Oil and gas in British Columbia : 10 steps to responsible development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-04-01

The British Columbia government has proposed to double production of oil and gas, the burning of which causes global warming. West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) claims there is a strong divide between British Columbia's plans to expand the production and use of fossil fuels, and the international scientific consensus regarding the negative aspects of global warming. The impacts of oil and gas production negatively affect the health of local citizens, First Nations rights and the environment. Offshore oil and gas development could also threaten fisheries and pollute sensitive marine ecosystems. WCEL criticizes the fact that the British Columbia government has streamlined environmental regulations, has laid off compliance monitoring staff, and has given subsidies to the highly profitable oil and gas industry. WCEL argues that the impact of fossil fuel production must be mitigated to limit the damage to lands and people in British Columbia. The organization has proposed 10 recommendations to the British Columbia government. The recommendations focus on impacts of land-based oil and gas development rather than offshore impacts. WCEL claims that adoption of the 10-point mitigation plan is vital for putting British Columbia on the path toward sustainable development. 43 refs

British Values and British Identity: Muddles, Mixtures, and Ways Ahead

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Robin

2015-01-01

In the final eleven months of its five-year term, the Coalition Government placed much emphasis in the education system on what it called fundamental British values (FBV). The phrase had its origins in counter-terrorism strategies that were of dubious validity both conceptually and operationally, and the trigger for its introduction into the…

The impact on pension liabilities of Malaysian government pension scheme from remarriage due to removal of pension clause

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Rose Irnawaty; Siri, Zailan

2014-12-01

In the event of death of any government employee, their monthly pension will be given to their widow and their child. The government will stop paying that pension when the widow died and when the widow chooses to remarry. However, in 1st January 2002, the remarriage clause has been removed from the regulations. This would allow all widows who remarried to receive pension as usual. In view of this, there are possibilities that those widows who are still young might remarried. If many of the widows choose to remarry, it will be a burden to the government as it would increase the pension liabilities. However, we do not know how many of the widow will remarry. In view of this, the purpose of the study is to assess the impact to pension liabilities of government pension schemes on individual life due to removal clause of the remarriage by determining the pension factor and to assess to what extent the pension liabilities of government pension schemes would be affected.

Designing an Health Insurance Scheme for Government Employees in Bangladesh: A Concept Paper

OpenAIRE

Hamid, Syed Abdul

2014-01-01

Introducing compulsory health insurance for government employees bears immense importance for stepping towards universal healthcare coverage in Bangladesh. Lack of scientific study on designing such scheme, in the Bangladesh context, motivates this paper. The study aims at designing a comprehensive insurance package simultaneously covering health, life and accident related disability risks of the public employees, where the health component would extend to all dependent family members. ...

National health insurance scheme: How receptive are the private healthcare practitioners in a local government area of Lagos state

OpenAIRE

Campbell Princess Christina; Taiwo Toyin Latifat; Nnaji Feziechukwu Collins; Abolarin Thaddeus Olatunbosun

2014-01-01

Background: National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is one of the health financing options adopted by Nigeria for improved healthcare access especially to the low income earners. One of the key operators of the scheme is the health care providers, thus their uptake of the scheme is fundamental to the survival of the scheme. The study reviewed the uptake of the NHIS by private health care providers in a Local Government Area in Lagos State. Objective: To assess the uptake of the NHIS by privat...

Southern Cameroons' financial contributions to British Second World ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The serious damage done to the British economy during World War II compelled the leaders of the British Government to look for ways of repairing the damage. Hence, they turned to the colonies for help. Inter alia, they needed financial assistance because of their inability to pay for imports from the United States. Imports of ...

Coalmining and the National Scheme for Disabled Ex-Servicemen after the First World War.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantin, Mike

2016-04-02

After the First World War, disabled British veterans returned home to an uncertain future of work. In addition to voluntary efforts, the government's response to the national employment crisis - the National Scheme for Disabled Ex-Servicemen (commonly known as the King's Roll) - was established in 1919 to encourage employers to hire a five per cent quota of disabled ex-servicemen. Historians have recently revisited the scheme, noting that in many cases the process was slow and fraught, with many disabled veterans facing the prospect of unemployment, yet few have paid attention to soldiers' pre-war working backgrounds and the specific requests of British industries. This article focuses on British coalminers returning from war. What role was there in this national situation for an industry known for its own high rate of accident and injury? Although the King's Roll made some attempt to find veterans specifically targeted jobs above and below ground according to their impairments, it proved unable to incorporate coalmining. Instead, many disabled ex-servicemen returned to the workplace and utilized their existing identities as miners to navigate the process. With the industry beginning to decline, many faced potential regression in job status, exploitation or unemployment. By shifting to an industry-specific focus, this case study explores the contested nature of work for disabled people after the First World War, and highlights the interrelation and importance of workplace identity for the returning disabled veteran.

The Perceived Implications of an Outsourcing Model on Governance within British Columbia Provincial Parks in Canada: A Quantitative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Eagles, Paul; Havitz, Mark; McCutcheon, Bonnie; Buteau-Duitschaever, Windekind; Glover, Troy

2010-06-01

Good governance is of paramount importance to the success of parks and protected areas. This research utilized a questionnaire for 10 principles of governance to evaluate the outsourcing model used by British Columbia Provincial Parks, where profit-making corporations provide all front country visitor services. A total of 246 respondents representing five stakeholder groups evaluated the model according to each principle, using an online survey. Principal component analysis resulted in two of the 10 principles (equity and effectiveness) each being split into two categories, leading to 12 governance principles. Five of the 12 criteria received scores towards good governance: effectiveness outcome; equity general; strategic vision; responsiveness; and effectiveness process. One criterion, public participation, was on the neutral point. Six criteria received scores below neutral, more towards weak governance: transparency; rule of law; accountability; efficiency; consensus orientation; and, equity finance. The five stakeholder groups differed significantly on 10 of the 12 principles ( P < .05). The 2 exceptions were for efficiency and effectiveness process. Seven of the 12 criteria followed a pattern wherein government employees and contractors reported positive scores, visitors and representatives of NGOs reported more negative scores, and nearby residents reported mid-range scores. Three criteria had government employees and contractors reporting the most positive scores, residents and visitors the most negative scores, and NGO respondents reporting mid-range scores. This research found evidence that perceptions of governance related to this outsourcing model differed significantly amongst various constituent groups.

The perceived implications of an outsourcing model on governance within British Columbia Provincial Parks in Canada: a quantitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eagles, Paul; Havitz, Mark; McCutcheon, Bonnie; Buteau-Duitschaever, Windekind; Glover, Troy

2010-06-01

Good governance is of paramount importance to the success of parks and protected areas. This research utilized a questionnaire for 10 principles of governance to evaluate the outsourcing model used by British Columbia Provincial Parks, where profit-making corporations provide all front country visitor services. A total of 246 respondents representing five stakeholder groups evaluated the model according to each principle, using an online survey. Principal component analysis resulted in two of the 10 principles (equity and effectiveness) each being split into two categories, leading to 12 governance principles. Five of the 12 criteria received scores towards good governance: effectiveness outcome; equity general; strategic vision; responsiveness; and effectiveness process. One criterion, public participation, was on the neutral point. Six criteria received scores below neutral, more towards weak governance: transparency; rule of law; accountability; efficiency; consensus orientation; and, equity finance. The five stakeholder groups differed significantly on 10 of the 12 principles (P < .05). The 2 exceptions were for efficiency and effectiveness process. Seven of the 12 criteria followed a pattern wherein government employees and contractors reported positive scores, visitors and representatives of NGOs reported more negative scores, and nearby residents reported mid-range scores. Three criteria had government employees and contractors reporting the most positive scores, residents and visitors the most negative scores, and NGO respondents reporting mid-range scores. This research found evidence that perceptions of governance related to this outsourcing model differed significantly amongst various constituent groups.

Educating for British Values: Kant's Philosophical Roadmap for Cosmopolitan Character Education

Science.gov (United States)

Hildebrand, Carl

2017-01-01

The UK's 2016 decision to exit the European Union and the discussion surrounding it indicate that public understanding of British identity has important consequences, one way or another. Defining British identity will be an important task in the years to come. The UK government not long ago provided some guidance on the matter of British identity…

Social health insurance contributes to universal coverage in South Africa, but generates inequities: survey among members of a government employee insurance scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Goudge, Jane; Alaba, Olufunke A; Govender, Veloshnee; Harris, Bronwyn; Nxumalo, Nonhlanhla; Chersich, Matthew F

2018-01-04

Many low- and middle-income countries are reforming their health financing mechanisms as part of broader strategies to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Voluntary social health insurance, despite evidence of resulting inequities, is attractive to policy makers as it generates additional funds for health, and provides access to a greater range of benefits for the formally employed. The South African government introduced a voluntary health insurance scheme (GEMS) for government employees in 2005 with the aim of improving access to care and extending health coverage. In this paper we ask whether the new scheme has assisted in efforts to move towards UHC. Using a cross-sectional survey across four of South Africa's nine provinces, we interviewed 1329 government employees, from the education and health sectors. Data were collected on socio-demographics, insurance coverage, health status and utilisation of health care. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine if service utilisation was associated with insurance status. A quarter of respondents remained uninsured, even higher among 20-29 year olds (46%) and lower-skilled employees (58%). In multivariate analysis, the odds of an outpatient visit and hospital admission for the uninsured was 0.3 fold that of the insured. Cross-subsidisation within the scheme has provided lower-paid civil servants with improved access to outpatient care at private facilities and chronic medication, where their outpatient (0.54 visits/month) and inpatient utilisation (10.1%/year) approximates that of the overall population (29.4/month and 12.2% respectively). The scheme, however, generated inequities in utilisation among its members due to its differential benefit packages, with, for example, those with the most benefits having 1.0 outpatient visits/month compared to 0.6/month with lowest benefits. By introducing the scheme, the government chose to prioritise access to private sector care for government employees, over

The governance challenge for implementing effective market-based climate policies: A case study of The New South Wales Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passey, Robert; MacGill, Iain; Outhred, Hugh

2008-01-01

The New South Wales (NSW) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme (GGAS) in Australia is a baseline and credit emissions trading scheme with the stated aim of reducing the per-capita greenhouse emissions associated with electricity consumption in the state of NSW. Here we provide a detailed assessment of the GGAS design and operation, with a particular emphasis on its effectiveness in delivering physical emissions reductions that would not have occurred in its absence. We find that a number of design features mean a significant proportion of the tradeable 'abatement' certificates are unlikely to correspond to the claimed emissions reductions. While some of these adverse design choices might be corrected, others would seem inherent to the underlying scheme design. Our analysis highlights the major governance challenges with emissions trading approaches and hence the importance of good policy implementation processes including the need for separation of powers through a scheme development process that involves design, assessment and revision. These GGAS lessons would seem relevant for governance with all emissions trading schemes, and has particular implications for cap and trade schemes that incorporate baseline and credit offset schemes, as well as to the 'White Certificate' schemes increasingly being seen as a means of fostering enhanced end-use energy efficiency

Best practice governance principles in the sports industry: an overview

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This overview examines the British and Australian models and codes of corporate governance since South African Company Law as well as Australian Company Law have their roots in British Company Law. From the literature seven pillars of good governance emerged and their applicability to sports governing bodies is ...

cooperation and conflict – the british army, the natal government

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hennie

invasion of Natal, stand on the punishment of high treason? Martial law had .... The offensive of the British Army in Natal and the immediate results thereof. On 11 May 1900, .... also to exercise its authority and independence. In addition to the ...

The impossible dream? How Nuclear Electric, Ltd. pulled itself out of the ashes of government ownership and became highly competitive in a privatized and deregulating British power market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maycock, P.

1998-01-01

The day was dark for Nuclear Electric plc. when the British government decided it would privatize and deregulate the electric utility industry. For years, Nuclear Electric and other UK-based fossil power producers had been operating in a regulated market where the state set and guaranteed the price of electricity. All that was changing in Britain as the government introduced competition and as customers looked forward to purchasing power from the lowest bidder. Essentially the situation in England was much the same as it is now in the US: there was major momentum toward deregulation. The reality of competition in Britain came as good news to many power producers--in particular those who kept the lights on cost effectively. Others, However, weren't so optimistic, especially nuclear plants that traditionally bear higher safety and maintenance costs than their fossil counterparts. Taking its cues from the City (Britain's Wall Street), the British government simply considered nuclear generators to be unreliable, high cost, unprofitable organizations incapable of surviving in a privatized environment. It therefore left its nuclear power plants off the docket when selling (privatizing) its generating capacity. This paper describes how Nuclear Electric Ltd. became competitive in a deregulated environment

The Heath government and British defence policy in Southeast Asia at the end of empire (1970-71).

Science.gov (United States)

Andrea, Benvenuti

2009-01-01

This article examines the rationale behind the Heath government's 1970 decision to negotiate a Five Power Defence agreement with Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia and to maintain a small British military contingent in Southeast Asia as a part of this new politico-military framework. It argues that while its overriding foreign policy concern was to end Britain's problematic relationship with the European Economic Community and to make membership of this grouping the cornerstone of its foreign policy, the Heath government was careful not to cast Britain's post-imperial future in purely European terms. The successful negotiation of the Five Power Defence Arrangements in 1970-71 was instrumental in achieving this by ensuring that London would maintain close links with key Commonwealth partners in the Asian region. In what was not only an attempt to neutralize potential domestic opposition to Britain's entry into the EEC, but also a lingering reluctance to do away with the rhetoric of Britain as a leading power with extra-European interests, Heath was eager to show that by making a contribution to the stability of Southeast Asia, Britain still had a role to play outside Europe.

TOLERATION OF CATHOLICS IN QUEBEC AND BRITISH PUBLIC FINANCES, 1760 TO 1775

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Geloso

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper tackles the issue of the institutional decisions made by the British when they conquered the French colony of Quebec in 1760 by examining why toleration was the chosen policy course. Past experiences and the dire state of British public finances pushed the British government to adopt toleration of Catholics and of French legal institution in the colony as a policy designed to preserve the empire financially and strategically.

Transforming First Nations Health Care in British Columbia: An Organizational Challenge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Wilmot

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Following a series of agreements on First Nations health care in British Columbia beginning in 2005, several organizations were created to contribute to the development of a system of health care for First Nations in the province, with the aim of transforming First Nations health care to better meet users’ needs. This article considers the role of these organizations and their relationships with the provincial government, the federal government, and the First Nations people of British Columbia. It explores possible levels of transformation, as well as the possibilities and problems for these organizations in undertaking the transformation process, particularly with regard to their position on the boundary between the worlds of First Nations and Canada. It also considers sources of, and threats to, their legitimacy in this undertaking. Finally, wider points of relevance beyond British Columbia are identified.

British Balance of Competence Reviews, Part I: 'Competences about right, so far'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Emerson, M.; Blockmans, S.

2013-01-01

The first in a series for a CEPS-EPIN project entitled "The British Question and the Search for a Fresh European Narrative" this paper is pegged on an ambitious ongoing exercise by the British government to review all the competences of the European Union. The intention is that this should provide a

The British American Tobacco out growers scheme: Determinants of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study analyzed the operation and performance of Tobacco Out grower Scheme in Oyo State, Nigeria. The data for the analysis came from a random sample survey of the area of study. The treatment effect model was adopted in analyzing the data. Evidence from the probit analysis indicates that membership of the ...

National health insurance scheme: How receptive are the private healthcare practitioners in a local government area of Lagos state.

Science.gov (United States)

Christina, Campbell Princess; Latifat, Taiwo Toyin; Collins, Nnaji Feziechukwu; Olatunbosun, Abolarin Thaddeus

2014-11-01

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is one of the health financing options adopted by Nigeria for improved healthcare access especially to the low income earners. One of the key operators of the scheme is the health care providers, thus their uptake of the scheme is fundamental to the survival of the scheme. The study reviewed the uptake of the NHIS by private health care providers in a Local Government Area in Lagos State. To assess the uptake of the NHIS by private healthcare practitioners. This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 180 private healthcare providers selected by multistage sampling technique with a response rate of 88.9%. Awareness, knowledge and uptake of NHIS were 156 (97.5%), 110 (66.8%) and 97 (60.6%), respectively. Half of the respondents 82 (51.3%) were dissatisfied with the operations of the scheme. Major reasons were failure of entitlement payment by Health Maintenance Organisations 13 (81.3%) and their incurring losses in participating in the scheme 8(50%). There was a significant association between awareness, level of education, knowledge of NHIS and registration into scheme by the respondents P-value NHIS were commendable among the private health care providers. Six out of 10 had registered with the NHIS but half of the respondents 82 (51.3%) were dissatisfied with the scheme and 83 (57.2%) regretted participating in the scheme. There is need to improve payment modalities and ensure strict adherence to laid down policies.

British Military Intervention into Sierra Leone: A Case Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Roberson, Walter G

2007-01-01

.... The successful British intervention led to the defeat of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and final peace accords, restored order to a failed state, and allowed the democratic restoration of the government of Sierra Leone...

More of the same? The European Employment Strategy and the normalization of British employment policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triantafillou, Peter

2011-01-01

This article examines the ways in which the European Employment Strategy seeks to govern and further improve the performance of British employment policies. It is argued that by creating an epistemological and normalizing space for the problematization and governing of unemployment in terms...... of activation, the European Employment Strategy contributes to the legitimation of British employment policies. By addressing unemployment as a problem of structural labor market barriers, missing incentives and inadequate employability, the European Employment Strategy serves to reinforce the British...... preference for tackling unemployment through a host of activation and training measures and seeking to get the unemployed into work as fast as possible. Other ways of problematizing and handling unemployment seem excluded by default....

AN IMPECUNIOUS PILOT: BRITISH BUSINESS CULTURE AND THE CASE OF LOWELL YEREX, 1933-1946

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Benson

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This article examines the relationship between a New Zealand-born entrepreneur, Lowell Yerex, and the British government. It will give particular attention to the role of British business culture in shaping the government’s response to Yerex. During the 1930s and l940s, Yerex built an important airline network in the Caribbean Basin. A British subject, he had an affinity for the empire. However, the British rebuffed his repeated efforts to form an alliance. While they had political, economic and strategic reasons for doing so, the British also manifested a disdain for Yerex because he did not measure up to their business ideals.

Britishness and Community Cohesion in Muslim News Online

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassen ZRIBA

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The issues of British national identity and social cohesion have become pressing concerns within the multicultural fabric of contemporary British society. The increasing number of immigrants and their offspring, along with the maintenance of their cultural roots, seem to represent a serious defiance to social cohesion and the alleged “purity” of Britishness. A number of race related reports were produced by the official authorities to churn out the necessary steps to be followed by the British (immigrants and host community in order to keep social stability and community cohesion. Thus, the politics of community cohesion came to the fore as the neologism of contemporary British political discourse. Such new discourse of governance has been digested and processed differently by different mass media. It has been decoded, for instance, preferably by mainstream news agencies like BBC News Online. However, arguably, it is read appositionally or at best negotiatedly by ethnicity-related news agencies such as Muslim News Online. In this article, attempt has been made to adopt media discourse analysis tools to decipher the ways Muslim News Online decoded and then encoded the hegemonic official discourses of Britishness and community cohesion. A critical and interpretative approach is used to accomplish such study. The corpus of this study is primarily extracted from the website of the Muslim News Online.

Energy white paper 2007: the British strategy to take up the energy challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

Following the energy policy review published in 2006 by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), the Energy White Paper 2007, published on May 23, 2007, gathers all measures preconized in this domain. This document recalls, first, the objectives and priorities of the British government at the international, national, regional and local scales, as already clearly explained in previous DTI publications. This white book announces also some new measures and the launching of new public hearings about other measures in view. All in all, 18 hearings are announced which deal with various topics, from the new nuclear power plants to the reform of renewables obligations, the organization of big energy projects or the dismantling of offshore energy facilities. This document recalls the objective of the government and describes the British international policy in the domain of energy. It presents the measures for the fight against climatic change (energy conservation, development of clean energies, decentralized energy production), for warranting the security of supplies (diversification of offer, improvement of networks, planning of energy projects) and, in particular, the proposals of the government concerning the transportation sector and the fight against energy paucity. It stresses also on the importance of R and D and on the British authority in energy technologies. Finally, it gathers the reactions of the most representative actors of the British energy sector. (J.S.)

Big and Little Feet Provincial Profiles: British Columbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Dobson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This communiqué provides a summary of the production- and consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions accounts for British Columbia, as well as their associated trade flows. It is part of a series of communiqués profiling the Canadian provinces and territories.1 In simplest terms, a production-based emissions account measures the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions produced in British Columbia. In contrast, a consumptionbased emissions account measures the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions generated during the production process for final goods and services that are consumed in British Columbia through household purchases, investment by firms and government spending. Trade flows refer to the movement of emissions that are produced in British Columbia but which support consumption in a different province, territory or country (and vice versa. For example, emissions at the Port of Vancouver that are associated with goods that are subsequently exported to Ontario for sale are recorded as a trade flow from British Columbia to Ontario. Moving in the opposite direction, emissions associated with the production of Alberta crude oil that is refined in British Columbia and sold as motor gasoline to a British Columbia consumer are recorded as a trade flow from Alberta to British Columbia. For further details on these results in a national context, the methodology for generating them and their policy implications, please see the companion papers to this communiqué series: (1 Fellows and Dobson (2017; and (2 Dobson and Fellows (2017. Additionally, the consumption emissions and trade flow data for each of the provinces and territories are available at: http://www.policyschool.ca/embodied-emissions-inputs-outputs-datatables-2004-2011/.

Analysis and design of a nuclear boiler control scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, F.M.

1982-01-01

The steam raising plant of a British designed nuclear power station for which the installed control scheme has given rise to performance and stability problems is considered. The lecture is based on studies carried out for the plant which illustrate the way in which multivariable frequency response methods can be used to analyse and identify the source of control problems and further enable alternative control schemes, having improved performance, to be designed. (author)

The British Museum: An Imperial Museum in a Post-Imperial World

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Duthie

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines the British Museum’s imperialist attitudes towards classical heritage. Despite considerable pressure from foreign governments, the museum has consistently refused to return art and antiquities that it acquired under the aegis of empire. It is the contention of this article that the British Museum remains an imperialist institution. The current debates over the British Museum’s collections raise profound questions about the relationship between museums and modern nation states and their nationalist claims to ancient heritage. The museum’s inflexible response to repatriation claims also encapsulates the challenges inherent in presenting empire and its legacy to contemporary, post-imperial audiences.

Green light from the government to boost nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2008-01-01

The British government backs the project of building about 10 new nuclear power plants. The main reason is that renewable energies appear to be insufficiently advanced, in technical terms, to rely solely on them for the production of electricity. The British government has warned that the operators will have to pay entirely the dismantlement costs of these new nuclear plants and a fair part of the cost of the management of radioactive wastes they generate. (A.C.)

Private health insurance and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: how effective has recent government policy been?

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Jeff R J; Segal, Leonie

2004-01-01

The cost to government of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is rising at over 10 percent per annum. The government subsidy to Private Health Insurance (PHI) is about $2.4 billion and rising. Despite this, the queues facing public patients - which were the primary justification for the assistance to PHI - do not appear to be shortening. Against this backdrop, we seek to evaluate recent policies. It is shown that the reason commonly given for the support of PHI - the need to preserve the market share of private hospitals and relieve pressure upon public hospitals - is based upon a factually incorrect analysis of the hospital sector in the last decade. It is similarly true that the 'problem' of rising pharmaceutical expenditures has been exaggerated. The common element in both sets of policies is that they result in cost shifting from the public to the private purse and have little to do with the quality or quantity of health services.

The Role of the British Crown on Security Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behar Selimi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available United Kingdom is a limited parliamentary monarchy, in which state sovereignty is exercised jointly by two basic political institutions: Royal Crown and Parliament. The credit for a successful political co-governance of these institutions, which are simultaneously bearers of popular sovereignty, are usually addressed to the Queen's lack of executive power to exercise power alone and hence all the restraint in the race for primate of governance. It goes even further considering that the Queen is quite weak and has only ceremonial functions, which do not disturb the Parliament. However, a careful researcher may notice that the Queen continues to affect the British Government in general and in particular on defence issues. Declassification of communication between Prince Charles and the Government in 2013, pointed out a continuing impact of the Queen and her son on many political issues, including those of defence and security. Since Britain has no codified constitution in a single document, it is not easy to determine the real power and competences of the Queen. It is even more difficult, because customary law and precedent prevail. Therefore, the real definition of the role of the Queen in general in the British Government, can be done by studying the culture, structure and constitutional practice. On their basis I will try to determine the real impact of the Queen in matters of defence and security, whether through her prerogatives in relation to the Government and Parliament, or through moral and informal influence in relation to the Prime Minister and particular ministers.

Sustainability of recurrent expenditure on public social welfare programmes: expenditure analysis of the free maternal care programme of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Ankrah Odame, Emmanuel; Akweongo, Patricia; Yankah, Ben; Asenso-Boadi, Francis; Agyepong, Irene

2014-05-01

Sustainability of public social welfare programmes has long been of concern in development circles. An important aspect of sustainability is the ability to sustain the recurrent financial costs of programmes. A free maternal care programme (FMCP) was launched under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008 with a start-up grant from the British Government. This article examines claims expenditure under the programme and the implications for the financial sustainability of the programme, and the lessons for donor and public financing of social welfare programmes. Records of reimbursement claims for services and medicines by women benefitting from the policy in participating facilities in one sub-metropolis in Ghana were analysed to gain an understanding of the expenditure on this programme at facility level. National level financial inflow and outflow (expenditure) data of the NHIS, related to implementation of this policy for 2008 and 2009, were reviewed to put the facility-based data in the national perspective. A total of US$936 450.94 was spent in 2009 by the scheme on FMCP in the sub-metropolis. The NHIS expenditure on the programme for the entire country in 2009 was US$49.25 million, exceeding the British grant of US$10.00 million given for that year. Subsequently, the programme has been entirely financed by the National Health Insurance Fund. The rapidly increasing, recurrent demands on this fund from the maternal delivery exemption programme-without a commensurate growth on the amounts generated annually-is an increasing threat to the sustainability of the fund. Provision of donor start-up funding for programmes with high recurrent expenditures, under the expectation that government will take over and sustain the programme, must be accompanied by clear long-term analysis and planning as to how government will sustain the programme.

Should Governments engage health insurance intermediaries? A comparison of benefits with and without insurance intermediary in a large tax funded community health insurance scheme in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagulapalli, Srikant; Rokkam, Sudarsana Rao

2015-09-10

A peculiar phenomenon of engaging insurance intermediaries for government funded health insurance schemes for the poor, not usually found globally, is gaining ground in India. Rajiv Aarogyasri Scheme launched in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is first largest tax funded community health insurance scheme in the country covering more than 20 million poor families. Aarogyasri Health Care Trust (trust), the scheme administrator, transfers funds to hospitals through two routes one, directly and the other through an insurance intermediary. The objective of this paper is to find out if engaging an insurance intermediary has any effect on cost efficiency of the insurance scheme. We used payment data of RAS for the period 2007-12, to find out the influence of insurance intermediary on the two variables, benefit cost ratio defined as benefit payment divided by premium payment, and claim denial ratio defined as benefit payment divided by treatment cost. Relationship between scheme expenditure and number of beds empanelled under the scheme is examined. OLS regression is used to perform all analyses. We found that adding an additional layer of insurance intermediary between the trust and hospitals reduced the benefit cost ratio under the scheme by 12.2% (p-value = 0.06). Every addition of 100 beds under the scheme increases the scheme payments by US$ 0.75 million (p-value insurance and trust modes narrowed down from 2.84% in government hospitals to 0.41% in private hospitals (p-value insurance intermediary has the twin effects of reduction in benefit payments to beneficiaries, and chocking fund flow to government hospitals. The idea of engaging insurance intermediary should be abandoned.

British Energy - nuclear power in the private sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawley, R.

