Our e-bra enables continuous, real-time monitoring to identify any pathophysiological changes by monitoring blood pressure, body temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen consumption, some neural activity.

Solar Adaptive Optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rimmele, Thomas R; Marino, Jose

Adaptive optics (AO) has become an indispensable tool at ground-based solar telescopes. AO enables the ground-based observer to overcome the adverse effects of atmospheric seeing and obtain diffraction limited observations. Over the last decade adaptive optics systems have been deployed at major ground-based solar telescopes and revitalized ground-based solar astronomy. The relatively small aperture of solar telescopes and the bright source make solar AO possible for visible wavelengths where the majority of solar observations are still performed. Solar AO systems enable diffraction limited observations of the Sun for a significant fraction of the available observing time at ground-based solar telescopes, which often have a larger aperture than equivalent space based observatories, such as HINODE. New ground breaking scientific results have been achieved with solar adaptive optics and this trend continues. New large aperture telescopes are currently being deployed or are under construction. With the aid of solar AO these telescopes will obtain observations of the highly structured and dynamic solar atmosphere with unprecedented resolution. This paper reviews solar adaptive optics techniques and summarizes the recent progress in the field of solar adaptive optics. An outlook to future solar AO developments, including a discussion of Multi-Conjugate AO (MCAO) and Ground-Layer AO (GLAO) will be given. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrsp-2011-2.

Adaptation improves face trustworthiness discrimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce D Keefe

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Adaptation to facial characteristics, such as gender and viewpoint, has been shown to both bias our perception of faces and improve facial discrimination. In this study, we examined whether adapting to two levels of face trustworthiness improved sensitivity around the adapted level. Facial trustworthiness was manipulated by morphing between trustworthy and untrustworthy prototypes, each generated by morphing eight trustworthy and eight untrustworthy faces respectively. In the first experiment, just-noticeable differences (JNDs were calculated for an untrustworthy face after participants adapted to an untrustworthy face, a trustworthy face, or did not adapt. In the second experiment, the three conditions were identical, except that JNDs were calculated for a trustworthy face. In the third experiment we examined whether adapting to an untrustworthy male face improved discrimination to an untrustworthy female face. In all experiments, participants completed a two-interval forced-choice adaptive staircase procedure, in which they judged which face was more untrustworthy. JNDs were derived from a psychometric function fitted to the data. Adaptation improved sensitivity to faces conveying the same level of trustworthiness when compared to no adaptation. When adapting to and discriminating around a different level of face trustworthiness there was no improvement in sensitivity and JNDs were equivalent to those in the no adaptation condition. The improvement in sensitivity was found to occur even when adapting to a face with different gender and identity. These results suggest that adaptation to facial trustworthiness can selectively enhance mechanisms underlying the coding of facial trustworthiness to improve perceptual sensitivity. These findings have implications for the role of our visual experience in the decisions we make about the trustworthiness of other individuals.

The Features of the Concept of Mass Customization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilona Skačkauskienė

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve competitive advantage organizations are forced to analyse and discuss application possibilities of customized solutions. Unfortunately, the application of such solutions is associated with increases in costs, raising the time of delivery and decreasing the level of quality compared to mass-produced products. Circa 1990 the concept of mass customization was proposed which solved mentioned problems and which, compared to the mass production, has properties necessary for more efficient adaptation to changing market conditions without making concessions in price, quality and delivery time. This paper analyses the concept of mass customization aiming to define research area in order to adapt the concept for service organizations. The analysis of mass customization definitions presented in the literature was processed and summary presented, this enabled to identify the main dimensions which are characterizing mass individualization. The main types of mass customization were presented and analysed in this article as well. Comparative literature analysis, abstraction and synthesis methods were applied during the research. The results of analysis enabled to formulate guidelines of further research.

Adapting Agricultural Production Systems to Climate Change—What’s the Use of Models?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annelie Holzkämper

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Climate change poses a challenge to agricultural production and its impacts vary depending on regional focus and on the type of production system. To avoid production losses and make use of emerging potentials, adaptations in agricultural management will inevitably be required. Adaptation responses can broadly be distinguished into (1 short-term incremental responses that farmers often choose autonomously in response to observed changes and based on local knowledge and experiences, and (2 long-term transformative responses that require strategic planning, and which are usually implemented at a larger spatial scale. Models can be used to support decision making at both response levels; thereby, different features of models prove more or less valuable depending on the type of adaptation response. This paper presents a systematic literature review on the state-of-the-art in modelling for adaptation planning in agricultural production systems, investigating the question of which model types can be distinguished and how these types differ in the way they support decision making in agricultural adaptation planning. Five types of models are distinguished: (1 empirical crop models; (2 regional suitability models; (3 biophysical models; (4 meta-models; and (5 decision models. The potential and limitations of these model types for providing decision-support to short- and long-term adaptation planning are discussed. The risk of maladaptation—adaptation that implies negative consequences either in the long term or in a wider context—is identified as a key challenge of adaptation planning that needs more attention. Maladaptation is not only a risk of decision making in the face of incomplete knowledge of future climate impacts on the agricultural production system; but it can also be a threat if the connectedness of the agroecosystem is not sufficiently acknowledged when management adaptations are implemented. Future research supporting climate change

Model-based design of adaptive embedded systems

CERN Document Server

Hamberg, Roelof; Reckers, Frans; Verriet, Jacques

2013-01-01

Today’s embedded systems have to operate in a wide variety of dynamically changing environmental circumstances. Adaptivity, the ability of a system to autonomously adapt itself, is a means to optimise a system’s behaviour to accommodate changes in its environment. It involves making in-product trade-offs between system qualities at system level. The main challenge in the development of adaptive systems is keeping control of the intrinsic complexity of such systems while working with multi-disciplinary teams to create different parts of the system. Model-Based Development of Adaptive Embedded Systems focuses on the development of adaptive embedded systems both from an architectural and methodological point of view. It describes architectural solution patterns for adaptive systems and state-of-the-art model-based methods and techniques to support adaptive system development. In particular, the book describes the outcome of the Octopus project, a cooperation of a multi-disciplinary team of academic and indus...

Research on self-esteem in decision-making and decision-making styles in orienteering athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eroğlu Başak

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the self-esteem in decision making and decision-making styles of orienteering athletes in terms of different variables. 157 male and 43 female orienteering athletes, making a total of 200 athletes that joined the 3rd Level of Turkey Championship in 2015 have participated in this study which is in a survey model. The data collection tools were the Melbourne Decision-making. Quastionnaire I-II and the Personal Information Form which were adapted into Turkish by Deniz (2004. In the data analysis, descriptive statics, anova, t test and Tukey test have been utilized. There is a significant difference between athletes’ marital status, age groups, experiences in orienteering sports and self-esteem in decision making, decision making styles (p<0.05. According to the research results, it has been determined that married orienteering athletes prefer both self-esteem in decision making and vigilance decision-making style more often than the single athletes that mostly prefer procrastination decision-making style. Also, it has been found out that as the athletes’ age and experiences in sports increase, selfesteem and decision-making styles are affected more positively as well.

Adaptation in integrated assessment modeling: where do we stand?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patt, A.; van Vuuren, D.P.; Berkhout, F.G.H.; Aaheim, A.; Hof, A.F.; Isaac, M.; Mechler, R.

2010-01-01

Adaptation is an important element on the climate change policy agenda. Integrated assessment models, which are key tools to assess climate change policies, have begun to address adaptation, either by including it implicitly in damage cost estimates, or by making it an explicit control variable. We

Does fertility status influence impulsivity and risk taking in human females? Adaptive influences on intertemporal choice and risky decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaighobadi, Farnaz; Stevens, Jeffrey R

2013-07-18

Informed by the research on adaptive decision making in other animal species, this study investigated human females' intertemporal and risky choices across the ovulatory cycle. We tested the hypothesis that at peak fertility, women who are exposed to environments that signal availability of higher quality mates (by viewing images of attractive males), become more impulsive and risk-seeking in economic decision tasks. To test this, we collected intertemporal and risky choice measures before and after exposure to images of either attractive males or neutral landscapes both at peak and low fertility conditions. The results showed an interaction between women's fertility status and image type, such that women at peak fertility viewing images of attractive men chose the smaller, sooner monetary reward option less than women at peak fertility viewing neutral images. Neither fertility status nor image type influenced risky choice. Thus, though exposure to images of men altered intertemporal choices at peak fertility, this occurred in the opposite direction than predicted--i.e., women at peak fertility became less impulsive. Nevertheless, the results of the current study provide evidence for shifts in preferences over the ovulatory cycle and opens future research on economic decision making.

Does Fertility Status Influence Impulsivity and Risk Taking in Human Females? Adaptive Influences on Intertemporal Choice and Risky Decision Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farnaz Kaighobadi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Informed by the research on adaptive decision making in other animal species, this study investigated human females' intertemporal and risky choices across the ovulatory cycle. We tested the hypothesis that at peak fertility, women who are exposed to environments that signal availability of higher quality mates (by viewing images of attractive males, become more impulsive and risk-seeking in economic decision tasks. To test this, we collected intertemporal and risky choice measures before and after exposure to images of either attractive males or neutral landscapes both at peak and low fertility conditions. The results showed an interaction between women's fertility status and image type, such that women at peak fertility viewing images of attractive men chose the smaller, sooner monetary reward option less than women at peak fertility viewing neutral images. Neither fertility status nor image type influenced risky choice. Thus, though exposure to images of men altered intertemporal choices at peak fertility, this occurred in the opposite direction than predicted—i.e., women at peak fertility became less impulsive. Nevertheless, the results of the current study provide evidence for shifts in preferences over the ovulatory cycle and opens future research on economic decision making.

A Governing Framework for Climate Change Adaptation in the Built Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel A. Mazmanian

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Developing an approach to governing adaptation to climate change is severely hampered by the dictatorship of the present when the needs of future generations are inadequately represented in current policy making. We posit this problem as a function of the attributes of adaptation policy making, including deep uncertainty and nonstationarity, where past observations are not reliable predictors of future outcomes. Our research links organizational decision-making attributes with adaptation decision making and identifies cases in which adaptation actions cause spillovers, free riding, and distributional impacts. We develop a governing framework for adaptation that we believe will enable policy, planning, and major long-term development decisions to be made appropriately at all levels of government in the face of the deep uncertainty and nonstationarity caused by climate change. Our framework requires that approval of projects with an expected life span of 30 years or more in the built environment include minimum building standards that integrate forecasted climate change impacts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC intermediate scenario. The intermediate IPCC scenario must be downscaled to include local or regional temperature, water availability, sea level rise, susceptibility to forest fires, and human habitation impacts to minimize climate-change risks to the built environment. The minimum standard is systematically updated every six years to facilitate learning by formal and informal organizations. As a minimum standard, the governance framework allows jurisdictions to take stronger actions to increase their climate resilience and thus maintain system flexibility.

Applications of decision theory to computer-based adaptive instructional systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, Hendrik J.

1988-01-01

This paper considers applications of decision theory to the problem of instructional decision-making in computer-based adaptive instructional systems, using the Minnesota Adaptive Instructional System (MAIS) as an example. The first section indicates how the problem of selecting the appropriate

Intervention Mapping to Adapt Evidence-Based Interventions for Use in Practice: Increasing Mammography among African American Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda Highfield

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes and demonstrates the use of the systematic planning process, Intervention Mapping, to adapt an evidence-based public health intervention (EBI. We used a simplified version of Intervention Mapping (IM Adapt to increase an intervention’s fit with a new setting and population. IM Adapt guides researchers and practitioners in selecting an EBI, making decisions about whether and what to adapt, and executing the adaptation while guarding the EBI’s essential elements (those responsible for effectiveness. We present a case study of a project in which we used IM Adapt to find, adapt, implement, and evaluate an EBI to improve mammography adherence for African American women in a new practice setting in Houston, Texas. IM Adapt includes the following (1 assess needs and organizational capacity; (2 find EBIs; (3 plan adaptations based on fit assessments; (4 make adaptations; (5 plan for implementation; and (6 plan for evaluation of the adapted EBI. The case study shows an example of how public health researchers and practitioners can use the tool to make it easier to find and use EBIs, thus encouraging greater uptake. IM Adapt adds to existing dissemination and adaptation models by providing detailed guidance on how to decide on effective adaptation, while maintaining the essential elements of the EBI.

Intervention Mapping to Adapt Evidence-Based Interventions for Use in Practice: Increasing Mammography among African American Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Highfield, Linda; Hartman, Marieke A; Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Rodriguez, Serena A; Fernandez, Maria E; Bartholomew, L Kay

2015-01-01

This paper describes and demonstrates the use of the systematic planning process, Intervention Mapping, to adapt an evidence-based public health intervention (EBI). We used a simplified version of Intervention Mapping (IM Adapt) to increase an intervention's fit with a new setting and population. IM Adapt guides researchers and practitioners in selecting an EBI, making decisions about whether and what to adapt, and executing the adaptation while guarding the EBI's essential elements (those responsible for effectiveness). We present a case study of a project in which we used IM Adapt to find, adapt, implement, and evaluate an EBI to improve mammography adherence for African American women in a new practice setting in Houston, Texas. IM Adapt includes the following (1) assess needs and organizational capacity; (2) find EBIs; (3) plan adaptations based on fit assessments; (4) make adaptations; (5) plan for implementation; and (6) plan for evaluation of the adapted EBI. The case study shows an example of how public health researchers and practitioners can use the tool to make it easier to find and use EBIs, thus encouraging greater uptake. IM Adapt adds to existing dissemination and adaptation models by providing detailed guidance on how to decide on effective adaptation, while maintaining the essential elements of the EBI.

Adaptive PID and Model Reference Adaptive Control Switch Controller for Nonlinear Hydraulic Actuator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Zuo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nonlinear systems are modeled as piecewise linear systems at multiple operating points, where the operating points are modeled as switches between constituent linearized systems. In this paper, adaptive piecewise linear switch controller is proposed for improving the response time and tracking performance of the hydraulic actuator control system, which is essentially piecewise linear. The controller composed of PID and Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC adaptively chooses the proportion of these two components and makes the designed system have faster response time at the transient phase and better tracking performance, simultaneously. Then, their stability and tracking performance are analyzed and evaluated by the hydraulic actuator control system, the hydraulic actuator is controlled by the electrohydraulic system, and its model is built, which has piecewise linear characteristic. Then the controller results are compared between PID and MRAC and the switch controller designed in this paper is applied to the hydraulic actuator; it is obvious that adaptive switch controller has better effects both on response time and on tracking performance.

Making Sustainable Decisions Using the KONVERGENCE Framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piet, Steven James; Gibson, Patrick Lavern; Joe, Jeffrey Clark; Kerr, Thomas A; Nitschke, Robert Leon; Dakins, Maxine Ellen

2003-02-01

Hundreds of contaminated facilities and sites must be cleaned up. “Cleanup” includes decommissioning, environmental restoration, and waste management. Cleanup can be complex, expensive, risky, and time-consuming. Decisions are often controversial, can stall or be blocked, and are sometimes re-done - some before implementation, some decades later. Making and keeping decisions with long time horizons involves special difficulties and requires new approaches, including: • New ways (mental model) to analyze and visualize the problem, • Awareness of the option to shift strategy or reframe from a single decision to an adaptable network of decisions, and • Improved tactical processes that account for several challenges. These include the following: • Stakeholder values are a more fundamental basis for decision making and keeping than “meeting regulations.” • Late-entry players and future generations will question decisions. • People may resist making “irreversible” decisions. • People need “compelling reasons” to take action in the face of uncertainties. Our project goal is to make cleanup decisions easier to make, implement, keep, and sustain. By sustainability, we mean decisions that work better over the entire time-period—from when a decision is made, through implementation, to its end point. That is, alternatives that can be kept “as is” or adapted as circumstances change. Increased attention to sustainability and adaptability may decrease resistance to making and implementing decisions. Our KONVERGENCE framework addresses these challenges. The framework is based on a mental model that states: where Knowledge, Values, and Resources converge (the K, V, R in KONVERGENCE), you will find a sustainable decision. We define these areas or universes as follows: • Knowledge: what is known about the problem and possible solutions? • Values: what is important to those affected by the decision? • Resources: what is available to implement

A proposal of group decision making procedure for supporting social consensus making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Yoshiaki

1996-01-01

Being interested in supporting social consensus making, in this paper, we have proposed a group decision making procedure through conflict resolution in the following situation: each group has a different privilege with decision making; the final goal should be evaluated by a few qualitative sub-goals besides quantitative ones. For this purpose, we have developed a step-wise procedure that has been popularly adapted when encountered with complicated and large-scale problem-solving. As well as at the value system design phase, we applied the analytic hierarchy process, AHP to decide weights standing for the privilege at the decision making phase. Then, after rearranging the hierarchy of the sub-goals depending on the nature, we have provided an iterative procedure to derive a final solution from a discrete optimization problem. To reduce the difficulties of multi-objective decision making thereat, we took a scoring method for total evaluation and applied the genetic algorithm as a solution method. Through numerical experiments applied to a planning problem of the radioactive waste management system, we have shown numerically the proposed approach is very promising for social consensus making. (author)

78 FR 21415 - Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group... Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning... Federal advisory committee, the AMWG, a technical work group, a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research...

NeatSort - A practical adaptive algorithm

OpenAIRE

La Rocca, Marcello; Cantone, Domenico

2014-01-01

We present a new adaptive sorting algorithm which is optimal for most disorder metrics and, more important, has a simple and quick implementation. On input $X$, our algorithm has a theoretical $\\Omega (|X|)$ lower bound and a $\\mathcal{O}(|X|\\log|X|)$ upper bound, exhibiting amazing adaptive properties which makes it run closer to its lower bound as disorder (computed on different metrics) diminishes. From a practical point of view, \\textit{NeatSort} has proven itself competitive with (and of...

Landscape structure and the speed of adaptation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claudino, Elder S.; Campos, Paulo R.A.

2014-01-01

The role of fragmentation in the adaptive process is addressed. We investigate how landscape structure affects the speed of adaptation in a spatially structured population model. As models of fragmented landscapes, here we simulate the percolation maps and the fractal landscapes. In the latter the degree of spatial autocorrelation can be suited. We verified that fragmentation can effectively affect the adaptive process. The examination of the fixation rates and speed of adaptation discloses the dichotomy exhibited by percolation maps and fractal landscapes. In the latter, there is a smooth change in the pace of the adaptation process, as the landscapes become more aggregated higher fixation rates and speed of adaptation are obtained. On the other hand, in random percolation the geometry of the percolating cluster matters. Thus, the scenario depends on whether the system is below or above the percolation threshold. - Highlights: • The role of fragmentation on the adaptive process is addressed. • Our approach makes the linkage between population genetics and landscape ecology. • Fragmentation affects gene flow and thus influences the speed of adaptation. • The level of clumping determines how the speed of adaptation is influenced

Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Based Climate Change Adaptation (EbA in Bangladesh: Status, Challenges and Opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazmul Huq

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to analyze the extent of Ecosystem Service (ESS based Adaptation (EbA to climate change in the policy-making process of Bangladesh. The paper is based on a three stage hybrid policy-making cycle: (i agenda setting; (ii policy formulation; and (iii policy implementation stage, where the contributions of EbA can horizontally (on the ground or vertically (strategic stage be mainstreamed and integrated. A total of nine national and sectoral development and climate change policies, and 329 climate change adaptation projects are examined belonging to different policy-making stages. The major findings include that the role of ESS is marginally considered as an adaptation component in most of the reviewed policies, especially at the top strategic level (vertical mainstreaming. However, at the policy formulation and implementation stage (horizontal mainstreaming, they are largely ignored and priority is given to structural adaptation policies and projects, e.g., large scale concrete dams and embankments. For example, ESS’s roles to adapt sectors such as urban planning, biodiversity management and disaster risk reduction are left unchecked, and the implementation stage receives overwhelming priorities and investments to undertake hard adaptation measures such that only 38 projects are related to EbA. The paper argues that: (i dominant structural adaptation ideologies; (ii the expert and bureaucracy dependent policy making process; and (iii the lack of adaptive and integration capacities at institutional level are considerably offsetting the EbA mainstreaming process that need to be adequately addressed for climate change adaptation.

Certified and uncertified logging concessions compared in Gabon: changes in stand structure, tree species, and biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Medjibe, V P; Putz, Francis E; Romero, Claudia

2013-03-01

Forest management certification is assumed to promote sustainable forest management, but there is little field-based evidence to support this claim. To help fill this gap, we compared a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified with an adjacent uncertified, conventionally logged concession (CL) in Gabon on the basis of logging damage, above-ground biomass (AGB), and tree species diversity and composition. Before logging, we marked, mapped, and measured all trees >10 cm dbh in 20 and twelve 1-ha permanent plots in the FSC and CL areas, respectively. Soil and tree damage due to felling, skidding, and road-related activities was then assessed 2-3 months after the 508 ha FSC study area and the 200 ha CL study area were selectively logged at respective intensities of 5.7 m(3)/ha (0.39 trees/ha) and 11.4 m(3)/ha (0.76 trees/ha). For each tree felled, averages of 9.1 and 20.9 other trees were damaged in the FSC and CL plots, respectively; when expressed as the impacts per timber volume extracted, the values did not differ between the two treatments. Skid trails covered 2.9 % more of the CL surface, but skid trail length per unit timber volume extracted was not greater. Logging roads were wider in the CL than FSC site and disturbed 4.7 % more of the surface. Overall, logging caused declines in AGB of 7.1 and 13.4 % at the FSC and CL sites, respectively. Changes in tree species composition were small but greater for the CL site. Based on these findings and in light of the pseudoreplicated study design with less-than perfect counterfactual, we cautiously conclude that certification yields environmental benefits even after accounting for differences in logging intensities.

Adaptive behavior of children with visual impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anđelković Marija

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Adaptive behavior includes a wide range of skills necessary for independent, safe and adequate performance of everyday activities. Practical, social and conceptual skills make the concept of adaptive behavior. The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into the existing studies of adaptive behavior in persons with visual impairment. The paper mainly focuses on the research on adaptive behavior in children with visual impairment. The results show that the acquisition of adaptive skills is mainly low or moderately low in children and youth with visual impairment. Children with visual impairment achieve the worst results in social skills and everyday life skills, while the most acquired are communication skills. Apart from the degree of visual impairment, difficulties in motor development also significantly influence the acquisition of practical and social skills of blind persons and persons with low vision.

The Drug war: Diplomatic and Security Implications for Mexico and the United States

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-10

The PRI electoral gains will make it impossible for President Calderon to push significant reforms through without serious concessions to the PRI-if...August 2002), 5. 83 GLOSSARY Commission Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH). Mexico’s National Commission on Human Rights. Counter-drug

Can Protection Motivation Theory explain farmers'adaptation to Climate change/variability decision making in the Gambia?

Science.gov (United States)

Bagagnan, A. R.

2016-12-01

In the Gambia, Changes in the climate pattern has affected and continue to affect the agriculture sector and therefore calling for effective adaptation policies. The present study aimed to explain farmers' adoption of climate change adaptation measure through the protection motivation theory in The Central River Region of The Gambia. Primary data were collected in all the eight communities of the study area. A transect walk was conducted first followed by a survey with 283 informants. The perception variables were referring to the past 20 years while the stated implementation was addressing the current adaptation practices. Results showed that on one hand, most of the perception variables such as severity, ability to withstand, and internal barriers are significantly correlated to protection motivation and on the other hand Protection motivation and stated implementation for water conservation technique are strongly correlated. Structural Equation Modeling confirms the mediation role of Protection motivation between Farmers stated implementation and their perception of climate variability. Decrease in soil water storage capacity, degradation of the quality of soil surface structure, decrease of the length of the growing season are factors that motivate farmers to implement an adaptation measure. Cost of the implementation and farmers' vulnerability are factors that prevent farmers to implement an adaptation measure. The cost of the implementation is the main barrier to farmers `protection motivation. Therefore the study suggested that farmers' awareness about climate change/variability should be increased through farmers' field school and awareness campaigns, farmers' resilience should be improved and adaptation measures should be made accessible to farmers through loans facilities and subsidizes application.

78 FR 7810 - Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-04

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group... Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning..., the AMWG, a technical work group (TWG), a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, and independent...

77 FR 22801 - Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-17

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group...). SUMMARY: The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary..., the AMWG, a technical work group, a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, and independent...

76 FR 24516 - Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-02

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group... Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning..., the AMWG, a technical work group (TWG), a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, and independent...

Decision Making and Revealed Preference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de la Rosa, Leonidas Enrique

If our decision-making processes are to some extent shaped by evolutionary pressures and our environment is different from that to which we adapted, some of our choices will not be in our best interest. But revealed preference is the only tool that we have so far to conduct a normative analysis...

On US politics and IMF lending

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck; Harr, Thomas; Tarp, Finn

2006-01-01

The political factors shaping IMF lending to developing countries have attracted attention in recent empirical work. This goes in particular for the role and influence of the US. However, scant formal modelling makes interpretation of empirical results difficult. In this paper, we propose a model...... in which the US acts as principal within the IMF and seeks to maximize its impact on the policy stance of debtor countries. We derive an optimal loan allocation mechanism, which leads to the testable hypothesis that the probability of an IMF loan is increasing in the amount of political concessions...... countries make. A political concession is defined as the distance between a country's bliss point and its actual policy stance measured relative to the US. We introduce a bliss-point proxy and demonstrate that our hypothesis is strongly supported in the data. Moreover, we show that not accounting for bliss...

Adaptive RF front-ends for hand-held applications

CERN Document Server

van Bezooijen, Andre; van Roermund, Arthur

2010-01-01

The RF front-end - antenna combination is a vital part of a mobile phone because its performance is very relevant to the link quality between hand-set and cellular network base-stations. The RF front-end performance suffers from changes in operating environment, like hand-effects, that are often unpredictable. ""Adaptive RF Front-Ends for Hand-Held Applications"" presents an analysis on the impact of fluctuating environmental parameters. In order to overcome undesired behavior two different adaptive control methods are treated that make RF frond-ends more resilient: adaptive impedance control,

77 FR 9265 - Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-16

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group... Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning.... L. 102-575) of 1992. The AMP includes a Federal advisory committee, the AMWG, a technical work group...

Adaptive and non-adaptive data hiding methods for grayscale images based on modulus function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najme Maleki

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents two adaptive and non-adaptive data hiding methods for grayscale images based on modulus function. Our adaptive scheme is based on the concept of human vision sensitivity, so the pixels in edge areas than to smooth areas can tolerate much more changes without making visible distortion for human eyes. In our adaptive scheme, the average differencing value of four neighborhood pixels into a block via a threshold secret key determines whether current block is located in edge or smooth area. Pixels in the edge areas are embedded by Q-bit of secret data with a larger value of Q than that of pixels placed in smooth areas. Also in this scholar, we represent one non-adaptive data hiding algorithm. Our non-adaptive scheme, via an error reduction procedure, produces a high visual quality for stego-image. The proposed schemes present several advantages. 1-of aspects the embedding capacity and visual quality of stego-image are scalable. In other words, the embedding rate as well as the image quality can be scaled for practical applications 2-the high embedding capacity with minimal visual distortion can be achieved, 3-our methods require little memory space for secret data embedding and extracting phases, 4-secret keys have used to protect of the embedded secret data. Thus, level of security is high, 5-the problem of overflow or underflow does not occur. Experimental results indicated that the proposed adaptive scheme significantly is superior to the currently existing scheme, in terms of stego-image visual quality, embedding capacity and level of security and also our non-adaptive method is better than other non-adaptive methods, in view of stego-image quality. Results show which our adaptive algorithm can resist against the RS steganalysis attack.

Inference in models with adaptive learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chevillon, G.; Massmann, M.; Mavroeidis, S.

2010-01-01

Identification of structural parameters in models with adaptive learning can be weak, causing standard inference procedures to become unreliable. Learning also induces persistent dynamics, and this makes the distribution of estimators and test statistics non-standard. Valid inference can be

Communicating climate information: travelling through the decision-making process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoverinck, F.; Dubois, G.; Amelung, B.

2013-01-01

Climate change forces society to adapt. Adaptation strategies are preferably based on the best available climate information. Climate projections, however, often inform adaptation strategies after being interpreted once or several times. This process affects the original message put forward by climate scientists when presenting the basic climate projections, in particular regarding uncertainties. The nature of this effect and its implications for decision-making are as yet poorly understood. This paper explores the nature and consequences of a) the communication tools used by scientists and experts, and b)changes in the communicated information as it travels through the decision-making process. It does so by analysing the interpretative steps taken in a sample of 25 documents, pertaining to the field of public policies for climate change impact assessment and adaptation strategies. Five phases in the provisioning of climate information are distinguished: pre-existing knowledge (i.e. climate models and data), climate- change projection, impact assessment, adaptation strategy, and adaptation plan. Between the phases, climate information is summarized and synthesised in order to be passed on. The results show that in the sample information on uncertainty is under-represented: e.g. studies focus on only one scenario, and/or disregard probability distributions. In addition, visualization tools are often used ineffectively, leading to confusion and unintended interpretations. Several recommendations are presented. A better training of climatologists to communication issues, but also a training to climatology for decision makers are required, as well as more cautious and robust adaptation strategies, accounting for the uncertainty inherent to climate projections. (authors)

[Alienation and adaptation in English translation of traditional Chinese medicinal literature].

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Jun-xiong; Wang, Guan-jun

2006-10-01

Alienation and adaptation are two of the principles and methods in translation, each possessing their own values. Alienation should be applied in translating linguistic content in order to transfer the imbedded cultural messages trustfully; while the principle of adaptation should be followed in linguistic structure translation due to the different thinking patterns between Chinese and English which results in a great linguistic structure difference. Therefore, the translator must express the original meaning trustfully, on the other hand, to make the Chinese version more smooth, linguistic structure should be transformed to conform to the thinking habit of the readers. In brief,alienation and adaptation should complement each other in translation to make it a bridge connecting the different cultures.

Adaptive comanagement of a marine protected area network in Fiji.

Science.gov (United States)

Weeks, Rebecca; Jupiter, Stacy D

2013-12-01

Adaptive management of natural resources is an iterative process of decision making whereby management strategies are progressively changed or adjusted in response to new information. Despite an increasing focus on the need for adaptive conservation strategies, there remain few applied examples. We describe the 9-year process of adaptive comanagement of a marine protected area network in Kubulau District, Fiji. In 2011, a review of protected area boundaries and management rules was motivated by the need to enhance management effectiveness and the desire to improve resilience to climate change. Through a series of consultations, with the Wildlife Conservation Society providing scientific input to community decision making, the network of marine protected areas was reconfigured so as to maximize resilience and compliance. Factors identified as contributing to this outcome include well-defined resource-access rights; community respect for a flexible system of customary governance; long-term commitment and presence of comanagement partners; supportive policy environment for comanagement; synthesis of traditional management approaches with systematic monitoring; and district-wide coordination, which provided a broader spatial context for adaptive-management decision making. Co-Manejo Adaptativo de una Red de Áreas Marinas Protegidas en Fiyi. © 2013 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the Society for Conservation Biology.

Climate change adaptation among Tibetan pastoralists: challenges in enhancing local adaptation through policy support.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yao; Grumbine, R Edward; Wilkes, Andreas; Wang, Yun; Xu, Jian-Chu; Yang, Yong-Ping

2012-10-01

While researchers are aware that a mix of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), community-based resource management institutions, and higher-level institutions and policies can facilitate pastoralists' adaptation to climate change, policy makers have been slow to understand these linkages. Two critical issues are to what extent these factors play a role, and how to enhance local adaptation through government support. We investigated these issues through a case study of two pastoral communities on the Tibetan Plateau in China employing an analytical framework to understand local climate adaptation processes. We concluded that LEK and community-based institutions improve adaptation outcomes for Tibetan pastoralists through shaping and mobilizing resource availability to reduce risks. Higher-level institutions and policies contribute by providing resources from outside communities. There are dynamic interrelationships among these factors that can lead to support, conflict, and fragmentation. Government policy could enhance local adaptation through improvement of supportive relationships among these factors. While central government policies allow only limited room for overt integration of local knowledge/institutions, local governments often have some flexibility to buffer conflicts. In addition, government policies to support market-based economic development have greatly benefited adaptation outcomes for pastoralists. Overall, in China, there are still questions over how to create innovative institutions that blend LEK and community-based institutions with government policy making.

Adaptive management and environmental decision making. A case study application to water use planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregory, Robin; Failing, Lee; Higgins, Paul

2006-01-01

Adaptive management (AM) techniques are one of the principal tools proposed by environmental decision makers to provide flexible and responsive management approaches over time. However, the record of successful applications is surprisingly small. We believe that this in part reflects the lack of an intuitively plausible framework for evaluating AM initiatives. This paper outlines such a framework, based on the insights of decision analysis, for evaluating the use of AM as a technique to improve environmental management decisions. British Columbia's Water Use Plan (WUP) process, which has developed operating plans for more than 20 major hydroelectric facilities, is introduced as a case-study example. The discussion emphasizes that decisions to adopt adaptive management strategies involve judgments concerning tradeoffs across a variety of economic, environmental, and social objectives. As a result, adaptive management initiatives need to be carefully evaluated based on their merits relative to other alternatives. Within an AM framework, alternative experimental designs should be evaluated because the design of a preferred experiment involves choices among different levels of investment, the quality of available and desired future information, and different ecological, economic, and social risks. (author)

Common guideline of the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Cartel Office for the award of electricity and gas concession contracts and for changing concession holders. A correct step towards competition for power and gas distribution grids; Gemeinsamer Leitfaden von Bundeskartellamt und Bundesnetzagentur zur Vergabe von Strom- und Gaskonzessionsvertraegen und zum Wechsel des Konzessionsnehmers. Ein richtiger Schritt in Richtung Wettbewerb um Strom- und Gasverteilnetze

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buettner, Svenja; Templin, Wolf [Kanzlei Becker Buettner Held, Berlin (Germany)

2011-04-15

By means of the guidance of the Federal Network Agency (Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany) and the Federal Cartel Office (Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany) the desired competition for energy supply systems is finally strengthening explicitly. It is a step in the right direction and provides clarification in many ways. The comments on the scope of the claim to relinquishment and also on the economically reasonable compensation can convince to a large extent. However, the authorities lack the courage and the empirical safety such as to clarify absolutely the claim to transfer property from paragraph 46 section 2 sentence 2 Energy Economy Law. With regard to the information demands in the selection process the guideline presents only a minimum number. For any further confusion, ultimately the legislature is called upon to address the contentious issues of the concession contract law.

Environmental impacts of climate change adaptation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enríquez-de-Salamanca, Álvaro, E-mail: aenriquez@draba.org [Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)/Draba Ingeniería y Consultoría Medioambiental, Cañada Nueva, 13, 28200 San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Spain); Díaz-Sierra, Rubén, E-mail: sierra@dfmf.uned.es [Departamento de Física Matemática y de Fluidos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Paseo Senda del Rey, 9, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Martín-Aranda, Rosa M., E-mail: rmartin@ccia.uned.es [Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Química Técnica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Paseo Senda del Rey, 9, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Santos, Maria J., E-mail: M.J.FerreiraDosSantos@uu.nl [Department of Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 2, 3572 TC Utrecht (Netherlands)

2017-05-15

Climate change adaptation reduces adverse effects of climate change but may also have undesirable environmental impacts. However, these impacts are yet poorly defined and analysed in the existing literature. To complement this knowledge-gap, we reviewed the literature to unveil the relationship between climate change adaptation and environmental impact assessment, and the degree to which environmental impacts are included in climate change adaptation theory and practice. Our literature review showed that technical, social and economic perspectives on climate change adaptation receive much more attention than the environmental perspective. The scarce interest on the environmental impacts of adaptation may be attributed to (1) an excessive sectoral approach, with dominance of non-environmental perspectives, (2) greater interest in mitigation and direct climate change impacts rather than in adaptation impacts, (3) a tendency to consider adaptation as inherently good, and (4) subjective/preconceived notions on which measures are good or bad, without a comprehensive assessment. Environmental Assessment (EA) has a long established history as an effective tool to include environment into decision-making, although it does not yet guarantee a proper assessment of adaptation, because it is still possible to postpone or even circumvent the processes of assessing the impacts of climate adaptation. Our results suggest that there is a need to address adaptation proactively by including it in EA, to update current policy frameworks, and to demand robust and reliable evaluation of alternatives. Only through the full EA of adaptation measures can we improve our understanding of the primary and secondary impacts of adaptation to global environmental change. - Highlights: • Climate change adaptation may have undesirable environmental impacts. • The impacts of adaptation are yet poorly analysed in the literature. • There is an excessive sectoral approach to adaptation, mainly

Environmental impacts of climate change adaptation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enríquez-de-Salamanca, Álvaro; Díaz-Sierra, Rubén; Martín-Aranda, Rosa M.; Santos, Maria J.

2017-01-01

Climate change adaptation reduces adverse effects of climate change but may also have undesirable environmental impacts. However, these impacts are yet poorly defined and analysed in the existing literature. To complement this knowledge-gap, we reviewed the literature to unveil the relationship between climate change adaptation and environmental impact assessment, and the degree to which environmental impacts are included in climate change adaptation theory and practice. Our literature review showed that technical, social and economic perspectives on climate change adaptation receive much more attention than the environmental perspective. The scarce interest on the environmental impacts of adaptation may be attributed to (1) an excessive sectoral approach, with dominance of non-environmental perspectives, (2) greater interest in mitigation and direct climate change impacts rather than in adaptation impacts, (3) a tendency to consider adaptation as inherently good, and (4) subjective/preconceived notions on which measures are good or bad, without a comprehensive assessment. Environmental Assessment (EA) has a long established history as an effective tool to include environment into decision-making, although it does not yet guarantee a proper assessment of adaptation, because it is still possible to postpone or even circumvent the processes of assessing the impacts of climate adaptation. Our results suggest that there is a need to address adaptation proactively by including it in EA, to update current policy frameworks, and to demand robust and reliable evaluation of alternatives. Only through the full EA of adaptation measures can we improve our understanding of the primary and secondary impacts of adaptation to global environmental change. - Highlights: • Climate change adaptation may have undesirable environmental impacts. • The impacts of adaptation are yet poorly analysed in the literature. • There is an excessive sectoral approach to adaptation, mainly

An approach to assessing multicity implementation of healthful food access policy, systems, and environmental changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Silberfarb, Laura Oliven; Savre, Sonja; Geber, Gayle

2014-04-24

Local governments play an increasingly important role in improving residents' access to healthful food and beverages to reduce obesity and chronic disease. Cities can use multiple strategies to improve community health through, for example, land use and zoning policies, city contracting and procurement practices, sponsorship of farmers markets and community gardens, and vending and concession practices in parks and recreation facilities. With 41 cities in the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department jurisdiction, the county undertook to measure the extent to which cities were engaged in making policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to increase residents' access to healthful food. The results revealed that some cities, particularly those with higher resident demand for healthful food, are making nationally recommended PSE changes, such as sponsoring farmers markets and community gardens. Cities have moved more slowly to make changes in areas with perceived negative cost consequences or lesser public demand, such as parks and recreation vending and concessions. This article describes the assessment process, survey tools, findings, and implications for other health departments seeking to undertake a similar assessment.

[The adaptation and validation to Spanish of the questionnaire Aid to Capacity Evaluation (ACE), for the assessment of the ability of patients in medical decision-making].