1997-01-01

The first four months of the operation of British Energy as a privatised nuclear utility are briefly reviewed. Operational and financial performance have been good as exemplified by the figures for power output and financial return. Freedom from government control means that the options open to the company are much wider but the need to meet the expectations of shareholders is a major consideration. Added to this, the competitive nature of the electricity industry means that the cost reduction is important, though this cannot be at the expense of safety. Shareholder expectations make the funding of new nuclear power stations unrealistic at present. Increasingly, however, markets are opening up in the maintenance of existing plant and the decommissioning of older plant. The British Energy Group also has considerable expertise in the design, operation and management of power stations and of acting in a competitive energy market that could be exported. British Energy's International Division is in place to develop this potential. (UK)

Creating an LNG Ready Worker: British Columbia's Blueprint for Extraction Education

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Judith

2018-01-01

Since 2011, the government of British Columbia (BC) has focused on building the Canadian province's economy through the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector. In service of this endeavour, the government launched the "Skills for Jobs Blueprint," which attempts to more clearly align BC's education system with resource…

Economic sustainability, water security and multi-level governance of local water schemes in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma Hakala

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article explores the role of multi-level governance and power structures in local water security through a case study of the Nawalparasi district in Nepal. It focuses on economic sustainability as a measure to address water security, placing this thematic in the context of a complicated power structure consisting of local, district and national administration as well as external development cooperation actors. The study aims to find out whether efforts to improve the economic sustainability of water schemes have contributed to water security at the local level. In addition, it will consider the interactions between water security, power structures and local equality and justice. The research builds upon survey data from the Nepalese districts of Nawalparasi and Palpa, and a case study based on interviews and observation in Nawalparasi. The survey was performed in water schemes built within a Finnish development cooperation programme spanning from 1990 to 2004, allowing a consideration of the long-term sustainability of water management projects. This adds a crucial external influence into the intra-state power structures shaping water management in Nepal. The article thus provides an alternative perspective to cross-regional water security through a discussion combining transnational involvement with national and local points of view.

British Columbia's health reform: "new directions" and accountability.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, A R

1999-01-01

The health policy New Directions committed the British Columbia government to a population health perspective and extensive community involvement in the health services reform process. The policy envisaged elected citizen boards with authority to raise revenues and exercise a significant degree of local autonomy. Academic and public attention has been paid to the decision in November 1996 to collapse New Directions' two-tier governance structure into a single level. Less attention has been paid to the profound changes that occurred prior to the government's reversal on the question of governance. This paper focuses on those changes. During the critical three years between the 1993 launch of the reform and its formal revision in 1996, the government's positions on elections, taxation power, local autonomy and scope of action for regional boards all changed. Those changes marked a retreat from political accountability to the community and an advance towards managerial accountability to the government.

The parenting dimensions of British Pakistani and White mothers of primary school children

OpenAIRE

Ali, Shama

2006-01-01

Educational Psychologists (EPs) need to prepare to work with parents in line with the British Government's push towards providing universal support centred around schools, (Department for Education and Skills, DfES 2003). Moreover, studies in the USA have shown there to be a link between parenting styles/practices and children's social competence (Kennedy, 1992). Without knowing whether these findings can be generalized to British populations, EPs will have limited guidance into planning and ...

Reduced Horse Power: The Jockey Club and the Regulation of British Horseracing

OpenAIRE

Vamplew, Wray

2003-01-01

The Jockey Club, founded in 1752, has influenced racing for two centuries and controlled it by the consent of the racing industry since the 1870s. Despite legal challenges and public criticism of a self-perpetuating, private club governing a major British sport, it maintained its pre-eminent position until the 1990s. In 1993 it began to share power with the British Horseracing Board, though retaining the regulatory and disciplinary role. Failure to take full cognisance of human rights legisla...

Document Management in Local Government.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Bernard J. S.

1998-01-01

The latest in electronic document management in British local government is discussed. Finance, revenues, and benefits systems of leading vendors to local authorities are highlighted. A planning decisions archive management system and other information services are discussed. (AEF)

National governance of archetypes in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ljosland Bakke, Silje

2015-01-01

Norwegian National ICT has implemented a national governance scheme for archetypes. The scheme uses openEHR, and is possibly the first of its kind worldwide. It introduces several new processes and methods for crowd sourcing clinician input. It has spent much of its first year establishing practical processes and recruiting clinicians, and only a few archetypes has been reviewed and approved. Some non-reusable archetypes have emerged while the governance scheme has established itself, which demonstrates the need for a centralised governance. As the mass of clinician involvement reached a critical point at the end of 2014, the rate of archetype review and approval increased.

British Columbia offshore oil and gas socio-economic issue papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boydell, T.; Brar, C.; Dodd, M.; Kwong, N.; Seeley

2004-05-01

Some of the key social and economic issues regarding offshore oil and gas exploration and development in British Columbia's coastal waters were examined by the Science, Technology and Environment Division of Royal Roads University in conjunction with Glenn Bridges and Associates. In 1972, the federal government imposed a moratorium to prevent crude oil tankers from travelling the west coast due to concerns over environmental impacts. A provincial moratorium on exploration followed shortly thereafter. The government of British Columbia recently suggested lifting the moratorium, and conducted public hearings and scientific reviews of issues related to offshore oil and exploration. In the Spring of 2002, the provincial government asked the federal government to consider lifting its moratorium. In response, a Federal Interdepartmental Offshore Oil and Gas Socio-Economic Issues Working Group conducted a series of study plans in the areas of science, legal, aboriginal, socio-economic, oceans and management regimes. This report provides the outcomes of the studies. It is organized in tabular form to facilitate presentation. All 8 tabs were catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. They include: (1) an introduction and overview, (2) illustrative development scenarios, (3) resource revenues report, (4) socio-economic expenditure report, (5) human resources report, (6) due diligence issues report, (7) knowledge management strategy for policy formation, and, (8) bibliography. refs., tabs., figs

British Columbia offshore oil and gas socio-economic issue papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boydell, T.; Brar, C.; Dodd, M.; Kwong, N.; Seeley [Royal Roads Univ., Victoria, BC (Canada). Science Technology and Environment Division; Bridges, G.; Shrimpton, M.; Burke, H.; Johnson, J. [GE Bridges and Associates, Victoria, BC (Canada)

2004-05-01

Some of the key social and economic issues regarding offshore oil and gas exploration and development in British Columbia's coastal waters were examined by the Science, Technology and Environment Division of Royal Roads University in conjunction with Glenn Bridges and Associates. In 1972, the federal government imposed a moratorium to prevent crude oil tankers from travelling the west coast due to concerns over environmental impacts. A provincial moratorium on exploration followed shortly thereafter. The government of British Columbia recently suggested lifting the moratorium, and conducted public hearings and scientific reviews of issues related to offshore oil and exploration. In the Spring of 2002, the provincial government asked the federal government to consider lifting its moratorium. In response, a Federal Interdepartmental Offshore Oil and Gas Socio-Economic Issues Working Group conducted a series of study plans in the areas of science, legal, aboriginal, socio-economic, oceans and management regimes. This report provides the outcomes of the studies. It is organized in tabular form to facilitate presentation. All 8 tabs were catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. They include: (1) an introduction and overview, (2) illustrative development scenarios, (3) resource revenues report, (4) socio-economic expenditure report, (5) human resources report, (6) due diligence issues report, (7) knowledge management strategy for policy formation, and, (8) bibliography. refs., tabs., figs.

British Minister over the moon after visit to CERN

CERN Document Server

2008-01-01

The UK Minister for Science and Innovation, Ian Pearson MP, recently visited CERN. Ian Pearson, UK Minister for Science and Innovation (back row, third left), in the LHC tunnel with Peter Jenni, ATLAS Spokesperson (back row, centre), John Ellis (back row, third right), Simon Featherstone, UK Ambassador to Switzerland (back row, far left), Keith Mason, Chief Executive of STFC (the UK funding agency) (back row, second from right), and British scientists working at ATLAS.On the 15 April UK Minister for Science and Innovation, Ian Pearson, made his first trip to CERN. The UK is one of the founding Member States of CERN, and the British contingent is one of the largest of any country with around 650 British scientists and a further 250 staff members working here. After an introduction to the facilities by Director-General Robert Aymar, who expressed CERN’s gratitude for UK government support through its Science and Technology Facilitie...

Did you know? Petroleum industry fast facts: British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-10-01

This is part of a series of brochures published by the Petroleum Communication Foundation, a non-profit society established in 1975. The foundation's objective is to stimulate public awareness and understanding of Canada's petroleum industry and its contribution to the economy of each of the provinces where the industry's presence and impact is substantial. This brochure provides brief, but useful, information about British Columbia, about its area (947,800 sq.km), capital (Victoria), population (4.009,922 in 1998), major industries (forestry, wood and paper, petroleum and mining, tourism, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing), revenue from natural resources ($ 350 million from oil and natural gas in 1998-1999, or about 20 per cent of total provincial government revenues), some facts about the petroleum industry in British Columbia, (production, employment, pipelines, etc.), major exports (wood products, pulp and paper products, machinery and equipment, coal, petroleum products, electricity) and upstream industry expenditures in British Columbia (in excess of $ 1 billion). map, pie-chart, figs

Power for southern Italy: hvdc Sardinia to mainland 200 MW scheme now commissioned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1967-02-16

Transmission of the maximum rated power of 200 MW over the hvdc system which now links Sardinia with the Italian Mainland marks the successful completion of a notable British Export contract by English Electric. The link was commissioned on February 1. The Sardinia scheme is the seventh hvdc scheme to be completed in the world and is the first to be engineered by submarine cable.

The Historiography of British Imperial Education Policy, Part II: Africa and the Rest of the Colonial Empire

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, Clive

2005-01-01

Part II of this historiographical study examines British education policy in Africa, and in the many crown colonies, protectorates, and mandated territories around the globe. Up until 1920, the British government took far less interest than in India, in the development of schooling in Africa and the rest of the colonial empire, and education was…

A critical review of corporate governance reforms in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Al-Hiyari

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Following the East-Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the corporate accounting scandals, the shareholder’s confidence in the audited financial statements was adversely affected and regulators started to think seriously reforming the existing corporate governance practices. As a result, numerous initiatives were implemented to accelerate improvement of corporate governance practices. One of these initiatives was the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG. The code was derived from the approach applied by the British Hampel Committee, which attempt to mitigate the agency problem between corporate managers and outside owners. This study suggests that the British approach is unsuitable to Malaysian business environment. Particularly, the MCCG that had been lunched since 2011 ignore the uniqueness of Malaysia’s capital market, regulation environment and ownership structure. Therefore, the study recommends that policy makers and other regulators should consider the local business environment when establishing future code on corporate governance.

British Widows of the South African War and the Origins of War Widows' Pensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedi, Eliza

2018-06-01

The South African War of 1899-1902 cost the lives of 22,000 British and colonial soldiers and created almost 5,000 British war widows. It was in this context that the first state pensions for the widows of rank and file soldiers were introduced in 1901. Triggered by unexpectedly high casualty rates and widespread dissatisfaction with charitable provision, the introduction of state pensions also reflected changing public attitudes towards soldiers and their dependants in the context of an imperial war. Dismissed in the historiography as insignificant because of its low rates and restrictive eligibility clauses, the 1901 scheme in fact delivered pensions to the majority of war widows and made the Edwardian state their most important source of financial support. This article, after discussing the social and political context in which widows' pensions were developed, analyses the economics of the scheme and how key eligibility rules were formulated, before investigating significant changes in the scheme to 1920, the point at which Boer War widows were finally granted full maintenance. Strongly influenced by the practices of Victorian armed forces charities and by contemporary ideologies of gender and class, the South African War pension regulations created precedents which would continue to shape pensions for military widows to the end of the twentieth century.

Irish (Republic) versus British (North West) orthopaedic trainees: what are the differences?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Banks, L N

2012-02-01

British Trainees have gradually had their working week curtained over the last 8 years. The Republic of Ireland Trainees have not been subjected to the European Working Time Directive prior to 2009 and have therefore worked on average, more hours than their British counterparts. We wanted to see if the differing schemes had an impact on recruiting and training orthopaedic surgeons. We surveyed Republic of Ireland orthopaedic specialist registrars (SpRs) and North West (NW) British SpRs\\/specialist trainees (ST3 and above) to see if there were any discernable differences in working patterns and subsequent training exposure. A standard proforma was given to Irish Trainees and to NW SpRs\\/STs at their National or regional teaching (January\\/February 2009). 62% of Irish and 47% of British NW Trainees responded. Irish trainees were more likely to have obtained a post-graduate degree (p = 0.03). The Irish worked more hours per week (p < 0.001) doing more trauma operative lists (p = 0.003) and more total cases per 6 months than the NW British (p = 0.003). This study suggests that more hours worked, equals more operative exposure, without detriment to the academic side of training. Obviously it is not possible to say whether fewer operations make for a poorer surgeon, but the evidence suggests that it may be true.

Norwegian billions in British wind rush; Norske milliarder i britisk vindrush

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morch, Stein

2004-07-01

The interest to invest in wind power in the British Isles has increased strongly the last two years. England, Scotland and Wales now generate about 650 MW and permission is granted for further 2260 MW. Energy groups and investors are flocking to wind power projects in Great Britain in order to secure for themselves their share of the ''spin-off'' so well prepared for by the British authorities. Only Norway bears comparison with Great Britain as to wind resources, but the British have made much more progress in clarifying binding targets and support schemes. In Norway, concession has been granted for 565 MW. 100 MW is being generated, and projects for 2000 MW are under discussion or advance notice has been given. Statkraft, Norway's biggest producer of electric power and one of the leading producers of renewable energy in Europe, considers Great Britain by far the most interesting for wind power investments in Europe. Another Norwegian company with investments in wind power projects in Great Britain is Fred. Olsen Renewables.

Provincial land use planning in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, W.

1998-01-01

The efforts being made to include Aboriginal communities in land use planning in British Columbia are discussed. British Columbia is in the midst of historic changes with respect to land and resource allocation, use and management. Historic trends in land use allocation and management are contrasted with land use planning and resource management of today. The impact of provincial government moves to double park space within the province, and the Protected Areas Strategy initiative will have on the natural gas and petroleum industry is discussed. New efforts being made to include First Nations directly in land use planning discussions in ways that do not prejudice treaty negotiations, are reviewed. Creation of a new Oil and Gas Commission in the Fort St. John area, is cited as the most recent example of the interconnections between First Nations communities and other public and industry stakeholders in land use planning in the province

What makes British general practitioners take part in a quality improvement scheme?

Science.gov (United States)

Spooner, A; Chapple, A; Roland, M

2001-07-01

To understand the reasons for the apparent success of a quality improvement scheme designed to produce widespread changes in chronic disease management in primary care. Purposeful sample of 36 primary care staff, managers and specialists. Qualitative analysis of 27 interviews in East Kent Health Authority area, where, over a three-year period, more than three-quarters of general practitioners (GPs) and enrolled in a quality improvement programme which required them to meet challenging chronic disease management targets (PRImary Care Clinical Effectiveness--PRICCE). Major changes in clinical practice appeared to have taken place as a result of participation in PRICCE. The scheme was significantly dependent on leadership from the health authority and on local professional support. Factors that motivated GPs to take part in the project included: a desire to improve patient care; financial incentives; maintenance of professional autonomy in how to reach the targets; maintenance of professional pride; and peer pressure. Good teamworking was essential to successful completion of the project and often improved as a result of taking part. The scheme included a combination of interventions known to be effective in producing professional behavioural change. When managerial vision is aligned to professional values, and combined with a range of interventions known to influence professional behaviour including financial incentives, substantial changes in clinical practice can result. Lessons are drawn for future quality improvement programmes in the National Health Service.

The Process of Fixing the British National Minimum Wage, 1997-2007

OpenAIRE

Brown, W.

2009-01-01

The British National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 under the guidance of a Low Pay Commission constructed on a basis of ‘social partnership’. The paper analyses its conduct over its first ten years from diary data. Key challenges were for it to be independent of government, to have its advice accepted by government, and to maintain internal unanimity. The changing internal dynamics of the Commission, and its major negotiations over the level of the Minimum Wage, are described and analys...

British Columbia natural gas: Core market policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-06-01

The core market for natural gas in British Columbia is defined as all natural gas consumers in the residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial sectors not currently purchasing natural gas directly and not exempted from the core market by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). The intent of the definition is to include all customers who must be protected by contracts which ensure long-term security of supply and stable prices. Core market customers are excluded from direct natural gas purchase and will be served by distribution utilities. A customer may apply to BCUC to leave the core market; such an application may be approved if it is demonstrated that the customer has adequate long-term natural gas supplies or alternative fuel supplies to protect him from supply interruptions. The non-core market is defined as all large industrial customers who elect to make their own natural gas supply arrangements and who can demonstrate to the BCUC sufficient long-term natural gas supply protection or alternative fuel capability to ensure security of the industry. Non-core market customers have full and open access to the competitive natural gas market. The British Columbia government will not apply its core market policy to other jurisdictions through Energy Removal Certificates

Electricity trade: Generating benefits for British Columbians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Electricity has been traded in British Columbia since the turn of the century. In 1988, the provincial government established the British Columbia Power Exchange Corporation (Powerex) to conduct electricity trade activities in order to make the most efficient use of the electrial system and generate benefits for British Columbians. The trade is made possible by an interconnected system linking producers and consumers in western Canada and the USA. Provincial participants in the trade include British Columbia Hydro, independent power producers, and cogenerators. Benefits of the electricity trade include generation of revenue from sale of surplus power, being able to buy electricity when the mainly hydroelectric provincial system is in a drought condition or when major shutdowns occur, and enabling postponement of development of new power projects. Powerex conducts its trade under provincial and federal permits and licenses. Different types of trade contracts are negotiated depending on the amount and availability of electricity and the kind of trade being conducted. Exchanges and coordination agreements allow transfer and return between utilities with no net export occurring, allowing balancing of loads between different reigons. Surplus electricity is bought or sold on a short- or long-term basis and on firm or non-firm terms. Electricity exports are not subsidized and are only allowed if the electricity is surplus to provincial needs and can be sold at a profit. A new provincial policy allows private industry to export long-term firm electricity; this involves construction of new private-sector generating facilities solely for the purpose of export. 1 fig

The British Concentration Camp Policy during the Anglo-Boer War

African Journals Online (AJOL)

fighting, the British military, and in particular the two men who were in command, .... Well aware of the criticism of the governments' actions, the editor stated, "It has ..... early on in the move toward the city, the Boer forces simply abandoned it. ... Between the two of them they came up with a two-fold response to stopping.

Governing risks and benefits: Mobile communication technologies in British universities

OpenAIRE

Howarth, Anita; Fernández, Gemma Martínez

2014-01-01

Mobile communication technologies (MCTs) pose new opportunities and challenges to university governance. Not only are the devices widespread, they have particular capabilities and constantly changing uses which makes any governing of them difficult. Furthermore most devices are individually owned. Thus universities are unable to directly control how they are used but do have a duty of care towards those learning and teaching within their spaces. This article outlines preliminary findings on h...

A Comparative Study on Metadata Scheme of Chinese and American Open Data Platforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Sinan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available [Purpose/significance] Open government data is conducive to the rational development and utilization of data resources. It can encourage social innovation and promote economic development. Besides, in order to ensure effective utilization and social increment of open government data, high-quality metadata schemes is necessary. [Method/process] Firstly, this paper analyzed the related research of open government data at home and abroad. Then, it investigated the open metadata schemes of some Chinese main local governments’ data platforms, and made a comparison with the metadata standard of American open government data. [Result/conclusion] This paper reveals that there are some disadvantages about Chinese local government open data affect the use effect of open data, which including that different governments use different data metadata schemes, the description of data set is too simple for further utilization and usually presented in HTML Web page format with lower machine-readable. Therefore, our government should come up with a standardized metadata schemes by drawing on the international mature and effective metadata standard, to ensure the social needs of high quality and high value data.

Scheme of energy utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-04-01

This scheme defines the objectives relative to the renewable energies and the rational use of the energy in the framework of the national energy policy. It evaluates the needs and the potentialities of the regions and preconizes the actions between the government and the territorial organizations. The document is presented in four parts: the situation, the stakes and forecasts; the possible actions for new measures; the scheme management and the regional contributions analysis. (A.L.B.)

Requirements of British universities for higher medical degrees.

OpenAIRE

Johnson, R

1991-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To examine the requirements and opportunities for obtaining a doctor of medicine or master of surgery degree from a university in the United Kingdom other than the graduate's own, particularly in the case of foreign graduates. DESIGN--Review of regulations governing the award of doctor of medicine and master of surgery degrees in British universities. SETTING--All 19 universities in the United Kingdom offering clinical courses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Availability of degrees to gradu...

Funding schemes in OECD countries for future decommissioning of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, G.H.; Yasui, M.

1993-01-01

This paper provides a brief overview of the funding schemes for decommissioning implemented in selected OECD countries. The scope of this paper includes only the schemes for future decommissioning costs of private company's nuclear power plants. Countries such as Finland, Spain and Sweden have an official funding scheme, in which the government fixes the amount of money to be put aside, specifies a funding scheme and control the fund. In Belgium and Usa, the government do the same but leaves the management of the fund to the facility owners or external organization. In Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and UK, there is no official funding scheme

Report of the BC [British Columbia] Citizens Advisory Committee on Oil Spill Prevention and Response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The British Columbia Citizens Advisory Committee on Oil Spill Prevention and Response was established in 1991 to advise the provincial government of public concerns over oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response. The Committee also monitors provincial and joint provincial/western USA initiatives in the area. The Committee notes that the volume of oil tanker traffic through navigationally risky passages along the British Columbia coast is large and that prevention is the most useful method in dealing with oil spills. Committee concerns are summarized in the areas of government committment, design and construction of oil tankers and barges, oil spill issues related to ports, the Low Point Terminal proposal, waste oil collection and disposal, spill response capability, the Strait of Georgia Oil Spill Response Information System, the use of volunteer auxiliaries and the Youth Corps in oil spill response, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, coordination of response activities, and the future of the Committee. Recommendations to the government are made with respect to the aforementioned areas of concern

La propagande anti-britannique en France pendant l’Occupation Anti-British Propaganda in France during the Occupation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Françoise Passera

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Left to fight alone after France signed the armistice on the 22nd of June 1940, Great Britain became enemy number one in the eyes of the German occupying forces and the Vichy government. This hostility found expression in a considerable quantity of propaganda in the guise of posters, tracts, booklets and brochures meant to denounce British responsibility for the conflict in the eyes of French public opinion. Propaganda was particularly intense from June to December 1940 and from January to June 1944 but the German and French propaganda services waged this psychological warfare against Great Britain throughout the war. In 1940, the anti-British brainwashing campaigns aimed at ridding the defeated French of their guilt by accusing the ex-ally of being the cause of the conflict and of deceit during the Battle of France. In 1941-1942, the Allies’ military setbacks were the subject of tracts and brochures that ridiculed British strategic skills. Propaganda was also based on the painful history of France and Great Britain so as to convince the French that England had always tried to deprive France of her colonies and that it was what she was trying to do by maintaining her presence in Africa. The major part of this propaganda was promoted by the German authorities, only to a lesser degree by the French collaboration parties. Till 1942, the Information Secretariat of the Vichy government distributed few anti-British tracts, concentrating its efforts on the promotion of the National Revolution. On the other hand, the first Anglo-American bombings in the Paris area provoked strong reactions in the Vichy government which then relied on the French population’s confusion and anxiety to denounce British policy. What was the impact of these anti-British speeches on the French population? The prefects’ reports on public opinion show that the plugging of Anglophobic sentiment had little influence on the French who were globally in complete support of the

A group signature scheme based on quantum teleportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Xiaojun; Tian Yuan; Ji Liping; Niu Xiamu

2010-01-01

In this paper, we present a group signature scheme using quantum teleportation. Different from classical group signature and current quantum signature schemes, which could only deliver either group signature or unconditional security, our scheme guarantees both by adopting quantum key preparation, quantum encryption algorithm and quantum teleportation. Security analysis proved that our scheme has the characteristics of group signature, non-counterfeit, non-disavowal, blindness and traceability. Our quantum group signature scheme has a foreseeable application in the e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc.

A group signature scheme based on quantum teleportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen Xiaojun; Tian Yuan; Ji Liping; Niu Xiamu, E-mail: wxjun36@gmail.co [Information Countermeasure Technique Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2010-05-01

In this paper, we present a group signature scheme using quantum teleportation. Different from classical group signature and current quantum signature schemes, which could only deliver either group signature or unconditional security, our scheme guarantees both by adopting quantum key preparation, quantum encryption algorithm and quantum teleportation. Security analysis proved that our scheme has the characteristics of group signature, non-counterfeit, non-disavowal, blindness and traceability. Our quantum group signature scheme has a foreseeable application in the e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc.

Facilitators and barriers to participation of private sector health facilities in government-led schemes for maternity services in India: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Vikas; Kumar, Somesh; Balasubramaniam, Sudharsanam; Srivastava, Ashish; Pallipamula, Suranjeen; Memon, Parvez; Singh, Dinesh; Bhargava, Saurabh; Sunil, Greeshma Ann; Sood, Bulbul

2017-06-22

Despite provision of accreditation of private sector health providers in government-led schemes for maternity services in India, their participation has been low. This has led to an underutilisation of their presence, resources and expertise for providing quality maternal and newborn health services. This study explores the perception of various stakeholders on expectations, benefits, barriers and facilitators to private sector participation in government-led schemes-specifically Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)-for maternity service delivery. Narrative-based qualitative study. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with study participants. The interviews were transcribed, translated and analysed using a reflexive and inductive approach to allow codes, categories and themes to emerge from within the data. Private obstetricians, government health officials and FOGSI (Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India) members, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, India. Eighteen purposefully selected private obstetricians from 9 cities across states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, 11 government health officials and 2 FOGSI members. The major factors serving as barriers to participation of private practitioners in JSY-which emerged on thematic analysis-were low reimbursement amounts, delayed reimbursements, process of interaction with the government and administrative issues, previous experiences and trust deficit, lack of clarity on the accreditation process and patient-level barriers. On the other hand, factors which were facilitators to participation of private practitioners were ease of process, better communication, branding, motivation of increasing clientele as well as satisfaction of doing social service. Factors such as financial processes and administrative delays, mistrust between the stakeholders, ambiguity in processes, lack of transparency and lack of ease in the process of empanelment of private sector are hindering effective public

Significance of abolishing British National Oil Corporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mabro, R

1985-04-01

The decision to abolish British National Oil Corporation has greater significance than any commentator, so far, has cared to admit. Mr. Mabro says the Government has done much more than get rid of an institution it had previously weakened and emasculated; in effect, it had abdicated its responsibilities for the pricing of North Sea oil. He further observes that these moves may be consistent with the tenets of a simplistic free-market ideology: they betray, however, a lack of understanding of the economics of oil, and of the UK economic interest in oil.

Modern foreign language teachers - don't leave those kids alone! Linguistic-cultural "give and take" in an ad-hoc tutoring scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Leroy, Norah

2017-08-01

This paper addresses the theme of social inclusion through language learning. The focus is on an ad-hoc tutoring scheme set up between newly arrived British migrant pupils and French monolingual pupils in a small secondary school in the south-west of France. Though the original objective of this tutoring scheme was to improve the English skills of the younger pupils, feedback reports indicated that it also had a positive impact on the relationship between the British migrant pupils and their French peers. Teachers believed that those involved participated more fully in class, and appeared more self-assured and generally happy thanks to the interpersonal relationships this scheme helped to forge. This study demonstrates the necessity of analysing the socio-cultural context migrants may find themselves in, in order to identify potential challenges. The ad-hoc tutoring scheme described here is an example of how language learning can support the integration and inclusion of "new generation" migrants into everyday school life.

Social health insurance contributes to universal coverage in South Africa, but generates inequities: survey among members of a government employee insurance scheme

OpenAIRE

Goudge, Jane; Alaba, Olufunke A.; Govender, Veloshnee; Harris, Bronwyn; Nxumalo, Nonhlanhla; Chersich, Matthew F.

2018-01-01

Background Many low- and middle-income countries are reforming their health financing mechanisms as part of broader strategies to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Voluntary social health insurance, despite evidence of resulting inequities, is attractive to policy makers as it generates additional funds for health, and provides access to a greater range of benefits for the formally employed. The South African government introduced a voluntary health insurance scheme (GEMS) for governme...