Science.gov (United States)

Moraleda Barba, Sandra; Ballesta Rodríguez, M Isabel; Delgado Quero, Antonio Luis; Lietor Villajos, Norberto; Moreno Corredor, Andrés; Delgado Rodríguez, Miguel

2015-03-01

To adapt and validate the Spanish version of the Aid to Capacity Evaluation scale, designed to assess the capacity of the adult in medical decision-making, both in diagnosis and treatment processes. Observational study of prospective validation. Primary and hospital care of the basic health area of Jaen. One hundred twenty-nine patients. Questionnaire which included sociodemographic variables, concerning the decision (scope, type of decision, the need for written informed consent), assessment of the capacity to the Aid to Capacity Evaluation scale and other related comorbidity (hearing loss, alcoholism, cognitive level variables with the Mini-Mental State Examination and depression by Goldberg or Yesavage test). The tool is considered viable. The conclusions of the expert panel were favorable. The result of the criteria' validity, comparing the results with the assessment of the experts (forensic and psychiatrist) was very satisfying (P<.001). The intra-observer reliability was low (kappa=0,135). Interobserver reliability remained high (kappa=0.74). The internal consistency was awarded an alpha of Cronbach's 0,645 for the reduced model of 6 items. The Aid to Capacity Evaluation scale was adapted to Spanish, demonstrating adequate internal consistency and construct validity. Its use in clinical practice could contribute to the identification of patients unable to make a particular medical decision and/or to give an informed consent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Climate Change Adaptation Decision Making for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods From Palcacocha Lake in Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Cuellar, A. D.; McKinney, D. C.

2014-12-01

Climate change has accelerated glacial retreat in high altitude glaciated regions of Peru leading to the growth and formation of glacier lakes. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) are sudden events triggered by an earthquake, avalanche into the lake or other shock that causes a sudden outflow of water. These floods are catastrophic because of their sudden onset, the difficulty predicting them, and enormous quantity of water and debris rapidly flooding downstream areas. Palcacocha Lake in the Peruvian Andes has experienced accelerated growth since it burst in 1941 and threatens the major city of Huaraz and surrounding communities. Since the 1941 flood stakeholders have advocated for projects to adapt to the increasing threat posed by Palcacocha Lake. Nonetheless, discussions surrounding projects for Palcacocha have not included a rigorous analysis of the potential consequences of a flood, probability of an event, or costs of mitigation projects. This work presents the first step to rationally analyze the risks posed by Palcacocha Lake and the various adaptation projects proposed. In this work the authors use decision analysis to asses proposed adaptation measures that would mitigate damage in downstream communities from a GLOF. We use an existing hydrodynamic model of the at-risk area to determine how adaptation projects will affect downstream flooding. Flood characteristics are used in the HEC-FIA software to estimate fatalities and injuries from an outburst flood, which we convert to monetary units using the value of a statistical life. We combine the monetary consequences of a GLOF with the cost of the proposed projects and a diffuse probability distribution for the likelihood of an event to estimate the expected cost of the adaptation plans. From this analysis we found that lowering the lake level by 15 meters has the least expected cost of any proposal despite uncertainty in the effect of lake lowering on flooding downstream.

Scalable Algorithms for Adaptive Statistical Designs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Oehmke

2000-01-01

Full Text Available We present a scalable, high-performance solution to multidimensional recurrences that arise in adaptive statistical designs. Adaptive designs are an important class of learning algorithms for a stochastic environment, and we focus on the problem of optimally assigning patients to treatments in clinical trials. While adaptive designs have significant ethical and cost advantages, they are rarely utilized because of the complexity of optimizing and analyzing them. Computational challenges include massive memory requirements, few calculations per memory access, and multiply-nested loops with dynamic indices. We analyze the effects of various parallelization options, and while standard approaches do not work well, with effort an efficient, highly scalable program can be developed. This allows us to solve problems thousands of times more complex than those solved previously, which helps make adaptive designs practical. Further, our work applies to many other problems involving neighbor recurrences, such as generalized string matching.

Creating Adaptive Policies: A Guide for Policy-making in an ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2009-01-01

Jan 1, 2009 ... This is an essential toolkit for those in the business of making, recommending, ... Policies that cannot perform effectively under today's complex, dynamic, and ... Suruchi Bhadwal is an Area Convener of the Centre for Global ...

Using Ontology to Drive an Adaptive Learning Interface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Crapo

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Intelligent, adaptive interfaces are a pre-requisite to elevating computer-based applications to the realm of collaborative decision support in complex, relatively open-ended domains such as logistics and planning. This is because the composition and effective presentation of even the most useful information must be tailored to constantly changing circumstances. Our objective is to not only achieve an adaptive human-machine interface, but to imbue the software with a significant portion of the responsibility for effectively controlling the adaptation, freeing the user from unnecessary distraction and making the human-machine relationship more collaborative in nature. The foundational concepts of interface adaptation are discussed and a specific logistics application is described as an example.

Decision-level adaptation in motion perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, George; Sharman, Rebecca J

2015-12-01

Prolonged exposure to visual stimuli causes a bias in observers' responses to subsequent stimuli. Such adaptation-induced biases are usually explained in terms of changes in the relative activity of sensory neurons in the visual system which respond selectively to the properties of visual stimuli. However, the bias could also be due to a shift in the observer's criterion for selecting one response rather than the alternative; adaptation at the decision level of processing rather than the sensory level. We investigated whether adaptation to implied motion is best attributed to sensory-level or decision-level bias. Three experiments sought to isolate decision factors by changing the nature of the participants' task while keeping the sensory stimulus unchanged. Results showed that adaptation-induced bias in reported stimulus direction only occurred when the participants' task involved a directional judgement, and disappeared when adaptation was measured using a non-directional task (reporting where motion was present in the display, regardless of its direction). We conclude that adaptation to implied motion is due to decision-level bias, and that a propensity towards such biases may be widespread in sensory decision-making.

Design of Adaptive Policy Pathways under Deep Uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Babovic, Vladan

2013-04-01

The design of large-scale engineering and infrastructural systems today is growing in complexity. Designers need to consider sociotechnical uncertainties, intricacies, and processes in the long- term strategic deployment and operations of these systems. In this context, water and spatial management is increasingly challenged not only by climate-associated changes such as sea level rise and increased spatio-temporal variability of precipitation, but also by pressures due to population growth and particularly accelerating rate of urbanisation. Furthermore, high investment costs and long term-nature of water-related infrastructure projects requires long-term planning perspective, sometimes extending over many decades. Adaptation to such changes is not only determined by what is known or anticipated at present, but also by what will be experienced and learned as the future unfolds, as well as by policy responses to social and water events. As a result, a pathway emerges. Instead of responding to 'surprises' and making decisions on ad hoc basis, exploring adaptation pathways into the future provide indispensable support in water management decision-making. In this contribution, a structured approach for designing a dynamic adaptive policy based on the concepts of adaptive policy making and adaptation pathways is introduced. Such an approach provides flexibility which allows change over time in response to how the future unfolds, what is learned about the system, and changes in societal preferences. The introduced flexibility provides means for dealing with complexities of adaptation under deep uncertainties. It enables engineering systems to change in the face of uncertainty to reduce impacts from downside scenarios while capitalizing on upside opportunities. This contribution presents comprehensive framework for development and deployment of adaptive policy pathway framework, and demonstrates its performance under deep uncertainties on a case study related to urban

Better economics: supporting adaptation with stakeholder analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chambwera, Muyeye; Zou, Ye; Boughlala, Mohamed

2011-11-15

Across the developing world, decision makers understand the need to adapt to climate change — particularly in agriculture, which supports a large proportion of low-income groups who are especially vulnerable to impacts such as increasing water scarcity or more erratic weather. But policymakers are often less clear about what adaptation action to take. Cost-benefit analyses can provide information on the financial feasibility and economic efficiency of a given policy. But such methods fail to capture the non-monetary benefits of adaptation, which can be even more important than the monetary ones. Ongoing work in Morocco shows how combining cost-benefit analysis with a more participatory stakeholder analysis can support effective decision making by identifying cross-sector benefits, highlighting areas of mutual interest among different stakeholders and more effectively assessing impacts on adaptive capacity.

Adaptive management: The U.S. Department of the Interior technical guide

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, B K; Szaro, Robert C.; Shapiro, Carl D.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this technical guide is to present an operational definition of adaptive management, identify the conditions in which adaptive management should be considered, and describe the process of using adaptive management for managing natural resources. The guide is not an exhaustive discussion of adaptive management, nor does it include detailed specifications for individual projects. However, it should aid U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) managers and practitioners in determining when and how to apply adaptive management. Adaptive management is framed within the context of structured decision making, with an emphasis on uncertainty about resource responses to management actions and the value of reducing that uncertainty to improve management. Though learning plays a key role in adaptive management, it is seen here as a means to an end, namely good management, and not an end in itself. The operational definition used in the guide is adopted from the National Research Council, which characterizes adaptive management as an iterative learning process producing improved understanding and improved management over time: Adaptive management [is a decision process that] promotes flexible decision making that can be adjusted in the face of uncertainties as outcomes from management actions and other events become better understood. Careful monitoring of these outcomes both advances scientific understanding and helps adjust policies or operations as part of an iterative learning process. Adaptive management also recognizes the importance of natural variability in contributing to ecological resilience and productivity. It is not a ‘trial and error’ process, but rather emphasizes learning while doing. Adaptive management does not represent an end in itself, but rather a means to more effective decisions and enhanced benefits. Its true measure is in how well it helps meet environmental, social, and economic goals, increases scientific knowledge, and reduces

AIRPORT CONCESSIONS IN BRAZIL AND ITS INFLUENCES ON SERVICE QUALITY: THE CASES OF BRASÍLIA AND SÃO PAULO – GUARULHOS AIRPORTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiago Allis

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, the Brazilian air market has tripled in size, a result of economic expansion and the spread of the air travel culture, among others. As far as airport infrastructures are concerned, during the mega-events era (2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, the airport management sector started to receive greater investments from private and foreign companies. After 2012, a large array of improvements took place, in order to meet the demands associated with the mega-events, but also to tackle the increase of domestic air traffic. In this context, this paper aims to identify, describe and analyze the influences of the airport concession in Brazil on the quality of services perceived by the users (passengers. For that, an analysis of the reports of the aviation authorities is carried out. The airports of Guarulhos (São Paulo and Brasília (Federal District, among the first to be privatized, were selected as case studies. From this study, the mobility of global capital associated with airport management deserves to be highlighted, while the expertise of these large companies is expected to contribute to the increase in the quality of services in Brazilian airports - historically managed by public sector.

The treatment of uncertainties in risk for regulatory decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baybutt, P.; Cox, D.C.; Denning, R.S.; Kurth, R.E.; Fraley, D.W.; Heaberlin, S.W.

1982-01-01

This paper describes research conducted in an ongoing program at Battelle to develop and adapt decision analysis methods for regulatory decision making. A general approach to risk-based decision making is discussed. The nature of uncertainties in risk assessment is described and methods for their inclusion in decision making are proposed. The use of decision analysis methods in regulatory decision making and the consideration of uncertainties is illustrated in a realistic case study

Adaptive and interactive climate futures: systematic review of ‘serious games’ for engagement and decision-making

Science.gov (United States)

Flood, Stephen; Cradock-Henry, Nicholas A.; Blackett, Paula; Edwards, Peter

2018-06-01

Climate change is already having adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities and economic activities through higher temperatures, prolonged droughts, and more frequent extremes. However, a gap remains between public understanding, scientific knowledge about climate change, and changes in behaviour to effect adaptation. ‘Serious games’—games used for purposes other than entertainment—are one way to reduce this adaptation deficit by enhancing opportunities for social learning and enabling positive action. Games can provide communities with the opportunity to interactively explore different climate futures, build capability and capacity for dealing with complex challenges, and socialise adaptation priorities with diverse publics. Using systematic review methods, this paper identifies, reviews, synthesises and assesses the literature on serious games for climate change adaptation. To determine where and how impact is achieved, we draw on an evaluation framework grounded in social learning, to assess which combinations of cognitive (knowledge and thinking), normative (norms and approaches) and relational (how people connect and network building) learning are achieved. Results show that factors influencing the overall success in influencing behaviour and catalysing learning for adaptation include generating high levels of inter- and intra- level trust between researchers, practitioners and community participants; strong debriefing and evaluation practices; and the use of experienced and knowledgeable facilitators. These results can help inform future game design, and research methodologies to develop robust ways for engaging with stakeholders and end users, and enhance learning effects for resilient climate futures.

Adaptation to Organizational Change: The Role of Meaning-making and other Psychological Resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van den Heuvel, M.

2013-01-01

The pace of organizational change has increased and multiple change-initiatives tend to overlap, therefore, organizations are in need of resourceful, adaptable employees who can handle change on an ongoing basis. This thesis uses a micro-level resource-perspective to broaden our understanding of

Two Perspectives on Information System Adaptation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tina Blegind; Kjærgaard, Annemette; Svejvig, Per

Institutional theory has proven to be a central analytical perspective for investigating the role of larger social and historical structures of Information System (IS) adaptation. However, it does not explicitly account for how organizational actors make sense of and enact IS in their local context...

Making Sustainable Decisions Using The KONVERGENCE Framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S. J.; Gibson, P. L.; Joe, J. C.; Kerr, T. A.; Nitschke, R. L.; Dakins, M. E.

2003-01-01

Hundreds of contaminated facilities and sites must be cleaned up. ''Cleanup'' includes decommissioning, environmental restoration, and waste management. Cleanup can be complex, expensive, risky, and time-consuming. Decisions are often controversial, can stall or be blocked, and are sometimes re-done--some before implementation, some decades later. Making and keeping decisions with long time horizons involves special difficulties and requires new approaches. Our project goal is to make cleanup decisions easier to make, implement, keep, and sustain. By sustainability, we mean decisions that work better over the entire time-period-from when a decision is made, through implementation, to its end point. That is, alternatives that can be kept ''as is'' or adapted as circumstances change. Increased attention to sustainability and adaptability may decrease resistance to making and implementing decisions. Our KONVERGENCE framework addresses these challenges. The framework is based on a mental model that states: where Knowledge, Values, and Resources converge (the K, V, R in KONVERGENCE), you will find a sustainable decision. We define these areas or universes as follows: (1) Knowledge: what is known about the problem and possible solutions? (2) Values: what is important to those affected by the decision? (3) Resources: what is available to implement possible solutions or improve knowledge? This mental model helps analyze and visualize what is happening as decisions are made and kept. Why is there disagreement? Is there movement toward konvergence? Is a past decision drifting out of konvergence? The framework includes strategic improvements, i.e., expand the spectrum of alternatives to include adaptable alternatives and decision networks. It includes tactical process improvements derived from experience, values, and relevant literature. This paper includes diagnosis and medication (suggested path forward) for intractable cases

Making Sustainable Decisions Using The KONVERGENCE Framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piet, S. J.; Gibson, P. L.; Joe, J. C.; Kerr, T. A.; Nitschke, R. L.; Dakins, M. E.

2003-02-25

Hundreds of contaminated facilities and sites must be cleaned up. ''Cleanup'' includes decommissioning, environmental restoration, and waste management. Cleanup can be complex, expensive, risky, and time-consuming. Decisions are often controversial, can stall or be blocked, and are sometimes re-done--some before implementation, some decades later. Making and keeping decisions with long time horizons involves special difficulties and requires new approaches. Our project goal is to make cleanup decisions easier to make, implement, keep, and sustain. By sustainability, we mean decisions that work better over the entire time-period-from when a decision is made, through implementation, to its end point. That is, alternatives that can be kept ''as is'' or adapted as circumstances change. Increased attention to sustainability and adaptability may decrease resistance to making and implementing decisions. Our KONVERGENCE framework addresses these challenges. The framework is based on a mental model that states: where Knowledge, Values, and Resources converge (the K, V, R in KONVERGENCE), you will find a sustainable decision. We define these areas or universes as follows: (1) Knowledge: what is known about the problem and possible solutions? (2) Values: what is important to those affected by the decision? (3) Resources: what is available to implement possible solutions or improve knowledge? This mental model helps analyze and visualize what is happening as decisions are made and kept. Why is there disagreement? Is there movement toward konvergence? Is a past decision drifting out of konvergence? The framework includes strategic improvements, i.e., expand the spectrum of alternatives to include adaptable alternatives and decision networks. It includes tactical process improvements derived from experience, values, and relevant literature. This paper includes diagnosis and medication (suggested path forward) for intractable cases.

Making the Tacit Explicit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blasco, Maribel

2015-01-01

The article proposes an approach, broadly inspired by culturally inclusive pedagogy, to facilitate international student academic adaptation based on rendering tacit aspects of local learning cultures explicit to international full degree students, rather than adapting them. Preliminary findings...... are presented from a focus group-based exploratory study of international student experiences at different stages of their studies at a Danish business school, one of Denmark’s most international universities. The data show how a major source of confusion for these students has to do with the tacit logics...... and expectations that shape how the formal steps of the learning cycle are understood and enacted locally, notably how learning and assessment moments are defined and related to one another. Theoretically, the article draws on tacit knowledge and sense-making theories to analyse student narratives...

Developing Resilient Urban Waterfronts : Integrating Adaptation into Urban Development and Management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Veelen, P.C.; Deppisch, Sonja

2017-01-01

There is a growing attention for integrating climate change adaptation into policies, strategies and decision-making processes (e.g. mainstreaming). This paper explores to what extent climate adaptation can be integrated into processes of urban development and change, based on case study research in

Successful adaptation to climate change across scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adger, W.N.; Arnell, N.W.; University of Southampton; Tompkins, E.L.; University of East Anglia, Norwich; University of Southampton

2005-01-01

Climate change impacts and responses are presently observed in physical and ecological systems. Adaptation to these impacts is increasingly being observed in both physical and ecological systems as well as in human adjustments to resource availability and risk at different spatial and societal scales. We review the nature of adaptation and the implications of different spatial scales for these processes. We outline a set of normative evaluative criteria for judging the success of adaptations at different scales. We argue that elements of effectiveness, efficiency, equity and legitimacy are important in judging success in terms of the sustainability of development pathways into an uncertain future. We further argue that each of these elements of decision-making is implicit within presently formulated scenarios of socio-economic futures of both emission trajectories and adaptation, though with different weighting. The process by which adaptations are to be judged at different scales will involve new and challenging institutional processes. (author)

Using Data to Understand How to Better Design Adaptive Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Min; Kang, Jina; Zou, Wenting; Lee, Hyeyeon; Pan, Zilong; Corliss, Stephanie

2017-01-01

There is much enthusiasm in higher education about the benefits of adaptive learning and using big data to investigate learning processes to make data-informed educational decisions. The benefits of adaptive learning to achieve personalized learning are obvious. Yet, there lacks evidence-based research to understand how data such as user behavior…

The Economics of Adaptation and Climate-Resilient Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... correct decisions are made because they require advanced decision-making techniques. ... is needed to understand factors that determine growth performance. ... IWRA/IDRC webinar on climate change and adaptive water management.

Understanding Perceptions of Climate Change, Priorities, and Decision-Making among Municipalities in Lima, Peru to Better Inform Adaptation and Mitigation Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Siña, Mariella; Wood, Rachel C; Saldarriaga, Enrique; Lawler, Joshua; Zunt, Joseph; Garcia, Patricia; Cárcamo, César

2016-01-01

Climate change poses multiple risks to the population of Lima, the largest city and capital of Peru, located on the Pacific coast in a desert ecosystem. These risks include increased water scarcity, increased heat, and the introduction and emergence of vector-borne and other climate sensitive diseases. To respond to these threats, it is necessary for the government, at every level, to adopt more mitigation and adaptation strategies. Here, focus groups were conducted with representatives from five Lima municipalities to determine priorities, perception of climate change, and decision-making processes for implementing projects within each municipality. These factors can affect the ability and desire of a community to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. The results show that climate change and other environmental factors are of relatively low priority, whereas public safety and water and sanitation services are of highest concern. Perhaps most importantly, climate change is not well understood among the municipalities. Participants had trouble distinguishing climate change from other environmental issues and did not fully understand its causes and effects. Greater understanding of what climate change is and why it is important is necessary for it to become a priority for the municipalities. Different aspects of increased climate change awareness seem to be connected to having experienced extreme weather events, whether related or not to climate change, and to higher socioeconomic status.