A multi-criteria evaluation framework for tradable white certificate schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundaca, Luis; Neij, Lena

2009-01-01

Recent years have witnessed regained political momentum on energy efficiency and interest in establishing markets is growing. As a result, Tradable White Certificate (TWC) schemes of differing design have been implemented in Great Britain, Italy and France. Much attention is being paid to justifying and evaluating such schemes. In this paper, we develop and apply a multi-criteria framework for evaluating TWC schemes-an approach that attempts to cover their individual design features. A broad evaluation is conducted regarding energy-saving and environmental effectiveness, economic efficiency, cost-effectiveness, transaction costs, political feasibility, administrative burden and technical change. The results show the design and performance of TWC schemes to be case and context-specific, and generalisations are thus inappropriate. This evaluation supports the cost-effectiveness modelled for the British scheme and the assumption that a TWC scheme is an economically efficient policy instrument. For the other, more complex TWC schemes, more data and experience are needed to judge their ex-post merit. On the whole, the proposed multi-criteria evaluation requires considerable data and complementary methods. However, the framework improves the understanding of the broad effects and attributes of TWC schemes. It deals with various empirical and normative aspects that can be applied in their evaluation.

Wireless and empire geopolitics radio industry and ionosphere in the British Empire 1918-1939

CERN Document Server

Anduaga, Aitor

2009-01-01

Although the product of consensus politics, the British Empire was based on communications supremacy and the knowledge of the atmosphere. Focusing on science, industry, government, the military, and education, this book studies the relationship between wireless and Empire throughout the interwar period.

Nostalgic constructions of nurse education in British national newspapers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillett, Karen

2014-11-01

To explore nostalgic constructions of nurse education in British National newspapers. British newspaper discourse relating to the increased academic level of nurse education in the UK is negative, evoking comparisons between negative constructions of nurse education in the present and an idealized nostalgic view of the past. Discussion paper. This study used a critical discourse analysis approach to analyse 11 British Newspaper articles, which exemplify nostalgic constructions of nurse education. This was a purposive sample from a database search (LexisNexis) of British national newspaper articles relating to the increasing academic level of nurse education in the period from 1999-2012. A dominant nostalgic discourse constructs a 'golden era' of nurse education, which idealizes the past, making the present flawed in comparison. Nostalgic constructions create group identities creating contrasting 'caring' nurses educated in the idealized past with those educated now, who are perceived as too educated to care. An inherent characteristic of the nostalgic discourse is the notion that the solution to current problems with nurse education is a return to an idealized version of the past. Another less common newspaper discourse views nostalgia as a problematic construct. Nostalgic discourse with a focus on the past potentially acts as a barrier to creating an effective nurse education system for the 21(st) Century. This focus on an idealized past also has potential consequences in terms of public opinion and legitimization of government policy, which might otherwise be viewed as retrograde. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Marketing wholesale electricity in British Columbia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moghadam, B. [Powerex, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2002-03-14

An open access wholesale transmission tariff (WTS) has been in place in British Columbia since 1997, and wholesale electricity can be sold to wholesale purchasers by independent producers located within the province. Customers range from municipalities to British Columbia Hydro (BC Hydro), to Powerex, to UtiliCorp Networks Corporation (UNC). Provided that the necessary approvals and transmission services have been acquired, the energy may be transmitted anywhere in Canada or the United States. The generation and sale of electricity within British Columbia and the United States is subject to government and regulatory approvals. Several buyers and sellers that come together to trade a product are part of a hub. The largest such hub in the Pacific Northwest is called the Mid-Columbia (Mid-C) hub in Washington. The commodity is traded in 25 MW standard blocks. The credit requirements of the purchaser must be satisfied by the generating party. BC Hydro wholesale transmission service can be purchased by any wholesale power marketer or generator to transmit the power to market. It is imperative that scheduling personnel be available at all times. The Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC) insists that an operating reserve of 5 per cent hydro generation and 7 per cent thermal generation to support the electrical system in the face of an emergency be available for the electricity marketed through the hub. Powerex has been successful since 1988 in the marketing of electricity throughout the WSCC. An example was provided to help make the rules a bit easier to comprehend. refs.

Marketing wholesale electricity in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moghadam, B.

2002-01-01

An open access wholesale transmission tariff (WTS) has been in place in British Columbia since 1997, and wholesale electricity can be sold to wholesale purchasers by independent producers located within the province. Customers range from municipalities to British Columbia Hydro (BC Hydro), to Powerex, to UtiliCorp Networks Corporation (UNC). Provided that the necessary approvals and transmission services have been acquired, the energy may be transmitted anywhere in Canada or the United States. The generation and sale of electricity within British Columbia and the United States is subject to government and regulatory approvals. Several buyers and sellers that come together to trade a product are part of a hub. The largest such hub in the Pacific Northwest is called the Mid-Columbia (Mid-C) hub in Washington. The commodity is traded in 25 MW standard blocks. The credit requirements of the purchaser must be satisfied by the generating party. BC Hydro wholesale transmission service can be purchased by any wholesale power marketer or generator to transmit the power to market. It is imperative that scheduling personnel be available at all times. The Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC) insists that an operating reserve of 5 per cent hydro generation and 7 per cent thermal generation to support the electrical system in the face of an emergency be available for the electricity marketed through the hub. Powerex has been successful since 1988 in the marketing of electricity throughout the WSCC. An example was provided to help make the rules a bit easier to comprehend. refs

Seeing Through Smoke: Sorting through the Science and Politics in the Making of the 1956 British Clean Air Act (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, D. A.

2010-12-01

The 1952 “Killer Smog” left over 4000 citizens of Greater London dead in a single week. It was a highly visible environmental disaster, which pinned the British government with responsibility over factory and domestic coal smoke pollution. Within four years of the Smog, the British parliament passed the 1956 Clean Air Act, which was designed primarily to prevent the release of dark smoke from the chimneys of private dwellings and factories. This act is considered a significant turning point in the history of environmental regulation. Through the analysis of confidential documents from government ministries and Members of Parliament, my research has focused on how decisions were made following this man-made environmental catastrophe. The primary focus of this presentation will be to explore why the British government appeared lethargic in the face of its long-standing coal pollution problem and why it finally passed the first clean air act in the world. In this case, establishing responsibility and organizing research were the major time constraints on policy action. In the months following the 1952 Smog, government departments passed off responsibility and quarreled over jurisdiction in the smog matter. Ministries held responsible for air pollution jointly established the Committee on Air Pollution to find a solution to urban smog. In the years following, the Committee on Air Pollution compiled research on the health effects and economic impact of air pollution, deriving its information from a variety of sources. In its 1954 final report, the committee named smoke and sulfur dioxide the most likely culprits of the 1952 deaths, and it recommended the elimination of smoke-producing coal from the British market, a major change to how the British fueled their homes and factories. The resulting 1956 Clean Air Act was the product of numerous compromises over the economic, political, and social issues present in Great Britain at the time. The British government�

"Why the British Conception of Sovereignty Was the Main Reason for Brexit – And Why the British ‘Leave-Vote’ May End Up Saving rather than Undermining the EU"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wind, Marlene

2017-01-01

-EU-parties and governments in different member states over the past months, but Brexit and Trump also seems to have given a complete new momentum to the European project. This article demonstrates why Brexit cannot be generalized to the rest of the continent but is the result of a complicated and special British conception...

The Increasing British Climate Ambitiousness: A Mere Reflection of ''The Dash for Gas''?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetterstad, Joergen; Butenschoen, Siri Hals

2000-01-01

The authors ask three main questions: First, why were the initial British climate positions more on the reluctant side? Second, why did the British climate positions become more ambitious towards the mid-1990s? And third, why the rapid, seemingly doubling of reduction ambitiousness in the spring of 1997? These questions are addressed in turn: First, with regard to the initial British climate reluctance, although ''malign'' emissions projections and related high potential reduction costs played a significant role, political and cultural factors must clearly be drawn into the picture. Secondly, increasing ambitiousness from the mid-1990s was largely a reflection of the dash-for-gas factor. Thirdly, although the stepped-up ambitiousness in 1997 was, of course, underpinned by the dash-for-gas process, other factors, such as the new Labour Government coming into office, need also to be taken into account here. (author)

Developing and Rewarding Excellent Teachers: The Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Ingvarson, Lawrence

2009-01-01

The Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme was designed to recognise and reward teachers who attained high standards of practice. The scheme emerged in 2001 as part of an agreement between government, local employing authorities and teacher organisations. Policies such as the chartered teacher scheme aim to benefit students in two main ways: by…

Networking to build a world-class bioenergy industry in British Columbia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weedon, M. [BC Bioenergy Network, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2009-07-01

This presentation described the role of the BC Bioenergy Network and its goal of maximizing the value of biomass resources in British Columbia (BC) and developing a world-class bioenergy industry in the province. Established in March 2008 with $25 million in funding from the BC government, the BC Bioenergy Network is an industry-led association that promotes the development of near-term bioenergy technologies and demonstration of new bioenergy technologies that are environmentally appropriate for the province of BC. The following technology areas require funding support: solid wood residues, pulp and paper residues, harvesting and pelleting, agriculture residues, municipal wastewater, municipal landfill waste, municipal solid waste, and community heating-electricity greenhouse systems. This presentation demonstrated that BC is well positioned to become a major player in the global bioenergy sector, as it has one of the largest forested areas in the world, and is a leader in biomass to value-added wood products. The opportunities, challenges, and requirements to build a world class bioenergy industry in British Columbia were discussed along with successful Canadian, US, and European collaborations with industry, research, and government. tabs., figs.

Conference Proceedings: Photography and Britishness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Willcock

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The video-recordings presented here were made at the conference Photography and Britishness, held at the Yale Center for British Art on November 4 – 5, 2016. The conference was the result of a collaboration between the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London, and the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino—three research institutions that have a converging interest in British art. The conference sought to investigate the various ways in which notions of “Britishness” have been communicated, inflected, and contested through the photographic image. It was not a conference about the history of photography in Britain, or about British photography. Rather, it sought to consider the nature of the relationship between photography and Britishness: the notion that photography can capture images of Britishness, at the same time that our sense of what Britishness constitutes is produced by the photographic image. A key question for the conference was whether Britishness can have a photographic referent—or whether it is itself an effect of representation. Speakers at the conference approached these questions from a wide range of perspectives and focusing on a diverse number of photographic materials—from family albums and studio portraits to advertisements, reportage, and aerial photography—which demonstrated the complexities and instabilities not only of the term Britishness, but also of the medium of photography. The conference was opened with an introduction by John Tagg. The videos included here are presented in the order they were delivered.

Status report : British Columbia`s economic plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-01-01

A sector-by-sector update of actions taken under British Columbia`s three-year economic plan is outlined and the progress to date reviewed. The three year plan includes the support for industry growth in partnership with the private sector, making Vancouver a major international conference destination, and developing Vancouver International Airport into a major gateway to the Pacific. The plan also includes the promotion of adventure tourism in major international markets, and promoting aboriginal tourism and culture. The government also plans to stimulate the economy by providing $973 million in tax reductions for BC families and business. 1 tab.

British Sign Name Customs

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Linda; Sutton-Spence, Rachel

2010-01-01

Research presented here describes the sign names and the customs of name allocation within the British Deaf community. While some aspects of British Sign Language sign names and British Deaf naming customs differ from those in most Western societies, there are many similarities. There are also similarities with other societies outside the more…

Evaluating the effectiveness of British Columbia's environmental assessment process for first nations' participation in mining development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, Douglas C.; McLelland, James N.

2003-01-01

This paper applies effectiveness as a criterion to measure the participation of First Nations' participation in British Columbia's environmental assessment process. Effectiveness is reviewed as a means to measure policy implementation and an expanded framework is proposed to measure effectiveness. The framework is applied to three case studies in north-central British Columbia to measure the effectiveness of First Nations' participation in the EA process for mining development. All three cases failed to achieve procedural, substantive, and transactive efficacy and thereby failed to meet overall policy effectiveness. The policies used by the British Columbia government, including the relatively recent Environmental Assessment Act (1995), reflect a poor integration of First Nations people in the EA decision-making process with respect to mine development

Labelling schemes: From a consumer perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Hans Jørn; Stacey, Julia

2000-01-01

Labelling of food products attracts a lot of political attention these days. As a result of a number of food scandals, most European countries have acknowledged the need for more information and better protection of consumers. Labelling schemes are one way of informing and guiding consumers....... However, initiatives in relation to labelling schemes seldom take their point of departure in consumers' needs and expectations; and in many cases, the schemes are defined by the institutions guaranteeing the label. It is therefore interesting to study how consumers actually value labelling schemes....... A recent MAPP study has investigated the value consumers attach the Government-controlled labels 'Ø-mærket' and 'Den Blå Lup' and the private supermarket label 'Mesterhakket' when they purchase minced meat. The results reveal four consumer segments that use labelling schemes for food products very...

Strategic Analysis of an Electricity Deficit in British Columbia

OpenAIRE

Adam Brooks

2015-01-01

The British Columbia (BC) Government introduced the Clean Energy Act in 2010. With the new legislation, BC Hydro has been mandated to be electricity self sufficient by 2016. BC Hydro may not have enough generation capacity to meet the regulatory requirement in time. This project explores three potential options for Teck’s Zinc Smelter to provide made-in-BC generation capacity to BC Hydro. After evaluating the options, this author recommends for Teck to make an offer to swap BC Hydro’s imports...

The Political Economy of International Emissions Trading Scheme Choice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boom, Jan-Tjeerd; Svendsen, Jan Tinggard

2000-01-01

The Kyoto Protocol allows emission trade between the Annex B countries. We consider three schemes of emissions trading: government trading, permit trading and credit trading. The schemes are compared in a public choice setting focusing on group size and rent-seeking from interest groups. We find ...

Preserving ‘Great Power Status’: The Complex Case of the British Intervention in the Falklands (1982

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grandpierron Matthieu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article aims to examine the importance of an often overlooked argument when it comes to explaining why great powers go to war against a weaker actor. This argument involves great power status considerations. The article argues that states care deeply about their status, especially states which are current and former great powers, and would opt to go to war to preserve this status even if the political and military consequences of such intervention are negligible to objective observers. To illustrate this argument, I will be looking at why the British decided to reestablish their sovereignty over the Falklands in 1982. The empirical part of the analysis is based on formerly secret documents declassified by the British government. This qualitative primary analysis of British documents provides new insights about the crisis and suggests that status considerations played a large role in the British decision to re-conquer the Falklands.

Teacher Mobility and Transnational, "British World" Space: The League of the Empire's "Interchange of Home and Dominion Teachers", 1907-1931

Science.gov (United States)

Crutchley, Jody

2015-01-01

This article explores the experiences of teachers who participated in the League of the Empire's "Interchange of Home and Dominion Teachers" scheme through a tripartite approach to "British World" space. First, it identifies the mechanisms through which exchanges were established. It analyses the patterns of teacher mobility…

British energy policy and the market for coal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Evidence given by representative of Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear to the Trade and Industry Committee is presented verbatim with appendices of facts and figures. Scottish Nuclear presented a Company profile, a commentary on Scottish Nuclear's generation costs together with an outline of the initiatives currently being implemented to reduce these costs including the long-term dry storage of intact spent fuel and an outline of Scottish Nuclear's view of the need for a UK energy policy with a strong nuclear component within a diverse energy strategy. Nuclear Electric's evidence examined the need for nuclear power as a complement to coal to ensure a long term strategic balance of fuel, examined ways of strengthening the market for British coal, suggested a way of stabilising the market for British coal and emphasised the need to keep nuclear power options open until the 1994 Government review of Nuclear Power has been undertaken. Both sets of evidence were backed by details of generation costs, load factors, etc., which are all included. (UK)

The Government and Administration of Africa, 1880–1939. 5 Volumes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

, administration of natural resources, non-state administration including chartered company administration and missionary influence, recruitment, training and shifting philosophies of administration. Titles of volumes: I: Recruitment and Training II: Governance and Law III: Taxation and Expenditure IV......In pursuit of economic and strategic interests in Africa the British established a wide range of administrative structures and forms of governance based on state as well as non-state institutions and agents. This collection makes available rare sources on the aims, functions and effects of British...... administration in Africa. It explores the continuous interplay between mother country and colonial state that shaped the administration and its subsequent influence on African societies and European settler communities. Topics examined include: land and urban administration, law and jurisprudence, taxation...

Provincial government performance on climate change: 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hornung, R.

2000-01-01

This assessment of provincial government performance on climate change is intended as a 'baseline' prior to the implementation of the National Implementation Strategy on Climate Change, (NIS) scheduled to be signed by the federal and provincial Ministers of Energy and Environment in Quebec City in October 2000. Participants are also expected to agree on a 'First Business Plan' for the NIS at that same meeting, including identification of measures each of the provincial governments plan to institute to address climate change issues over the next two to three years. The report is based on performance of government activity in climate change in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec , the five provinces that together account for 89 per cent of Canada's total GHG emissions, against the greenhouse gas emission measures identified by the various provincial governments on various occasions over the past 10 years. Nine areas of potential activity to address climate change with a total of 38 criteria were used. Each criterion was used to determine whether or not a provincial government has implemented a specific measure that will likely be an integral component of a national effort to address climate change. The nine categories forming the base of the assesment were: transportation, electricity generation,buildings, industry, readiness to facilitate emissions trading, 'own house in order' other sources of GHG, promoting GHG reduction technology development, and enhancing awareness and public education. All provincial governments received a very poor, failing grade . (The 'best': British Columbia with 30.5 per cent; the 'worst': Saskatchewan with 20.5 per cent). The report characterizes the last 10 years as 'the lost decade' with respect to government action on the issue of climate change. It points out that time is running out; provincial governments have to make the effort to be part of the solution to climate change, or they will have solutions

TRIUMF: Regional government offers KAON operating costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1992-09-15

After a period of uncertainty, confidence in the major KAON project for the Canadian TRIUMF Laboratory in Vancouver was boosted on 28 May at a rally of about a thousand KAON supporters in downtown Vancouver when the regional government of British Columbia announced its willingness to pay part of KAON's operating costs.

The Problems of the Status of British Troops in Egypt After the Occupation in 1882

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khizriev Ali Khizrievich

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The article covers the issues of defining the status of the British occupational troops in Egypt from 1882 to 1922 and the diplomatic struggle of the great European states of that time over this problem. This whole problem is described in detail in its development since the establishment of the “veiled protectorate” designed to hide the true purpose of the British Government in the region, to the formal approval of the Protectorate status of the British Empire. It attempts to find the motives and methods of management of the British Foreign Office in this difficult situation considering counter of such powers as Russia and France. Herewith it provides data from the archives of the British Foreign Office, confirming all these facts. The evidences of the contemporaries of those events – Lord Milner and Cromer – who were representatives of the occupation authorities and published their memoirs, complete the picture. In addition to these documents we used the archival materials of India Records Office in the British Library. All these sources indicate that the official declaration of the Protectorate in 1914 only temporarily solved the problems creating additional difficulties for those officials who were responsible for the situation in the country. This decision allowed the British officials to conceal the explicit nature of the occupation and the British military presence in the Suez Canal zone. However, such policy aroused some problems, which led to a new round of the Egyptian national liberation movement in the future, and needed new solutions which were made only after the World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Finding official British information official publishing in the digital age

CERN Document Server

Inman, Jane; Purushothama, B

2011-01-01

Examining the different bodies that publish official material, this book describes the types of material published, how it is made available and how it is recorded. Finding Official British Information focuses on the digital availability of official information and considers how much is now freely available on the web and how to locate it as well as addressing issues of web only publishing. It covers public bodies in the UK and includes publications issued by central and local government as well as the devolved assemblies and the many other organisations that issue official publications. Quick 'how to find' section for each area Designed for the non-specialist Covering central and local government, the devolved assemblies and other public bodies in the UK.

"Essentially Christian, eminently philanthropic": the Mission to Lepers in British India.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, D George

2003-01-01

The early history of the Mission to Lepers in India is an interplay between politics, religion, and medicine in the context of British imperialism. The Mission pursued the dual but inseparable goals of evangelization and civilization, advancing not only a religious program but also a political and cultural one. These activities and their consequences were multi-faceted because while the missionaries pursued their religious calling, they also provided medical care to people and in places that the colonial government was unable or unwilling. Within the context of the British imperial program, the work imparted Western social and cultural ideals on the colonial populations they served, inculcated patients with Christian beliefs, and provided medical care to individuals who had been expelled from their own communities. Physical healing was intimately tied to religious salvation, spiritual healing, and the civilizing process.

TRIUMF: Regional government offers KAON operating costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

After a period of uncertainty, confidence in the major KAON project for the Canadian TRIUMF Laboratory in Vancouver was boosted on 28 May at a rally of about a thousand KAON supporters in downtown Vancouver when the regional government of British Columbia announced its willingness to pay part of KAON's operating costs

British Dance: Black Routes

OpenAIRE

Adair, C.; Burt, Ramsay, 1953-

2016-01-01

British Dance: Black Routes re-examines the distinctive contributions made to British dance by dancers who are Black. Covering the period 1946 to the present, it presents a radical re-reading of dancers and their companies, placing their achievements within a broader historical, cultural and artistic context. The result of a two year research project, British Dance and the African Diaspora, led by editors Christy Adair and Ramsay Burt, the collection looks at artists working with contempor...

Images of welfare in law and society: the British welfare state in comparative perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Wincott, Daniel

2011-01-01

Designed by Beveridge and built by Attlee's post-war Labour government, the welfare state was created during the 1940s. Britain has been seen – in domestic debates and internationally – as a world first: the place where both the idea and the practice of the welfare state were invented. I draw together comparative welfare state analysis with law and society scholarship (previously largely developed in isolation from one another) – as well as using British political cartoons as a source – to develop a revisionist historical critique of this conventional wisdom. First, the British welfare state has always been comparatively parsimonious. Second, the idea of the welfare state seems to have its origins outside the United Kingdom and this terminology was adopted relatively late and with some ambivalence in public debate and scholarly analysis. Third, a large body of socio-legal scholarship shows that robust ‘welfare rights’ were never embedded in the British ‘welfare state’.

The Government's expectations for nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, Lord.

1997-01-01

After the thorough review of nuclear policy in 1994/95, the United Kingdom government remains committed to the view that there is no justification for, and no foreseeable to return to the large-scale public funding of new nuclear power plants. The nuclear industry's relationships with government has changed in some respects as a consequence of the privatisation of British Energy and AEA (Technology). This does not, however, mean a loss of government interest and involvement in other respects. There will be a continuing close interest in the safety, security and prosperity of the industry; the regulatory framework for the industry will be as rigorous as ever. Public expectation that nuclear liabilities will be managed safely and effectively is a responsibility both for government and the industry. Internationally, nuclear developments present considerable challenges and opportunities which require the government and the industry to work closely together in order to maximise the value of Britain's contribution. (UK)

53 Cocoa Export Permit and Quota System In Nigeria During World ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NGOZI

To prevent the re-occurrence of untold hardship experienced by cocoa farmers during World War I (1914-18), as well as the concomitant upheavals, the colonial government in British. West Africa introduced a scheme of cocoa control which enabled the government, through its agents, to purchase all cocoa offered for sale in ...

The role of health system governance in strengthening the rural health insurance system in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Beibei; Jian, Weiyan; He, Li; Wang, Bingyu; Balabanova, Dina

2017-05-23

Systems of governance play a key role in the operation and performance of health systems. In the past six decades, China has made great advances in strengthening its health system, most notably in establishing a health insurance system that enables residents of rural areas to achieve access to essential services. Although there have been several studies of rural health insurance schemes, these have focused on coverage and service utilization, while much less attention has been given to the role of governance in designing and implementing these schemes. Information from publications and policy documents relevant to the development of two rural health insurance policies in China was obtained, analysed, and synthesise. 92 documents on CMS (Cooperative Medical Scheme) or NCMS (New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme) from four databases searched were included. Data extraction and synthesis of the information were guided by a framework that drew on that developed by the WHO to describe health system governance and leadership. We identified a series of governance practices that were supportive of progress, including the prioritisation by the central government of health system development and certain health policies within overall national development; strong government commitment combined with a hierarchal administrative system; clear policy goals coupled with the ability for local government to adopt policy measures that take account of local conditions; and the accumulation and use of the evidence generated from local practices. However these good practices were not seen in all governance domains. For example, poor collaboration between different government departments was shown to be a considerable challenge that undermined the operation of the insurance schemes. China's success in achieving scale up of CMS and NCMS has attracted considerable interest in many low and middle income countries (LMICs), especially with regard to the schemes' designs, coverage, and funding

Comparison of nutrient profiling schemes for restricting the marketing of food and drink to children.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinsden, H; Lobstein, T

2013-08-01

The food and beverage industry have made voluntary pledges to reduce children's exposure to the marketing of energy-dense foods and beverages, and in 2012 announced the replacement of company-specific nutrient profiling schemes with uniform sets of criteria from 2013 (in the USA) and 2014 (in the European Union [EU]). To compare the proposed USA and EU nutrient profiling schemes and three government-led schemes, paying particular attention to the differences in sugar criteria. Food and beverage products permitted to be advertised in the USA under pre-2013 criteria were examined using five nutrient profiling schemes: the forthcoming USA and EU schemes and three government-approved schemes: the US Interagency Working Group (IWG) proposals, the United Kingdom Office of Communications (OfCom) regulations and the Danish Forum co-regulatory Code. Under the new USA and EU nutrient profiling schemes, 88 (49%) and 73 (41%) of a total of 178 products would be permitted to be advertised, respectively. The US IWG permitted 25 (14%) products; the Ofcom regulations permitted 65 (37%) and the Danish Code permitted 13 (7%). Government-led schemes are significantly more restrictive than industry-led schemes, primarily due to their tougher sugar criteria. The Danish Forum (93%) and USA IWG scheme (86%) are the most restrictive of the five examined. Further harmonization of nutrient profiling schemes is needed to reduce children's exposure to the promotion of energy-dense foods. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Payment Procedures for Electronic Government Services

OpenAIRE

Pousttchi, Key; Wiedemann, Dietmar Georg

2005-01-01

In this paper, we analyse payment procedures for their suitability for electronic government. We provide an overview of the payment procedures currently available on the market, compare the situation in electronic government with the situation in electronic commerce and analyze what we can transfer. Based on functional requirements we propose a scheme that allows public agencies to examine the appropriateness of any given payment procedure for electronic government.

Good Governance in Nigeria: A Catalyst to National Peace, Stability ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nneka Umera-Okeke

areas of economic growth and social development, such a nation must be up to the ... To the IMF (2016) governance is seeing as 'all aspects of the way a country is ..... These airlines include United Airlines, British Airways, Spanish National.

Do Eco-rating Schemes Improve the Environmental Performance of Ships?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, René Taudal; Hermann, Roberto Rivas; Smink, Carla K.

2018-01-01

of ships. Extending the private environmental governance literature into a mature service industry with global operations, the paper shows that concerns about eco-rating schemes’ effectiveness also have relevance here. Shipping eco-rating schemes fall short of best practices for design and governance...

Weathering the empire: meteorological research in the early British Straits Settlements.

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Fiona

2015-09-01

This article explores meteorological interest and experimentation in the early history of the Straits Settlements. It centres on the establishment of an observatory in 1840s Singapore and examines the channels that linked the observatory to a global community of scientists, colonial officers and a reading public. It will argue that, although the value of overseas meteorological investigation was recognized by the British government, investment was piecemeal and progress in the field often relied on the commitment and enthusiasm of individuals. In the Straits Settlements, as elsewhere, these individuals were drawn from military or medical backgrounds, rather than trained as dedicated scientists. Despite this, meteorology was increasingly recognized as of fundamental importance to imperial interests. Thus this article connects meteorology with the history of science and empire more fully and examines how research undertaken in British dependencies is revealing of the operation of transnational networks in the exchange of scientific knowledge.