Dynamic optimization and adaptive controller design

Science.gov (United States)

Inamdar, S. R.

2010-10-01

In this work I present a new type of controller which is an adaptive tracking controller which employs dynamic optimization for optimizing current value of controller action for the temperature control of nonisothermal continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR). We begin with a two-state model of nonisothermal CSTR which are mass and heat balance equations and then add cooling system dynamics to eliminate input multiplicity. The initial design value is obtained using local stability of steady states where approach temperature for cooling action is specified as a steady state and a design specification. Later we make a correction in the dynamics where material balance is manipulated to use feed concentration as a system parameter as an adaptive control measure in order to avoid actuator saturation for the main control loop. The analysis leading to design of dynamic optimization based parameter adaptive controller is presented. The important component of this mathematical framework is reference trajectory generation to form an adaptive control measure.

Negotiators who give too much: unmitigated communion, relational anxieties, and economic costs in distributive and integrative bargaining.

Science.gov (United States)

Amanatullah, Emily T; Morris, Michael W; Curhan, Jared R

2008-09-01

A series of studies found that the personality dimension of unmitigated communion (H. L. Fritz & V. S. Helgeson, 1998) leads negotiators to make concessions to avoid straining relationships. Results indicate that even within the population of successful business executives, this dimension of relational anxiety can be identified distinctly from more general relational orientations, such as agreeableness, and that it distinctly predicts accommodating tendencies in everyday conflicts. In economic games, unmitigated communion predicts giving in contexts in which the relational norm of reciprocity applies, but not in contexts tapping instrumental or altruistic motives for cooperation. In distributive negotiations, the effect of unmitigated communion in lowering a negotiator's outcome is mediated by prenegotiation anxieties about relational strain and plans to make large concessions if needed to avoid impasse (lower reservation points). In integrative negotiations, high unmitigated communion on both sides of the negotiation dyad results in relational accommodation, evidenced by decreased success in maximizing economic joint gain but increased subjective satisfaction with the relationship.

Clinical and genetic correlates of decision making in anorexia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Tenconi, Elena; Degortes, Daniela; Clementi, Maurizio; Collantoni, Enrico; Pinato, Claudia; Forzan, Monica; Cassina, Matteo; Santonastaso, Paolo; Favaro, Angela

2016-01-01

Decision-making (DM) abilities have been found to be impaired in anorexia nervosa (AN), but few data are available about the characteristics and correlates of this cognitive function. The aim of the present study was to provide data on DM functioning in AN using both veridical and adaptive paradigms. While in veridical DM tasks, the individual's ability to predict a true/false response is measured, adaptive DM is the ability to consider both internal and external demands in order to make a good choice, in the absence of a single true "correct" answer. The participants were 189 women, of whom 91 were eating-disordered patients with a lifetime diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, and 98 were healthy women. All the participants underwent clinical, neuropsychological, and genetic assessment. The cognitive evaluation included a set of neuropsychological tasks and two decision-making tests: The Iowa Gambling Task and the Cognitive Bias Task. Anorexia nervosa patients showed significantly poorer performances on both decision-making tasks than healthy women. The Cognitive Bias Task revealed that anorexia nervosa patients employed significantly more context-independent decision-making strategies, which were independent from diagnostic subtype, handedness, education, and psychopathology. In the whole sample (patients and controls), Cognitive Bias Task performance was independently predicted by lifetime anorexia nervosa diagnosis, body mass index at assessment, and 5-HTTLPR genotype. Patients displayed poor decision-making functioning in both veridical and adaptive situations. The difficulties detected in anorexia nervosa individuals may affect not only the ability to consider the future outcomes of their actions (leading to "myopia for the future"), but also the capacity to update and review one's own mindset according to new environmental stimuli.

The Influence of Auditory Information on Visual Size Adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonelli, Alessia; Cuturi, Luigi F; Gori, Monica

2017-01-01

Size perception can be influenced by several visual cues, such as spatial (e.g., depth or vergence) and temporal contextual cues (e.g., adaptation to steady visual stimulation). Nevertheless, perception is generally multisensory and other sensory modalities, such as auditory, can contribute to the functional estimation of the size of objects. In this study, we investigate whether auditory stimuli at different sound pitches can influence visual size perception after visual adaptation. To this aim, we used an adaptation paradigm (Pooresmaeili et al., 2013) in three experimental conditions: visual-only, visual-sound at 100 Hz and visual-sound at 9,000 Hz. We asked participants to judge the size of a test stimulus in a size discrimination task. First, we obtained a baseline for all conditions. In the visual-sound conditions, the auditory stimulus was concurrent to the test stimulus. Secondly, we repeated the task by presenting an adapter (twice as big as the reference stimulus) before the test stimulus. We replicated the size aftereffect in the visual-only condition: the test stimulus was perceived smaller than its physical size. The new finding is that we found the auditory stimuli have an effect on the perceived size of the test stimulus after visual adaptation: low frequency sound decreased the effect of visual adaptation, making the stimulus perceived bigger compared to the visual-only condition, and contrarily, the high frequency sound had the opposite effect, making the test size perceived even smaller.

The management of spinal cord injury patients in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Petropoulou, C B; Rapidi, C A; Beltsios, M; Karantonis, G; Lampiris, P E

1992-02-01

In Greece, spinal cord injury patients have serious problems concerning their treatment, social management and vocational integration. Unfortunately the treatment of such patients is usually limited to that offered in institutions for the chronically sick, after they have received their acute initial care in general hospitals. The large number of institutional beds (1287 in 1986) in relation to the small number of active rehabilitation beds (116 beds in 1989) is noteworthy. Generally speaking, the specialisation of health personnel is limited. In practice there is no programme of social rehabilitation, except for special concessions. Disabled individuals can refer to the Professional Integration Service for their vocational reintegration. We must note that vocational counsellors do not take part in the rehabilitation team. The idea of intervention for the adaptation of architectural barriers is now beginning to be considered in theory. Physicians are making efforts to establish 'basic' spinal cord units.

Carbon Emission Reduction Potential through Sustainable Forest Management in Forest Concession of PT Salaki Summa Sejahtera, Province of West Sumatera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iwan Hilwan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A management unit (MU of a forest concession holder implementing the sustainable forest management (SFM principles, could be involved in reducing Emmission from Reforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+ and carbon trading project. The fact the strategic in implementing the REDD+ and carbon trading in MU level is still lack of pilot project and methodology. Therefore, some scenarios must be developed and tested to find out the best potential of carbon credit in MU level. The objectives of the research were: to calculate carbon credit in some SFM scenarios, to analyze of carbon trading project feasibility, and to determine carbon stock recovery period of logged over area (LOA. The result revealed that carbon stock and carbon credit of LOA was affected by timber cutting intensity.  The 6th scenario with lowest annual allowable cutting (AAC obtained greater carbon credit and profit coming from timber harvesting income and carbon trading. In other hand, this scenario has shortest duration of carbon stock recovery period (27 years and shorter than its cutting cycle.  In this case, the MU has to recalculate and to decrease its AAC to have highest benefits from carbon trading in the same cutting cycle period.  It will provide double benefits from carbon trading, those are contribution in achieving the SFM purposes (production, ecology, social and climate change mitigation.Keywords: sustainable forest management, AAC, carbon stocks, recovery period, carbon trading

Adapting agriculture to climate change in Kenya: household strategies and determinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Elizabeth; Ringler, Claudia; Okoba, Barrack; Roncoli, Carla; Silvestri, Silvia; Herrero, Mario

2013-01-15

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable to climate change, given dependence on agricultural production and limited adaptive capacity. Based on farm household and Participatory Rural Appraisal data collected from districts in various agroecological zones in Kenya, this paper examines farmers' perceptions of climate change, ongoing adaptation measures, and factors influencing farmers' decisions to adapt. The results show that households face considerable challenges in adapting to climate change. While many households have made small adjustments to their farming practices in response to climate change (in particular, changing planting decisions), few households are able to make more costly investments, for example in agroforestry or irrigation, although there is a desire to invest in such measures. This emphasizes the need for greater investments in rural and agricultural development to support the ability of households to make strategic, long-term decisions that affect their future well-being. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shared decision-making and health for First Nations, Métis and Inuit women: a study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jull Janet

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about shared decision-making (SDM with Métis, First Nations and Inuit women (“Aboriginal women”. SDM is a collaborative process that engages health care professional(s and the client in making health decisions and is fundamental for informed consent and patient-centred care. The objective of this study is to explore Aboriginal women’s health and social decision-making needs and to engage Aboriginal women in culturally adapting an SDM approach. Methods Using participatory research principles and guided by a postcolonial theoretical lens, the proposed mixed methods research will involve three phases. Phase I is an international systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions for Aboriginal peoples’ health decision-making. Developed following dialogue with key stakeholders, proposed methods are guided by the Cochrane handbook and include a comprehensive search, screening by two independent researchers, and synthesis of findings. Phases II and III will be conducted in collaboration with Minwaashin Lodge and engage an urban Aboriginal community of women in an interpretive descriptive qualitative study. In Phase II, 10 to 13 Aboriginal women will be interviewed to explore their health/social decision-making experiences. The interview guide is based on the Ottawa Decision Support Framework and previous decisional needs assessments, and as appropriate may be adapted to findings from the systematic review. Digitally-recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively to identify participant decision-making approaches and needs when making health/social decisions. In Phase III, there will be cultural adaptation of an SDM facilitation tool, the Ottawa Personal Decision Guide, by two focus groups consisting of five to seven Aboriginal women. The culturally adapted guide will undergo usability testing through individual interviews with five to six women who are about to make a health

Intelligent and Adaptive Educational-Learning Systems Achievements and Trends

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

The Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies book series encompasses the topics of knowledge, intelligence, innovation and sustainability. The aim of the series is to make available a platform for the publication of books on all aspects of single and multi-disciplinary research on these themes in order to make the latest results available in a readily-accessible form.  This book is devoted to the “Intelligent and Adaptive Educational-Learning Systems”. It privileges works that highlight key achievements and outline trends to inspire future research.  After a rigorous revision process twenty manuscripts were accepted and organized into four parts as follows: ·     Modeling: The first part embraces five chapters oriented to: 1) shape the affective behavior; 2) depict the adaptive learning curriculum; 3) predict learning achievements; 4) mine learner models to outcome optimized and adaptive e-learning objects; 5) classify learning preferences of learners. ·     Content: The second part encompas...

Adaptive resource management and the value of information

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Byron K.; Eaton, Mitchell J.; Breininger, David R.

2011-01-01

The value of information is a general and broadly applicable concept that has been used for several decades to aid in making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Yet there are relatively few examples of its use in ecology and natural resources management, and almost none that are framed in terms of the future impacts of management decisions. In this paper we discuss the value of information in a context of adaptive management, in which actions are taken sequentially over a timeframe and both future resource conditions and residual uncertainties about resource responses are taken into account. Our objective is to derive the value of reducing or eliminating uncertainty in adaptive decision making. We describe several measures of the value of information, with each based on management objectives that are appropriate for adaptive management. We highlight some mathematical properties of these measures, discuss their geometries, and illustrate them with an example in natural resources management. Accounting for the value of information can help to inform decisions about whether and how much to monitor resource conditions through time.

The Need for Speed: Accelerating Decision Making on the 7 C’s of Adaptive Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-23

that are able to smoothly handle multiple demands, shifting priorities and rapid change.3 Adaptive Leadership and Situational Leader Theory In...his article in Military Review, George Yeakey points out that Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) has been used by the military...Adaptive Leadership 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER COL

Adapting to the effects of climate change on Inuit health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, James D; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Chatwood, Susan; Furgal, Christopher; Harper, Sherilee; Mauro, Ian; Pearce, Tristan

2014-06-01

Climate change will have far-reaching implications for Inuit health. Focusing on adaptation offers a proactive approach for managing climate-related health risks-one that views Inuit populations as active agents in planning and responding at household, community, and regional levels. Adaptation can direct attention to the root causes of climate vulnerability and emphasize the importance of traditional knowledge regarding environmental change and adaptive strategies. An evidence base on adaptation options and processes for Inuit regions is currently lacking, however, thus constraining climate policy development. In this article, we tackled this deficit, drawing upon our understanding of the determinants of health vulnerability to climate change in Canada to propose key considerations for adaptation decision-making in an Inuit context.

A decision‐making framework for flood risk management based on a Bayesian Influence Diagram

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Åstrøm, Helena Lisa Alexandra; Madsen, Henrik; Friis-Hansen, Peter

2014-01-01

We develop a Bayesian Influence Diagram (ID) approach for risk‐based decision‐ making in flood management. We show that it is a flexible decision‐making tool to assess flood risk in a non‐stationary environment and with an ability to test different adaptation measures in order to agree on the best...... means to describe uncertainty in the system. Hence, an ID contributes with several advantages in risk assessment and decision‐making. We present an ID approach for risk‐ based decision‐making in which we improve conventional flood risk assessments by including several types of hazards...... measures and combinations of these. Adaptation options can be tested at different points in time (in different time slices) which allows for finding the optimal time to invest. The usefulness of our decision‐making framework was exemplified through case studies in Aarhus and Copenhagen. Risk‐based decision‐making...

Technologies for climate change adaptation. The water sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez, T De [ed.; UNEP Risoe Centre, Roskilde (Denmark); Elliott, M; Armstrong, A; Lobuglio, J; Bartram, J [The Water Institute at the Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

2011-04-15

following chapter. Adaptation should not be understood as simply implementing the correct technology or practice. It should be part of a coherent, inter-sectoral strategy to ensure sustainable water resources and safe water supply. Therefore, tools for planning and decision-making for climate change adaptation in the water sector are also considered. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is proposed here as an overall decision- making framework for climate change adaptation in water resources. Likewise, Water Safety Plans (WSPs) are suggested to provide an approach for climate change adaptation in water quality and water supply. (LN)

Kinetics of the early adaptive response and adaptation threshold dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendiola C, M.T.; Morales R, P.

2003-01-01

The expression kinetics of the adaptive response (RA) in mouse leukocytes in vivo and the minimum dose of gamma radiation that induces it was determined. The mice were exposed 0.005 or 0.02 Gy of 137 Cs like adaptation and 1h later to the challenge dose (1.0 Gy), another group was only exposed at 1.0 Gy and the damage is evaluated in the DNA with the rehearsal it makes. The treatment with 0. 005 Gy didn't induce RA and 0. 02 Gy causes a similar effect to the one obtained with 0.01 Gy. The RA was show from an interval of 0.5 h being obtained the maximum expression with 5.0 h. The threshold dose to induce the RA is 0.01 Gy and in 5.0 h the biggest quantity in molecules is presented presumably that are related with the protection of the DNA. (Author)

Enterprise System Adaptation: a Combination of Institutional Structures and Sensemaking Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svejvig, Per; Jensen, Tina Blegind

2009-01-01

In this paper we set out to investigate how an Enterprise System (ES) adaptation in a Scandinavian high-tech organization, SCANDI, can be understood using a combination of institutional and sensemaking theory. Institutional theory is useful in providing an account for the role that the social...... and historical structures play in ES adaptations, and sensemaking can help us investigate how organizational members make sense of and enact ES in their local context. Based on an analytical framework, where we combine institutional theory and sensemaking theory to provide rich insights into ES adaptation, we...... show: 1) how changing institutional structures provide a shifting context for the way users make sense of and enact ES, 2) how users' sensemaking processes of the ES are played out in practice, and 3) how sensemaking reinforces institutional structures....

Uncertainty assessment of urban pluvial flood risk in a context of climate change adaptation decision making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Karsten; Zhou, Qianqian

2014-01-01

uncertainty analysis, which can assess and quantify the overall uncertainty in relation to climate change adaptation to urban flash floods. The analysis is based on an uncertainty cascade that by means of Monte Carlo simulations of flood risk assessments incorporates climate change impacts as a key driver......There has been a significant increase in climatic extremes in many regions. In Central and Northern Europe, this has led to more frequent and more severe floods. Along with improved flood modelling technologies this has enabled development of economic assessment of climate change adaptation...... to increasing urban flood risk. Assessment of adaptation strategies often requires a comprehensive risk-based economic analysis of current risk, drivers of change of risk over time, and measures to reduce the risk. However, such studies are often associated with large uncertainties. The uncertainties arise from...

The Influence of Negative Surprise on Hedonic Adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Kieling

2016-01-01

Full Text Available After some time using a product or service, the consumer tends to feel less pleasure with consumption. This reduction of pleasure is known as hedonic adaptation. One of the emotions that interfere in this process is surprise. Based on two experiments, we suggest that negative surprise – differently to positive – influences with the level of pleasure foreseen and experienced by the consumer. Study 1 analyzes the influence of negative (vs. positive surprise on the consumer’s post-purchase hedonic adaptation expectation. Results showed that negative surprise influences the intensity of adaptation, augmenting its strength. Study 2 verifies the influence of negative (vs positive surprise over hedonic adaptation. The findings suggested that negative surprise makes adaptation happen more intensively and faster as time goes by, which brings consequences to companies and consumers in the post-purchase process, such as satisfaction and loyalty.

Repercussão das doenças crônicas não-transmissíveis na concessão de benefícios pela previdência social Impacts of non-transmissible chronic diseases on social security benefits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alda Alice Gomes de Moura

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Este artigo busca identificar a repercussão das Doenças Crônicas Não-Transmissíveis (DCNT na concessão de auxílio-doença e aposentadoria por invalidez, a partir das agências do Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social (INSS, no período 2000-2002. Foi analisado o universo dos 17.970 benefícios concedidos, nas duas modalidades, do conjunto das agências localizadas em Recife. Inicialmente, foram identificados os benefícios por todos os grandes grupos de doenças, de acordo com a CID-10. As doenças osteomusculares (DO e as doenças do aparelho circulatório (DAC são as principais causas para concessão de auxílio-doença. Para aposentadoria por invalidez, as DAC, os transtornos mentais (TMC, e as DO são as três primeiras causas. As principais causas específicas de benefícios dentro dos grandes grupos das DCNT, foram identificadas, para a concessão de auxílio-doença, a hipertensão arterial, a diabetes mellitus, as artroses, o câncer da mama e do intestino, os transtornos do humor e a esquizofrenia. Em relação às aposentadorias por invalidez, as doenças cerebrovasculares, a diabetes mellitus, as artroses, o câncer do aparelho digestivo e a esquizofrenia. Dos benefícios concedidos, a maioria foi para homens (66%, entre 39 e 58 anos, e com valor mensal inicial de até três salários mínimos.This paper strives to identify the current impact of Non-Transmissible Chronic Diseases (NTCDs on sickness and disability benefits paid out by Brazil's National Social Security Institute (INSS between 2000 and 2002. A total of 17,970 new cases were studied, registered at the two local agencies in Recife, Pernambuco State, Northeast Brazil. Initially the cases were divided up according by major diseases groups, following the CID-10 classification. Osteomuscular diseases (OMDs and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs were among the main reasons for granting sickness benefits. Among the disability benefits, CVDs, mental disorders (MDs, and OMDs

Reconciling forest conservation and logging in Indonesian Borneo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L A Gaveau

Full Text Available Combining protected areas with natural forest timber concessions may sustain larger forest landscapes than is possible via protected areas alone. However, the role of timber concessions in maintaining natural forest remains poorly characterized. An estimated 57% (303,525 km² of Kalimantan's land area (532,100 km² was covered by natural forest in 2000. About 14,212 km² (4.7% had been cleared by 2010. Forests in oil palm concessions had been reduced by 5,600 km² (14.1%, while the figures for timber concessions are 1,336 km² (1.5%, and for protected forests are 1,122 km² (1.2%. These deforestation rates explain little about the relative performance of the different land use categories under equivalent conversion risks due to the confounding effects of location. An estimated 25% of lands allocated for timber harvesting in 2000 had their status changed to industrial plantation concessions in 2010. Based on a sample of 3,391 forest plots (1×1 km; 100 ha, and matching statistical analyses, 2000-2010 deforestation was on average 17.6 ha lower (95% C.I.: -22.3 ha- -12.9 ha in timber concession plots than in oil palm concession plots. When location effects were accounted for, deforestation rates in timber concessions and protected areas were not significantly different (Mean difference: 0.35 ha; 95% C.I.: -0.002 ha-0.7 ha. Natural forest timber concessions in Kalimantan had similar ability as protected areas to maintain forest cover during 2000-2010, provided the former were not reclassified to industrial plantation concessions. Our study indicates the desirability of the Government of Indonesia designating its natural forest timber concessions as protected areas under the IUCN Protected Area Category VI to protect them from reclassification.