Small pleasures: adaptation and the past in British film and television Small pleasures: adaptation and the past in British film and television

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Caughie

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The adaptation of classic literature, or more precisely the construction of certain literary works as classic—the classic serial—has een a characteristic of British television almost since television began. Certainly, since television resumed its normal service after the break in transmission enforced by World War II, the novels of Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Conrad, Dickens, and occasionally Henry James, have been adapted and sometimes readapted. In the mid-1990s, adaptations of Pride and Prejudice (1995, Middlemarch (1994 and Martin Chuzzlewit (1994 not only reaffirmed the status of the BBC as the cornerstone of national broadcasting, but also confirmed its cultural prestige overseas. It also, of course, secured it a healthy slice of the substantial international market in 'quality television’. In the 1980s, endless adaptations of E.M.Foster, suffused with the charms of manners and costume and basking in the warm glow of the past, have made adaptation a cultural dominant in representations of Britain, helping to shape the perception of Britishness - or at least of Englishness - as a quality whose real meaning can be found in the past, and whose commodity value can be found in the heritage industry. Revealingly, the Government Ministry now charged with the administration of culture in Britain has been renamed the Department of National Heritage. The adaptation of classic literature, or more precisely the construction of certain literary works as classic—the classic serial—has een a characteristic of British television almost since television began. Certainly, since television resumed its normal service after the break in transmission enforced by World War II, the novels of Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Conrad, Dickens, and occasionally Henry James, have been adapted and sometimes readapted. In the mid-1990s, adaptations of Pride and Prejudice (1995, Middlemarch (1994 and Martin Chuzzlewit (1994 not only reaffirmed the

British Citizenship, Gender and Migration: The Containment of Cultural Differences and the Stratification of Belonging

Science.gov (United States)

Morrice, Linda

2017-01-01

Debates about integration, British values and identity, who can belong and who can become a citizen, have been fuelled by concerns about growing cultural diversity in the United Kingdom. To promote a shared sense of national identity and claim a universal and normative citizen subject, the UK government, along with many other western nations, has…

Simulation of coupled flow and mechanical deformation using IMplicit Pressure-Displacement Explicit Saturation (IMPDES) scheme

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2012-01-01

The problem of coupled structural deformation with two-phase flow in porous media is solved numerically using cellcentered finite difference (CCFD) method. In order to solve the system of governed partial differential equations, the implicit pressure explicit saturation (IMPES) scheme that governs flow equations is combined with the the implicit displacement scheme. The combined scheme may be called IMplicit Pressure-Displacement Explicit Saturation (IMPDES). The pressure distribution for each cell along the entire domain is given by the implicit difference equation. Also, the deformation equations are discretized implicitly. Using the obtained pressure, velocity is evaluated explicitly, while, using the upwind scheme, the saturation is obtained explicitly. Moreover, the stability analysis of the present scheme has been introduced and the stability condition is determined.

Grand design : British Columbia sets out to become an energy powerhouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laverty Wilson, K.

2003-01-01

British Columbia is eager for petroleum companies to build on the conventional drilling successes that took place in the northeastern section of the province to explore unconventional natural gas reserves, such as coalbed methane, shale, and tight rock formations elsewhere in the province. The province hopes to attract 24 billion dollars in investment along with 8,000 new jobs in energy and mining sectors. During the first year of this century, 850 wells were drilled, with production reaching one trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 17 million barrels of oil. It has been acknowledged that the transportation infrastructure needs work to improve access to the northeastern region, as well as other regions of the province hoping to increase resource development. The British Columbia (BC) government is planning more involvement in land use planning and better access to information on oil and gas potential. Road building partnerships are being developed, and an expansion phase is beginning for the gas pipeline and processing network. Offshore resources show promise, with an estimated 9.8 billion barrels of oil and 43.4 trillion cubic feet of gas in four basins, according to the Geological Survey of Canada. Work on coalbed methane is beginning in the province, after a favorable royalty regime was implemented, with nine experimental projects under way. The government will consider reduced royalties for other unconventional resources like shale and tight gas

British American Tobacco's failure in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, S

2009-02-01

Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) considered Turkey an important, potential investment market because of its high consumption rates and domestic commitment to tobacco. This paper outlines how British American Tobacco (BAT) attempted to establish a joint venture with the government monopoly TEKEL, while waiting for privatisation and a private tender. Analysis of tobacco industry documents from the Guildford Depository and online tobacco document sources. BAT failed to establish a market share in Turkey until 2000 despite repeated attempts to form a joint venture with Turkey's tobacco monopoly, TEKEL, once the market liberalised in the mid 1980s. BAT's failure in the Turkish market was due to a misguided investment strategy focused solely on acquiring TEKEL and is contrasted with Philip Morris success in Turkey despite both TTCs working within Turkey's unstable and corrupt investing climate.

Government Can Mount Effective Counter-Insurgency Programs against Marxist Oriented Revolutions.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-09-01

supported financially by the very people whom these arms and personnel are subjugating.3 An added taxation on the people’s resources creates a number...repre- sented by college students). 8 As these productive individuals are removed from the economy the effective taxation increase on the remaining...Malaya against Communist insurgency forces. When the British were requested to assist the Malaysian government, they took over the government

The British Position towards European Integration: A Different Economic and Political Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Troitiño David Ramiro

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The United Kingdom has had an important position in Europe for centuries. Often it is seen as an anti-European country, or as being anti-integration in Europe but it is just defending its own interests, which in many cases hare differed from other members of the European Communities. The UK policy towards European cooperation has been influenced by the particular interest of the country, but there has always been a strong relation between the British and Europe. Great Britain had the biggest empire in human history spread all over the globe, and hence its interest was global rather than limited to local European states. The UK was a victorious country in the Second World War, the only Western European state that participated actively in Nazi defeat. As an important consequence, British nationalism was seen as a positive force to unite all the British against an external threat. During centuries, the British economy has been based on trade, and internationally the government supported and expanded the free trade idea in the world economy to European trade relations. This paper analyzes the main issues that explain the special relations between the EU and the UK. The paper is developed from a historical point of view with a methodology’ based on the critical review of historical facts from a global perspective of the whole traditional approach of the UK towards European integration.

Self-Esteem: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of British-Chinese, White British and Hong Kong Chinese Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Yiu Man

2000-01-01

Evaluates the self-esteem scores of 1303 children, including Chinese children from Britain and Hong Kong and white British children, using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Finds that British Chinese have significantly higher self-esteem than the Hong Kong children, but there is little difference among white British children. (CMK)

Privatization and culture change: British Nuclear Fuels case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salama, A.

1997-01-01

This paper describes and explains the process of organizational change experienced by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) during the late 1980s. BNFL went through a major transformation in management values and practices to survive in the new business environment characterized by government deregulation and fiercer global market competition. The paper describes both the historical and the prevailing management behaviour as well as the strategy utilized by BNFL's top management in their change process. The key factor in the process of change seems to lie in top management commitment and a fully integrated set of actions involving different sub-systems of the organization. (author)

The December revolt in Athens British intervention and Yugoslav reaction: December 1944 - January 1945

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ristović Milan

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The revolt that members and supporters of the leftist movement EAM-ELAS staged in Athens in early December 1944 against the Greek royal and British forces ushered into the second "round" of the civil war in Greece. The developments in the neighborhood draw much attention in Yugoslavia, where the war of liberation was in its final phases in parallel with the elimination of political rivals to the new government in which communists played a central role. This attention was not only a result of ideological solidarity, it also had to do with the "Macedonian Question", i.e. the position of Slavic Macedonian minority in northern Greece, an issue that had aroused a debate between Greek and Yugoslav communists in 1944. Difficulties in relations between the Yugoslav partisan leadership and the British, pressure from London, the passivity of the Soviet Union as regards the developments in Athens, a stalemate on the Srem Front, fights with the remaining collaborationist forces, compelled Yugoslavia to take a reserved position and avoid direct involvement in Greece. Appeals of Greek communists for aid in military supplies, promised on the eve of the revolt, failed to provoke a tangible response of the Yugoslav leadership. Once the revolt was crushed by the British and a truce between the EAM-ELAS and the royal government signed a wave of migration to Yugoslavia ensued of the borderland civilian Slavic Macedonian population but also of several thousand radical Greek leftists unwilling to accept the Varkiza agreement.

A novel quantum group signature scheme without using entangled states

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guang-Bao; Zhang, Ke-Jia

2015-07-01

In this paper, we propose a novel quantum group signature scheme. It can make the signer sign a message on behalf of the group without the help of group manager (the arbitrator), which is different from the previous schemes. In addition, a signature can be verified again when its signer disavows she has ever generated it. We analyze the validity and the security of the proposed signature scheme. Moreover, we discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the new scheme and the existing ones. The results show that our scheme satisfies all the characteristics of a group signature and has more advantages than the previous ones. Like its classic counterpart, our scheme can be used in many application scenarios, such as e-government and e-business.

Language of power: Pidgin in the colonial governance of Northern ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Notably, British colonial authorities adopted pidgin as a language of government in Northern Nigeria, as they lacked a wider medium for inter-ethnic communication. African political agents were employed as intermediaries, based on their knowledge of pidgin and other local languages, enabling them bridge communication ...

British passports

CERN Multimedia

IT Department

2008-01-01

Please note that from 01/01/2009, the passport section of the British Consulate will move from Geneva to Paris. This change is part of a global initiative to rationalize passport services and reduce administrative costs while ensuring that the quality of the service remains high. The aim is to issue new passports within 10 working days of receiving applications (excluding transit time). From 1st January 2009 passport applications should be sent by courier or registered post directly to: British Consulate General BP111-08 75363 Paris CEDEX 08 France For further information please refer to: http://ukinswitzerland.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/passport-move/

The regulation of British colonial lunatic asylums and the origins of colonial psychiatry, 1860-1864.

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Sally

2010-05-01

In this paper I outline a brief period in the history of the British Empire, during which colonial lunatic asylum policy began to be formulated. I begin with a scandal that erupted in Jamaica and suggest that this set in motion processes that led to critical changes in asylum administration. The first of these processes was an audit of hospitals and asylums in the colonies. The results of the audit and the policy that emerged from it marked the beginning of systematic regulation of lunatic asylum practice across the British Empire. It revealed a formulation of policy that was intended to cut across the self-governing regimes that had up to this point been allowed to evolve. Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault and Nikolas Rose, I argue that the policy and the practices associated with it contribute to an understanding of the emergence of the psy-sciences in colonial settings. They illustrate the establishment of a panoptic gaze on previously neglected insane spaces. Systematic surveillance constituted government at a distance and made colonial lunacy administration a governable discursive space. The regulation of the medical officers, lunatic attendants, and hospital boards began the process of creating a professional psychiatric workforce. I conclude with a discussion of the implications and the mixed impact of this policy change for the mentally ill across the empire, over the ensuing decades.

The new social housing scheme in Nigeria: How beneficial for the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Nigerian government recently inaugurated a Special Committee on National Social Housing Scheme (NSHS) with a presidential mandate to provide housing for its less privileged citizens. In the pilot phase of the scheme, the committee was to build 18,000 units of houses across the country before the end of 2006.

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL APPROACHES REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODES

OpenAIRE

Sorin Nicolae Borlea; Monica-Violeta Achim; Ludovica Breban

2013-01-01

In the European Union, the concept of corporate governance began to emerge more clearly after 1997, when most countries have however, voluntarily adopted corporate governance codes. The impulse of adopting these codes consists in the financial scandals related to the failure of the British companies listed on the stock exchange. Numerous scandals involving big companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Parmalat, Xerox, Merrill Lynch, Andersen and so on, conduct to a lack of investors’ confidence. ...

Don't Throw out the Baby with the Bathwater: The Case for a Reformed SES Funding Scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Louise

2004-01-01

Since its introduction in 2001, the Australian (Commonwealth) Government's socio-economic status (SES)-based funding scheme for private schools has been criticised as inequitable. The author argues that the inequities of the scheme are the result of government policy rather than the SES-based model itself. Compared with the former education…

Energy white paper 2007: the British strategy to take up the energy challenge; Energy white paper 2007: la strategie britannique pour relever le defi de l'energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

Following the energy policy review published in 2006 by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), the Energy White Paper 2007, published on May 23, 2007, gathers all measures preconized in this domain. This document recalls, first, the objectives and priorities of the British government at the international, national, regional and local scales, as already clearly explained in previous DTI publications. This white book announces also some new measures and the launching of new public hearings about other measures in view. All in all, 18 hearings are announced which deal with various topics, from the new nuclear power plants to the reform of renewables obligations, the organization of big energy projects or the dismantling of offshore energy facilities. This document recalls the objective of the government and describes the British international policy in the domain of energy. It presents the measures for the fight against climatic change (energy conservation, development of clean energies, decentralized energy production), for warranting the security of supplies (diversification of offer, improvement of networks, planning of energy projects) and, in particular, the proposals of the government concerning the transportation sector and the fight against energy paucity. It stresses also on the importance of R and D and on the British authority in energy technologies. Finally, it gathers the reactions of the most representative actors of the British energy sector. (J.S.)

IMPLEMENTATION OF OPEN-SOURCE WEB MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT MONITORING OF GOVERNMENTAL SCHEMES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. R. Pulsani

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Several schemes are undertaken by the government to uplift social and economic condition of people. The monitoring of these schemes is done through information technology where involvement of Geographic Information System (GIS is lacking. To demonstrate the benefits of thematic mapping as a tool for assisting the officials in making decisions, a web mapping application for three government programs such as Mother and Child Tracking system (MCTS, Telangana State Housing Corporation Limited (TSHCL and Ground Water Quality Mapping (GWQM has been built. Indeed the three applications depicted the distribution of various parameters thematically and helped in identifying the areas with higher and weaker distributions. Based on the three applications, the study tends to find similarities of many government schemes reflecting the nature of thematic mapping and hence deduces to implement this kind of approach for other schemes as well. These applications have been developed using SharpMap Csharp library which is a free and open source mapping library for developing geospatial applications. The study highlights upon the cost benefits of SharpMap and brings out the advantage of this library over proprietary vendors and further discusses its advantages over other open source libraries as well.

HERBERT HOOVER, GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE RUBBER CRISIS, 1923-1926

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvano A. Wueschner

2000-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the controversy arising out of Great Britain’s decision to implement the Stevenson plan. It examines, in particular, the role played by Herbert Hoover, both behind the scenes and in an effort to affect the repeal of the Stevenson scheme and at the same time to encourage and support the development of new sources of rubber under the control of American producers. During the period 1920-1922 rubber producing countries were confronted by the specter of overproduction. The existence of even a short term oversupply coupled with the business slump, a reaction from the war, led to a decline in the price of rubber. British producers succeeded in inducing the British Colonial authorities to support a scheme whereby rubber exports would be regulated in order to bring about an increase in the price of rubber. This plan, developed by the Stevenson Committee, called for a small minimum tax on all exports. Moreover, it soughtto limit production by establishing a quota based on the actual production of rubber during the 1919-1920 growing season. A progressive tax was applied to exports beyond standard production. American reaction to the scheme was varied. Secretary of Commerce Hoover, while publicly stating that the price of rubber had been low and was supportive of efforts to regulate production, behind the scenes showed a great deal of concern about the actions of the British government in regulating a commodity of which the United States was the single largest consumer. He was also linked, by some, to the idea that Great Britain sought to pay its war debt to the United States through the application of this tax. Much was made in American newspapers and the British press about Hoover’s criticism of British rubber restrictions. He was not opposed to regulating the supply of rubber, but only to the involvement of a government in the process, especially when it affected American producers and consumers. In response he proposed a scheme

Creating British Global Leadership: The Liberal Trading Community from 1750 to 1792

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Whiteneck

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the process by which Great Britain rose to a position of global leadership in the 1800s. It examines the critical period from 1750 to 1792 when Great Britain moved from global leadership based on colonial/mercantile power to leadership based on industrial/commercial power. I hypothesize that the roots of the Pax Britannica of 1815-1873 have their source in the emerging liberal trading community created by the British in the fifty years before the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. This coalition of states was created around a dominant new idea (economic liberalism based in the distribution of positive benefits from inclusion in the community, and intended to provide an innovative solution to the problems of international political economy created by the burgeoning industrial revolution. The community was created through the actions of successive British governments throughout the period, and served as the basis for the British-led coalitions which emerged victorious from the global wars of 1792 to 1815. This case study helps answer important questions about how Great Britain was able to move from one period of global leadership to another, and on a more general level provides some insights into the role coalition-building plays in attaining and exercising global power.

War of the British Worlds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mercau, Ezequiel

2016-01-01

The 1982 Falklands War was shrouded in symbolism, bringing to the fore divergent conceptions of Britishness, kinship, and belonging. This article casts light on the persistent purchase of the idea of Greater Britain long after the end of empire, addressing a case that would normally be deemed...... outside its spatial and temporal boundaries. By highlighting the inherent contradictions of this transnational bond, the South Atlantic conflict had a profound effect on an underexposed British community with a lingering attachment to a “British world”: the Anglo-Argentines. As they found themselves...... wedged between two irreconcilable identities, divisions threatened to derail this already enfeebled grouping. Yet leaders of the community, presuming a common Britishness with the Falkland Islanders and Britons in the United Kingdom, sought to intervene in the conflict by reaching out to both...

A New Quantum Proxy Multi-signature Scheme Using Maximally Entangled Seven-Qubit States

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Hai-Jing; Zhang, Jia-Fu; Liu, Jian; Li, Zeng-You

2016-02-01

In this paper, we propose a new secure quantum proxy multi-signature scheme using seven-qubit entangled quantum state as quantum channels, which may have applications in e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc. This scheme is based on controlled quantum teleportation. The scheme uses the physical characteristics of quantum mechanics to guarantee its anonymity, verifiability, traceability, unforgetability and undeniability.

A study of clinical assessment of frailty in patients on maintenance hemodialysis supported by cashless government scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manjusha Yadla

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This is a prospective cohort study to assess the prevalence of frailty in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD under the government-funded scheme at our center and to assess the relationship between frailty and falls, hospitalizations, and mortality. This was done at our center which is completely supported by the government, which provides HD to all the patients under poverty line. Epidemiological data, anthropometric measurements, comorbidities assessment, frailty assessment using Fried criteria, subsequent hospitalizations, falls, and mortality were recorded in our prevalent dialysis population at our center between October 2014 and October 2015. Two hundred and twenty-six patients were enrolled during this period. Twenty-one patients were excluded as they did not satisfy the inclusion criteria. Two hundred and five prospective patients were studied for the predictors of frailty. Frailty was present in 82% of the study population. Mean age of our study population was 44.95 ± 13.27 years. On univariate analysis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension (HTN, cerebrovascular accident (CVA, left ventricular dysfunction (LVD, peripheral vascular disease (PVD, smoking, hepatitis C, inadequate dialysis, intradialytic hypotension (IDH, interdialytic weight gain, low serum creatinine <4 mg/dL, and anemia (Hb <10 g/dL were found to be statistically significantly different between frail and nonfrail groups On multivariate regression analysis, only HTN, PVD, CVA, anemia, smoking, and IDH were found to be significant. Frailty is highly prevalent among dialysis population. Factors predicting frailty include HTN, smoking, LVD, PVD, CVA, smoking, anemia, and IDH. Frailty is a significant risk factor for falls and hospitalizations.

British power generation/delivery handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagley, R.

1986-01-01

Describes the British electricity-supply system and covers: the CEGB, nuclear power - AGR design, boiler plant development coal-fired boilers and oil-fired boilers, steam turbine/generators, boiler-feed pumps, pumped storage, gas turbine plants, transmission system including the link to France, the Sizewell-BPWR, future AGR development, future coal-fired stations, fluidized bed combustion, coal gasification, and wind energy developments. Also included is a list of British equipment suppliers to the electricity supply industry, and a buyer's guide to British equipment and services.

Real/Life: New British Art and the Reception of Contemporary British Art in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kajiya Kenji

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This essay explores the ways in which the exhibition Real/Life: New British Art was conceived and received in Japan, where contemporary British art has been shown since the 1960s. Taking place at five museums in the country between 1998 and 1999, the exhibition aimed to showhow British artists in the 1990s struggled with realities, internal and external, but its response was not as satisfactory as was expected. The essay examines the exhibition as a turning point for the transformation of exhibition culture in Japan from nationally themed exhibitions to showcases of contemporary art in the global context.

Corporate Governance in Singapore : Recent Developments For the Next Millennium

OpenAIRE

Mak Yuen Teen; Phillip H. Phan

2000-01-01

This paper surveys the regulatory and structural environment as it relates to corporate governance in Singapore, and present empirical evidence on corporate governance practices in areas such as ownership structure, disclosure, board and directors, the use of share option schemes, and the impact of government corporate ownership. It reviews corporate governance reforms that have been implemented or proposed, and assesses their likely impact on future corporate governance practices in Singapor...

High Order Semi-Lagrangian Advection Scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Malaga, Carlos; Mandujano, Francisco; Becerra, Julian

2014-11-01

In most fluid phenomena, advection plays an important roll. A numerical scheme capable of making quantitative predictions and simulations must compute correctly the advection terms appearing in the equations governing fluid flow. Here we present a high order forward semi-Lagrangian numerical scheme specifically tailored to compute material derivatives. The scheme relies on the geometrical interpretation of material derivatives to compute the time evolution of fields on grids that deform with the material fluid domain, an interpolating procedure of arbitrary order that preserves the moments of the interpolated distributions, and a nonlinear mapping strategy to perform interpolations between undeformed and deformed grids. Additionally, a discontinuity criterion was implemented to deal with discontinuous fields and shocks. Tests of pure advection, shock formation and nonlinear phenomena are presented to show performance and convergence of the scheme. The high computational cost is considerably reduced when implemented on massively parallel architectures found in graphic cards. The authors acknowledge funding from Fondo Sectorial CONACYT-SENER Grant Number 42536 (DGAJ-SPI-34-170412-217).

Market-based support schemes for renewable energy sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fagiani, R.

2014-01-01

The European Union set ambitious goals regarding the production of electricity from renewable energy sources and the majority of European governments have implemented policies stimulating investments in such technologies. Support schemes differ in many aspects, not only in their effectivity and

Facilitators and barriers to participation of private sector health facilities in government-led schemes for maternity services in India: a qualitative study

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Vikas; Kumar, Somesh; Balasubramaniam, Sudharsanam; Pallipamula, Suranjeen; Memon, Parvez; Singh, Dinesh; Bhargava, Saurabh; Sunil, Greeshma Ann; Sood, Bulbul

2017-01-01

Objective Despite provision of accreditation of private sector health providers in government-led schemes for maternity services in India, their participation has been low. This has led to an underutilisation of their presence, resources and expertise for providing quality maternal and newborn health services. This study explores the perception of various stakeholders on expectations, benefits, barriers and facilitators to private sector participation in government-led schemes—specifically Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)—for maternity service delivery. Design Narrative-based qualitative study. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with study participants. The interviews were transcribed, translated and analysed using a reflexive and inductive approach to allow codes, categories and themes to emerge from within the data. Setting Private obstetricians, government health officials and FOGSI (Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India) members, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, India. Participants Eighteen purposefully selected private obstetricians from 9 cities across states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, 11 government health officials and 2 FOGSI members. Results The major factors serving as barriers to participation of private practitioners in JSY—which emerged on thematic analysis—were low reimbursement amounts, delayed reimbursements, process of interaction with the government and administrative issues, previous experiences and trust deficit, lack of clarity on the accreditation process and patient-level barriers. On the other hand, factors which were facilitators to participation of private practitioners were ease of process, better communication, branding, motivation of increasing clientele as well as satisfaction of doing social service. Conclusion Factors such as financial processes and administrative delays, mistrust between the stakeholders, ambiguity in processes, lack of transparency and lack of ease in the process of

Frontier flair - one good turn deserves another in northeastern British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaremko, G.

1998-01-01

Some evidence of the easing of tensions between the oil and gas industry and native host communities in northeastern British Columbia have been reported. While native communities continue to expect a high standard of corporate citizenship in terms of environmental concerns and reclamation of land to its natural state after industry activity ceases, they show greater willingness to allow exploration and drilling on native lands. In another demonstration of this 'live and let live' philosophy labour authorities and the Petroleum Services Association of Canada and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers jointly persuaded the B.C. Legislature to reserve the decision on ending the variance from the letter of overtime provisions in the B.C. Labour Code that would have made oilfield work prohibitively expensive. In yet another action, industry and local governments joined forces to demand a share of the industrial property taxes for local governments for infrastructure development, instead of all of it going to the provincial government. Progress is slow, but there is evidence of good will, or at least a recognition of interdependence and mutual concerns on both sides

A hybrid iterative scheme for optimal control problems governed by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MRT

KEY WORDS: Optimal control problem; Fredholm integral equation; ... control problems governed by Fredholm integral and integro-differential equations is given in (Brunner and Yan, ..... The exact optimal trajectory and control functions are. 2.

‘Just Food’: The Normative Obligations of Private Agrifood Governance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalfagianni, A.

2015-01-01

Global agrifood governance faces enormous environmental and social challenges that demand the development of effective, just, and legitimate solutions. In this context, private governance institutions, in the form of private standards and certification schemes, have developed into a major

Department of Energy: monitoring and control of British Nuclear Fuels plc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) was set up in 1971 to take over the nuclear fuel production and reprocessing activities of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority with the Department of Energy (as majority shareholder) being responsible for the monitoring and control of BNFL's activities. BNFL's activities include the production of nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment, and the transportation and reprocessing of spent fuel. Its major capital investment includes the construction of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) due for completion in 1992. This study examined the effectiveness of the Department's arrangements for monitoring and control and for safeguarding the Government's investment in the company, the arrangements for examining BNFL's capital investment programme and the extent to which the Department's main aims have been achieved. The examination was restricted to the financial performance. The National Audit Office found evidence to suggest that BNFL's financial performance has not kept pace with the general performance level of British Industry. Future success and performance will depend on the success of the THORP plant. (U.K.)

Changes in per capita alcohol sales during the partial privatization of British Columbia's retail alcohol monopoly 2003-2008: a multi-level local area analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stockwell, Tim; Zhao, Jinhui; Macdonald, Scott; Pakula, Basia; Gruenewald, Paul; Holder, Harold

2009-11-01

To investigate the independent effects on liquor sales of an increase in (a) the density of liquor outlets and (b) the proportion of liquor stores in private rather than government ownership in British Columbia between 2003/4 and 2007/8. The British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch provided data on litres of ethanol sold through different types of outlets in 89 local health areas of the province by beverage type. Multi-level regression models were used to examine the relationship between per capita alcohol sales and outlet densities for different types of liquor outlet after adjusting for potential confounding social, economic and demographic factors as well as spatial and temporal autocorrelation. Liquor outlets in 89 local health areas of British Columbia, Canada. The number of private stores per 10,000 residents was associated significantly and positively with per capita sales of ethanol in beer, coolers, spirits and wine, while the reverse held for government liquor stores. Significant positive effects were also identified for the number of bars and restaurants per head of population. The percentage of liquor stores in private versus government ownership was also associated significantly with per capita alcohol sales when controlling for density of liquor stores and of on-premise outlets (P increased per capita sales of alcohol and hence possibly also to increased alcohol-related harm.

Liberal Party Politics, the South African War, and the Rhetoric of Imperial Governance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackley, Simon

2018-03-01

This article examines the imperial rhetoric of the Liberal Party during the South African War of 1899-1902, charting its use and development across five key controversies spanning the course of the conflict. Moving beyond traditional interpretations of the Liberal split as the product of competing visions of Empire and approaches to imperialism, this article argues for the need to recognize also the continuities within the imperial rhetoric of fin-de-siècle British Liberalism. Building on recent studies of political languages, it identifies how Liberal speakers from across the party operated within a rhetorical framework that emphasized three ideals of imperial governance: good government, self-government, and pluralism. In doing so, this article seeks to advance our understanding of the South African War as an episode in British party politics, demonstrating the complexity and nuance of the Liberal Party's response to the conflict. Furthermore, by undertaking an in-depth exploration of the rhetoric of imperial governance, this article highlights the Liberal response to the South African War as a case study for the reinvention and reiteration of both party and imperial languages in early twentieth-century Britain, with the potential to offer new insights into the political and imperial cultures of the period.

Trans-European transport network and cross-border governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guasco, Clement Nicolas

2014-01-01

for coordinating knowledge, efforts and solutions across several national systems. In order to understand this governance setting, one needs to understand the specific quality of transnational governance in the EU, which is neither purely international nor federally integrated. The transport corridor between Malmö......This article looks at the implementation of trans-European transport corridors in the EU and the influence it has on governance within EU member-states. It considers the implementation of such a scheme in the context of cross-border cooperation and discusses the system of governance necessary...

The national scheme for monitoring radioactive fallout in milk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, B.M.R.

1979-01-01

The National Radiological Protection Board, Harwell, assumed responsibility for the national milk monitoring scheme on Jan. 1, 1979. Milk contamination provides a good guide to radioactivity in the British diet. Brief reference is made to U.K. surveys of radioactive fallout in human food prior to January 1979, and current arrangements for the sampling of milk in the U.K. are explained. The milk is analysed for 90 Sr, 137 Cs and stable calcium. Additional samples are collected to check for 131 I or other short-lived isotopes in the event of atmospheric nuclear tests or accidents involving possible releases of radioactivity. (U.K.)

Can lessons be learned from history? The origins of the British imperial nurse labour market: a discussion paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Solano, Diana; Rafferty, Anne Marie

2007-08-01

The British government's involvement in overseas nurse recruitment originated in its imperial past when the Colonial Nursing Service was established in 1940 by the Colonial Office to unify the administration of British nurse appointments across the Empire. The Colonial Office unified recruitment arrangements for colonial nursing posts, effectively creating an imperial market in nursing labour, which arguably set the historical precedent for the greater flow of international nurse recruitment from and to the United Kingdom (UK). The recent implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Overseas Nurses Programme to regulate the registration route for international nurse recruits to the UK is symptomatic of growing international nurse migration. In a globalising marketplace, overseas nurse recruitment remains a significant supply factor in meeting the staffing needs of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The continuities between the historical case of the Colonial Nursing Service and the current prevalence of transnational nurse migration highlight a pervading tension between the professional agenda of nursing and recruiters' and governments' responses to market pressures.

In, out, or half way? The European attitude in the speeches of British leaders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Milizia

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract – It cannot be denied that Britain is normally seen as an awkward partner in EU affairs (George 1994, and in many ways the British have always been half-in: in the two-speed Europe slogan, Britain is seen as a slow traveller (Musolff 2004, as a member that makes slow progress, it if is at all on the European path. The purpose of this paper is to try and unveil, with evidence at hand, the sentiment of the British leaders with respect to the European Union. Interestingly, the current government includes both Conservatives and Lib-Dems leaders, and it is well known that the former have been, more often than not, against Europe whereas the latter are highly passionate about their pro-Europeanism. Interviews, statements and speeches proper are thus analysed and compared: first wordlists are generated, then keywords lists and finally key-clusters lists (Scott 2012, with the purpose of identifying "aboutgrams" (Warren 2010; Sinclair, Tognini Bonelli 2011, and see what the two governments have in common, but mostly what differentiates them with regard to the European Union, i.e. what is prioritized in one administration and was not in another, clearly signalling a change in priorities (Cheng 2004; Cheng et al. 2006; Cheng et al. 2009. The study is a diachronic analysis, in the attempt to see how previous discourses have been reinterpreted, given that forty years after joining the Union the British are still reluctant Europeans who still consider Europe "abroad", thus slowing the "ever-closer union" envisaged in the Treaty of Rome, and who still have been calling for referendums, even more so after the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.Keywords: European Union, UK, political speeches, opt out, aboutgrams.

Succesful labelling schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Hans Jørn; Stacey, Julia

2001-01-01

. In the spring of 2001 MAPP carried out an extensive consumer study with special emphasis on the Nordic environmentally friendly label 'the swan'. The purpose was to find out how much consumers actually know and use various labelling schemes. 869 households were contacted and asked to fill in a questionnaire...... it into consideration when I go shopping. The respondent was asked to pick the most suitable answer, which described her use of each label. 29% - also called 'the labelling blind' - responded that they basically only knew the recycling label and the Government controlled organic label 'Ø-mærket'. Another segment of 6...

Based on the development status of British BIM, exploring China’s BIM road

Science.gov (United States)

Tiangang, Chu; hui, Li; shanjun, Zhang; Ningshan, Jiang; Dan, Zhang; Yu, Zhang; Guibo, Bao

2018-05-01

This article mainly analyses the development and application status and development trend of BIM technology after the implementation of the British government, to explore the policies and methods that our government should carry out in the development of BIM. The article also summarizes and analyses the relevant policies and standards implemented by various provincial and municipal governments in promoting BIM technology in China and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of each other by comparing the development status of the implementation of BIM policies in various provinces and cities. The article also analysed the obstacles encountered in the implementation of some specific projects at the current stage of BIM technology, and summarized the feasible solutions. The article mainly analyses the application prospects of BIM from the technical aspects of design, the application of technology in the construction process, and the strategic implementation and operation of the company, and provides a reference for promoting the application of BIM in the construction industry in China, especially in the western region.

A new parallelization algorithm of ocean model with explicit scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, X. D.

2017-08-01

This paper will focus on the parallelization of ocean model with explicit scheme which is one of the most commonly used schemes in the discretization of governing equation of ocean model. The characteristic of explicit schema is that calculation is simple, and that the value of the given grid point of ocean model depends on the grid point at the previous time step, which means that one doesn’t need to solve sparse linear equations in the process of solving the governing equation of the ocean model. Aiming at characteristics of the explicit scheme, this paper designs a parallel algorithm named halo cells update with tiny modification of original ocean model and little change of space step and time step of the original ocean model, which can parallelize ocean model by designing transmission module between sub-domains. This paper takes the GRGO for an example to implement the parallelization of GRGO (Global Reduced Gravity Ocean model) with halo update. The result demonstrates that the higher speedup can be achieved at different problem size.

Enhancing privacy of users in eID schemes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shrishak, Kris; Erkin, Z.; Schaar, Remco

2016-01-01

In todays world transactions are increasingly being performed over the internetbut require identication of users as in face-to-face transactions. In order to facilitate eGovernance as well as other eCommerce services Electronic Identiation(eID) schemes, which intend to provide unique and reliable

British Teachers' Transnational Work within and beyond the British Empire after the Second World War

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, Kay

2017-01-01

Focusing on British graduates from Gipsy Hill Training College (GHTC) in London, this article illustrates transnational history's concerns with the reciprocal flows of people and ideas within and beyond the British Empire. GHTC's progressive curriculum and culture positioned women teachers as agents of change, and the article highlights the lives…

British Columbia inland oil spill response plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This paper presents an outline of the organization, procedures and duties of the provincial government in response to inland oil spills stemming from pipeline or tank-farm rupture, train derailment and vehicle accidents in British Columbia. Provincial response strategies were reviewed, along with their relationships to various policies and standards. Public, infrastructure and environmental protection were identified as key factors. Incident notification procedures were detailed, including outlines of roles, event criteria and call for incident management teams. Agreements and cost recovery issues were examined. The characteristics of site response were reviewed, including details of communications, tactical planning, and unified command among local and federal governments. The role of First Nations and responsible parties was also addressed. Details of shore cleanup, wildlife rescue, decontamination, and waste handling strategies were presented. The organization, missions and duties for an incident management team were outlined, along with a summary of operational guidelines and information on team positions and the establishment of joint information centres. The involvement of cooperating agencies was examined. An incident command system was also presented, including details of planning, operations, logistics, and organization. A checklist of individual duties was provided, with details of responsibilities, safety issues and general instructions for all team members. tabs., figs

Contribution of promoting the green residence assessment scheme to energy saving

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zhiyu; Yuan, Hongping; Shen, Liyin

2012-01-01

Green residence development has been one of the important strategies for promoting sustainable urban development. Governments throughout the world have been encouraging property developers to deliver green properties. In line with this development, governments have been implementing various assessment programs to certify green residential buildings with the aim of contributing to sustainable urban development. With reference to the Chinese construction practice, this paper examines the effectiveness of the green residence assessment scheme toward its defined aim through investigating the contents and procedures of the green residence assessment scheme by referring to the practices of Chongqing city in western China. Based on the results of five case studies and five semi-structured interviews, this study reveals the significant contribution from implementing the green residence assessment scheme particularly to energy saving in residential buildings. Further, the green residence assessment scheme promotes the application of green building materials and green construction technologies in the entire process of delivering and operating residential buildings. The findings provide valuable references for further investigating alternative methods to achieve better energy saving in developing residential buildings. - Highlights: ► Energy saving in residence development is important for sustainable urban development. ► Green residence assessment scheme contributes significantly to energy saving in residences. ► Green residence assessment promotes application of environmentally friendly building materials and technologies

Hitting emissions targets with (statistical) confidence in multi-instrument Emissions Trading Schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shipworth, David

2003-12-01

A means of assessing, monitoring and controlling aggregate emissions from multi-instrument Emissions Trading Schemes is proposed. The approach allows contributions from different instruments with different forms of emissions targets to be integrated. Where Emissions Trading Schemes are helping to meet specific national targets, the approach allows the entry requirements of new participants to be calculated and set at a level that will achieve these targets. The approach is multi-levelled, and may be extended downwards to support pooling of participants within instruments, or upwards to embed Emissions Trading Schemes within a wider suite of policies and measures with hard and soft targets. Aggregate emissions from each instrument are treated stochastically. Emissions from the scheme as a whole are then the joint probability distribution formed by integrating the emissions from its instruments. Because a Bayesian approach is adopted, qualitative and semi-qualitative data from expert opinion can be used where quantitative data is not currently available, or is incomplete. This approach helps government retain sufficient control over emissions trading scheme targets to allow them to meet their emissions reduction obligations, while minimising the need for retrospectively adjusting existing participants' conditions of entry. This maintains participant confidence, while providing the necessary policy levers for good governance

Associated computational plasticity schemes for nonassociated frictional materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krabbenhoft, K.; Karim, M. R.; Lyamin, A. V.

2012-01-01

A new methodology for computational plasticity of nonassociated frictional materials is presented. The new approach is inspired by the micromechanical origins of friction and results in a set of governing equations similar to those of standard associated plasticity. As such, procedures previously...... developed for associated plasticity are applicable with minor modification. This is illustrated by adaptation of the standard implicit scheme. Moreover, the governing equations can be cast in terms of a variational principle, which after discretization is solved by means of a newly developed second...

Costs and economic consequences of a help-at-home scheme for older people in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Annette; Knapp, Martin; Wistow, Gerald; Perkins, Margaret; King, Derek; Iemmi, Valentina

2017-03-01

Solutions to support older people to live independently and reduce the cost of an ageing population are high on the political agenda of most developed countries. Help-at-home schemes offer a mix of community support with the aim to address a range of well-being needs. However, not much is currently known about the costs, outcomes and economic consequences of such schemes. Understanding their impact on individuals' well-being and the economic consequences for local and central government can contribute to decisions about sustainable long-term care financing. This article presents results from a mixed-methods study of a voluntary sector-provided help-at-home scheme in England for people of 55 years and older. The study followed a participatory approach, which involved staff and volunteers. Data were collected during 2012 and 2013. Social care-related quality of life was measured with the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit for 24 service users (59% response rate) when they started using the scheme and 4-6 months later. A customised questionnaire that captured resource use and well-being information was sent to 1064 service users (63% response rate). The same tool was used in assessment with service users who started using the scheme between November 2012 and April 2013 (100% response rate). Costs of the scheme were established from local budget and activity data. The scheme was likely to achieve a mean net benefit of £1568 per person from a local government and National Health Service (NHS) perspective and £3766 from the perspective of the individual. An expenditure of £2851 per person accrued to central government for the additional redistribution of benefit payments to older people. This article highlights the potential contribution of voluntary sector-run help-at-home schemes to an affordable welfare system for ageing societies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Secret data embedding scheme modifying the frequency of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

such as banking, e-commerce, e-signature, distance learning, e-government ... received a growing attention in conjunction with the new tools and methods ... Essential points of the image processing and data embedding are clarified in the next section. ..... The proposed scheme's numerical performance is shown in table 6.

Energy for our future : a plan for British Columbia progress to date

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostergaard, P.

2004-01-01

This PowerPoint presentation provided a brief overview of British Columbia's electric power system, the policies affecting it, the province's energy plans and support mechanisms to address issues and challenges. In British Columbia, 80 per cent of the electricity is primarily hydro based and is generated by BC Hydro, a public utility. The market structure is regulated and the electricity rates are based on cost of service. The BC market includes western North America with interconnections to Washington State and Alberta. The key issues and challenges facing the electricity sector in the province are meeting domestic demand; adopting clean competitive energy alternatives; export market access and downstream benefits; interest and exchange rates; firming, storage and shaping; transmission upgrades to an aging infrastructure; local governments and First Nations relationships and, permitting and approvals. The transmission system was reviewed with reference to trade with the Pacific Northwest, flexibility and storage. The province's future energy plans are based on low rates and public ownership, secure and reliable supply, more private sector opportunities, and environmental responsibility. figs

Secure Biometric E-Voting Scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Taha Kh.; Aborizka, Mohamed

The implementation of the e-voting becomes more substantial with the rapid increase of e-government development. The recent growth in communications and cryptographic techniques facilitate the implementation of e-voting. Many countries introduced e-voting systems; unfortunately most of these systems are not fully functional. In this paper we will present an e-voting scheme that covers most of the e-voting requirements, smart card and biometric recognition technology were implemented to guarantee voter's privacy and authentication.

Balancing government-regulated participation with community ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article seeks to explore the nature and extent of community participation and support for the Taung Skull World Heritage Site (TSWHS) scheme. Utilising the social exchange theory, the paper's central argument suggests meaningful community involvement in government-sponsored participation as a prerequisite to ...

Participation in the National Health Insurance Scheme Among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The National Health Insurance Scheme was established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal Government of Nigeria and is aimed at providing easy access to health care for all Nigerians at an affordable cost through various prepayment systems. It is totally committed to achieving universal coverage and ...

Addressing healthcare needs of people living below the poverty line: a rapid assessment of the Andhra Pradesh Health Insurance Scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, M; Ramachandra, S S; Bandyopadhyay, S; Chandran, A; Shidhaye, R; Tamisettynarayana, S; Thippaiah, A; Sitamma, M; Sunil George, M; Singh, V; Sivasankaran, S; Bangdiwala, S I

2011-01-01

Families living below the poverty line in countries which do not have universal healthcare coverage are drawn into indebtedness and bankruptcy. The state of Andhra Pradesh in India established the Rajiv Aarogyasri Community Health Insurance Scheme (RACHIS) in 2007 with the aim of breaking this cycle by improving the access of below the poverty line (BPL) families to secondary and tertiary healthcare. It covered a wide range of surgical and medical treatments for serious illnesses requiring specialist healthcare resources not always available at district-level government hospitals. The impact of this scheme was evaluated by a rapid assessment, commissioned by the government of Andhra Pradesh. The aim of the assessment was to explore the contribution of the scheme to the reduction of catastrophic health expenditure among the poor and to recommend ways by which delivery of the scheme could be improved. We report the findings of this assessment. Two types of data were used for the assessment. Patient data pertaining to 89 699 treatment requests approved by the scheme during its first 18 months were examined. Second, surveys of scheme beneficiaries and providers were undertaken in 6 randomly selected districts of Andhra Pradesh. This novel scheme was beginning to reach the BPL households in the state and providing access to free secondary and tertiary healthcare to seriously ill poor people. An integrated model encompassing primary, secondary and tertiary care would be of greater benefit to families below the poverty line and more cost-effective for the government. There is considerable potential for the government to build on this successful start and to strengthen equity of access and the quality of care provided by the scheme. Copyright 2011, NMJI.

Performance comparison of renewable incentive schemes using optimal control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oak, Neeraj; Lawson, Daniel; Champneys, Alan

2014-01-01

Many governments worldwide have instituted incentive schemes for renewable electricity producers in order to meet carbon emissions targets. These schemes aim to boost investment and hence growth in renewable energy industries. This paper examines four such schemes: premium feed-in tariffs, fixed feed-in tariffs, feed-in tariffs with contract for difference and the renewable obligations scheme. A generalised mathematical model of industry growth is presented and fitted with data from the UK onshore wind industry. The model responds to subsidy from each of the four incentive schemes. A utility or ‘fitness’ function that maximises installed capacity at some fixed time in the future while minimising total cost of subsidy is postulated. Using this function, the optimal strategy for provision and timing of subsidy for each scheme is calculated. Finally, a comparison of the performance of each scheme, given that they use their optimal control strategy, is presented. This model indicates that the premium feed-in tariff and renewable obligation scheme produce the joint best results. - Highlights: • Stochastic differential equation model of renewable energy industry growth and prices, using UK onshore wind data 1992–2010. • Cost of production reduces as cumulative installed capacity of wind energy increases, consistent with the theory of learning. • Studies the effect of subsidy using feed-in tariff schemes, and the ‘renewable obligations’ scheme. • We determine the optimal timing and quantity of subsidy required to maximise industry growth and minimise costs. • The premium feed-in tariff scheme and the renewable obligations scheme produce the best results under optimal control

The British Gas market 10 years after privatisation: a model or a warning for the rest of Europe?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stern, J.P.

1997-01-01

The tenth anniversary of the privatisation of British Gas (BG) and the demerger of the company make this an appropriate time to review the development of the British gas market. A casual observer would hail the first decade of the privatised British gas industry as a tremendous success: fierce competition in the industrial and commercial gas market will be extended to the entire residential sector in a bold and unique experiment due to be concluded by Spring 1998. Prices have fallen sharply to all classes of customer over the past decade. On the face of it, the gas industry appears to be a triumphant example of the liberalisation and competition experiments which followed the privatisation of utility industries in Britain. The reality is somewhat more complex. The principal problems concern the progressive difficulties with all aspects of the regulatory framework. In addition, a large number of uncertainties remain as to how liberalisation and competition in the residential sector will operate in practice, particularly in terms of public sector obligations and security of supply. Concentration on short-term issues has overwhelmed any long-term strategic perspective. For these reasons, it is uncertain whether Continental European governments will show great enthusiasm for following 'the British experiment'. (author)

Drowning of British children abroad.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornall, P; Howie, S; Mughal, A; Sumner, V; Dunstan, F; Kemp, A; Sibert, J

2005-09-01

To quantify the risks of British children drowning abroad. The numbers of British children drowning abroad were estimated for 1996-2003 using the RoSPA/RLSS press cutting database. We compared these figures with the numbers of British children going abroad from the International Passenger Survey from the Office of National Statistics. Sixty-eight children (45 boys-23 Girls) drowned in the eight-year period: 48 (71%) in swimming pools (mostly in hotels). Allowing for exposure, the rate was higher in North America [5.2 (CI 2.9-9.4)/million tourists] than the European Union [1.9 (CI 1.4-2.5)/million tourists] p = 0.002. On average eight British children drown each year abroad. This is therefore a rare but tragic event. Most of these episodes happen in swimming pools and this needs to be compared to the one child that dies each year in municipal swimming pools in the United Kingdom where there is adequate lifeguarding. It may be that parents have a false sense of security for their children in pools abroad. We believe that there needs to be action from the European Union on this important event.

An Employer of Last Resort Scheme which Resembles a Free Labour Market

OpenAIRE

MUSGRAVE, Ralph S.

2017-01-01

Abstract. The idea that government should act as employer of last resort (ELR) is an old one. That idea is often referred to nowadays as “job guarantee”. Many ELR schemes to date have been confined to the public sector. There is no good reason for that limitation: i.e. the private sector should use ELR labour as well.  A second common characteristic of ELR schemes has been that (like the WPA in the US in the 1930s) they involve specially set up projects or schemes as distinct from subsidising...

A False Sense of Collective Security: How German Intervention in the Spanish Civil War Thwarted British Multilateral Efforts during the Phony Peace

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-09

conversation at a dinner party with Prince v. Bismarck on November 2, he “emphasized that Franco had assured the British Government that his attitude to...I’ll eat my 455 “Success at Nyon,” Times (London), September 13, 1937. 456 Eden, Facing the

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Kuwaiti and British Citizens' Views of E-Government Interface Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Aladwani, Adel M.

2013-01-01

It is difficult to conceive how Web users from different cultures can be encouraged to reap the benefits of an e-government initiative when its portal is suffering from culture-indifferent interface quality. Thus far, the e-government literature not only has paid scanty attention to web evaluation issues but also has been slow to embarking on…

Traditional Korean islanders encounters with the British navy in the 1880s: The Port Hamilton Affair of 1885–1887

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen A. Royle

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the encounters between a traditional Korean rural and island population and western military forces when the British navy occupied Geomundo, an archipelago known to them as Port Hamilton, for 22 months between 1885 and 1887. The paper first outlines the sometimes painful process of East Asian countries being opened up to trade and outside influences in the 19th century, a process sometimes urged upon them by naval weapons in this era of gunboat diplomacy. This provides the setting for the Port Hamilton Affair itself when in preparation for possible war with Russia, a British naval squadron steamed into Port Hamilton and took it without reference to the local people or their national government. After brief reference to the political consequences of this action, the focus is then on what the records from the occupation and earlier investigations by the British, who had long coveted the islands’ strategic harbour, reveal about the life of the islanders. The article considers both their traditional life, from a time rather before western travel accounts were written about the Korean mainland, and how the islanders fared under the British.

The report of the Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1985-01-01

The conclusions and recommendations of the Royal commission into British nuclear tests conducted in Australia between 1952 and 1963 are presented. The recommendations include that action should be commenced immediately to effect a clean-up of Maralinga and Emu so that they are fit for unrestricted habitation by the traditional Aboriginal owners as soon as practicable; all costs of any future clean-ups at Maralinga, Emu and the Monte Bello Islands should be borne by the United Kingdom Government; a Maralinga Commission should be established to determine the clean-up criteria, oversee the clean-up and co-ordinate all future Range management; the Australian government should make compensation to those persons and descendants of those persons who have a traditional interest in sites at the former Maralinga Prohibited Area for loss of use and enjoyment of their lands since the beginning, and as a result of the atomic tests program

Accounting for social impacts and costs in the forest industry, British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gale, Robert; Gale, Fred

2006-01-01

Business reviews of the forest industry in British Colombia, Canada, typically portray an unequivocally positive picture of its financial and economic health. In doing so, they fail to consider the following six categories of social impacts and costs: (1) direct and indirect subsidies; (2) government support through investment; (3) community dependence; (4) the maintenance of public order; (5) aboriginal title; and (6) the overestimation of employment. Our findings show that conventional economic and financial accounting methods inflate the industry's net contribution to the economy. We make a number of recommendations to address this shortcoming to improve future accounting and reporting procedures

Central upwind scheme for a compressible two-phase flow model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Munshoor; Saleem, M Rehan; Zia, Saqib; Qamar, Shamsul

2015-01-01

In this article, a compressible two-phase reduced five-equation flow model is numerically investigated. The model is non-conservative and the governing equations consist of two equations describing the conservation of mass, one for overall momentum and one for total energy. The fifth equation is the energy equation for one of the two phases and it includes source term on the right-hand side which represents the energy exchange between two fluids in the form of mechanical and thermodynamical work. For the numerical approximation of the model a high resolution central upwind scheme is implemented. This is a non-oscillatory upwind biased finite volume scheme which does not require a Riemann solver at each time step. Few numerical case studies of two-phase flows are presented. For validation and comparison, the same model is also solved by using kinetic flux-vector splitting (KFVS) and staggered central schemes. It was found that central upwind scheme produces comparable results to the KFVS scheme.

Central upwind scheme for a compressible two-phase flow model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munshoor Ahmed

Full Text Available In this article, a compressible two-phase reduced five-equation flow model is numerically investigated. The model is non-conservative and the governing equations consist of two equations describing the conservation of mass, one for overall momentum and one for total energy. The fifth equation is the energy equation for one of the two phases and it includes source term on the right-hand side which represents the energy exchange between two fluids in the form of mechanical and thermodynamical work. For the numerical approximation of the model a high resolution central upwind scheme is implemented. This is a non-oscillatory upwind biased finite volume scheme which does not require a Riemann solver at each time step. Few numerical case studies of two-phase flows are presented. For validation and comparison, the same model is also solved by using kinetic flux-vector splitting (KFVS and staggered central schemes. It was found that central upwind scheme produces comparable results to the KFVS scheme.

On the effectiveness of a license scheme for E-waste recycling: The challenge of China and India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinkuma, Takayoshi; Managi, Shunsuke

2010-01-01

It is well known that China and India have been recycling centers of WEEE, especially printed circuit boards, and that serious environmental pollution in these countries has been generated by improper recycling methods. After the governments of China and India banned improper recycling by the informal sector, improper recycling activities spread to other places. Then, these governments changed their policies to one of promoting proper recycling by introducing a scheme, under which E-waste recycling requires a license issued by the government. In this paper, the effectiveness of that license scheme is examined by means of an economic model. It can be shown that the license scheme can work effectively only if disposers of E-waste have a responsibility to sell E-waste to license holders. Our results run counter to the idea that international E-waste trade should be banned and provide an alternative solution to the problem.

Hypothalamic neurones governing glucose homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Coppari, R

2015-06-01

The notion that the brain directly controls the level of glucose in the blood (glycaemia) independent of its known action on food intake and body weight has been known ever since 1849. That year, the French physiologist Dr Claude Bernard reported that physical puncture of the floor of the fourth cerebral ventricle rapidly leads to an increased level of sugar in the blood (and urine) in rabbits. Despite this important discovery, it took approximately 150 years before significant efforts aimed at understanding the underlying mechanism of brain-mediated control of glucose metabolism were made. Technological developments allowing for genetically-mediated manipulation of selected molecular pathways in a neurone-type-specific fashion unravelled the importance of specific molecules in specific neuronal populations. These neuronal pathways govern glucose metabolism in the presence and even in the absence of insulin. Also, a peculiarity of these pathways is that certain biochemically-defined neurones govern glucose metabolism in a tissue-specific fashion. © 2015 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

British Celtic influence on English phonology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laker, Stephen

2010-01-01

The dissertation assesses the influence of British Celtic on the phonological development of English during and shortly after the Anglo-Saxon settlement period, ca. AD 450–700. By reconstructing and then comparing the phonological systems of both British Celtic and English at the time of contact, an

Teacher Retirement Ponzi Schemes. Conference Paper 2009-02

Science.gov (United States)

Kotlikoff, Laurence J.

2009-01-01

This paper is about the funding status of teachers' retirement pension schemes. Its goal is to relate the accounting for the funding of these pension obligations to the endemic, systematic, and fundamentally fraudulent system of accounting our country uses to assess the financial positions of federal, state, and local government as well as many…

Asynchronous schemes for CFD at extreme scales

Science.gov (United States)

Konduri, Aditya; Donzis, Diego

2013-11-01

Recent advances in computing hardware and software have made simulations an indispensable research tool in understanding fluid flow phenomena in complex conditions at great detail. Due to the nonlinear nature of the governing NS equations, simulations of high Re turbulent flows are computationally very expensive and demand for extreme levels of parallelism. Current large simulations are being done on hundreds of thousands of processing elements (PEs). Benchmarks from these simulations show that communication between PEs take a substantial amount of time, overwhelming the compute time, resulting in substantial waste in compute cycles as PEs remain idle. We investigate a novel approach based on widely used finite-difference schemes in which computations are carried out asynchronously, i.e. synchronization of data among PEs is not enforced and computations proceed regardless of the status of messages. This drastically reduces PE idle time and results in much larger computation rates. We show that while these schemes remain stable, their accuracy is significantly affected. We present new schemes that maintain accuracy under asynchronous conditions and provide a viable path towards exascale computing. Performance of these schemes will be shown for simple models like Burgers' equation.

Evaluation of the British Columbia AIDS Information Line.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, D C; Bell, M A; Gilchrist, L D

1991-01-01

We evaluated implementation of the British Columbia AIDS Information Line during its initial 15 weeks of operation. Data collected during daily operation of the line included call frequency, caller characteristics, response patterns, caller concerns and community referrals. Information on activities and resources required to implement the AIDS Line was also assembled. The study concluded that the advertising campaign sponsored by the provincial government and other AIDS-related media events had a strong impact on the frequency of calls made to the AIDS Line. However, the effect of both advertising and media events was of relatively short duration, suggesting that utilization of an AIDS information line is dependent on continuing promotional activities. The evaluation results demonstrate the importance of continuous collection of data online utilization, to track public awareness of and response to AIDS-related issues, and to facilitate planning of public education.

A Semi-implicit Numerical Scheme for a Two-dimensional, Three-field Thermo-Hydraulic Modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Moonkyu; Jeong, Jaejoon

2007-07-01

The behavior of two-phase flow is modeled, depending on the purpose, by either homogeneous model, drift flux model, or separated flow model, Among these model, in the separated flow model, the behavior of each flow phase is modeled by its own governing equation, together with the interphase models which describe the thermal and mechanical interactions between the phases involved. In this study, a semi-implicit numerical scheme for two-dimensional, transient, two-fluid, three-field is derived. The work is an extension to the previous study for the staggered, semi-implicit numerical scheme in one-dimensional geometry (KAERI/TR-3239/2006). The two-dimensional extension is performed by specifying a relevant governing equation set and applying the related finite differencing method. The procedure for employing the semi-implicit scheme is also described in detail. Verifications are performed for a 2-dimensional vertical plate for a single-phase and two-phase flows. The calculations verify the mass and energy conservations. The symmetric flow behavior, for the verification problem, also confirms the momentum conservation of the numerical scheme

British-Zionist Military Cooperation in Palestine, 1917-1939

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen M. Saleh

2003-12-01

Full Text Available The essence of the British military and security formula in Palestine was the smooth establishment of the Jewish national home with minimum costs of lives and money. However, this British pro-Zionist policy created a continuous security problem, and opened the door to all possibilities of Palestinian revolts and uprisings of both national and religious nature. The British were very active in disarming the Arabs and adopted stringent measures to crush their uprisings and revolts. But, they turned a blind eye to the Jewish arms smuggling and Jewish military organizations, especially, the Hagana, which later became the backbone of the Israeli Army. During Palestinian uprisings of 1920, 1921 and 1929 against the Zionists, most of the Palestinian casualties were inflicted by the British forces despite the fact that the Palestinians avoided attacking the British. The British-Zionist cooperation reached its peak during the Palestinian revolt of 1936-1939, and took different forms, including allowing the Jews to establish a military force of twenty two thousand men under the pretext of protecting the Jewish community.