Career Decision-Making Difficulties of Turkish Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Bacanli, Feride

2016-01-01

The purposes of this study are (1) to adapt the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ) to Turkish high school students and (2) to examine gender differences, grade differences, and differences between "decided" and "undecided" students. The sample consisted of 2509 adolescent students. The results showed that…

Making Career Decisions--A Sequential Elimination Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Gati, Itamar

1986-01-01

Presents a model for career decision making based on the sequential elimination of occupational alternatives, an adaptation for career decisions of Tversky's (1972) elimination-by-aspects theory of choice. The expected utility approach is reviewed as a representative compensatory model for career decisions. Advantages, disadvantages, and…

A Meta-Analysis of Urban Climate Change Adaptation ...

Science.gov (United States)

The concentration of people, infrastructure, and ecosystem services in urban areas make them prime sites for climate change adaptation. While advances have been made in developing frameworks for adaptation planning and identifying both real and potential barriers to action, empirical work evaluating urban adaptation planning processes has been relatively piecemeal. Existing assessments of current experience with urban adaptation provide necessarily broad generalizations based on the available peer-reviewed literature. This paper uses a meta-analysis of U.S. cities’ current experience with urban adaptation planning drawing from 54 sources that include peer-reviewed literature, government reports, white papers, and reports published by non-governmental organizations. The analysis specifically evaluates the institutional support structures being developed for urban climate change adaptation. The results demonstrate that adaptation planning is driven by a desire to reduce vulnerability and often catalyzes new collaborations and coordination mechanisms in urban governance. As a result, building capacity for urban climate change adaptation planning requires a focus not only on city governments themselves but also on the complex horizontal and vertical networks that have arisen around such efforts. Existing adaptation planning often lacks attention to equity issues, social vulnerability, and the influence of non-climatic factors on vulnerability. Engaging city govern

Recommendation System for Adaptive Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yunxiao; Li, Xiaoou; Liu, Jingchen; Ying, Zhiliang

2018-01-01

An adaptive learning system aims at providing instruction tailored to the current status of a learner, differing from the traditional classroom experience. The latest advances in technology make adaptive learning possible, which has the potential to provide students with high-quality learning benefit at a low cost. A key component of an adaptive learning system is a recommendation system, which recommends the next material (video lectures, practices, and so on, on different skills) to the learner, based on the psychometric assessment results and possibly other individual characteristics. An important question then follows: How should recommendations be made? To answer this question, a mathematical framework is proposed that characterizes the recommendation process as a Markov decision problem, for which decisions are made based on the current knowledge of the learner and that of the learning materials. In particular, two plain vanilla systems are introduced, for which the optimal recommendation at each stage can be obtained analytically.

Adaptation to and Recovery from Global Catastrophe

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Seth D. Baum

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Global catastrophes, such as nuclear war, pandemics and ecological collapse threaten the sustainability of human civilization. To date, most work on global catastrophes has focused on preventing the catastrophes, neglecting what happens to any catastrophe survivors. To address this gap in the literature, this paper discusses adaptation to and recovery from global catastrophe. The paper begins by discussing the importance of global catastrophe adaptation and recovery, noting that successful adaptation/recovery could have value on even astronomical scales. The paper then discusses how the adaptation/recovery could proceed and makes connections to several lines of research. Research on resilience theory is considered in detail and used to develop a new method for analyzing the environmental and social stressors that global catastrophe survivors would face. This method can help identify options for increasing survivor resilience and promoting successful adaptation and recovery. A key point is that survivors may exist in small isolated communities disconnected from global trade and, thus, must be able to survive and rebuild on their own. Understanding the conditions facing isolated survivors can help promote successful adaptation and recovery. That said, the processes of global catastrophe adaptation and recovery are highly complex and uncertain; further research would be of great value.

Symmetry adaptation, operator equivalents and magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kibler, M.; Chatterjee, R.

1977-12-01

Basic quantities for symmetry adaptation are discussed in connection with molecular and solid state physics. This gives rise to a formalism whose the central elements are operator equivalents adapted to a point group. Such symmetry adapted operator equivalents are defined in terms of Schwinger operators so that they cover the off-diagonal and diagonal cases. Special emphasis is put on the applications of the formalism to magnetic resonance. More specifically, it is shown how to apply the formalism to the construction, the study of the transformation properties, and the determination of the eigenstates of a generalized spin hamiltonian. Numerous examples are given as well as key tables relative to the chain SO(3) for making easy the application of the formalism to electron paramagnetic resonance [fr

Making concessions: Political, commercial and regulatory tensions in accounting for European roads PPPs

OpenAIRE

Stafford, Anne; Acerete, Basilio; Stapleton, Pam

2010-01-01

Governments increasingly use private finance to fund roads infrastructure. In particular the European Commission has promoted the use of public private partnerships (PPPs) to deliver the projects forming the trans-European Network. This use of private finance raises important questions about how public monies and assets are accounted for. The paper examines, first, accounting in both public and private sectors for roads PPPs in Spain and the UK, countries which not only have considerable expe...

Design strategies for irregularly adapting parallel applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliker, Leonid; Biswas, Rupak; Shan, Hongzhang; Sing, Jaswinder Pal

2000-01-01

Achieving scalable performance for dynamic irregular applications is eminently challenging. Traditional message-passing approaches have been making steady progress towards this goal; however, they suffer from complex implementation requirements. The use of a global address space greatly simplifies the programming task, but can degrade the performance of dynamically adapting computations. In this work, we examine two major classes of adaptive applications, under five competing programming methodologies and four leading parallel architectures. Results indicate that it is possible to achieve message-passing performance using shared-memory programming techniques by carefully following the same high level strategies. Adaptive applications have computational work loads and communication patterns which change unpredictably at runtime, requiring dynamic load balancing to achieve scalable performance on parallel machines. Efficient parallel implementations of such adaptive applications are therefore a challenging task. This work examines the implementation of two typical adaptive applications, Dynamic Remeshing and N-Body, across various programming paradigms and architectural platforms. We compare several critical factors of the parallel code development, including performance, programmability, scalability, algorithmic development, and portability

Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change on Inuit Health

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, James D.; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Chatwood, Susan; Furgal, Christopher; Harper, Sherilee; Mauro, Ian; Pearce, Tristan

2014-01-01

Climate change will have far-reaching implications for Inuit health. Focusing on adaptation offers a proactive approach for managing climate-related health risks—one that views Inuit populations as active agents in planning and responding at household, community, and regional levels. Adaptation can direct attention to the root causes of climate vulnerability and emphasize the importance of traditional knowledge regarding environmental change and adaptive strategies. An evidence base on adaptation options and processes for Inuit regions is currently lacking, however, thus constraining climate policy development. In this article, we tackled this deficit, drawing upon our understanding of the determinants of health vulnerability to climate change in Canada to propose key considerations for adaptation decision-making in an Inuit context. PMID:24754615

Generation companies decision-making modeling by linear control theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez-Alcaraz, G.; Sheble, Gerald B.

2010-01-01

This paper proposes four decision-making procedures to be employed by electric generating companies as part of their bidding strategies when competing in an oligopolistic market: naive, forward, adaptive, and moving average expectations. Decision-making is formulated in a dynamic framework by using linear control theory. The results reveal that interactions among all GENCOs affect market dynamics. Several numerical examples are reported, and conclusions are presented. (author)

Adaptive tracking for pneumatic muscle actuators in bicep and tricep configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lilly, John H

2003-09-01

Adaptive tracking techniques are applied to pneumatic muscle actuators arranged in bicep and tricep configurations. The control objective is to force the joint angle to track a specified reference path. Mathematical models are derived for the bicep and tricep configurations. The models are nonlinear and in general time-varying, making adaptive control desirable. Stability results are derived, and the results of simulation studies are presented, contrasting the nonlinear adaptive control to a nonadaptive PID control approach.

Psychological and socio-cultural adaptation of international journalism students in Russia: The role of communication skills in the adaptation process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gladkova A.A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background. The study of both Russian and international publications issued in the last twenty years revealed a significant gap in the number of studies examining adaptation (general living, psychological, socio-cultural, etc. in general, i.e., without regard to specific characteristics of the audience, and those describing adaptation of a particular group of people (specific age, ethnic, professional groups, etc.. Objective. The current paper aims to overcome this gap by offering a closer look at the adaptation processes of international journalism students at Russian universities, in particular, their psychological and socio-cultural types of adaptation. The question that interests us the most is how psychological and socio-cultural adaptation of international journalists to-be can be made easier and whether communication-oriented techniques can somehow facilitate this process. Design. In this paper, we provide an overview of current research analyzing adaptation from different angles, which is essential for creating a context for further narrower studies. Results. We discuss adaptation of journalism students in Russia, suggesting ways to make their adaptation in a host country easier and arguing that the development of communication skills can be important for successful adaptation to new living and learning conditions. Conclusion. We argue that there is a need for more detailed, narrow-focused research discussing the specifics of adaptation of different groups of people to a new environment (since we believe different people tend to adapt to new conditions in different ways as well as research outlining the role of communication competences in their adaptation processes.

Subjective Analysis and Objective Characterization of Adaptive Bitrate Videos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søgaard, Jacob; Tavakoli, Samira; Brunnström, Kjell

2016-01-01

The HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS) technology allows video service providers to improve the network utilization and thereby increasing the end-users’ Quality of Experience (QoE).This has made HAS a widely used approach for audiovisual delivery. There are several previous studies aiming to identify...... the factors influencing on subjective QoE of adaptation events.However, adapting the video quality typically lasts in a time scale much longer than what current standardized subjective testing methods are designed for, thus making the full matrix design of the experiment on an event level hard to achieve....... In this study, we investigated the overall subjective QoE of 6 minutes long video sequences containing different sequential adaptation events. This was compared to a data set from our previous work performed to evaluate the individual adaptation events. We could then derive a relationship between the overall...

A Meta-Analysis of Urban Climate Change Adaptation Planning in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

The concentration of people, infrastructure, and ecosystem services in urban areas make them prime sites for climate change adaptation. While advances have been made in developing frameworks for adaptation planning and identifying both real and potential barriers to action, empir...

Adaptive Technologies for Accommodating Persons with Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Berliss, Jane; And Others

1993-01-01

Eight articles review the progress achieved in making library computing technologies and library services accessible to people with disabilities. Adaptive technologies, automated conversion into Braille, and successful programs that demonstrate compliance with the American with Disabilities Act are described. A resource list is included. (EA)

BOT Contract through the optics of Albanian legal provisions - Issues of the implementation and transfer framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Entela Prifti

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The last years have resulted in an increase of concession contracts in Albania, followed by a revised modern legal framework. Beside the debate on whether the government should perform most of the activities itself instead of giving them to the private sector through a concession contract, the concession contracts are nowadays a reality and as such they should be studied and analysed carefully. The scope of this article is limited to the provisions of the Albanian legislation and its approach to the international provisions regarding BOT (build – operate - transfer concession contract. A detailed analyse will drive to the conclusionas to what extent the Albanian concession legislation does compile with the international accepted principles of Public Private Partnership concerning mainly implementation and transfer phase of a BOT contract. Albanian Public Private Partnershiplegislation has gone through many revisions and amendments during the last twenty years, resulting in a challenging situation for everybody that deals with any aspects of a concession. Having a detailed understanding of the legal provisions is indeed the core element toward a successful implementation process of any concession, resulting in the highest profitability for concession parties, the public entity and the private investor, and consequently culminating to the best interest of the population.

Making Choices about Hydrogen : Transport Issues for Developing ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

30 sept. 2008 ... Couverture du livre Making Choices about Hydrogen : Transport Issues for Developing Countries ... International Water Resources Association, in close collaboration with IDRC, is holding a webinar titled “Climate change and adaptive water management: Innovative solutions from the Global South”.

Untangling Risk in Water Supply Systems: What Factors Drive Long-term Adaptation?

Science.gov (United States)

Zeff, H. B.; Lin, L.; Band, L. E.; Reed, P. M.; Characklis, G. W.

2016-12-01

Deeply uncertain factors like climate change, the hydrologic impacts of urbanization, forest evolution, and long-term demand forecasts make water supply planning a `wicked' problem. The traditional technique of assessing risk based on historical observations can be inadequate in the face of environmental non-stationarity. However, competing models and limited observational data make it difficult for decision makers and experts to agree on how much uncertainty should be built into analyses of risk, particularly at the timescales relevant to long-term investments in water infrastructure. Further, the physical connectivity of these deeply uncertain processes create inter-related systems, amplifying the challenges of a `worst case scenario'. The development of adaptive systems and planning processes provide solutions that have been shown to meet technical, environmental, and social objectives at lower costs. Instead of developing plans with fixed targets for the timing of actions, adaptive plans develop risk metrics and thresholds that are able to integrate new information to determine when conditions reach a `tipping point' which necessitates action. It is an open question as to how new information can be best integrated into the decision-making process (i.e. how much weight do we give new observations relative to the historical record), but a better understanding of the way the relevant systems are expected to evolve and change over time could inform these decisions. In this study, we use linked, dynamic models of temperature and precipitation changes, forest evolution, urbanization, hydrology, and water demand to develop scenarios for an adaptive water management framework that uses risk-based metrics to make short- and long-term decisions. The impact of individual environmental processes on the adaptive capability of this management framework is evaluated through problem formulations that successively increase the complexity of the uncertainty scenarios. Although

Modelling of adaptation to climate change and decision-makers behaviours for the Veluwe forest area in the Netherlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yousefpour, Rasoul; Didion, Markus; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl

2015-01-01

We apply Bayesian updating theory to model how decision-makers may gradually learn about climate change and make use of this information in making adaptive forest management decisions. We develop modelling steps to i) simulate observation of a multi-dimensional climate system, ii) apply updating...... production as a measure of management performance. The results illustrate the benefits of updating beliefs to eventually utilize the positive effects and limit negative impacts of climate change on forest biomass production. We find that adaptive decision-making results in switching decisions over time...... rules for beliefs about climate trends, iii) evaluate the performance of adaptive strategies, and iv) apply (i)–(iii) at the local and forest landscape scale to find and compare individual versus joint adaptive decisions. We search for optimal forest management decisions maximizing total biomass...

Objective evaluation of human manual control adaptation boundaries using a cybernetic approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, T.

2018-01-01

Manual control tasks can be found everywhere in our daily activities, and the human ability to adapt in controlling many different vehicles such as cars and airplanes make it possible for us to travel farther, faster and higher. The human adaptation ability to changes in the controlled element

Morbidade subjacente à concessão de benefício por incapacidade temporária para o trabalho

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boff Bernadete M

2002-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Identificar os agravos à saúde subjacentes à concessão de benefício por incapacidade temporária, na população trabalhadora segurada. MÉTODOS: Foram recuperados do banco de dados do Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social (INSS todos os benefícios do tipo auxílio-doença previdenciário (E-31 concedidos no ano de 1998 aos trabalhadores de Porto Alegre, RS. Os Códigos de Classificação Internacional de Doenças atribuídos à condição subjacente à incapacidade no exame pericial inicial (aX1 foram utilizados para descrever as principais causas e os grupos de causas subjacentes à incapacidade. RESULTADOS: Foram concedidos 6.898 benefícios E-31: 1.486 (22% por "causas externas"; 1.181 (17% por "convalescência após cirurgia" (34% por causas gastrointestinais, 26% genitourinárias, 11% osteomusculares e 10% por causas externas; e 4.119 (61% por "condições clínicas" (24,8% por doenças osteomusculares, 18,9% por doenças mentais e 16,2% por doenças cardiovasculares. Comparadas a estudo realizado no Brasil em 1986, as causas externas passaram da quarta para a primeira posição como determinante de incapacidade temporária para o trabalho. CONCLUSÃO: Acidentes e violências, doenças osteomusculares e doenças mentais -- as três primeiras causas de incapacidade identificadas -- estão potencialmente associadas à piora da qualidade de vida e de trabalho registrada no período e merecem atenção prioritária (preventiva e assistencial do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS. O estudo demonstra a viabilidade da utilização do banco de dados do INSS para estudos de morbidade.

The Economics of Adaptation: Concepts, Methods and Examples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Callaway, John MacIntosh; Naswa, Prakriti; Trærup, Sara Lærke Meltofte

and sectoral level strategies, plans and policies. Furthermore, we see it at the local level, where people are already adapting to the early impacts of climate change that affect livelihoods through, for example, changing rainfall patterns, drought, and frequency and intensity of extreme events. Analyses...... of the costs and benefits of climate change impacts and adaptation measures are important to inform future action. Despite the growth in the volume of research and studies on the economics of climate change adaptation over the past 10 years, there are still important gaps and weaknesses in the existing...... knowledge that limit effective and efficient decision-making and implementation of adaptation measures. Much of the literature to date has focussed on aggregate (national, regional and global) estimates of the economic costs of climate change impacts. There has been much less attention to the economics...

Extracting principles for information management adaptability during crisis response : A dynamic capability view

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bharosa, N.; Janssen, M.F.W.H.A.

2010-01-01

During crises, relief agency commanders have to make decisions in a complex and uncertain environment, requiring them to continuously adapt to unforeseen environmental changes. In the process of adaptation, the commanders depend on information management systems for information. Yet there are still

Adapt or Perish: A Review of Planning Approaches for Adaptation under Deep Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan H. Kwakkel

2013-03-01

Full Text Available There is increasing interest in long-term plans that can adapt to changing situations under conditions of deep uncertainty. We argue that a sustainable plan should not only achieve economic, environmental, and social objectives, but should be robust and able to be adapted over time to (unforeseen future conditions. Large numbers of papers dealing with robustness and adaptive plans have begun to appear, but the literature is fragmented. The papers appear in disparate journals, and deal with a wide variety of policy domains. This paper (1 describes and compares a family of related conceptual approaches to designing a sustainable plan, and (2 describes several computational tools supporting these approaches. The conceptual approaches all have their roots in an approach to long-term planning called Assumption-Based Planning. Guiding principles for the design of a sustainable adaptive plan are: explore a wide variety of relevant uncertainties, connect short-term targets to long-term goals over time, commit to short-term actions while keeping options open, and continuously monitor the world and take actions if necessary. A key computational tool across the conceptual approaches is a fast, simple (policy analysis model that is used to make large numbers of runs, in order to explore the full range of uncertainties and to identify situations in which the plan would fail.