Why and how to compensate living organ donors: ethical implications of the new Australian scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Giubilini, Alberto

2015-05-01

The Australian Federal Government has announced a two-year trial scheme to compensate living organ donors. The compensation will be the equivalent of six weeks paid leave at the rate of the national minimum wage. In this article I analyse the ethics of compensating living organ donors taking the Australian scheme as a reference point. Considering the long waiting lists for organ transplantations and the related costs on the healthcare system of treating patients waiting for an organ, the 1.3 million AUD the Australian Government has committed might represent a very worthwhile investment. I argue that a scheme like the Australian one is sufficiently well designed to avoid all the ethical problems traditionally associated with attaching a monetary value to the human body or to parts of it, namely commodification, inducement, exploitation, and equality issues. Therefore, I suggest that the Australian scheme, if cost-effective, should represent a model for other countries to follow. Nonetheless, although I endorse this scheme, I will also argue that this kind of scheme raises issues of justice in regard to the distribution of organs. Thus, I propose that other policies would be needed to supplement the scheme in order to guarantee not only a higher number of organs available, but also a fair distribution. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Scheme of energy utilities; Schema de service collectifs de l'energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-04-01

This scheme defines the objectives relative to the renewable energies and the rational use of the energy in the framework of the national energy policy. It evaluates the needs and the potentialities of the regions and preconizes the actions between the government and the territorial organizations. The document is presented in four parts: the situation, the stakes and forecasts; the possible actions for new measures; the scheme management and the regional contributions analysis. (A.L.B.)

Gonioscopy in the dog: inter-examiner variability and the search for a grading scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, J A C; Cottrell, B C; Newton, J R; Mellersh, C S

2017-11-01

To investigate inter-examiner variability in gonioscopic evaluation of pectinate ligament abnormality in dogs and to assess level of inter-examiner agreement for four different gonioscopy grading schemes. Two examiners performed gonioscopy in 98 eyes of 49 Welsh springer spaniel dogs and estimated the percentage circumference of iridocorneal angle affected by pectinate ligament abnormality to the nearest 5%. Percentage scores assigned to each eye by the two examiners were compared. Inter-examiner agreement was assessed following assignment of the percentage scores to each of four grading schemes by Cohen's kappa statistic. There was a strong positive correlation between the results of the two examiners (R=0·91). In general, Examiner 1 scored individual eyes higher than Examiner 2, especially for eyes in which both examiners diagnosed pectinate ligament abnormality. A "good" level of agreement could only be achieved with a gonioscopy grading scheme of no more than three categories and with a relatively large intermediate bandwidth (κ=0·68). A three-tiered grading scheme might represent an improvement on hereditary eye disease schemes which simply classify dogs to be either "affected" or "unaffected" for pectinate ligament abnormality. However, the large intermediate bandwidth of this scheme would only allow for the additional detection of those dogs with marked progression of pectinate ligament abnormality which would be considered most at risk of primary closed-angle glaucoma. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Counter-Insurgency in the Cape Colony, 1872 - 1882 | Kotze ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The acceptance of responsible government in 1872 entailed that the Cape Colony had to provide its own security arrangements. The two British regiments that were still deployed at ... The Molteno as well as the Sprigg ministry eventually paid the highest political price for the failure of their respective defence schemes not ...

African Journals Online: Virgin Islands (British)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Journals Online: Virgin Islands (British). Home > African Journals Online: Virgin Islands (British). Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register · Browse By Category · Browse Alphabetically · Browse By Country · List All Titles · Free to read Titles This Journal ...

Private governance, public purpose? Assessing transparency and accountability in self-regulation of food advertising to children.

Science.gov (United States)

Reeve, Belinda

2013-06-01

Reducing non-core food advertising to children is an important priority in strategies to address childhood obesity. Public health researchers argue for government intervention on the basis that food industry self-regulation is ineffective; however, the industry contends that the existing voluntary scheme adequately addresses community concerns. This paper examines the operation of two self-regulatory initiatives governing food advertising to children in Australia, in order to determine whether these regulatory processes foster transparent and accountable self-regulation. The paper concludes that while both codes appear to establish transparency and accountability mechanisms, they do not provide for meaningful stakeholder participation in the self-regulatory scheme. Accordingly, food industry self-regulation is unlikely to reflect public health concerns or to be perceived as a legitimate form of governance by external stakeholders. If industry regulation is to remain a feasible alternative to statutory regulation, there is a strong argument for strengthening government oversight and implementing a co-regulatory scheme.

British Columbia : Climate change business plan, 2000/01 -2002/03

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-10-01

This first Climate Change Business Plan for British Columbia was conceived as part of Canada's national implementation strategy on climate change. It outlines the objectives and the actions to reduce provincial emissions of GHGs and to prepare for future decisions. GHG emissions are a particular challenge in British Columbia where emissions appear to be growing faster than in other parts of the country. The plan focuses on five priority areas for action -- transportation, energy and industry, communities and buildings, forests and agriculture and supporting actions. The plan present more than 40 actions to reduce GHG emissions immediately in ways that are low-cost, high benefit actions that will not cause undue burden on the population. Major initiatives are included in transportation and technology development. They are supported by more than $13 million in new funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy, community-based programs, education and research, policy development and other initiatives. Implementation of the plan will be monitored, and progress will be measured by pre-defined performance indicators. In detailing the 40 plus actions the Government plans to take, it is clear that since individual citizens of British Columbia contribute more than one quarter of provincial emissions, the BC climate change response will rely heavily on private citizens, organizations, businesses and communities to do their part in GHG reduction. Infrastructure and technology will be of critical importance in achieving substantial reductions of GHG, but they will take time to implement. Therefore, in the initial phase, the focus of attention will be on behavioral changes which will be mobilized in every possible way to begin the daunting task of gaining the upper hand on GHG emissions. A chronology of events, past and contemplated, additional BC actions, mapping BC Plan actions to the the national theme, and a glossary are provided in the appendices. 15 refs., 2 tabs

Gambian-British and Nigerian-British Children's and Families' Experiences of Migration "Back" to West Africa. Research Briefing No. 13

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts-Holmes, Guy

2013-01-01

This research looks at the factors motivating Gambian-British and Nigerian-British parents to send their children "back" to West Africa and what this means for parents, children and families on both continents.

Teaching (about) Britishness? An Investigation into Trainee Teachers' Understanding of Britishness in Relation to Citizenship and the Discourse of Civic Nationalism

Science.gov (United States)

Jerome, Lee; Clemitshaw, Gary

2012-01-01

This research was prompted by the developing political discourse proposing the teaching of Britishness and British values in the context of the United Kingdom. This discourse will be reviewed in the first part of the article, in the context of previous work which has sought to assess how Britishness and related concepts might be promoted through…

Additive operator-difference schemes splitting schemes

CERN Document Server

Vabishchevich, Petr N

2013-01-01

Applied mathematical modeling isconcerned with solving unsteady problems. This bookshows how toconstruct additive difference schemes to solve approximately unsteady multi-dimensional problems for PDEs. Two classes of schemes are highlighted: methods of splitting with respect to spatial variables (alternating direction methods) and schemes of splitting into physical processes. Also regionally additive schemes (domain decomposition methods)and unconditionally stable additive schemes of multi-component splitting are considered for evolutionary equations of first and second order as well as for sy

The use and management of water in the Likangala Irrigation Scheme Complex in Southern Malawi

Science.gov (United States)

Mulwafu, Wapulumuka O.; Nkhoma, Bryson G.

This paper examines the uses and management of water for agriculture in Lake Chilwa catchment area in Zomba district of Southern Malawi. It focuses on the Likangala Rice Irrigation Scheme Complex situated along the Likangala River. The scheme is one of the largest government-run schemes. Established in the late 1960s by the government to meet the growing demand for rice, the scheme contributes greatly to the agricultural industry of the country. Besides, the scheme was established to ensure maximum utilization of Malawi's largest wetland, which, due to its hydromorphic soils and the littoral floodplains, does not favour the production of traditional upland seasonal crops such as maize. The scheme's overdependence on water from the Likangala River has attracted a considerable degree of academic interest in the use and management of the river to ensure that there is equity and efficiency for both productive and domestic users. The paper focuses on four main issues: the historical development of the scheme, the distribution of water to farmers, social relations, and the overall contribution of the scheme towards the social and economic development of the area and the country in general. The paper contends that the growing population of the basin and the increase in the number of formal and informal smallholder farmers, contributes greatly to the growth of competition and conflicts over water, which tends to undermine the economic potential of the scheme. Furthermore, the paper provides clearest indication of the need for a realistic and informed water management policy and strategy to solve the growing problem of social inequity without necessarily compromising the production of rice in the scheme.

Update schemes of multi-velocity floor field cellular automaton for pedestrian dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Lin; Fu, Zhijian; Cheng, Han; Yang, Lizhong

2018-02-01

Modeling pedestrian movement is an interesting problem both in statistical physics and in computational physics. Update schemes of cellular automaton (CA) models for pedestrian dynamics govern the schedule of pedestrian movement. Usually, different update schemes make the models behave in different ways, which should be carefully recalibrated. Thus, in this paper, we investigated the influence of four different update schemes, namely parallel/synchronous scheme, random scheme, order-sequential scheme and shuffled scheme, on pedestrian dynamics. The multi-velocity floor field cellular automaton (FFCA) considering the changes of pedestrians' moving properties along walking paths and heterogeneity of pedestrians' walking abilities was used. As for parallel scheme only, the collisions detection and resolution should be considered, resulting in a great difference from any other update schemes. For pedestrian evacuation, the evacuation time is enlarged, and the difference in pedestrians' walking abilities is better reflected, under parallel scheme. In face of a bottleneck, for example a exit, using a parallel scheme leads to a longer congestion period and a more dispersive density distribution. The exit flow and the space-time distribution of density and velocity have significant discrepancies under four different update schemes when we simulate pedestrian flow with high desired velocity. Update schemes may have no influence on pedestrians in simulation to create tendency to follow others, but sequential and shuffled update scheme may enhance the effect of pedestrians' familiarity with environments.

British torture in the 'war on terror'.

Science.gov (United States)

Blakeley, Ruth; Raphael, Sam

2017-06-01

Despite long-standing allegations of UK involvement in prisoner abuse during counterterrorism operations as part of the US-led 'war on terror', a consistent narrative emanating from British government officials is that Britain neither uses, condones nor facilitates torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment. We argue that such denials are untenable. We have established beyond reasonable doubt that Britain has been deeply involved in post-9/11 prisoner abuse, and we can now provide the most detailed account to date of the depth of this involvement. We argue that it is possible to identify a peculiarly British approach to torture in the 'war on terror', which is particularly well-suited to sustaining a narrative of denial. To explain the nature of UK involvement, we argue that it can be best understood within the context of how law and sovereign power have come to operate during the 'war on terror'. We turn here to the work of Judith Butler, and explore the role of Britain as a 'petty sovereign', operating under the state of exception established by the US executive. UK authorities have not themselves suspended the rule of law so overtly; indeed, they have repeatedly insisted on their commitment to it. Nevertheless, they have been able to construct a rhetorical, legal and policy 'scaffold' that has enabled them to demonstrate at least procedural adherence to human rights norms while, at the same time, allowing UK officials to acquiesce in the arbitrary exercise of sovereignty over individuals who are denied any access to appropriate representation or redress in compliance with the rule of law.

Norwegian supply of goods and services to the British offshore sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heide, M.; Noedland, S.I.

1991-02-01

Representatives from ten Norwegian companies in the offshore supplies industry were interviewed to explore the opportunities and barriers they had experienced in their effort to enter the British offshore sector. The interviews revealed that there are mainly four reasons why British sector is regarded as a favorable market: British sector is a natural homemarket, buyers operate both on the British and the Norwegian sector, the British sector can be a ''door-opener'' to the rest of the English speaking world, and finally the British sector is a market of considerable size. The companies had mainly encountered three types of barriers: British culture/communication problems, heavy competition from British suppliers, and protectionism. The report is concluded by summarizing what we believe are the critical success factors for entering the British sector. Directions for further research are also given

The future of the British deterrent force; L'avenir de la force de dissuasion britannique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyer, Y. [Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique (FRS), 75 - Paris (France)

2006-07-15

Of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United Kingdom has the smallest deterrent force, with fewer than 200 warheads and a single delivery system. Successive British governments policies for nuclear interdependence with the United States over the past 50 years have led to a growing technological dissymmetry with the Americans. This politico-strategic choice now considerably restricts Britain options for remaining a member of the club of nuclear powers into the future. (author)

Differences exist across insurance schemes in China post-consolidation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Li

Full Text Available In China, the basic insurance system consists of three schemes: the UEBMI (Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance, URBMI (Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance, and NCMS (New Cooperative Medical Scheme, across which significant differences have been observed. Since 2009, the central government has been experimenting with consolidating these schemes in selected areas. This study examines whether differences still exist across schemes after the consolidation.A survey was conducted in the city of Suzhou, collecting data on subjects 45 years old and above with at least one inpatient or outpatient treatment during a period of twelve months. Analysis on 583 subjects was performed comparing subjects' characteristics across insurance schemes. A resampling-based method was applied to compute the predicted gross medical cost, OOP (out-of-pocket cost, and insurance reimbursement rate.Subjects under different insurance schemes differ in multiple aspects. For inpatient treatments, subjects under the URBMI have the highest observed and predicted gross and OOP costs, while those under the UEBMI have the lowest. For outpatient treatments, subjects under the UEBMI and URBMI have comparable costs, while those under the NCMS have much lower costs. Subjects under the NCMS also have a much lower reimbursement rate.Differences still exist across schemes in medical costs and insurance reimbursement rate post-consolidation. Further investigations are needed to identify the causes, and interventions are needed to eliminate such differences.

Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS): operations and achievements 1992-1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

The Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS) was launched in 1992 under the DTI's Passive Solar Programme to help improve the energy performance of the UK's building stock. It aimed to do this through direct advice and guidance on passive solar design and energy efficient technologies and processes given to the designers of real building projects. Furthermore, the scheme aimed to raise the awareness and take-up of definitive guidance produced under government programmes such as the Passive Solar programme and the Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. A target energy saving worth Pound 19.3m was set to be achieved by the end of the scheme. This energy saving is equivalent to a reduction in carbon dioxide emission of 220,000 tonnes per year. (author)

British Columbia : an alternative design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostergaard, P.

2003-01-01

This PowerPoint presentation outlined the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines' approach to the electricity market. A brief overview of the electric system in the province was provided, examining capacity (primarily hydro based) and the utility sector with its public ownership. In British Columbia, 80 per cent of the electricity is generated by British Columbia Hydro (BC Hydro). The rates are based on cost of service. British Columbia's market is western North America. A comparison of monthly bills for several large cities, both Canadian and American, was displayed. The market reviews conducted in 1995, 1998, and 2002 were reviewed and the major recommendations discussed. The author identified the opportunities in the province, discussing natural gas and coal for electricity production, resource potential, demand, and private sector capacity. The challenges facing the province are: cost effective development of resources to meet energy demand; aging infrastructure, high reliability requirements and economic growth; evolving electricity market structure in the United States; and, monopoly. The transmission system was reviewed with reference to trade with the Pacific Northwest, flexibility and storage. The energy plan objectives for the future were presented, including low rates and public ownership, secure and reliable supply, more private sector opportunities, and environmental responsibility. The alternative market structure includes regulated market characteristics, access to trade, and customer focus. figs

ADER discontinuous Galerkin schemes for general-relativistic ideal magnetohydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Fambri, F.; Dumbser, M.; Köppel, S.; Rezzolla, L.; Zanotti, O.

2018-03-01

We present a new class of high-order accurate numerical algorithms for solving the equations of general-relativistic ideal magnetohydrodynamics in curved spacetimes. In this paper we assume the background spacetime to be given and static, i.e. we make use of the Cowling approximation. The governing partial differential equations are solved via a new family of fully-discrete and arbitrary high-order accurate path-conservative discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite-element methods combined with adaptive mesh refinement and time accurate local timestepping. In order to deal with shock waves and other discontinuities, the high-order DG schemes are supplemented with a novel a-posteriori subcell finite-volume limiter, which makes the new algorithms as robust as classical second-order total-variation diminishing finite-volume methods at shocks and discontinuities, but also as accurate as unlimited high-order DG schemes in smooth regions of the flow. We show the advantages of this new approach by means of various classical two- and three-dimensional benchmark problems on fixed spacetimes. Finally, we present a performance and accuracy comparisons between Runge-Kutta DG schemes and ADER high-order finite-volume schemes, showing the higher efficiency of DG schemes.

Energy sales targets: An alternative to White Certificate schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passey, Robert; MacGill, Iain

2009-01-01

White Certificate schemes are currently being implemented or proposed in a growing number of jurisdictions as a means to drive greater energy efficiency uptake. After briefly discussing some of the strengths and weaknesses of such schemes, this paper outlines a proposed alternative approach-the use of Energy Sales Targets. This approach essentially involves the imposition of a cap on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with annual energy sales and, in its simplest version, requires no tradeable certificates or permits. The proposed approach creates a clear measurable link between how compliance is enforced (the retailers' targets) and the desired outcomes of the scheme (measurable reductions in GHG emissions). This drives physical additionality of the scheme, including negation of any rebound effect within the covered sectors. It also avoids the need to define the activities eligible to create certificates, and likewise, no deeming, auditing, monitoring or verification would be required by government beyond ensuring retailer compliance-significantly reducing administration costs. There does not appear to be a clear precedent for this type of scheme anywhere in the world, and so this paper should be seen as a preliminary scoping of options that are deserving of more in-depth assessment.

Pension Fund Governing Board

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2008-01-01

Note The CERN pension scheme is based on the principle of defined benefits, so beneficiaries continue to receive the benefits to which they are entitled in accordance with the Rules of the Pension Fund. This means that pension entitlements under the Rules are not directly affected by the financial crisis and the current economic situation. However, the adjustment of pensions to the cost of living is not automatic and, under the method applied since 2006, must take into account the Fund’s financial position. Meeting of the Pension Fund Governing Board The Pension Fund Governing Board held its eighth meeting at ESO in Garching, Germany (near Munich) on 24 October 2008. Before starting its work, the Governing Board had the privilege of hearing an opening address by Professor Tim de Zeeuw, the Director General of ESO. Professor de Zeeuw described the mission of ESO and the ambitious projects of his organisation, which performs astronomy observations using telescopes located in...

Pension Fund Governing Board

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2008-01-01

Note The CERN pension scheme is based on the principle of defined benefits, so beneficiaries continue to receive the benefits to which they are entitled in accordance with the Rules of the Pension Fund. This means that pension entitlements under the Rules are not directly affected by the financial crisis and the current economic situation. However, the adjustment of pensions to the cost of living is not automatic and, under the method applied since 2006, must take into account the Fund’s financial position. Meeting of the Pension Fund Governing Board The Pension Fund Governing Board held its eighth meeting at ESO in Garching (near Munich), Germany on 24 October 2008. Before starting its work, the Governing Board had the privilege of hearing an opening address by Professor Tim de Zeeuw, the Director General of ESO. Professor de Zeeuw described the mission of ESO and the ambitious projects of his organisation, which performs astronomy observations using telescopes located in Chile. The Director-General receiv...

Second-order splitting schemes for a class of reactive systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Zhuyin; Pope, Stephen B.

2008-01-01

We consider the numerical time integration of a class of reaction-transport systems that are described by a set of ordinary differential equations for primary variables. In the governing equations, the terms involved may require the knowledge of secondary variables, which are functions of the primary variables. Specifically, we consider the case where, given the primary variables, the evaluation of the secondary variables is computationally expensive. To solve this class of reaction-transport equations, we develop and demonstrate several computationally efficient splitting schemes, wherein the portions of the governing equations containing chemical reaction terms are separated from those parts containing the transport terms. A computationally efficient solution to the transport sub-step is achieved through the use of linearization or predictor-corrector methods. The splitting schemes are applied to the reactive flow in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with the Davis-Skodjie reaction model, to the CO+H 2 oxidation in a CSTR with detailed chemical kinetics, and to a reaction-diffusion system with an extension of the Oregonator model of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. As demonstrated in the test problems, the proposed splitting schemes, which yield efficient solutions to the transport sub-step, achieve second-order accuracy in time

Policy for metal leaching and acid rock drainage at mine sites in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-07-01

One of the major environmental issues facing the provincial government of British Columbia is the prevention of environmental impacts from metal leaching and acid rock drainage (ML/ARD). The government's major challenge in regulating ML/ARD is to ensure that all mines are planned and operated in a manner that allows for effective problem detection and mitigation, and that the mines emphasize problem prevention at the outset. This paper reviews the legislated requirements regarding ML/ARD prevention and lists guiding principles for the regulation of ML/ARD in the province. Some of the measures to predict and to mitigate ML/ARD include underwater storage of problematic materials, engineered covers, blending of wastes and drainage collection and treatment. Requirements applicable to construction materials, backfill, geotechnical and hydrological considerations, and security of funds for ML/ARD measures are also discussed

Robust Finite-Time Terminal Sliding Mode Control for a Francis Hydroturbine Governing System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengjiao Wu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The robust finite-time control for a Francis hydroturbine governing system is investigated in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of a Francis hydroturbine governing system is presented and the nonlinear vibration characteristics are analyzed. Then, on the basis of finite-time control theory and terminal sliding mode scheme, a new robust finite-time terminal sliding mode control method is proposed for nonlinear vibration control of the hydroturbine governing system. Furthermore, the designed controller has good robustness which could resist external random disturbances. Numerical simulations are employed to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the designed finite-time sliding mode control scheme. The approach proposed in this paper is simple and also provides a reference for relevant hydropower systems.

Public policy-making and risk profiles: Scandinavian centre-right governments after the turn of the millennium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Christoph

2017-01-01

, the textbook risk profile of centre-right parties’ electorates allows them to cut back on labour market-related schemes since these parties get negligible support from workers and low income voters. Conducting a comparative case study of recent Danish and Swedish centre-right governments, this article analyses......Recent theoretical advances in the welfare state literature have outlined the differences between labour market- and life course-related schemes as centre-right parties have difficulties in enacting retrenchment on life course-related schemes because they concern every voter. In contrast...... the stylised assumptions on the party level by comparing two similar centre-right governments which differed in their voter coalitions’ risk profile. I first argue that centre-right governments are generally constrained by the popular entrenchment of the universal welfare state when it comes to life course-related...

The British Monarchy On Screen

OpenAIRE

Merck, Mandy

2016-01-01

Moving images of the British monarchy, in fact and fiction, are almost as old as the moving image itself, dating back to an 1895 American drama, The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots. British monarchs even appeared in the new ‘animated photography’ from 1896, led by Queen Victoria. Half a century later, the 1953 coronation of Elizabeth II was a milestone in the adoption of television, watched by 20 million Britons and 100 million North Americans. At the century’s end, Princess Diana’s funeral ...

Scheme of energy utilities; Schema de service collectifs de l'energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-04-01

This scheme defines the objectives relative to the renewable energies and the rational use of the energy in the framework of the national energy policy. It evaluates the needs and the potentialities of the regions and preconizes the actions between the government and the territorial organizations. The document is presented in four parts: the situation, the stakes and forecasts; the possible actions for new measures; the scheme management and the regional contributions analysis. (A.L.B.)

‘IN PLACE’: Making the British Library’s Collections ‘Local’ as well as ‘National’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Shaw

2002-04-01

Full Text Available ‚In Place’ is the name of a government-funded digitisation project currently underway at the British Library which when completed in 2004 will be the premier web-showcase for the Library’s collections. It focuses particularly on the Library’s holdings relating to the United Kingdom itself, and is targeted specifically at ‚lifelong learners’, although many of the items being digitised for the first time will equally be of interest to the Library’s core academic clientele.

Key performance indicators in British military trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Stannard, Adam; Tai, Nigel R; Bowley, Douglas M; Midwinter, Mark; Hodgetts, Tim J

2008-08-01

Key performance indicators (KPI) are tools for assessing process and outcome in systems of health care provision and are an essential component in performance improvement. Although KPI have been used in British military trauma for 10 years, they remain poorly defined and are derived from civilian metrics that do not adjust for the realities of field trauma care. Our aim was to modify current trauma KPI to ensure they more faithfully reflect both the military setting and contemporary evidence in order to both aid accurate calibration of the performance of the British Defence Medical Services and act as a driver for performance improvement. A workshop was convened that was attended by senior, experienced doctors and nurses from all disciplines of trauma care in the British military. "Speciality-specific" KPI were developed by interest groups using evidence-based data where available and collective experience where this was lacking. In a final discussion these were streamlined into 60 KPI covering each phase of trauma management. The introduction of these KPI sets a number of important benchmarks by which British military trauma can be measured. As part of a performance improvement programme, these will allow closer monitoring of our performance and assist efforts to develop, train, and resource British military trauma providers.

British Nuclear Fuels PLC: report and accounts 1989-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

Members of the Energy Select Committee put questions to representatives of British Nuclear Fuels PLC (BNFL) about the annual report and accounts 1989-90. Questions concerned the late publication of the accounts, BNFLs role in the downfall of the nuclear privatisation, government assistance to the nuclear industry, the price BNFL charges for fuel reprocessing and the process of laser isotope separation of uranium. The committee also asked about the rate of return in BNFL's assets as a percentage, Sellafield's potential as a site for a deep repository for radioactive wastes and the 6000 boreholes that MREX will drill at Sellafield. The commercial case for reprocessing is made. Feasibility studies for possible new reactions at Sellafield and Chapel Cross have been carried out. On the whole the Energy Committee were satisfied with the replies from BNFL. (UK)

Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS): operations and achievements 1992-1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

The Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS) was launched in 1992 under the DTI's Passive Solar Programme to help improve the energy performance of the UK's building stock. It aimed to do this through direct advice and guidance on passive solar design and energy efficient technologies and processes given to the designers of real building projects. Furthermore, the scheme aimed to raise the awareness and take-up of definitive guidance produced under government programmes such as the Passive Solar programme and the Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. A target energy saving worth Pound 19.3m was set to be achieved by the end of the scheme. This energy saving is equivalent to a reduction in carbon dioxide emission of 220,000 tonnes per year. (author)

A successful Charter challenge to medicare? Policy options for Canadian provincial governments.

Science.gov (United States)

Flood, Colleen M; Thomas, Bryan

2018-03-26

In September 2016, a case went to trial in British Columbia that seeks to test the constitutionality of provincial laws that (1) ban private health insurance for medically necessary hospital and physician services; (2) ban extra-billing (physicians cannot charge patients more than the public tariff); and (3) require physicians to work solely for the public system or 'opt-out' and practice privately. All provinces have similar laws that have been passed to meet the requirements of federal legislation, the Canada Health Act (and thus qualify for federal funds). Consequently, a finding of unconstitutionality of one or more of these laws could have a very significant impact on the future of Canada's single-payer system ('medicare'). However, should the court find that a particular law is not in compliance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the baton is then passed back to the government which may respond with other laws or policies that they believe to be constitutionally compliant. The ultimate impact of any successful Charter challenge to laws protecting medicare from privatization will thus significantly depend on how Canadian governments respond. Provincial governments could allow privatization to undercut equity and access, or they could respond creatively with new legal and policy solutions to both improve equity and access and tackle some of the problems that have long bedeviled Canadian medicare. This paper provides an understanding - grounded in comparative health systems evidence - of law and policy options available to Canadian lawmakers for limiting two-tier care in the wake of any successful challenge to existing laws. The paper presents the results of a large inter-disciplinary, comparative study, started in 2015, that systematically reviewed the legal and broader regulatory schemes used to regulate the public/private divide in 15 Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries with a particular eye to what the effect of

Change in the financing scheme for radioactive waste in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svobodová, Tereza

2018-01-01

Financing radioactive waste management is an issue every country using nuclear power has to deal with. A European directive even makes this binding for Euratom Member States. Germany changed its financing scheme entirely during the past year, thereby moving closer to other states' schemes. Germany replaced the funds put aside by the operators with a public fund to which the companies contribute. Now it is the government that is responsible for radioactive waste. This paper describes the regulation and information collection system on the European level and analyses the former and current German systems, their advantages and potential hazards. (orig.)

The British centennial commemoration of the First World War

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Edward M. Spiers

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This article reviews the course and development of British planning to commemorate the First World War. It highlights the fact that any commentary on that war in Britain has to take account of the prevailing cultural norms. These norms have evolved through much of the poetry, literature, theatre and film of the past century, and have come to represent the war as essentially futile, with an horrendous loss of life, best commemorated through the annual acts of remembrance for the fallen. As this national memory paid scant attention to the many works of revisionist military history written over the last generation, military historians were among the more sceptical when the UK government belatedly announced plans (and derisory levels of government funding to commemorate the First World War. However, the Heritage Lottery Fund has filled the funding gap with £57 million, enabling all manner of projects to flourish whether of national, regional or local significance. By 4-5 August 2014, over 2,330 events, including 519 exhibitions, had been held, and numerous events marked the outbreak of the war. Poppies were again to the fore, most notably the 800,000 ceramic poppies, one for each fallen serviceman, at the Tower of London.

Global and local contexts: the Northern Ogoja Leprosy Scheme, Nigeria, 1945-1960

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manton John

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Deriving funding from missionary sources in Ireland, Britain and the USA, and from international leprosy relief organizations such as the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA and drawing on developing capacities in international public health under the auspices of WHO and UNICEF through the 1950s, the Roman Catholic Mission Ogoja Leprosy Scheme applied international expertise at a local level with ever-increasing success and coverage. This paper supplements the presentation of a successful leprosy control programme in missionary narratives with an appreciation of how international medical politics shaped the parameters of success and the development of therapeutic understanding in the late colonial period in Nigeria.

An Efficient, Semi-implicit Pressure-based Scheme Employing a High-resolution Finitie Element Method for Simulating Transient and Steady, Inviscid and Viscous, Compressible Flows on Unstructured Grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard C. Martineau; Ray A. Berry

2003-04-01

A new semi-implicit pressure-based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) scheme for simulating a wide range of transient and steady, inviscid and viscous compressible flow on unstructured finite elements is presented here. This new CFD scheme, termed the PCICEFEM (Pressure-Corrected ICE-Finite Element Method) scheme, is composed of three computational phases, an explicit predictor, an elliptic pressure Poisson solution, and a semiimplicit pressure-correction of the flow variables. The PCICE-FEM scheme is capable of second-order temporal accuracy by incorporating a combination of a time-weighted form of the two-step Taylor-Galerkin Finite Element Method scheme as an explicit predictor for the balance of momentum equations and the finite element form of a time-weighted trapezoid rule method for the semi-implicit form of the governing hydrodynamic equations. Second-order spatial accuracy is accomplished by linear unstructured finite element discretization. The PCICE-FEM scheme employs Flux-Corrected Transport as a high-resolution filter for shock capturing. The scheme is capable of simulating flows from the nearly incompressible to the high supersonic flow regimes. The PCICE-FEM scheme represents an advancement in mass-momentum coupled, pressurebased schemes. The governing hydrodynamic equations for this scheme are the conservative form of the balance of momentum equations (Navier-Stokes), mass conservation equation, and total energy equation. An operator splitting process is performed along explicit and implicit operators of the semi-implicit governing equations to render the PCICE-FEM scheme in the class of predictor-corrector schemes. The complete set of semi-implicit governing equations in the PCICE-FEM scheme are cast in this form, an explicit predictor phase and a semi-implicit pressure-correction phase with the elliptic pressure Poisson solution coupling the predictor-corrector phases. The result of this predictor-corrector formulation is that the pressure Poisson

Government on the spot over Sellafield's reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

The 18-year gestation of British Nuclear Fuels' Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) is almost at an end. Only one hurdle seemingly remains - the authorisation to dispose of its wastes. Opponents see this as the last chance to scrap what they regard as an environmental and financial white elephant. BNF's original rationale for THORP has grown increasingly threadbare since it was proposed in the mid-1970s - and the Government may now be forced into a last-minute rethink of the consequences of allowing it to be commissioned. (Author)

There's No Such Thing as British Art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Johns

2015-11-01

Full Text Available “Conversation Piece” is a British Art Studies series that draws together a group of contributors to respond to an idea, provocation or question. The conversation will develop as more respondents enter the debate. Fifteen contributors respond to the provocation "There's No Such Thing as British Art".

A Change of Heart? British Policies towards Tubercular Refugees during 1959 World Refugee Year.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Becky

2015-01-01

This article looks at Britain's response to the World Refugee Year (1959-60), and in particular the government's decision to allow entry to refugees with tuberculosis and other chronic illnesses. In doing so, it broke the practice established by the 1920 Aliens' Order which had barred entry to immigrants with a range of medical conditions. This article uses the entry of these sick refugees as an opportunity to explore whether government policy represented as much of a shift in attitude and practice as contemporary accounts suggested. It argues for the importance of setting the reception of tubercular and other 'disabled' refugees in 1959-61 in its very particular historical context, showing it was a case less of the government thinking differently about refugees, and more of how, in a post-Suez context, the government felt obliged to take into account international and public opinion. The work builds on and adds to the growing literature surrounding refugees and disease. It also places the episode within the specificity of the post-war changing epidemiological climate; the creation of the National Health Service; and the welfare state more broadly. In looking at the role of refugee organizations in the Year, the article also contributes to debates over the place of voluntary agencies within British society.

The West African currency board and economic integration of British ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

WACB) as an economic integration effort in British West Africa. Through a collaborative effort between this public institution and a private company, the Bank of British West Africa, British West African colonies were not only unified but also the way ...

Confronting Objections to Performance Pay: A Study of the Impact of Individual and Gain-sharing Incentives on the Job Satisfaction of British Employees

OpenAIRE

Pouliakas, Konstantinos; Theodossiou, Ioannis

2009-01-01

The increasing use of incentive pay schemes in recent years has raised concerns about their potential detrimental effect on intrinsic job satisfaction (JS), job security and employee morale. This study explores the impact of pay incentives on the overall job satisfaction of workers in the UK and their satisfaction with various facets of jobs. Using data from eight waves (1998-2005) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and a uniquely-designed well-being dataset (EPICURUS), a signific...

Many Rhodes: Travelling Scholarships and Imperial Citizenship in the British Academic World, 1880-1940

Science.gov (United States)

Pietsch, Tamson

2011-01-01

Since its Foundation in 1901, the Rhodes Scholarships scheme has been held up as the archetype of a programme designed to foster imperial citizens. However, though impressive in scale, Cecil Rhodes's foundation was not the first to bring colonial students to Britain. Over the course of the previous half-century, governments, universities and…

British Columbia oil and gas development strategy for the heartlands (OGDS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smyth, P.; Molinski, D.

2004-01-01

This presentation describes the initiatives undertaken by the British Columbia government to promote competition in the midstream petroleum sector. The oil and gas development strategy (OGDS) for the province was announced in June 2003, with additional initiatives announced in November 2003. The Action Plan focuses on four main components, roads, royalties, the service sector and regulations. Investment into roads will provide many benefits, some of which include better access to resources with increased industry and provincial revenues. This presentation described the infrastructure vision as well as the service sector strategy. The royalties targeted to opportunities include deep well exploration, marginal play development, expansion of the summer drilling season, and new resource opportunities in unconventional and new basins. 1 tab., 7 figs

The Contribution of Individual Learning Accounts to the Lifelong Learning Policies of the UK Government: A Case-Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, John

2000-01-01

A survey of 765 adult learners who funded education through the British government's Individual Learning Accounts showed the program brought in new lifelong learning participants, encouraged more demanding learning, and increased participation of underrepresented groups. Advice and guidance played an important role. (SK)

Predictors of Availing Maternal Health Schemes: A community based study in Gujarat, India

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Kranti Suresh Vora

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: India continues to face challenges in improving key maternal health indicators with about 1/3rd of global maternal deaths happening in India. Utilization of health care services is an important issue in India with significant proportion of home deliveries and majority of mothers not receiving adequate antenatal care. Mortality among poor rural women is the highest with lowest utilization. To make maternal healthcare more equitable, numerous schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Chiranjeevi Yojana, Kasturba Poshan Sahay Yojana have been introduced. Studies suggest that utilization of such schemes by target population is low and there is a need to understand factors affecting maternal health care utilization in the context of these schemes. Current community based study was done in rural Gujarat to understand characteristics of women who utilize such schemes and predictors of utilization. Methodology: Data collection was done in two districts of Gujarat from June to August, 2013 as a pilot phase of MATIND project. Community based cross-sectional study included 827 households and socio-demographic details of 1454 women of 15-49 years age groups were collected. 265 mothers, who had delivered after 1st January, 2013 are included in the regression analyses. The data analysis carried out with R version 3.0.1 software.  Results: The analysis indicates socioeconomic variables such as caste, maternal variables such as education and health system variables such as use of government facility are important predictors of maternal health scheme utilization. Results suggest that socioeconomic and health system factors are the best predictors for availing scheme. Conclusion: Health system variables along with individual level variables are important predictors for availing maternal health schemes. The study indicates the need to examine all levels of predictors for utilizing government health schemes to maximize the benefit for underserved

Low enrolment in Ugandan Community Health Insurance Schemes: underlying causes and policy implications

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Criel Bart

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the promotion of Community Health Insurance (CHI in Uganda in the second half of the 90's, mainly under the impetus of external aid organisations, overall membership has remained low. Today, some 30,000 persons are enrolled in about a dozen different schemes located in Central and Southern Uganda. Moreover, most of these schemes were created some 10 years ago but since then, only one or two new schemes have been launched. The dynamic of CHI has apparently come to a halt. Methods A case study evaluation was carried out on two selected CHI schemes: the Ishaka and the Save for Health Uganda (SHU schemes. The objective of this evaluation was to explore the reasons for the limited success of CHI. The evaluation involved review of the schemes' records, key informant interviews and exit polls with both insured and non-insured patients. Results Our research points to a series of not mutually exclusive explanations for this under-achievement at both the demand and the supply side of health care delivery. On the demand side, the following elements have been identified: lack of basic information on the scheme's design and operation, limited understanding of the principles underlying CHI, limited community involvement and lack of trust in the management of the schemes, and, last but not least, problems in people's ability to pay the insurance premiums. On the supply-side, we have identified the following explanations: limited interest and knowledge of health care providers and managers of CHI, and the absence of a coherent policy framework for the development of CHI. Conclusion The policy implications of this study refer to the need for the government to provide the necessary legislative, technical and regulative support to CHI development. The main policy challenge however is the need to reconcile the government of Uganda's interest in promoting CHI with the current policy of abolition of user fees in public facilities.

British Box Business: A History of OCL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, René Taudal

2018-01-01

Book review of British Box Business: A History of OCL / edited by A. Bott SCARA, Goldaming, 2009, £17 (hb) 288 pages, illustrations, bibliography, index iSBn 139780955922701......Book review of British Box Business: A History of OCL / edited by A. Bott SCARA, Goldaming, 2009, £17 (hb) 288 pages, illustrations, bibliography, index iSBn 139780955922701...

The Current Canon in British Romantics Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Linkin, Harriet Kramer

1991-01-01

Describes and reports on a survey of 164 U.S. universities to ascertain what is taught as the current canon of British Romantic literature. Asserts that the canon may now include Mary Shelley with the former standard six major male Romantic poets, indicating a significant emergence of a feminist perspective on British Romanticism in the classroom.…

Employment and Training Schemes for Rural Youth: Learning from Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Phan-Thuy, N.

1985-01-01

Over the past two decades a number of African and Asian governments have experimented with various types of youth mobilization or employment and training schemes in trying to cope with rural youth unemployment. A critical appraisal is made of some of these in an attempt to establish criteria that productive employment programs for rural youth…

British Nuclear Fuels plc: report and accounts 1987-88

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The Energy Committee has considered the report and accounts of BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels PLC) for the year 1987-88. The report looks at BNFL as a government owned PLC - its activities and financial performance. Various questions are raised about the underlying financial position justifying the optimism portrayed in the report and accounts. The impact of cost-plus contracts on UK customers is examined. The economics of THORP (Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant) are also examined especially as the escalation in the cost of constructing THORP means that a substantial loss will be made in the reprocessing of waste for which contracts were signed in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The main conclusions of the report are summarized. One of these is that the UK must be cautious about becoming a repository of foreign nuclear waste. Other specific recommendations are made - some about the decommissioning of BNFL plant. (UK)

A secure quantum group signature scheme based on Bell states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Kejia; Song Tingting; Zuo Huijuan; Zhang Weiwei

2013-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new secure quantum group signature with Bell states, which may have applications in e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc. Compared with the recent quantum group signature protocols, our scheme is focused on the most general situation in practice, i.e. only the arbitrator is trusted and no intermediate information needs to be stored in the signing phase to ensure the security. Furthermore, our scheme has achieved all the characteristics of group signature—anonymity, verifiability, traceability, unforgetability and undeniability, by using some current developed quantum and classical technologies. Finally, a feasible security analysis model for quantum group signature is presented. (paper)

Social Protection Schemes in Pakistan: assessment of existing programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu ShuHong

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Social protection is regarded as a basic human right guaranteed in several International Covenants and Treaties. The Constitution of Pakistan exclusively stipulates the provision of social security for all citizens of the country. The aim of the study is to explore and evaluate the social protection schemes with regards to its coverage, scope and outreach. The country has number of social security schemes that are being carried out by provincial and federal governments for the welfare of workers like old age benefits, disablement, health and medical facilities. However, these schemes have failed to extend their benefits to home based, part-time, temporary or contract and agricultural workers. This paper attempts to highlight the shortcomings of existing social protection programs that are obstructing their benefit distribution and limiting their outreach. It underlines the challenges faced by the implementing agencies. This paper also suggests some improvements in the structural design of social security mechanism with special focus on the scope, coverage, outreach and effective delivery mechanism. Since, the proper allocation of resources and effective implementation of these schemes can ensure the assistance and welfare of the targeted population.

British auditors in Poland in the interwar period

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Jerzy Cieślik

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of historical research on the operation of British accounting firm Whin-ney, Murray & Co in Poland before World War II. Based on our findings this was the only foreign ac-counting firm active in Poland at that time. Following their clients, British accounting firms expanded their operations abroad at the turn of the 19th century. During the 1920s and 1930s the number of audit assignments on the European continent increased rapidly, which necessitated the establishment of branches (offices in major European cities and industrial districts. Whinney, Murray & Co set up an office in Warsaw in 1932 taking into account its convenient location as a base for undertaking audit assignments throughout the Eastern European region. The Warsaw office concentrated initially on inter-national clients active in Poland but was also engaged in audits of Polish power plants and participated as financial advisor in the electrification program of Polish railways with involvement of British investors. Whinney, Murray & Co contributed to the development of Polish-British economic cooperation before World War II. Its representative was one of the founders of the Polish-British Chamber of Commerce established in Warsaw in 1933.

Barriers to Co-Contribution in Superannuation: a Comparative Assessment of the Financial Benefits of Scheme Participation

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Aaron Bruhn

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Voluntary superannuation contributions provide a means for individuals to top-up their savings in a tax advantaged environment. In order to encourage voluntary contributions the government instituted the cocontribution scheme in 2003. Under the existing scheme, within a given financial year the government contributes up to a maximum of $500 when an individual on a low income makes a voluntary contribution of up to $1,000. Despite the apparent financial attractiveness of the scheme, participation among eligible persons is low. Reasons may include competing expenditure needs leading to a lack of sufficient funds for contribution, lack of trust in the system given regular changes to superannuation policy, and behavioural reasons including a short-term rather than long-term focus, procrastination from uncertainty and fear of regret, and loss aversion. In this paper we investigate another possible reason for low participation, namely poor financial opportunity cost. While an immediate 50% investment return may appear to be a ‘no-brainer’, for eligible individuals or families with mortgages, scheme participation may in fact not be optimal. We investigate the relative benefit of scheme participation versus reducing a mortgage, and conclude that while participation is sensible for those with short remaining mortgage terms, for those with longer mortgage terms the decision to participate may not be preferred unless one assumes generous long-term superannuation investment returns, or unless scheme participation is intended year on year for long durations.

Smuggling as the "key to a combined market": British American Tobacco in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakkash, R; Lee, K

2008-10-01

To understand the strategy of British American Tobacco (BAT) and other transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) to gain access to the Lebanese market, which has remained relatively closed under monopoly ownership and political instability. Analysis of internal industry documents, local language secondary sources and industry publications. TTCs have relied on legal and illegal channels to supply the Lebanese market since at least the 1970s. Available documents suggest smuggling has been an important component of BAT's market entry strategy, transported in substantial quantities via middlemen for sale in Lebanon and neighbouring countries. TTCs took advantage of weak and unstable governance, resulting in uncertainty over the Regie's legal status, and continued to supply the contraband trade despite appeals by the government to cease undermining its revenues. Since the end of the civil war in the early 1990s, continued uncertainty about the tobacco monopoly amid political instability has encouraged TTCs to seek a legal presence in the country, while continuing to achieve substantial sales through contraband. Evidence of the complicity of TTCs in cigarette smuggling extends to Lebanon and the Middle East where this trade has especially benefited from weak governance and chronic political instability. The regional nature of TTC strategy supports strong international cooperation under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to tackle the problem.

Numerical solution of special ultra-relativistic Euler equations using central upwind scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaffar, Tayabia; Yousaf, Muhammad; Qamar, Shamsul

2018-06-01

This article is concerned with the numerical approximation of one and two-dimensional special ultra-relativistic Euler equations. The governing equations are coupled first-order nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations. These equations describe perfect fluid flow in terms of the particle density, the four-velocity and the pressure. A high-resolution shock-capturing central upwind scheme is employed to solve the model equations. To avoid excessive numerical diffusion, the considered scheme avails the specific information of local propagation speeds. By using Runge-Kutta time stepping method and MUSCL-type initial reconstruction, we have obtained 2nd order accuracy of the proposed scheme. After discussing the model equations and the numerical technique, several 1D and 2D test problems are investigated. For all the numerical test cases, our proposed scheme demonstrates very good agreement with the results obtained by well-established algorithms, even in the case of highly relativistic 2D test problems. For validation and comparison, the staggered central scheme and the kinetic flux-vector splitting (KFVS) method are also implemented to the same model. The robustness and efficiency of central upwind scheme is demonstrated by the numerical results.

Robust Finite-Time Terminal Sliding Mode Control for a Francis Hydroturbine Governing System

OpenAIRE

Fengjiao Wu; Junling Ding; Zhengzhong Wang

2016-01-01

The robust finite-time control for a Francis hydroturbine governing system is investigated in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of a Francis hydroturbine governing system is presented and the nonlinear vibration characteristics are analyzed. Then, on the basis of finite-time control theory and terminal sliding mode scheme, a new robust finite-time terminal sliding mode control method is proposed for nonlinear vibration control of the hydroturbine governing system. Furthermore, the d...

Harmonisation between National and International Tradeable Permit Schemes. CATEP Synthesis Paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haites, E.

2003-01-01

It is technically possible to link national emissions trading schemes with widely divergent designs. Where design differences create potential problems, technical solutions are available. The greater the similarity of their designs, the easier schemes are to link. During the 2005 - 2007 period the EU Directive, if it is adopted, will lead to the establishment of at least 25 national emissions trading schemes. The Directive specifies many of the design features of these schemes, but leaves the allocation of allowances, rules for banking allowances into the commitment period, use of the opt-out provision, and a few other design features to Member States. The resulting differences among Member State schemes are unlikely to undermine the links between the schemes established by the Directive. The Community may enter into agreements with non-members for mutual recognition of allowances between their emissions trading schemes, but few, if any, links of this type are expected prior to 2008 for practical reasons. Beginning in 2008, Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol establishes an international emissions trading scheme that can link the national trading schemes of Annex I Parties. It imposes no requirements for harmonisation on the national emissions trading schemes linked. Some design differences could create technical problems, although solutions are available and at least one of the governments involved has an incentive to solve the problem. Adverse competitiveness impacts due to differences in the distribution of allowances across national schemes may need to be addressed through institutions such as the WTO. Most of the national trading schemes will also be subject to the EU Directive and be subject to greater harmonisation after 2008. The result is likely to be a progressive expansion and integration of greenhouse gas allowance markets over the next decade

A fast iterative scheme for the linearized Boltzmann equation

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Lei; Zhang, Jun; Liu, Haihu; Zhang, Yonghao; Reese, Jason M.

2017-06-01

Iterative schemes to find steady-state solutions to the Boltzmann equation are efficient for highly rarefied gas flows, but can be very slow to converge in the near-continuum flow regime. In this paper, a synthetic iterative scheme is developed to speed up the solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation by penalizing the collision operator L into the form L = (L + Nδh) - Nδh, where δ is the gas rarefaction parameter, h is the velocity distribution function, and N is a tuning parameter controlling the convergence rate. The velocity distribution function is first solved by the conventional iterative scheme, then it is corrected such that the macroscopic flow velocity is governed by a diffusion-type equation that is asymptotic-preserving into the Navier-Stokes limit. The efficiency of this new scheme is assessed by calculating the eigenvalue of the iteration, as well as solving for Poiseuille and thermal transpiration flows. We find that the fastest convergence of our synthetic scheme for the linearized Boltzmann equation is achieved when Nδ is close to the average collision frequency. The synthetic iterative scheme is significantly faster than the conventional iterative scheme in both the transition and the near-continuum gas flow regimes. Moreover, due to its asymptotic-preserving properties, the synthetic iterative scheme does not need high spatial resolution in the near-continuum flow regime, which makes it even faster than the conventional iterative scheme. Using this synthetic scheme, with the fast spectral approximation of the linearized Boltzmann collision operator, Poiseuille and thermal transpiration flows between two parallel plates, through channels of circular/rectangular cross sections and various porous media are calculated over the whole range of gas rarefaction. Finally, the flow of a Ne-Ar gas mixture is solved based on the linearized Boltzmann equation with the Lennard-Jones intermolecular potential for the first time, and the difference

The solar photovoltaic feed-in tariff scheme in New South Wales, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Nigel; Rice, John

2013-01-01

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) electricity systems are part of Australia's energy supply matrix. In the case of New South Wales (NSW), the state government has had to deal with a complex policy problem. In order to play its role in the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, the NSW government initiated the 7 year Solar Bonus Scheme in 2010. However, in attempting to maximise community investment in small-scale solar PV systems, it relied on faulty financial modelling that applied a generous Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and underestimated the level of investor participation and installed capacity. Consequently, the scheme has resulted in very high public costs that will require policy changes that bring investors and energy retailers into conflict, and unpopular electricity retail price adjustments. This paper uses a structured case and stakeholder analysis to critically analyse the FiT policy, while also highlighting important lessons for policymakers engaging in FiT design. - highlights: • Describes the design of a feed-in tariff policy for solar PV electricity exports. • Exposes a A$1 billion payment overrun and weaknesses in policy controls. • Identifies policy design flaws and opportunities to improve future tariff designs. • Discusses the importance of developing nationally integrated feed-in tariff policies

Numerical Simulations of Reacting Flows Using Asynchrony-Tolerant Schemes for Exascale Computing

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, Emmet; Konduri, Aditya; Chen, Jacqueline

2017-11-01

Communication and data synchronization between processing elements (PEs) are likely to pose a major challenge in scalability of solvers at the exascale. Recently developed asynchrony-tolerant (AT) finite difference schemes address this issue by relaxing communication and synchronization between PEs at a mathematical level while preserving accuracy, resulting in improved scalability. The performance of these schemes has been validated for simple linear and nonlinear homogeneous PDEs. However, many problems of practical interest are governed by highly nonlinear PDEs with source terms, whose solution may be sensitive to perturbations caused by communication asynchrony. The current work applies the AT schemes to combustion problems with chemical source terms, yielding a stiff system of PDEs with nonlinear source terms highly sensitive to temperature. Examples shown will use single-step and multi-step CH4 mechanisms for 1D premixed and nonpremixed flames. Error analysis will be discussed both in physical and spectral space. Results show that additional errors introduced by the AT schemes are negligible and the schemes preserve their accuracy. We acknowledge funding from the DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship administered by the Krell Institute.

A comparative study of upwind and MacCormack schemes for CAA benchmark problems

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanathan, K.; Sankar, L. N.

1995-01-01

In this study, upwind schemes and MacCormack schemes are evaluated as to their suitability for aeroacoustic applications. The governing equations are cast in a curvilinear coordinate system and discretized using finite volume concepts. A flux splitting procedure is used for the upwind schemes, where the signals crossing the cell faces are grouped into two categories: signals that bring information from outside into the cell, and signals that leave the cell. These signals may be computed in several ways, with the desired spatial and temporal accuracy achieved by choosing appropriate interpolating polynomials. The classical MacCormack schemes employed here are fourth order accurate in time and space. Results for categories 1, 4, and 6 of the workshop's benchmark problems are presented. Comparisons are also made with the exact solutions, where available. The main conclusions of this study are finally presented.

The Australian Managed Entry Scheme: Are We Getting it Right?

Science.gov (United States)

Tuffaha, Haitham W; Scuffham, Paul A

2018-05-01

In 2010, the Australian Government introduced the managed entry scheme (MES) to improve patient access to subsidised drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and enhance the quality of evidence provided to decision makers. The aim of this paper was to critically review the Australian MES experience. We performed a comprehensive review of publicly available Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee online documents from January 2010 to July 2017. Relevant information on each MES agreement was systematically extracted, including its rationale, the conditions that guided its implementation and its policy outcomes. We identified 11 drugs where an MES was considered. Most of the identified drugs (75%) were antineoplastic agents and the main uncertainty was the overall survival benefit. More than half of the MES proposals were made by sponsors and most of the schemes were considered after previous rejected/deferred submissions for reimbursement. An MES was not established in 8 of 11 drugs (73%) despite the high evidence uncertainty. Nevertheless, six of these eight drugs were listed after the sponsors reduced their prices. Three MESs were established and implemented by Deeds of Agreement. The three cases were concluded and the required data were submitted within the agreed time frames. The need for feasibility and value of an MES should be carefully considered by stakeholders before embarking on such an agreement. It is essential to engage major stakeholders, including patient representatives, in this process. The conditions governing MESs should be clear, transparent and balanced to address the expectations of various stakeholders.

Compulsory Land Acquisitions In Tanganyika Revisiting The British Colonial Expropriation Principles And Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cletus Eligius Ndjovu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The British took over Tanganyika from the Germans in 1919 after the First World War. In facilitating colonial economic policies the British Colonial Government enacted Land Ordinance Cap 113 of 1923 and Land Acquisition Ordinance Cap 118 of 1926. These laws facilitated the acquisition of native lands and considerably changed the way expropriation was handled leaving behind permanent marks on the later practice. The colonial practice exposed the inner most economic intents of the British government. Use of legal phrases like for public purpose embedded in the ordinance had multiple legal interpretations and loose definition befitting the colonial economic cravings of the time. Although major provisions of the colonial acquisition laws are reflected in the later laws evidence suggests that a few elements of colonial expropriation practices have also sneaked in as silent laws of expropriation but others have not. Quite a few practices had been deliberately discarded or inadvertently forgotten for lack of a political will to purify and emulate them or due to lack of good record keeping. Using historical data and archival records from the Tanzania National Archives this study explored colonial expropriations mainly by focusing on the principles laws practices and procedures used. The main objective of the study was to identify good practices used during the said era the intended and unintended consequences of these unreported practices especially those which need to be emulated by the current laws and practices. The study concluded by shedding light on bad practices which are being exercised to date uncritically but also acknowledging good colonial expropriation practices which existed then but could be emulated. First the study insists that public purpose clause in expropriation must be affected with good and fair intentions and a mechanism to check this be set. Secondly PAPs involvement in land acquisition and compensation negotiations

China in transition: the new health insurance scheme for the urban employed.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindle, D

2000-01-01

China has been very successful in achieving good health at a low cost, mostly through national programs for health promotion and illness prevention. However, increased prosperity in recent years has led to higher expectations for therapeutic care, and the change to a socialist market economy has created new risks and opportunities for both financing and care provision. After several years of experimentation, China committed itself in 1996 to a major reform program which includes implementation of a new method of financing of care for the urban employed population. It comprises a mix of government-operated compulsory basic insurance, individual health savings accounts, and optional private health insurance. This paper outlines the new Scheme, and notes some tactical and strategic issues. I conclude that the Chinese government is correctly choosing to balance new and old ideas, but that there are many challenges to be faced including integration of the new Scheme with the rest of the health care system.