Untangling the proximate causes and underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Myanmar.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Cheng Ling; Prescott, Graham W; De Alban, Jose Don T; Ziegler, Alan D; Webb, Edward L

2017-12-01

Political transitions often trigger substantial environmental changes. In particular, deforestation can result from the complex interplay among the components of a system-actors, institutions, and existing policies-adapting to new opportunities. A dynamic conceptual map of system components is particularly useful for systems in which multiple actors, each with different worldviews and motivations, may be simultaneously trying to alter different facets of the system, unaware of the impacts on other components. In Myanmar, a global biodiversity hotspot with the largest forest area in mainland Southeast Asia, ongoing political and economic reforms are likely to change the dynamics of deforestation drivers. A fundamental conceptual map of these dynamics is therefore a prerequisite for interventions to reduce deforestation. We used a system-dynamics approach and causal-network analysis to determine the proximate causes and underlying drivers of forest loss and degradation in Myanmar from 1995 to 2016 and to articulate the linkages among them. Proximate causes included infrastructure development, timber extraction, and agricultural expansion. These were stimulated primarily by formal agricultural, logging, mining, and hydropower concessions and economic investment and social issues relating to civil war and land tenure. Reform of land laws, the link between natural resource extraction and civil war, and the allocation of agricultural concessions will influence the extent of future forest loss and degradation in Myanmar. The causal-network analysis identified priority areas for policy interventions, for example, creating a public registry of land-concession holders to deter corruption in concession allocation. We recommend application of this analytical approach to other countries, particularly those undergoing political transition, to inform policy interventions to reduce forest loss and degradation. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley

Adaptive information-theoretic bounded rational decision-making with parametric priors

OpenAIRE

Grau-Moya, Jordi; Braun, Daniel A.

2015-01-01

Deviations from rational decision-making due to limited computational resources have been studied in the field of bounded rationality, originally proposed by Herbert Simon. There have been a number of different approaches to model bounded rationality ranging from optimality principles to heuristics. Here we take an information-theoretic approach to bounded rationality, where information-processing costs are measured by the relative entropy between a posterior decision strategy and a given fix...

Climate change adaptation under uncertainty in the developing world: A case study of sea level rise in Kiribati

Science.gov (United States)

Donner, S. D.; Webber, S.

2011-12-01

Climate change is expected to have the greatest impact in parts of the developing world. At the 2010 meeting of U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Cancun, industrialized countries agreed in principle to provide US$100 billion per year by 2020 to assist the developing world respond to climate change. This "Green Climate Fund" is a critical step towards addressing the challenge of climate change. However, the policy and discourse on supporting adaptation in the developing world remains highly idealized. For example, the efficacy of "no regrets" adaptation efforts or "mainstreaming" adaptation into decision-making are rarely evaluated in the real world. In this presentation, I will discuss the gap between adaptation theory and practice using a multi-year case study of the cultural, social and scientific obstacles to adapting to sea level rise in the Pacific atoll nation of Kiribati. Our field research reveals how scientific and institutional uncertainty can limit international efforts to fund adaptation and lead to spiraling costs. Scientific uncertainty about hyper-local impacts of sea level rise, though irreducible, can at times limit decision-making about adaptation measures, contrary to the notion that "good" decision-making practices can incorporate scientific uncertainty. Efforts to improve institutional capacity must be done carefully, or they risk inadvertently slowing the implementation of adaptation measures and increasing the likelihood of "mal"-adaptation.

Dynamics of Individual and Collective Agricultural Adaptation to Water Scarcity

Science.gov (United States)

Burchfield, E. K.; Gilligan, J. M.

2016-12-01

Drought and water scarcity are challenging agricultural systems around the world. We draw on extensive field-work conducted with paddy farmers in rural Sri Lanka to study adaptations to water scarcity, including switching to less water-intensive crops, farming collectively on shared land, and turning to groundwater by digging wells. We explore how variability in climate affects agricultural decision-making at the community and individual levels using three decision-making heuristics, each characterized by an objective function: risk-averse expected utility, regret-adjusted expected utility, and prospect theory loss-aversion. We also assess how the introduction of individualized access to irrigation water with wells affects long-standing community-based drought mitigation practices. Results suggest that the growth of well-irrigation may produce sudden disruptions to community-based adaptations, but that this depends on the mental models farmers use to think about risk and make decisions under uncertainty.

National strategy for climate change adaptation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

This book expresses the French State's view on the way to deal with the issue of climate change adaptation. After having recalled the ineluctability of some observed changes, the actors involved in this adaptation, and some guideline principles to implement adaptation, a first chapter describes the context: international mobilization, climate data evolution, definition of new criteria and critical thresholds, relationship between adaptation, alleviation and sustainable development, tensions between long and short terms. It discusses the objectives: public security and health, alleviation of inequalities with respect to risks, cost reduction, natural heritage preservation. Nine strategic axes are then identified: to develop knowledge, to strengthen the survey system, to inform, to educate and to make all actors aware, to promote a territory-based approach, to finance adaptation actions, to use regulatory and law instruments, to support voluntary approaches and the dialogue with private actors, to take the overseas peculiarity into account, and to contribute to international exchanges. The next chapters are respectively dealing with transverse approaches (water, risk prevention, health, and biodiversity), sector-based insights (agriculture, energy and industry, transports, building and housing, tourism, banks and insurance companies), medium-based approach (cities, littoral and seas, mountain, forest). The last part deals with the implementation issue

49 CFR 23.45 - What are the requirements for submitting overall goal information to the FAA?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Transportation PARTICIPATION OF DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN AIRPORT CONCESSIONS Goals, Good Faith... schedule: (1) If you are a large or medium hub primary airport on April 21, 2005, by January 1, 2006. You must make your next submissions by October 1, 2008. (2) If you are a small hub primary airport on April...

Adaptive Wireless Multimedia Services

OpenAIRE

Yi, Xiaokun

2006-01-01

Context-awareness is a hot topic in mobile computing currently. A lot of importance is being attached to facilitating the user of various mobile computing devices to provide services that are more “user-centric”. One aspect of context-awareness is to perceive variations in available resources, and to make decisions based on the feedback to enable applications to automatically adapt to the current environment. For Voice over IP (VoIP) software phones (softphones), variations in network perform...

Nutrition and training adaptations in aquatic sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Mujika, Iñigo; Stellingwerff, Trent; Tipton, Kevin

2014-08-01

The adaptive response to training is determined by the combination of the intensity, volume, and frequency of the training. Various periodized approaches to training are used by aquatic sports athletes to achieve performance peaks. Nutritional support to optimize training adaptations should take periodization into consideration; that is, nutrition should also be periodized to optimally support training and facilitate adaptations. Moreover, other aspects of training (e.g., overload training, tapering and detraining) should be considered when making nutrition recommendations for aquatic athletes. There is evidence, albeit not in aquatic sports, that restricting carbohydrate availability may enhance some training adaptations. More research needs to be performed, particularly in aquatic sports, to determine the optimal strategy for periodizing carbohydrate intake to optimize adaptations. Protein nutrition is an important consideration for optimal training adaptations. Factors other than the total amount of daily protein intake should be considered. For instance, the type of protein, timing and pattern of protein intake and the amount of protein ingested at any one time influence the metabolic response to protein ingestion. Body mass and composition are important for aquatic sport athletes in relation to power-to-mass and for aesthetic reasons. Protein may be particularly important for athletes desiring to maintain muscle while losing body mass. Nutritional supplements, such as b-alanine and sodium bicarbonate, may have particular usefulness for aquatic athletes' training adaptation.

Adaptive Steganalysis Based on Selection Region and Combined Convolutional Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donghui Hu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Digital image steganalysis is the art of detecting the presence of information hiding in carrier images. When detecting recently developed adaptive image steganography methods, state-of-art steganalysis methods cannot achieve satisfactory detection accuracy, because the adaptive steganography methods can adaptively embed information into regions with rich textures via the guidance of distortion function and thus make the effective steganalysis features hard to be extracted. Inspired by the promising success which convolutional neural network (CNN has achieved in the fields of digital image analysis, increasing researchers are devoted to designing CNN based steganalysis methods. But as for detecting adaptive steganography methods, the results achieved by CNN based methods are still far from expected. In this paper, we propose a hybrid approach by designing a region selection method and a new CNN framework. In order to make the CNN focus on the regions with complex textures, we design a region selection method by finding a region with the maximal sum of the embedding probabilities. To evolve more diverse and effective steganalysis features, we design a new CNN framework consisting of three separate subnets with independent structure and configuration parameters and then merge and split the three subnets repeatedly. Experimental results indicate that our approach can lead to performance improvement in detecting adaptive steganography.

Rapid, generalized adaptation to asynchronous audiovisual speech.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Burg, Erik; Goodbourn, Patrick T

2015-04-07

The brain is adaptive. The speed of propagation through air, and of low-level sensory processing, differs markedly between auditory and visual stimuli; yet the brain can adapt to compensate for the resulting cross-modal delays. Studies investigating temporal recalibration to audiovisual speech have used prolonged adaptation procedures, suggesting that adaptation is sluggish. Here, we show that adaptation to asynchronous audiovisual speech occurs rapidly. Participants viewed a brief clip of an actor pronouncing a single syllable. The voice was either advanced or delayed relative to the corresponding lip movements, and participants were asked to make a synchrony judgement. Although we did not use an explicit adaptation procedure, we demonstrate rapid recalibration based on a single audiovisual event. We find that the point of subjective simultaneity on each trial is highly contingent upon the modality order of the preceding trial. We find compelling evidence that rapid recalibration generalizes across different stimuli, and different actors. Finally, we demonstrate that rapid recalibration occurs even when auditory and visual events clearly belong to different actors. These results suggest that rapid temporal recalibration to audiovisual speech is primarily mediated by basic temporal factors, rather than higher-order factors such as perceived simultaneity and source identity. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Architecture Implementation Alternatives based on Adaptability Concerns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aksit, Mehmet; Tekinerdogan, B.

Software is rarely designed for ultimate adaptability, performance or reusability but rather it is a compromise of multiple considerations. Even for a simple architecture specification, one may identify many alternative implementations. This paper makes an attempt to depict the space of

[Adaptation strategies faced with chronic pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Bioy, Antoine

2017-05-01

Chronic pain constitutes a challenge for patients. It makes them uneasy with regard to their personality, their corporality and their life balance, and leaves long-lasting effects on their experience as a patient. The development of adaptation strategies and resources to deal with chronic pain is therefore essential. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Simulation in Sport Finance

OpenAIRE

Joris, Drayer; Daniel, Rascher

2010-01-01

Simulations have long been used in business schools to give students experience making real-world decisions in a relatively low-risk environment. The OAKLAND A’S BASEBALL BUSINESS SIMULATOR takes a traditional business simulation and applies it to the sport industry where sales of tangible products are replaced by sales of an experience provided to fans. The simulator asks students to make decisions about prices for concessions, parking, and merchandise, player payroll expenses, funding for...

Ecological dynamics of continuous and categorical decision-making: the regatta start in sailing.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Duarte; Davids, Keith; Diniz, Ana; Rocha, Luis; Santos, João Coelho; Dias, Gonçalo; Fernandes, Orlando

2015-01-01

Ecological dynamics of decision-making in the sport of sailing exemplifies emergent, conditionally coupled, co-adaptive behaviours. In this study, observation of the coupling dynamics of paired boats during competitive sailing showed that decision-making can be modelled as a self-sustained, co-adapting system of informationally coupled oscillators (boats). Bytracing the spatial-temporal displacements of the boats, time series analyses (autocorrelations, periodograms and running correlations) revealed that trajectories of match racing boats are coupled more than 88% of the time during a pre-start race, via continuous, competing co-adaptions between boats. Results showed that both the continuously selected trajectories of the sailors (12 years of age) and their categorical starting point locations were examples of emergent decisions. In this dynamical conception of decision-making behaviours, strategic positioning (categorical) and continuous displacement of a boat over the course in match-race sailing emerged as a function of interacting task, personal and environmental constraints. Results suggest how key interacting constraints could be manipulated in practice to enhance sailors' perceptual attunement to them in competition.

Addressing uncertainty in adaptation planning for agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeulen, Sonja J; Challinor, Andrew J; Thornton, Philip K; Campbell, Bruce M; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Vervoort, Joost M; Kinyangi, James; Jarvis, Andy; Läderach, Peter; Ramirez-Villegas, Julian; Nicklin, Kathryn J; Hawkins, Ed; Smith, Daniel R

2013-05-21

We present a framework for prioritizing adaptation approaches at a range of timeframes. The framework is illustrated by four case studies from developing countries, each with associated characterization of uncertainty. Two cases on near-term adaptation planning in Sri Lanka and on stakeholder scenario exercises in East Africa show how the relative utility of capacity vs. impact approaches to adaptation planning differ with level of uncertainty and associated lead time. An additional two cases demonstrate that it is possible to identify uncertainties that are relevant to decision making in specific timeframes and circumstances. The case on coffee in Latin America identifies altitudinal thresholds at which incremental vs. transformative adaptation pathways are robust options. The final case uses three crop-climate simulation studies to demonstrate how uncertainty can be characterized at different time horizons to discriminate where robust adaptation options are possible. We find that impact approaches, which use predictive models, are increasingly useful over longer lead times and at higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. We also find that extreme events are important in determining predictability across a broad range of timescales. The results demonstrate the potential for robust knowledge and actions in the face of uncertainty.

Guiding climate change adaptation within vulnerable natural resource management systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardsley, Douglas K; Sweeney, Susan M

2010-05-01

Climate change has the potential to compromise the sustainability of natural resources in Mediterranean climatic systems, such that short-term reactive responses will increasingly be insufficient to ensure effective management. There is a simultaneous need for both the clear articulation of the vulnerabilities of specific management systems to climate risk, and the development of appropriate short- and long-term strategic planning responses that anticipate environmental change or allow for sustainable adaptive management in response to trends in resource condition. Governments are developing climate change adaptation policy frameworks, but without the recognition of the importance of responding strategically, regional stakeholders will struggle to manage future climate risk. In a partnership between the South Australian Government, the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board and the regional community, a range of available research approaches to support regional climate change adaptation decision-making, were applied and critically examined, including: scenario modelling; applied and participatory Geographical Information Systems modelling; environmental risk analysis; and participatory action learning. As managers apply ideas for adaptation within their own biophysical and socio-cultural contexts, there would be both successes and failures, but a learning orientation to societal change will enable improvements over time. A base-line target for regional responses to climate change is the ownership of the issue by stakeholders, which leads to an acceptance that effective actions to adapt are now both possible and vitally important. Beyond such baseline knowledge, the research suggests that there is a range of tools from the social and physical sciences available to guide adaptation decision-making.

Guiding Climate Change Adaptation Within Vulnerable Natural Resource Management Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bardsley, Douglas K.; Sweeney, Susan M.

2010-05-01

Climate change has the potential to compromise the sustainability of natural resources in Mediterranean climatic systems, such that short-term reactive responses will increasingly be insufficient to ensure effective management. There is a simultaneous need for both the clear articulation of the vulnerabilities of specific management systems to climate risk, and the development of appropriate short- and long-term strategic planning responses that anticipate environmental change or allow for sustainable adaptive management in response to trends in resource condition. Governments are developing climate change adaptation policy frameworks, but without the recognition of the importance of responding strategically, regional stakeholders will struggle to manage future climate risk. In a partnership between the South Australian Government, the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board and the regional community, a range of available research approaches to support regional climate change adaptation decision-making, were applied and critically examined, including: scenario modelling; applied and participatory Geographical Information Systems modelling; environmental risk analysis; and participatory action learning. As managers apply ideas for adaptation within their own biophysical and socio-cultural contexts, there would be both successes and failures, but a learning orientation to societal change will enable improvements over time. A base-line target for regional responses to climate change is the ownership of the issue by stakeholders, which leads to an acceptance that effective actions to adapt are now both possible and vitally important. Beyond such baseline knowledge, the research suggests that there is a range of tools from the social and physical sciences available to guide adaptation decision-making.

Effects of logging on roadless space in intact forest landscapes of the Congo Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinschroth, Fritz; Healey, John R; Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie; Mortier, Frédéric; Stoica, Radu S

2017-04-01

Forest degradation in the tropics is often associated with roads built for selective logging. The protection of intact forest landscapes (IFL) that are not accessible by roads is high on the biodiversity conservation agenda and a challenge for logging concessions certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). A frequently advocated conservation objective is to maximize the retention of roadless space, a concept that is based on distance to the nearest road from any point. We developed a novel use of the empty-space function - a general statistical tool based on stochastic geometry and random sets theory - to calculate roadless space in a part of the Congo Basin where road networks have been expanding rapidly. We compared the temporal development of roadless space in certified and uncertified logging concessions inside and outside areas declared IFL in 2000. Inside IFLs, road-network expansion led to a decrease in roadless space by more than half from 1999 to 2007. After 2007, loss leveled out in most areas to close to 0 due to an equilibrium between newly built roads and abandoned roads that became revegetated. However, concessions in IFL certified by FSC since around 2007 continuously lost roadless space and reached a level comparable to all other concessions. Only national parks remained mostly roadless. We recommend that forest-management policies make the preservation of large connected forest areas a top priority by effectively monitoring - and limiting - the occupation of space by roads that are permanently accessible. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

[Head and neck adaptive radiotherapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Graff, P; Huger, S; Kirby, N; Pouliot, J

2013-10-01

Onboard volumetric imaging systems can provide accurate data of the patient's anatomy during a course of head and neck radiotherapy making it possible to assess the actual delivered dose and to evaluate the dosimetric impact of complex daily positioning variations and gradual anatomic changes such as geometric variations of tumors and normal tissues or shrinkage of external contours. Adaptive radiotherapy is defined as the correction of a patient's treatment planning to adapt for individual variations observed during treatment. Strategies are developed to selectively identify patients that require replanning because of an intolerable dosimetric drift. Automated tools are designed to limit time consumption. Deformable image registration algorithms are the cornerstones of these strategies, but a better understanding of their limits of validity is required before adaptive radiotherapy can be safely introduced to daily practice. Moreover, strict evaluation of the clinical benefits is yet to be proven. Copyright © 2013 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Certification Considerations for Adaptive Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Siddhartha; Cofer, Darren; Musliner, David J.; Mueller, Joseph; Engstrom, Eric

2015-01-01

Advanced capabilities planned for the next generation of aircraft, including those that will operate within the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), will necessarily include complex new algorithms and non-traditional software elements. These aircraft will likely incorporate adaptive control algorithms that will provide enhanced safety, autonomy, and robustness during adverse conditions. Unmanned aircraft will operate alongside manned aircraft in the National Airspace (NAS), with intelligent software performing the high-level decision-making functions normally performed by human pilots. Even human-piloted aircraft will necessarily include more autonomy. However, there are serious barriers to the deployment of new capabilities, especially for those based upon software including adaptive control (AC) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. Current civil aviation certification processes are based on the idea that the correct behavior of a system must be completely specified and verified prior to operation. This report by Rockwell Collins and SIFT documents our comprehensive study of the state of the art in intelligent and adaptive algorithms for the civil aviation domain, categorizing the approaches used and identifying gaps and challenges associated with certification of each approach.

Industry brief letter; Itochu, eiryo hokkai no yuden kaihatsuken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

Acquisition of oil exploitation concession by C. Ito and Co. in the North Sea owned by U.K. C. Ito in cooperation with 3 European oil companies acquired the exploitation and development concession of the oil mine in the North Sea owned by the U.K. This oil field has maximum possible deposit of 100 million bbl to be mined, and will be shifted to commercial production in 2003. C. Ito positions resources development as a core of the management, and engages in oil field exploitation business in Indonesia and Azerbaijan in addition to the North Sea, which makes this firm the largest oil producing unit by means of self-exploitation among Japanese trading companies. The aim of C. Ito is to leave behind other trading companies which are severely competing with. (translated by NEDO)

49 CFR 23.9 - What are the nondiscrimination and assurance requirements of this part for recipients?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., national origin, or sex in connection with the award or performance of any concession agreement, management... Transportation PARTICIPATION OF DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN AIRPORT CONCESSIONS General § 23.9 What are... performance of any concession agreement, management contract or subcontract, purchase or lease agreement, or...

Research on Adaptive Optics Image Restoration Algorithm by Improved Expectation Maximization Method

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Lijuan; Li, Dongming; Su, Wei; Yang, Jinhua; Jiang, Yutong

2014-01-01

To improve the effect of adaptive optics images’ restoration, we put forward a deconvolution algorithm improved by the EM algorithm which joints multiframe adaptive optics images based on expectation-maximization theory. Firstly, we need to make a mathematical model for the degenerate multiframe adaptive optics images. The function model is deduced for the points that spread with time based on phase error. The AO images are denoised using the image power spectral density and support constrain...

Is adaptation. Truly an adaptation? Is adaptation. Truly an adaptation?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thais Flores Nogueira Diniz

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The article begins by historicizing film adaptation from the arrival of cinema, pointing out the many theoretical approaches under which the process has been seen: from the concept of “the same story told in a different medium” to a comprehensible definition such as “the process through which works can be transformed, forming an intersection of textual surfaces, quotations, conflations and inversions of other texts”. To illustrate this new concept, the article discusses Spike Jonze’s film Adaptation. according to James Naremore’s proposal which considers the study of adaptation as part of a general theory of repetition, joined with the study of recycling, remaking, and every form of retelling. The film deals with the attempt by the scriptwriter Charles Kaufman, cast by Nicholas Cage, to adapt/translate a non-fictional book to the cinema, but ends up with a kind of film which is by no means what it intended to be: a film of action in the model of Hollywood productions. During the process of creation, Charles and his twin brother, Donald, undergo a series of adventures involving some real persons from the world of film, the author and the protagonist of the book, all of them turning into fictional characters in the film. In the film, adaptation then signifies something different from itstraditional meaning. The article begins by historicizing film adaptation from the arrival of cinema, pointing out the many theoretical approaches under which the process has been seen: from the concept of “the same story told in a different medium” to a comprehensible definition such as “the process through which works can be transformed, forming an intersection of textual surfaces, quotations, conflations and inversions of other texts”. To illustrate this new concept, the article discusses Spike Jonze’s film Adaptation. according to James Naremore’s proposal which considers the study of adaptation as part of a general theory of repetition

Adaptive Dialogue Systems for Assistive Living Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Papangelis, Alexandros

2013-01-01

Adaptive Dialogue Systems (ADS) are intelligent systems, able to interact with users via multiple modalities, such as speech, gestures, facial expressions and others. Such systems are able to make conversation with their users, usually on a specific, narrow topic. Assistive Living Environments are environments where the users are by definition not…

49 CFR 23.21 - Who must submit an ACDBE program to FAA, and when?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... program, you may implement one plan for all your locations. If you do so, you must establish a separate ACDBE goal for each location. (d) If you make any significant changes to your ACDBE program at any time... DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN AIRPORT CONCESSIONS ACDBE Programs § 23.21 Who must submit an ACDBE program...

Causes for Adaptation: Access to Forests, Markets and Representation in Eastern Senegal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Papa Faye

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Adaptation is a means of reducing vulnerability. So, understanding causes of vulnerability should help to achieve adaptation. Why, then, are people vulnerable? Why do expected dry spells turn into hunger? Why do mere droughts become disasters? This article shows some of the multiscale processes that make the lives of people in the forests of Eastern Senegal precarious; it outlines processes that reduce forest villagers’ access to resources, lucrative markets and political representation. These are the processes that place villagers at risk when exposed to stressors— climate or otherwise. In this case, the Forest Service applies double standards—favoring urban merchants while subordinating forest villagers—through the making, interpretation, implementation and circumvention of laws and regulations. The wealth of the poor is continuously expropriated by a well-adapted extractive apparatus, enriching urban merchants while leaving villagers incapacitated. These people may lack adaptive capacity or capability or assets or social protections, but those lacks have causes. “Adaptation” without identifying and addressing these root causes is palliative at best. Security requires emancipatory transformations.

Designing Tools for Supporting User Decision-Making in e-Commerce

Science.gov (United States)

Sutcliffe, Alistair; Al-Qaed, Faisal

The paper describes a set of tools designed to support a variety of user decision-making strategies. The tools are complemented by an online advisor so they can be adapted to different domains and users can be guided to adopt appropriate tools for different choices in e-commerce, e.g. purchasing high-value products, exploring product fit to users’ needs, or selecting products which satisfy requirements. The tools range from simple recommenders to decision support by interactive querying and comparison matrices. They were evaluated in a scenario-based experiment which varied the users’ task and motivation, with and without an advisor agent. The results show the tools and advisor were effective in supporting users and agreed with the predictions of ADM (adaptive decision making) theory, on which the design of the tools was based.

The role of law in adaptive governance

Science.gov (United States)

Cosens, Barbara A.; Craig, Robin K.; Hirsch, Shana Lee; Arnold, Craig Anthony (Tony); Benson, Melinda H.; DeCaro, Daniel A.; Garmestani, Ahjond S.; Gosnell, Hannah; Ruhl, J.B.; Schlager, Edella

2018-01-01

The term “governance” encompasses both governmental and nongovernmental participation in collective choice and action. Law dictates the structure, boundaries, rules, and processes within which governmental action takes place, and in doing so becomes one of the focal points for analysis of barriers to adaptation as the effects of climate change are felt. Adaptive governance must therefore contemplate a level of flexibility and evolution in governmental action beyond that currently found in the heavily administrative governments of many democracies. Nevertheless, over time, law itself has proven highly adaptive in western systems of government, evolving to address and even facilitate the emergence of new social norms (such as the rights of women and minorities) or to provide remedies for emerging problems (such as pollution). Thus, there is no question that law can adapt, evolve, and be reformed to make room for adaptive governance. In doing this, not only may barriers be removed, but law may be adjusted to facilitate adaptive governance and to aid in institutionalizing new and emerging approaches to governance. The key is to do so in a way that also enhances legitimacy, accountability, and justice, or else such reforms will never be adopted by democratic societies, or if adopted, will destabilize those societies. By identifying those aspects of the frameworks for adaptive governance reviewed in the introduction to this special feature relevant to the legal system, we present guidelines for evaluating the role of law in environmental governance to identify the ways in which law can be used, adapted, and reformed to facilitate adaptive governance and to do so in a way that enhances the legitimacy of governmental action. PMID:29780426

The role of law in adaptive governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara A. Cosens

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The term "governance" encompasses both governmental and nongovernmental participation in collective choice and action. Law dictates the structure, boundaries, rules, and processes within which governmental action takes place, and in doing so becomes one of the focal points for analysis of barriers to adaptation as the effects of climate change are felt. Adaptive governance must therefore contemplate a level of flexibility and evolution in governmental action beyond that currently found in the heavily administrative governments of many democracies. Nevertheless, over time, law itself has proven highly adaptive in western systems of government, evolving to address and even facilitate the emergence of new social norms (such as the rights of women and minorities or to provide remedies for emerging problems (such as pollution. Thus, there is no question that law can adapt, evolve, and be reformed to make room for adaptive governance. In doing this, not only may barriers be removed, but law may be adjusted to facilitate adaptive governance and to aid in institutionalizing new and emerging approaches to governance. The key is to do so in a way that also enhances legitimacy, accountability, and justice, or else such reforms will never be adopted by democratic societies, or if adopted, will destabilize those societies. By identifying those aspects of the frameworks for adaptive governance reviewed in the introduction to this special feature relevant to the legal system, we present guidelines for evaluating the role of law in environmental governance to identify the ways in which law can be used, adapted, and reformed to facilitate adaptive governance and to do so in a way that enhances the legitimacy of governmental action.

Adaptive management for a turbulent future

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Craig R.; Fontaine, J.J.; Pope, K.L.; Garmestani, A.S.

2011-01-01

The challenges that face humanity today differ from the past because as the scale of human influence has increased, our biggest challenges have become global in nature, and formerly local problems that could be addressed by shifting populations or switching resources, now aggregate (i.e., "scale up") limiting potential management options. Adaptive management is an approach to natural resource management that emphasizes learning through management based on the philosophy that knowledge is incomplete and much of what we think we know is actually wrong. Adaptive management has explicit structure, including careful elucidation of goals, identification of alternative management objectives and hypotheses of causation, and procedures for the collection of data followed by evaluation and reiteration. It is evident that adaptive management has matured, but it has also reached a crossroads. Practitioners and scientists have developed adaptive management and structured decision making techniques, and mathematicians have developed methods to reduce the uncertainties encountered in resource management, yet there continues to be misapplication of the method and misunderstanding of its purpose. Ironically, the confusion over the term "adaptive management" may stem from the flexibility inherent in the approach, which has resulted in multiple interpretations of "adaptive management" that fall along a continuum of complexity and a priori design. Adaptive management is not a panacea for the navigation of 'wicked problems' as it does not produce easy answers, and is only appropriate in a subset of natural resource management problems where both uncertainty and controllability are high. Nonetheless, the conceptual underpinnings of adaptive management are simple; there will always be inherent uncertainty and unpredictability in the dynamics and behavior of complex social-ecological systems, but management decisions must still be made, and whenever possible, we should incorporate

Instantaneous Attitude Determination Based on Original Multi-antenna Observations Using Adaptively Robust Kalman Filtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GAN Yu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Attitude determination directly by carrier phase observation makes optimal use of observation and attitude constraints. The phase models based on misalignment angle and multiplicative quaternion error are derived. The state models for attitude estimation with and without external angular rate sensors are both erected. The attitude errors are estimated by adaptively robust filtering, in which the adaptive factors of ambiguity and attitude error are decided respectively following the idea of multi adaptive factor filtering. The factor of attitude is determined by a three-section function containing Ratio. Adaptively robust filtering makes the best use of constraint and historical information, fusing them in the calculation of float solution. As the accuracy of float solution and the structure of covariance matrix are improved greatly, the fix solution can be searched efficiently using LAMBDA (least-squares ambiguity decorrelation adjustment method merely, perfectly fulfilling the real-time requirement. Field test of a ship-based three-antenna attitude system is used to validate the proposed method. It is showed that direct attitude determination based on adaptively robust filtering has obvious advantages in efficiency and reliability.

Adaptive function projective synchronization of two-cell Quantum-CNN chaotic oscillators with uncertain parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudheer, K. Sebastian; Sabir, M.

2009-01-01

This work investigates function projective synchronization of two-cell Quantum-CNN chaotic oscillators using adaptive method. Quantum-CNN oscillators produce nano scale chaotic oscillations under certain conditions. By Lyapunove stability theory, the adaptive control law and the parameter update law are derived to make the state of two chaotic systems function projective synchronized. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive controllers.

An adaptive stochastic model for financial markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernández, Juan Antonio; Benito, Rosa Marı´a; Losada, Juan Carlos

2012-01-01

An adaptive stochastic model is introduced to simulate the behavior of real asset markets. The model adapts itself by changing its parameters automatically on the basis of the recent historical data. The basic idea underlying the model is that a random variable uniformly distributed within an interval with variable extremes can replicate the histograms of asset returns. These extremes are calculated according to the arrival of new market information. This adaptive model is applied to the daily returns of three well-known indices: Ibex35, Dow Jones and Nikkei, for three complete years. The model reproduces the histograms of the studied indices as well as their autocorrelation structures. It produces the same fat tails and the same power laws, with exactly the same exponents, as in the real indices. In addition, the model shows a great adaptation capability, anticipating the volatility evolution and showing the same volatility clusters observed in the assets. This approach provides a novel way to model asset markets with internal dynamics which changes quickly with time, making it impossible to define a fixed model to fit the empirical observations.

Analysis of Harry Potter's Subtitle on Cultural Adaptability

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

赵佳

2018-01-01

With the development of globalization and the intimate touch between China and western countries, it is the information exchange between countries that makes the rapid development of English culture and the inheritance of Chinese culture. And as the important tools and two modern cultural medias for cultural exchange, TV and film are essential in our life, and subtitle translation appeared in people's sights. As one of the most important theories in translation, U. S. Bureau was who first use the cultural adaptation theory. He defined it as' a psychological change from an alien culture to a new cultural.'(1883)It was the basic theory in translation so it must abide by every translator. In this thesis, we will take Western magical fantasy series of movies-Harry Potter as an example, analyzing the importance of the cultural adaptability. Firstly, I will briefly introduce the book and movie about Harry Potter, then explain the content and application of this function, finaly this paper will combine cultural difference and custom difference with religion difference to illustrate that cultural adaptability is main theory in translation. Combining with Harry Potter, I hope this research will help people to have a better understanding of cross-cultural communication and make this film more colorful and shining.

Climate Change Adaptation, Water, and Food Security in Pakistan ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Climate Change Adaptation, Water, and Food Security in Pakistan ... those living in the Indus floodplains or on the edges of its deserts - received little attention. ... farmers' decision-making in water stressed regions, and the wider political and ...

Global work contexts as sites of discursive sense making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Nils Braad

2014-01-01

Global work contexts represent highly complex working environments with simultaneous attachment to several projects and teams (Rosen, Furst & Blackburn, 2007). This complexity increases the for the sense-making capabilities of employees (Weick, 1995). MyPhD project examines this sense-making proc...... of knowledge communication networks in a global organisation. Interviews were fully transscribed analysed using a combination of James Gee’s approach to discourse analysis, and a novel adaptation of Auatin’s speech act theory....

Fidelity, Adaptation, and Meta-commentary: The Case of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief and Spike Jonze’s Adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria de Zwaan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief has raised and defied questions about genre since its appearance in 1998. Though “research” and “facts” are at the foreground of the book, critics have described it by such terms as literary non-fiction, faction, personal journalism, and non-fiction novel because of its strong “literary,” that is narrative, characterological, thematic, and even philosophical, qualities. Struggling to make a faithful adaptation of this “simple” and “beautiful” book “about flowers” for film, Charlie Kaufman, the neurotic and anxious protagonist/screenwriter of Adaptation (2002, a fictionalized avatar of the real-life Charlie Kaufman, works through the wide range of possible generic and narrative adaptive possibilities that the book invites. The series of apparent false starts eventually get resolved, in a desperate attempt at creating closure, by way of the “Hollywood ending” that the screenwriter ostensibly despises and insists he will avoid. This paper engages the complex relationships between these two objects – The Orchid Thief and Adaptation – first, by providing some interpretive analysis of Orlean’s book and its potential adaptive possibilities, and second, by examining what happens to those possibilities in Adaptation. On my argument, the film refracts the book’s concerns into a meditation on the processes of reading, storytelling, and interpretation in the realm of explicit adaptation by way of metafiction, metalepsis, and other techniques associated with experimental narrative.

Simulated climate adaptation in storm-water systems: Evaluating the efficiency of within-system flexibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam D. McCurdy

Full Text Available Changes in regional temperature and precipitation patterns resulting from global climate change may adversely affect the performance of long-lived infrastructure. Adaptation may be necessary to ensure that infrastructure offers consistent service and remains cost effective. But long service times and deep uncertainty associated with future climate projections make adaptation decisions especially challenging for managers. Incorporating flexibility into systems can increase their effectiveness across different climate futures but can also add significant costs. In this paper we review existing work on flexibility in climate change adaptation of infrastructure, such as robust decision-making and dynamic adaptive pathways, apply a basic typology of flexibility, and test alternative strategies for flexibility in distributed infrastructure systems comprised of multiple emplacements of a common, long-lived element: roadway culverts. Rather than treating a system of dispersed infrastructure elements as monolithic, we simulate “options flexibility” in which inherent differences in individual elements is incorporated into adaptation decisions. We use a virtual testbed of highway drainage crossing structures to examine the performance under different climate scenarios of policies that allow for multiple adaptation strategies with varying timing based on individual emplacement characteristics. Results indicate that a strategy with options flexibility informed by crossing characteristics offers a more efficient method of adaptation than do monolithic policies. In some cases this results in more cost-effective adaptation for agencies building long-lived, climate-sensitive infrastructure, even where detailed system data and analytical capacity is limited. Keywords: Climate adaptation, Stormwater management, Adaptation pathways

Local Orientation and the Evolution of Foraging: Changes in Decision Making Can Eliminate Evolutionary Trade-offs

Science.gov (United States)

van der Post, Daniel J.; Semmann, Dirk

2011-01-01

Information processing is a major aspect of the evolution of animal behavior. In foraging, responsiveness to local feeding opportunities can generate patterns of behavior which reflect or “recognize patterns” in the environment beyond the perception of individuals. Theory on the evolution of behavior generally neglects such opportunity-based adaptation. Using a spatial individual-based model we study the role of opportunity-based adaptation in the evolution of foraging, and how it depends on local decision making. We compare two model variants which differ in the individual decision making that can evolve (restricted and extended model), and study the evolution of simple foraging behavior in environments where food is distributed either uniformly or in patches. We find that opportunity-based adaptation and the pattern recognition it generates, plays an important role in foraging success, particularly in patchy environments where one of the main challenges is “staying in patches”. In the restricted model this is achieved by genetic adaptation of move and search behavior, in light of a trade-off on within- and between-patch behavior. In the extended model this trade-off does not arise because decision making capabilities allow for differentiated behavioral patterns. As a consequence, it becomes possible for properties of movement to be specialized for detection of patches with more food, a larger scale information processing not present in the restricted model. Our results show that changes in decision making abilities can alter what kinds of pattern recognition are possible, eliminate an evolutionary trade-off and change the adaptive landscape. PMID:21998571

Practitioner Perceptions of Adaptive Management Implementation in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melinda Harm. Benson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Adaptive management is a growing trend within environment and natural resource management efforts in the United States. While many proponents of adaptive management emphasize the need for collaborative, iterative governance processes to facilitate adaptive management, legal scholars note that current legal requirements and processes in the United States often make it difficult to provide the necessary institutional support and flexibility for successful adaptive management implementation. Our research explores this potential disconnect between adaptive management theory and practice by interviewing practitioners in the field. We conducted a survey of individuals associated with the Collaborative Adaptive Management Network (CAMNet, a nongovernmental organization that promotes adaptive management and facilitates in its implementation. The survey was sent via email to the 144 participants who attended CAMNet Rendezvous during 2007-2011 and yielded 48 responses. We found that practitioners do feel hampered by legal and institutional constraints: > 70% of respondents not only believed that constraints exist, they could specifically name one or more examples of a legal constraint on their work implementing adaptive management. At the same time, we found that practitioners are generally optimistic about the potential for institutional reform.

Forests and climate change adaptation policies in Cameroon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bele, M.Y.; Somorin, O.A.; Sonwa, D.J.; Nkem, J.N.; Locatelli, B.

2011-01-01

Nowadays, adaptation has become a key focus of the scientific and policy-making communities and is a major area of discussion in the multilateral climate change process. As climate change is projected to hit the poorest the hardest, it is especially important for developing countries to pay

Understanding the Impacts of Land-Use Policies on a Threatened Species: Is There a Future for the Bornean Orang-utan?

Science.gov (United States)

Wich, Serge A.; Gaveau, David; Abram, Nicola; Ancrenaz, Marc; Baccini, Alessandro; Brend, Stephen; Curran, Lisa; Delgado, Roberto A.; Erman, Andi; Fredriksson, Gabriella M.; Goossens, Benoit; Husson, Simon J.; Lackman, Isabelle; Marshall, Andrew J.; Naomi, Anita; Molidena, Elis; Nardiyono; Nurcahyo, Anton; Odom, Kisar; Panda, Adventus; Purnomo; Rafiastanto, Andjar; Ratnasari, Dessy; Santana, Adi H.; Sapari, Imam; van Schaik, Carel P.; Sihite, Jamartin; Spehar, Stephanie; Santoso, Eddy; Suyoko, Amat; Tiju, Albertus; Usher, Graham; Atmoko, Sri Suci Utami; Willems, Erik P.; Meijaard, Erik

2012-01-01

The geographic distribution of Bornean orang-utans and its overlap with existing land-use categories (protected areas, logging and plantation concessions) is a necessary foundation to prioritize conservation planning. Based on an extensive orang-utan survey dataset and a number of environmental variables, we modelled an orang-utan distribution map. The modelled orang-utan distribution map covers 155,106 km2 (21% of Borneo's landmass) and reveals four distinct distribution areas. The most important environmental predictors are annual rainfall and land cover. The overlap of the orang-utan distribution with land-use categories reveals that only 22% of the distribution lies in protected areas, but that 29% lies in natural forest concessions. A further 19% and 6% occurs in largely undeveloped oil palm and tree plantation concessions, respectively. The remaining 24% of the orang-utan distribution range occurs outside of protected areas and outside of concessions. An estimated 49% of the orang-utan distribution will be lost if all forest outside of protected areas and logging concessions is lost. To avoid this potential decline plantation development in orang-utan habitats must be halted because it infringes on national laws of species protection. Further growth of the plantation sector should be achieved through increasing yields in existing plantations and expansion of new plantations into areas that have already been deforested. To reach this goal a large scale island-wide land-use masterplan is needed that clarifies which possible land uses and managements are allowed in the landscape and provides new standardized strategic conservation policies. Such a process should make much better use of non-market values of ecosystem services of forests such as water provision, flood control, carbon sequestration, and sources of livelihood for rural communities. Presently land use planning is more driven by vested interests and direct and immediate economic gains, rather than by

Understanding the impacts of land-use policies on a threatened species: is there a future for the Bornean orang-utan?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge A Wich

Full Text Available The geographic distribution of Bornean orang-utans and its overlap with existing land-use categories (protected areas, logging and plantation concessions is a necessary foundation to prioritize conservation planning. Based on an extensive orang-utan survey dataset and a number of environmental variables, we modelled an orang-utan distribution map. The modelled orang-utan distribution map covers 155,106 km(2 (21% of Borneo's landmass and reveals four distinct distribution areas. The most important environmental predictors are annual rainfall and land cover. The overlap of the orang-utan distribution with land-use categories reveals that only 22% of the distribution lies in protected areas, but that 29% lies in natural forest concessions. A further 19% and 6% occurs in largely undeveloped oil palm and tree plantation concessions, respectively. The remaining 24% of the orang-utan distribution range occurs outside of protected areas and outside of concessions. An estimated 49% of the orang-utan distribution will be lost if all forest outside of protected areas and logging concessions is lost. To avoid this potential decline plantation development in orang-utan habitats must be halted because it infringes on national laws of species protection. Further growth of the plantation sector should be achieved through increasing yields in existing plantations and expansion of new plantations into areas that have already been deforested. To reach this goal a large scale island-wide land-use masterplan is needed that clarifies which possible land uses and managements are allowed in the landscape and provides new standardized strategic conservation policies. Such a process should make much better use of non-market values of ecosystem services of forests such as water provision, flood control, carbon sequestration, and sources of livelihood for rural communities. Presently land use planning is more driven by vested interests and direct and immediate economic

Diminished stress resistance and defective adaptive homeostasis in age-related diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomeli, Naomi; Bota, Daniela A; Davies, Kelvin J A

2017-11-01

Adaptive homeostasis is defined as the transient expansion or contraction of the homeostatic range following exposure to subtoxic, non-damaging, signaling molecules or events, or the removal or cessation of such molecules or events ( Mol. Aspects Med. (2016) 49, 1-7 ). Adaptive homeostasis allows us to transiently adapt (and then de-adapt) to fluctuating levels of internal and external stressors. The ability to cope with transient changes in internal and external environmental stress, however, diminishes with age. Declining adaptive homeostasis may make older people more susceptible to many diseases. Chronic oxidative stress and defective protein homeostasis (proteostasis) are two major factors associated with the etiology of age-related disorders. In the present paper, we review the contribution of impaired responses to oxidative stress and defective adaptive homeostasis in the development of age-associated diseases. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Adaptation as process: the future of Darwinism and the legacy of Theodosius Dobzhansky.

Science.gov (United States)

Depew, David J

2011-03-01

Conceptions of adaptation have varied in the history of genetic Darwinism depending on whether what is taken to be focal is the process of adaptation, adapted states of populations, or discrete adaptations in individual organisms. I argue that Theodosius Dobzhansky's view of adaptation as a dynamical process contrasts with so-called "adaptationist" views of natural selection figured as "design-without-a-designer" of relatively discrete, enumerable adaptations. Correlated with these respectively process and product oriented approaches to adaptive natural selection are divergent pictures of organisms themselves as developmental wholes or as "bundles" of adaptations. While even process versions of genetical Darwinism are insufficiently sensitive to the fact much of the variation on which adaptive selection works consists of changes in the timing, rate, or location of ontogenetic events, I argue that articulations of the Modern Synthesis influenced by Dobzhansky are more easily reconciled with the recent shift to evolutionary developmentalism than are versions that make discrete adaptations central. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intervention Mapping to Adapt Evidence-Based Interventions for Use in Practice: Increasing Mammography among African American Women

OpenAIRE

Highfield, Linda; Hartman, Marieke A.; Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Rodriguez, Serena A.; Fernandez, Maria E.; Bartholomew, L. Kay

2015-01-01

This paper describes and demonstrates the use of the systematic planning process, Intervention Mapping, to adapt an evidence-based public health intervention (EBI). We used a simplified version of Intervention Mapping (IM Adapt) to increase an intervention's fit with a new setting and population. IM Adapt guides researchers and practitioners in selecting an EBI, making decisions about whether and what to adapt, and executing the adaptation while guarding the EBI's essential elements (those re...

Uncertainties and insufficiencies: making sense of climate adaption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toesse, Sunniva Eikeland

2012-11-01

The scientist papers show, first, that climate scientists are concerned about the relevance of their research and engage in practices, even though they may, in a sense, be criticized for taking the relevance for granted. They work hard to communicate their research, even this proves uncomfortable for them personally. Secondly, these first two papers have displayed a potential challenge for climate science communication and translation: climate skeptics. The scientists' fear is that people will be confused by the climate skeptics' misleading messages about the state of climate research. A related concern may be whether the way climate scientists shape their communication efforts to avoid 'sceptic attacks', in some way inhibit translation of climate knowledge? The user papers, on the other hand, show that to potential users of climate science knowledge, the knowledge is not obviously relevant. Furthermore, there are many factors - existing institutional context, professional identities and ideas about science and climate science, and aspects of the available science information - that shape the way in which evaluate relevance. Furthermore, scientists are not particularly central in these evaluations. There is, thus, an asymmetry between the scientist's engagement with relevance and the way users evaluate the relevance of climate science knowledge. How can we make sense of this? (Author)

Control uncertain Genesio-Tesi chaotic system: Adaptive sliding mode approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dadras, Sara; Momeni, Hamid Reza

2009-01-01

An adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) technique is introduced in this paper for a chaotic dynamical system (Genesio-Tesi system). Using the sliding mode control technique, a sliding surface is determined and the control law is established. An adaptive sliding mode control law is derived to make the states of the Genesio-Tesi system asymptotically track and regulate the desired state. The designed control scheme can control the uncertain chaotic behaviors to a desired state without oscillating very fast and guarantee the property of asymptotical stability. An illustrative simulation result is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive sliding mode control design.

Adaptable history biases in human perceptual decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahamyan, Arman; Silva, Laura Luz; Dakin, Steven C; Carandini, Matteo; Gardner, Justin L

2016-06-21

When making choices under conditions of perceptual uncertainty, past experience can play a vital role. However, it can also lead to biases that worsen decisions. Consistent with previous observations, we found that human choices are influenced by the success or failure of past choices even in a standard two-alternative detection task, where choice history is irrelevant. The typical bias was one that made the subject switch choices after a failure. These choice history biases led to poorer performance and were similar for observers in different countries. They were well captured by a simple logistic regression model that had been previously applied to describe psychophysical performance in mice. Such irrational biases seem at odds with the principles of reinforcement learning, which would predict exquisite adaptability to choice history. We therefore asked whether subjects could adapt their irrational biases following changes in trial order statistics. Adaptability was strong in the direction that confirmed a subject's default biases, but weaker in the opposite direction, so that existing biases could not be eradicated. We conclude that humans can adapt choice history biases, but cannot easily overcome existing biases even if irrational in the current context: adaptation is more sensitive to confirmatory than contradictory statistics.

Adaptive robust control of the EBR-II reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Power, M.A.; Edwards, R.M.

1996-01-01

Simulation results are presented for an adaptive H ∞ controller, a fixed H ∞ controller, and a classical controller. The controllers are applied to a simulation of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II primary system. The controllers are tested for the best robustness and performance by step-changing the demanded reactor power and by varying the combined uncertainty in initial reactor power and control rod worth. The adaptive H ∞ controller shows the fastest settling time, fastest rise time and smallest peak overshoot when compared to the fixed H ∞ and classical controllers. This makes for a superior and more robust controller

Helping your woodland adapt to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Tracey Saxby; Marcus Griswold; Caroline Wicks

2013-01-01

Your woods are always changing and adapting as they grow and mature, or regrow after agricultural abandonment, natural disturbances, or harvesting activities. Events like storms, droughts, insect and disease outbreaks, or other stressors can damage trees or slow their growth. A changing climate may make your woods more susceptible to the problems these events can cause...

Testlet-Based Multidimensional Adaptive Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Andreas; Seitz, Nicki-Nils; Brandt, Steffen

2016-01-01

Multidimensional adaptive testing (MAT) is a highly efficient method for the simultaneous measurement of several latent traits. Currently, no psychometrically sound approach is available for the use of MAT in testlet-based tests. Testlets are sets of items sharing a common stimulus such as a graph or a text. They are frequently used in large operational testing programs like TOEFL, PISA, PIRLS, or NAEP. To make MAT accessible for such testing programs, we present a novel combination of MAT with a multidimensional generalization of the random effects testlet model (MAT-MTIRT). MAT-MTIRT compared to non-adaptive testing is examined for several combinations of testlet effect variances (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) and testlet sizes (3, 6, and 9 items) with a simulation study considering three ability dimensions with simple loading structure. MAT-MTIRT outperformed non-adaptive testing regarding the measurement precision of the ability estimates. Further, the measurement precision decreased when testlet effect variances and testlet sizes increased. The suggested combination of the MTIRT model therefore provides a solution to the substantial problems of testlet-based tests while keeping the length of the test within an acceptable range.

Testlet-based Multidimensional Adaptive Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Frey

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Multidimensional adaptive testing (MAT is a highly efficient method for the simultaneous measurement of several latent traits. Currently, no psychometrically sound approach is available for the use of MAT in testlet-based tests. Testlets are sets of items sharing a common stimulus such as a graph or a text. They are frequently used in large operational testing programs like TOEFL, PISA, PIRLS, or NAEP. To make MAT accessible for such testing programs, we present a novel combination of MAT with a multidimensional generalization of the random effects testlet model (MAT-MTIRT. MAT-MTIRT compared to non-adaptive testing is examined for several combinations of testlet effect variances (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and testlet sizes (3 items, 6 items, 9 items with a simulation study considering three ability dimensions with simple loading structure. MAT-MTIRT outperformed non-adaptive testing regarding the measurement precision of the ability estimates. Further, the measurement precision decreased when testlet effect variances and testlet sizes increased. The suggested combination of the MTIRT model therefore provides a solution to the substantial problems of testlet-based tests while keeping the length of the test within an acceptable range.

About subjective evaluation of adaptive video streaming

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakoli, Samira; Brunnström, Kjell; Garcia, Narciso

2015-03-01

The usage of HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS) technology by content providers is increasing rapidly. Having available the video content in multiple qualities, using HAS allows to adapt the quality of downloaded video to the current network conditions providing smooth video-playback. However, the time-varying video quality by itself introduces a new type of impairment. The quality adaptation can be done in different ways. In order to find the best adaptation strategy maximizing users perceptual quality it is necessary to investigate about the subjective perception of adaptation-related impairments. However, the novelties of these impairments and their comparably long time duration make most of the standardized assessment methodologies fall less suited for studying HAS degradation. Furthermore, in traditional testing methodologies, the quality of the video in audiovisual services is often evaluated separated and not in the presence of audio. Nevertheless, the requirement of jointly evaluating the audio and the video within a subjective test is a relatively under-explored research field. In this work, we address the research question of determining the appropriate assessment methodology to evaluate the sequences with time-varying quality due to the adaptation. This was done by studying the influence of different adaptation related parameters through two different subjective experiments using a methodology developed to evaluate long test sequences. In order to study the impact of audio presence on quality assessment by the test subjects, one of the experiments was done in the presence of audio stimuli. The experimental results were subsequently compared with another experiment using the standardized single stimulus Absolute Category Rating (ACR) methodology.

Skeletal adaptations to bipedalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasiljević Perica

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Bipedalism is the main characteristic of humans. During evolutin bipedalism emerged probably as an adaptation to a changing environment. Major changes in skeletal system included femur, pelvis, skull and spine. The significance of bipedal locomotion: Bipedalism freed the forelimbs for carrying objects, creation and usage of tools. In the upright position animals have a broader view of the environment and the early detection of predators is crucial for survival. Bipedal locomotion makes larger distances easier to pass, which is very important in the migration of hominids.

Complex adaptive systems ecology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommerlund, Julie

2003-01-01

In the following, I will analyze two articles called Complex Adaptive Systems EcologyI & II (Molin & Molin, 1997 & 2000). The CASE-articles are some of the more quirkyarticles that have come out of the Molecular Microbial Ecology Group - a groupwhere I am currently making observational studies....... They are the result of acooperation between Søren Molin, professor in the group, and his brother, JanMolin, professor at Department of Organization and Industrial Sociology atCopenhagen Business School. The cooperation arises from the recognition that bothmicrobial ecology and sociology/organization theory works...

An unsupervised adaptive strategy for constructing probabilistic roadmaps

KAUST Repository

Tapia, L.

2009-05-01

Since planning environments are complex and no single planner exists that is best for all problems, much work has been done to explore methods for selecting where and when to apply particular planners. However, these two questions have been difficult to answer, even when adaptive methods meant to facilitate a solution are applied. For example, adaptive solutions such as setting learning rates, hand-classifying spaces, and defining parameters for a library of planners have all been proposed. We demonstrate a strategy based on unsupervised learning methods that makes adaptive planning more practical. The unsupervised strategies require less user intervention, model the topology of the problem in a reasonable and efficient manner, can adapt the sampler depending on characteristics of the problem, and can easily accept new samplers as they become available. Through a series of experiments, we demonstrate that in a wide variety of environments, the regions automatically identified by our technique represent the planning space well both in number and placement.We also show that our technique has little overhead and that it out-performs two existing adaptive methods in all complex cases studied.© 2009 IEEE.

Decision-making without a brain: how an amoeboid organism solves the two-armed bandit.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Chris R; MacDonald, Hannelore; Mann, Richard P; Marshall, James A R; Latty, Tanya; Garnier, Simon

2016-06-01

Several recent studies hint at shared patterns in decision-making between taxonomically distant organisms, yet few studies demonstrate and dissect mechanisms of decision-making in simpler organisms. We examine decision-making in the unicellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum using a classical decision problem adapted from human and animal decision-making studies: the two-armed bandit problem. This problem has previously only been used to study organisms with brains, yet here we demonstrate that a brainless unicellular organism compares the relative qualities of multiple options, integrates over repeated samplings to perform well in random environments, and combines information on reward frequency and magnitude in order to make correct and adaptive decisions. We extend our inquiry by using Bayesian model selection to determine the most likely algorithm used by the cell when making decisions. We deduce that this algorithm centres around a tendency to exploit environments in proportion to their reward experienced through past sampling. The algorithm is intermediate in computational complexity between simple, reactionary heuristics and calculation-intensive optimal performance algorithms, yet it has very good relative performance. Our study provides insight into ancestral mechanisms of decision-making and suggests that fundamental principles of decision-making, information processing and even cognition are shared among diverse biological systems. © 2016 The Authors.

Social and Zootechnical Organization of Dairy Products Management under Sahelian Conditions: The Milk Sphere. Case of the Senegal River Delta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Corniaux

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In a Sahelian environment, the concession is a common, social, but also complex organization. An example is provided by dairy products management in pastoral and agropastoral environments. A schema of the social and zootechnical organization of such management was developed based on field work concerning farmers living in the Senegal River delta. Milking is a crucial step of milk management. It helps to shape the “milk sphere”, which contains both livestock and people who drive them. The proposed model distinguished different decision making levels: that of milkers/farmers who decided on milked quantities (production, and that of women collectors who decided individually if milked milk was for self-consumption, trade or gift. Besides, the present model helped avoid the common trap of confusing herd manager or concession head with dairy farm head.

An Adaptive Handover Prediction Scheme for Seamless Mobility Based Wireless Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Safa Sadiq

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We propose an adaptive handover prediction (AHP scheme for seamless mobility based wireless networks. That is, the AHP scheme incorporates fuzzy logic with AP prediction process in order to lend cognitive capability to handover decision making. Selection metrics, including received signal strength, mobile node relative direction towards the access points in the vicinity, and access point load, are collected and considered inputs of the fuzzy decision making system in order to select the best preferable AP around WLANs. The obtained handover decision which is based on the calculated quality cost using fuzzy inference system is also based on adaptable coefficients instead of fixed coefficients. In other words, the mean and the standard deviation of the normalized network prediction metrics of fuzzy inference system, which are collected from available WLANs are obtained adaptively. Accordingly, they are applied as statistical information to adjust or adapt the coefficients of membership functions. In addition, we propose an adjustable weight vector concept for input metrics in order to cope with the continuous, unpredictable variation in their membership degrees. Furthermore, handover decisions are performed in each MN independently after knowing RSS, direction toward APs, and AP load. Finally, performance evaluation of the proposed scheme shows its superiority compared with representatives of the prediction approaches.

Credentialing of radiotherapy centres for a clinical trial of adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer (TROG 10.01)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kron, Tomas; Pham, Daniel; Roxby, Paul; Rolfo, Aldo; Foroudi, Farshad

2012-01-01

Background: Daily variations in bladder filling make conformal treatment of bladder cancer challenging. On-line adaptive radiotherapy with a choice of plans has been demonstrated to reduce small bowel irradiation in single institution trials. In order to support a multicentre feasibility clinical trial on adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer (TROG 10.01) a credentialing programme was developed for centres wishing to participate. Methods: The credentialing programme entails three components: a facility questionnaire; a planning exercise which tests the ability of centres to create three adaptive plans based on a planning and five cone beam CTs; and a site visit during which image quality, imaging dose and image guidance procedures are assessed. Image quality and decision making were tested using customised inserts for a Perspex phantom (Modus QUASAR) that mimic different bladder sizes. Dose was assessed in the same phantom using thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD). Results: All 12 centres participating in the full credentialing programme were able to generate appropriate target volumes in the planning exercise and identify the correct target volume and position the bladder phantom in the phantom within 3 mm accuracy. None of the imaging doses exceeded the limit of 5 cGy with a CT on rails system having the lowest overall dose. Conclusion: A phantom mimicking the decision making process for adaptive radiotherapy was found to be well suited during site visits for credentialing of centres participating in a clinical trial of adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer. Combined with a planning exercise the site visit allowed testing the ability of centres to create adaptive treatment plans and make appropriate decisions based on the volumetric images acquired at treatment.

The national oil companies and the modernization of tax regimes in oil exporting countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Padilla, V.

1994-01-01

The analysis of tax regimes for oil national companies leads through three conclusions : i) current tax regimes are economically inefficient but they may be corrected without changing the institutional framework ; ii) there is no optimal tax regime but certain principles such as equity, adaptability and neutrality have to be respected; iii) contracts and concessions might be appropriated tools while maintaining the monopoly of the national company but such a choice poses political and ideological problems. (Author). 26 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Can Public Managers Make Their Welfare Organizations Adapt to the New Performance Landscape Shaped by the Current Austerity?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)