ESCAP mobile training scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasas, F M

1977-01-01

In response to a United Nations resolution, the Mobile Training Scheme (MTS) was set up to provide training to the trainers of national cadres engaged in frontline and supervisory tasks in social welfare and rural development. The training is innovative in its being based on an analysis of field realities. The MTS team consisted of a leader, an expert on teaching methods and materials, and an expert on action research and evaluation. The country's trainers from different departments were sent to villages to work for a short period and to report their problems in fulfilling their roles. From these grass roots experiences, they made an analysis of the job, determining what knowledge, attitude and skills it required. Analysis of daily incidents and problems were used to produce indigenous teaching materials drawn from actual field practice. How to consider the problems encountered through government structures for policy making and decisions was also learned. Tasks of the students were to identify the skills needed for role performance by job analysis, daily diaries and project histories; to analyze the particular community by village profiles; to produce indigenous teaching materials; and to practice the role skills by actual role performance. The MTS scheme was tried in Nepal in 1974-75; 3 training programs trained 25 trainers and 51 frontline workers; indigenous teaching materials were created; technical papers written; and consultations were provided. In Afghanistan the scheme was used in 1975-76; 45 participants completed the training; seminars were held; and an ongoing Council was created. It is hoped that the training program will be expanded to other countries.

Local Content Requirements in Renewable Energy Schemes - Government Procurement or a Violation of International Obligations?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verburg, Cornelis

2017-01-01

Numerous States have adopted renewable energy schemes aimed at incentivising investments in renewable energy generation capacity that contain local content requirements as an eligibility criterion to obtain support, such as a feed-in tariff. However, these requirements may violate the international

The Milk in Schools Scheme, 1934-45: "Nationalization" and Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Atkins, Peter

2005-01-01

In October 1934 the National Government took over what had previously been a commercial initiative to encourage milk-drinking in schools. By the outbreak of war the Milk in Schools Scheme had reached 87 per cent of elementary schools in England and Wales and 56 per cent of pupils were drinking one-third of a pint daily. This paper investigates the…

On Converting Secret Sharing Scheme to Visual Secret Sharing Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Daoshun

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Traditional Secret Sharing (SS schemes reconstruct secret exactly the same as the original one but involve complex computation. Visual Secret Sharing (VSS schemes decode the secret without computation, but each share is m times as big as the original and the quality of the reconstructed secret image is reduced. Probabilistic visual secret sharing (Prob.VSS schemes for a binary image use only one subpixel to share the secret image; however the probability of white pixels in a white area is higher than that in a black area in the reconstructed secret image. SS schemes, VSS schemes, and Prob. VSS schemes have various construction methods and advantages. This paper first presents an approach to convert (transform a -SS scheme to a -VSS scheme for greyscale images. The generation of the shadow images (shares is based on Boolean XOR operation. The secret image can be reconstructed directly by performing Boolean OR operation, as in most conventional VSS schemes. Its pixel expansion is significantly smaller than that of VSS schemes. The quality of the reconstructed images, measured by average contrast, is the same as VSS schemes. Then a novel matrix-concatenation approach is used to extend the greyscale -SS scheme to a more general case of greyscale -VSS scheme.

Consolidating the social health insurance schemes in China: towards an equitable and efficient health system.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Qingyue; Fang, Hai; Liu, Xiaoyun; Yuan, Beibei; Xu, Jin

2015-10-10

Fragmentation in social health insurance schemes is an important factor for inequitable access to health care and financial protection for people covered by different health insurance schemes in China. To fulfil its commitment of universal health coverage by 2020, the Chinese Government needs to prioritise addressing this issue. After analysing the situation of fragmentation, this Review summarises efforts to consolidate health insurance schemes both in China and internationally. Rural migrants, elderly people, and those with non-communicable diseases in China will greatly benefit from consolidation of the existing health insurance schemes with extended funding pools, thereby narrowing the disparities among health insurance schemes in fund level and benefit package. Political commitments, institutional innovations, and a feasible implementation plan are the major elements needed for success in consolidation. Achievement of universal health coverage in China needs systemic strategies including consolidation of the social health insurance schemes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

British Discourses on ‘the Jew’ and ‘the Nation’ 1899-1919

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Susanne Terwey

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In Britain, modern antisemitism, that is, the perception of Jews as a ‘race’ as well as the employment of pictures of the Jew in social and political debates, developed around the same time as did its French and German counterparts, in the second half of the 19th century. Concentrating on the years between the South African War and the conclusion of the Great War, this essay explores the functional character of antisemitism and the discursive context of negative images of the Jew. In Britain, too, Jews were identified as a negative ferment within the nation, and they figured largely as an agent of representative government. In addition, Jews were continuously used as a negative foil for the definition of what was ‘English’ or ‘British’. However, unlike their continental counterparts, British anti-Semites did not question Jewish emancipation and even distanced themselves from ‘antisemitism’ at a time when elsewhere in Europe, being an ‘antisemite’ was a positive social and political stance. Both elements reflected the political culture, within which British antisemitic narratives evolved: while allowing for various forms of manifest and latent antisemitism, late 19th century Liberalism secured the status of the Jews as a religious minority, and contained specific forms of antisemitism that emerged on the Continent during the same period.

British firms mark progress off Viet Nam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

British companies are making more inroads in exploring for oil and gas off Viet Nam. British Gas plc won a 25 year production sharing contract for a license off southern Viet Nam in the South China Sea. Meantime, London independent Lasmo plc started seismic surveys on the block adjoining the British Gas block. Separately, Thailand and Viet Nam have reached agreement to jointly explore for and develop oil and gas found in waters claimed by both countries. Plans call for the two countries to draw up joint development plans covering oil and gas resources in the southeastern fringe of the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok officials say they would have preferred to delineate maritime boundaries with Hanoi, but opted for the joint development accord, noting that Thailand and Malaysia had taken 12 years to resolve a similar dispute

An adjoint-based scheme for eigenvalue error improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merton, S.R.; Smedley-Stevenson, R.P.; Pain, C.C.; El-Sheikh, A.H.; Buchan, A.G.

2011-01-01

A scheme for improving the accuracy and reducing the error in eigenvalue calculations is presented. Using a rst order Taylor series expansion of both the eigenvalue solution and the residual of the governing equation, an approximation to the error in the eigenvalue is derived. This is done using a convolution of the equation residual and adjoint solution, which is calculated in-line with the primal solution. A defect correction on the solution is then performed in which the approximation to the error is used to apply a correction to the eigenvalue. The method is shown to dramatically improve convergence of the eigenvalue. The equation for the eigenvalue is shown to simplify when certain normalizations are applied to the eigenvector. Two such normalizations are considered; the rst of these is a fission-source type of normalisation and the second is an eigenvector normalisation. Results are demonstrated on a number of demanding elliptic problems using continuous Galerkin weighted nite elements. Moreover, the correction scheme may also be applied to hyperbolic problems and arbitrary discretization. This is not limited to spatial corrections and may be used throughout the phase space of the discrete equation. The applied correction not only improves fidelity of the calculation, it allows assessment of the reliability of numerical schemes to be made and could be used to guide mesh adaption algorithms or to automate mesh generation schemes. (author)

Privatisation of the British coal industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowles, R.V. (Norton Rose, London (UK))

1991-01-01

The article discusses the possible consequences of the impending privatisation of British Coal. It seems likely that deep mine operations will probably be divided up geographically but opencast mines may be left in single ownership. Freehold ownership of coal is likely to be transferred to the Crown and British Coal's powers to license small mines and opencast sites are likely to be absorbed into a general licensing system under control of the Department of Energy. Possible difficulties of public share issues are discussed - subsidence, environmental problems and also the uncertainty of the future market for British coal are mentioned. As an alternative, a series of contract sales of groups of mine properties could be made. Issues of common concern to future owners of the coal industry may lead to the creation of a new mineowner's trade association. Constraints in the areas of procurement and coal sales are discusssed briefly. Although a gloomy scenario is presented, it is suggested that some mines could become highly profitable. 1 ref.

A stable computational scheme for stiff time-dependent constitutive equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shih, C.F.; Delorenzi, H.G.; Miller, A.K.

1977-01-01

Viscoplasticity and creep type constitutive equations are increasingly being employed in finite element codes for evaluating the deformation of high temperature structural members. These constitutive equations frequently exhibit stiff regimes which makes an analytical assessment of the structure very costly. A computational scheme for handling deformation in stiff regimes is proposed in this paper. By the finite element discretization, the governing partial differential equations in the spatial (x) and time (t) variables are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations in the independent variable t. The constitutive equations are expanded in a Taylor's series about selected values of t. The resulting system of differential equations are then integrated by an implicit scheme which employs a predictor technique to initiate the Newton-Raphson procedure. To examine the stability and accuracy of the computational scheme, a series of calculations were carried out for uniaxial specimens and thick wall tubes subjected to mechanical and thermal loading. (Auth.)

Fixed-Time Stability of the Hydraulic Turbine Governing System

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Caoyuan Ma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the problem of fixed-time stability of hydraulic turbine governing system with the elastic water hammer nonlinear model. To control and improve the quality of hydraulic turbine governing system, a new fixed-time control strategy is proposed, which can stabilize the water turbine governing system within a fixed time. Compared with the finite-time control strategy where the convergence rate depends on the initial state, the settling time of the fixed-time control scheme can be adjusted to the required value regardless of the initial conditions. Finally, we numerically show that the fixed-time control is more effective than and superior to the finite-time control.

Registration for public drug benefits across areas of differing ethnic composition in British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Leong, Vivian W; Morgan, Steve; Wong, Sabrina T; Hanley, Gillian E; Black, Charlyn

2010-06-17

In 2003, the government of British Columbia, Canada introduced a universal drug benefit plan to cover drug costs that are high relative to household income. Residents were required to register in order to be eligible for the income-based benefits. Given past research suggesting that registration processes may pose an access barrier to certain subpopulations, we aimed to determine whether registration rates varied across small geographic areas that differed in ethnic composition. Using linked population-based administrative databases and census data, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine whether the probability of registration for the public drug plan varied across areas of differing ethnic composition, controlling for household-level predisposing, enabling and needs factors. The adjusted odds of registration did not differ across regions characterized by high concentrations (greater than 30%) of residents identifying as North American, British, French or other European. Households located in areas with concentrations of residents identifying as an Asian ethnicity had the highest odds of program registration: Chinese (OR = 1.21, CI: 1.19-1.23) and South Asian (OR = 1.19, CI: 1.16-1.22). Despite this positive finding, households residing in areas with relatively high concentrations of recent immigrants had slightly lower adjusted odds of registering for the program (OR = 0.97, CI: 0.95-0.98). This study identified ethnic variation in registration for a new public drug benefit program in British Columbia. However, unlike previous studies, the variation observed did not indicate that areas with high concentrations of certain ethnicities experienced disadvantages. Potential explanations are discussed.

Overview of government and market driven programs for the promotion of renewable power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, T.; Andersson, G.; Soeder, L.

2001-01-01

This paper presents and briefly evaluates some existing government instruments and market schemes which support the development of renewable energy generation. The brief evaluation focuses on the incentives provided by the various instruments to reduce production costs. The instruments and schemes are: feed-in tariffs, net metering, bidding process, fixed quotas, green certificate trading, green power exchange, green pricing. (author)

De-regulated electric power markets and operating nuclear power plants: the case of British energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hewlett, James G.

2005-01-01

One issue addressed in almost all electric power restructuring/de-regulation plans in both the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) was the recovery of operating nuclear power plant's spent fuel disposal costs and the expenditures to decommission the units when they are retired. Prior to restructuring, in theory at least, in both countries, electricity consumers were paying for the back end costs from operating nuclear power plants. Moreover, in virtually all cases in the US, states included special provisions to insure that consumers would continue to do so after power markets were de-regulated. When power markets in the UK were initially restructured/de-regulated and nuclear power privatized, the shareholders of British Energy (BE) were initially responsible for these costs. However, after electricity prices fell and BE collapsed, the British government shifted many of the costs to future taxpayers, as much as a century forward. If this was not done, the book value of BE's equity would have been about -3.5 billion pounds. That is, BE's liabilities would have been about -3.5 billion pounds greater than their assets. It is difficult to see how BE could remain viable under such circumstances

The meaning of ice: scientific scrutiny and the visual record obtained from the British polar expeditions between 1772 and 1854

OpenAIRE

Ware, Trevor David Oliver

2014-01-01

This thesis is an analysis of the work produced by artists accompanying naval expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions between 1772 and 1854. The expeditions were mainly by sea and supplemented in the Arctic by some overland. Their aims were scientific and organised chiefly, but not exclusively, in conjunction with the Royal Society of London. Various British Governments sought strategic advantages along with international recognition for finding both a Southern Continent and a North W...

Who's in charge here anyway? Polycentric governance configurations and the development of policy on invasive alien species in the semisovereign Caribbean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vaas, J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/412502976; Driessen, P.P.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/069081417; Giezen, Mendel; van Laerhoven, F.S.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/314406832; Wassen, M.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/07165710X

2017-01-01

We address the development of policy by polycentric governance configurations, taking Caribbean overseas territories and their advancements on invasive alien species (IAS) policy as an example. The British, Dutch, and French islands in the Caribbean address this matter to different degrees, which we

Transnational Clientelism, Global (Resource) Governance and the Disciplining of Dissent

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hönke, Jana

2018-01-01

Schemes for more responsible global governance have often come with new ways of thwarting meaningful voice, participation and dissent of those they are claimed to be beneficial for. This article argues that these processes extend beyond the more often criticized disciplinary effects of civil society

Industrial natural gas supply options in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Information is provided on the availability and cost of natural gas in British Columbia for use by firms interested in establishing gas-intensive industrial facilities in the province. British Columbia has an abundant supply of natural gas, originating mainly from deposits in the westernmost part of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in the northeast part of the province. Recoverable resources in British Columbia are estimated at 1,000-1,400 billion m 3 . Over 200 producers compete to sell natural gas for both domestic and export markets. Gathering, processing, and transmission of the gas is undertaken mainly by the Westcoast Energy pipeline system, and distribution is undertaken by several distribution utilities. At present, all large industrial gas users buy their firm gas requirements directly from gas producers, often using gas marketers or brokers to assist in purchasing. Regulation of the gas industry is performed by the British Columbia Utilities Commission, which sets rules for energy supply contracts, and by the National Energy Board, which sets tolls for gathering, processing, and transporting gas. Factors affecting gas pricing are discussed, with reference to both the wellhead price and the cost of gathering, processing, and transportation. Firm gas costs for two hypothetical industrial loads in British Columbia are illustrated. Potential intensive uses of natural gas in the province are outlined, including power generation, liquefaction for export, manufacturing, production of direct reduced iron, and as petrochemical feedstocks. 5 figs., 2 tabs

The Evolution of Capitalism: A Comparison of British and American Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Stanwick, Peter A.

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the evolution of capitalism in British and American literature. The impact of capitalism on the lives of individuals has been well represented in both American and British literature throughout the centuries. The paper will discuss how seminal British authors such as Thomas More, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and George…

Yellow light for green scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morch, Stein

2004-01-01

The article asserts that there could be an investment boom for wind, hydro and bio power in a common Norwegian-Swedish market scheme for green certificates. The Swedish authorities are ready, and the Norwegian government is preparing a report to the Norwegian Parliament. What are the ambitions of Norway, and will hydro power be included? A green certificate market common to more countries have never before been established and requires the solution of many challenging problems. In Sweden, certificate support is expected to promote primarily bioenergy, wind power and small-scale hydro power. In Norway there is an evident potential for wind power, and more hydro power can be developed if desired

Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terry Parker

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF Pacific Project works with local government and other stakeholders in nine Pacific Island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It seeks to strengthen local democracy and good governance, and to help local governments deal with the increasing challenges of service delivery and urban management in the unique Pacific environment. Human settlement patterns in the region are changing rapidly. The Pacific has traditionally been a rural agricultural/subsistence society, but this is no longer the case. The accelerated pace of urbanisation has impacted significantly on Pacific nations and in the very near future the majority of Pacific Islanders will be found in urban areas. Already over 50% of Fiji’s population are urban dwellers. Rapid urbanisation brings with it unique challenges and opportunities. Local governments are at the forefront of this phenomenon, with the responsibility to manage urban development and the transition from rural areas to cities and towns. Their success or failure to manage urbanisation and provide the required levels of physical and social infrastructure will affect many lives in a new urban Pacific. The project now has three components – the main Pacific Regional Project and two country-specific programmes: the Honiara City Council Institutional Capacity Building Project and the Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice Scheme in Papua New Guinea.

Phonemic Transcriptions in British and American Dictionaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rastislav Šuštaršič

2005-06-01

Full Text Available In view of recent criticisms concerning vowel symbols in some British English dictionaries (in particular by J. Windsor Lewis in JIPA (Windsor Lewis, 2003, with regard to the Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation (Upton, 2001, this article extends the discussion on English phonemic transcriptions by including those that typically occur in standard American dictionaries, and by comparing the most common conventions of British and American dictionaries. In addition to symbols for both vowels and consonants, the paper also deals with the different representations of word accentuation and the issue of consistency regarding application of phonemic (systemic, broad, rather than phonetic (allophonic, narrow transcription. The different transcriptions are assessed from the points of view of their departures from the International Phonetic Alphabet, their overlapping with orthographic representation (spelling and their appropriateness in terms of reflecting actual pronunciation in standard British and/or American pronunciation.

Natural Resource Management Schemes as Entry Points for Integrated Landscape Approaches: Evidence from Ghana and Burkina Faso.

Science.gov (United States)

Foli, Samson; Ros-Tonen, Mirjam A F; Reed, James; Sunderland, Terry

2017-04-20

In recognition of the failures of sectoral approaches to overcome global challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, food insecurity and poverty, scientific discourse on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development is shifting towards integrated landscape governance arrangements. Current landscape initiatives however very much depend on external actors and funding, raising the question of whether, and how, and under what conditions, locally embedded resource management schemes can serve as entry points for the implementation of integrated landscape approaches. This paper assesses the entry point potential for three established natural resource management schemes in West Africa that target landscape degradation with involvement of local communities: the Chantier d'Aménagement Forestier scheme encompassing forest management sites across Burkina Faso and the Modified Taungya System and community wildlife resource management initiatives in Ghana. Based on a review of the current literature, we analyze the extent to which design principles that define a landscape approach apply to these schemes. We found that the CREMA meets most of the desired criteria, but that its scale may be too limited to guarantee effective landscape governance, hence requiring upscaling. Conversely, the other two initiatives are strongly lacking in their design principles on fundamental components regarding integrated approaches, continual learning, and capacity building. Monitoring and evaluation bodies and participatory learning and negotiation platforms could enhance the schemes' alignment with integrated landscape approaches.

Incidence of clinically suspected venous thromboembolism in British Indian patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqui, B M; Patel, M S; Rudge, S; Best, A; Mangwani, J

2018-05-01

Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a major public health issue around the world. Ethnicity is known to alter the incidence of VTE. To our knowledge, there are no reports in the literature investigating the incidence of VTE in British Indians. The aim of this study was to investigate the rates of symptomatic VTE in British Indian patients in the UK. Methods Patients referred to our institution between January 2011 and August 2013 with clinically suspected VTE were eligible for inclusion in the study. Those not of British Indian or Caucasian ethnicity were excluded. A retrospective review of these two cohorts was conducted. Results Overall, 15,529 cases were referred to our institution for suspected VTE. This included 1,498 individuals of British Indian ethnicity. Of these, 182 (12%) had confirmed VTE episodes. A further 13,159 of the patients with suspected VTE were coded as Caucasian, including 2,412 (16%) who had confirmed VTE events. VTE rates were a third lower in British Indians with clinically suspected VTE than in the equivalent Caucasian group. The British Indian cohort presented with VTE at a much earlier age than Caucasians (mean 57.0 vs 68.0 years). Conclusions This study suggests that British Indian patients have a lower incidence of VTE and are more likely to present at an earlier age than Caucasians. There was no significant difference in VTE type (deep vein thrombosis vs pulmonary embolism) among the ethnic groups. Clinicians should be aware of variations within ethnicities but should continue to adhere to existing VTE prevention guidance.

Corrections to the General (2,4) and (4,4) FDTD Schemes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meierbachtol, Collin S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Smith, William S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Shao, Xuan-Min [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2018-01-29

The sampling weights associated with two general higher order FDTD schemes were derived by Smith, et al. and published in a IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation article in 2012. Inconsistencies between governing equations and their resulting solutions were discovered within the article. In an effort to track down the root cause of these inconsistencies, the full three-dimensional, higher order FDTD dispersion relation was re-derived using Mathematica^TM. During this process, two errors were identi ed in the article. Both errors are highlighted in this document. The corrected sampling weights are also provided. Finally, the original stability limits provided for both schemes are corrected, and presented in a more precise form. It is recommended any future implementations of the two general higher order schemes provided in the Smith, et al. 2012 article should instead use the sampling weights and stability conditions listed in this document.

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL APPROACHES REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sorin Nicolae Borlea

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In the European Union, the concept of corporate governance began to emerge more clearly after 1997, when most countries have however, voluntarily adopted corporate governance codes. The impulse of adopting these codes consists in the financial scandals related to the failure of the British companies listed on the stock exchange. Numerous scandals involving big companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Parmalat, Xerox, Merrill Lynch, Andersen and so on, conduct to a lack of investors’ confidence. These crises that have started to alarm governments, supervisory authorities, companies, investors and even the general public because of the fragility of the corporate governance’s system, highlight the need to rethink its structures. The process of adapting the corporate governance provisions in order to ensure transparency, responsibility and fair treatment of shareholders has resulted in the development of Corporate Governance Principles by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD. In order to asses these principles, it has started to identify the common elements of codes, one the most effective practice models of governance. Once the benefits of corporate governance practices have been understood and assimilated by the developed country, the developing countries (also Romania have begun to adopt "the best practices" in corporate governance, especially because this need is acutely felt in the changes required by the transition to a market economy. Our article describes the origins of the corporate governance, the concept and evolution of the corporate governance code at an international level, European level and also at a Romanian level.

British Gas marks progress in drive for global operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, J.L.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that British Gas plc, London, is driving to boost the share of its business that comes form outside the U.K. Non-U.K. activities accounted for about 10% of the company's business last year. By the turn of the century earnings form British Gas's non-U.K. exploration and production activities are expected to be about in line with those form the U.K. core business. In addition, the company's global gas business unit-acquisitions, sales, of British Gas technology worldwide, and power generation form gas-will contribute significantly to overseas earnings

Australia’s seasonal worker pilot scheme for Pacific Islanders—Ideas for the Next Phase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pacheco Cueva, Vladimir; Stephan, Carly; Lee, Karen

2008-01-01

In August 2008, the Australian Government initiated a seasonal worker pilot scheme for Pacific Islanders to examine whether a seasonal worker program could contribute to the Pacific region economic development objectives and also assist Australian employers.Even in a contracting Australian econom...

Problem Gambling Treatment within the British National Health Service

Science.gov (United States)

Rigbye, Jane; Griffiths, Mark D.

2011-01-01

According to the latest British Gambling Prevalence Survey, there are approximately 300,000 adult problem gamblers in Great Britain. In January 2007, the "British Medical Association" published a report recommending that those experiencing gambling problems should receive treatment via the National Health Service (NHS). This study…

Separation of British Gas' transportation and storage business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGregor, G.

1992-12-01

In making his substantive reference of the transportation and storage business of British Gas to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, the Director General of Gas Supply identified the following principal effects adverse to the public interest: ''The absence of provision for the establishment of an independent undertaking to operate the pipe-line system and other facilities used by British Gas for the conveyance and storage of gas which would not be subject to conflicting interests in securing (a) transparency of the prices charged, the costs incurred and the operating methods in respect of the conveyance and storage of gas; (b) proper allocation to various parts of the Gas Supply Business of costs incurred and returns by that business; and (c) protection of information relating to the conveyance and storage of gas from which British Gas might obtain unfair commercial advantage, and thereby avoid the restriction or distortion of competition between British Gas and other persons whose business consists of or includes the supply of gas''. This paper considers the structural issues associated with achieving effective competition and looks at how the relationship between the businesses of supply and transportation might be organised in the short and longer term. (Author)

The Social Construction of Transnational Governance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haack, Patrick; Rasche, Andreas

This paper examines the social construction of transnational governance schemes (TGSs hereafter), inter-organizational networks comprising public and/or private actors that jointly regulate global public policy issues, such as the protection of global ecosystems. We focus on the UN Global Compact...... (UNGC), one of the largest and most prominent TGSs. We create a data set of publically available documents on the UNGC, analyze how UNGC advocates and UNGC critics publically conceptualize and (de-)legitimize the UNGC, and examine how this process develops over time. By now, we have compiled a data base...... of more than 1,500 documents (speeches, news articles, press releases, blog entries, etc.), developed, tested, and validated a comprehensive coding scheme, coded more than 250 documents by means of the NVivo software, and carried out preliminary qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data. First...

Assembling an experimentalist regime: transnational governance interactions in the forest sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Overdevest, C.; Zeitlin, J.

2014-01-01

Transnational governance initiatives increasingly face the problem of regime complexity in which a proliferation of regulatory schemes operate in the same policy domain, supported by varying combinations of public and private actors. The literature suggests that such regime complexity can lead to

Addressing the Global Sustainability Challenge: The Potential and Pitfalls of Private Governance from the Perspective of Human Capabilities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalfagianni, A.

2014-01-01

Contemporary global politics is characterized by an increasing trend toward experimental forms of governance, with an emphasis on private governance. A plurality of private standards, codes of conduct and quality assurance schemes currently developed particularly, though not exclusively, by TNCs

Upwind scheme for acoustic disturbances generated by low-speed flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ekaterinaris, J.A.

1997-01-01

, compressible how equations, A numerical method for the solution of the equations governing the acoustic field is presented. The primitive variable form of the governing equations is used for the numerical solution. Time integration is performed with a fourth-order, Runge-Kutta method, Discretization...... of the primitive variables space derivatives is obtained with a high-order, upwind-biased numerical scheme. Upwinding of these convective fluxes is performed according to the eigenvalue sign of the coefficient matrices. Nonreflecting boundary conditions are applied to properly convect outgoing waves away from...... the computational domain. Solutions are obtained for the acoustic field generated by a pair of corotating point vortices. Computed results are compared with the existing analytic solution for the sound field....

The Genesis of Public Relations in British Colonial Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Smyth, Rosaleen

2001-01-01

Demonstrates how the British Colonial Office employed public relations strategies as they administered the British colony of Northern Rhodesia before, during, and after World War II. Demonstrates how civil servants in London and colonial officials implemented public relations policies, strategies, and tactics on an ad hoc basis, covering political…

Precocious albion: A new interpretation of the British Industrial Revolution

OpenAIRE

Kelly, Morgan; Mokyr, Joel; Ó Gráda, Cormac

2013-01-01

Many explanations have been offered for the British Industrial Revolution. This article points to the importance of human capital (broadly defined) and the quality of the British labor force on the eve of the Industrial Revolution. It shows that in terms of both physical quality and mechanical skills, British workers around 1750 were at a much higher level than their continental counterparts. As a result, new inventions—no matter where they originated—were adopted earlier, faster, and on a la...

Glocal routes in British Asian drama: Between adaptation and tradaptation

OpenAIRE

Buonanno, Giovanna; Sams, Victoria; Schlote, Christiane

2011-01-01

In the context of British Asian theatre and the search for a diasporic theatre aesthetics the practice of adaptation has emerged as a recurring feature. Over the last decades, British Asian theatre has sought to create a language of the theatre that can reflect the cultural heritage of Asians in Britain; this search has taken different directions testified also by the plurality of voices that today make up British Asian theatre and has responded to the need to challenge the conceptual binary ...

Ecosystem-level changes that may be expected in a changing global climate - a British Columbia perspective. [Canada - British Columbia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimmins, J.P.; Lavender, D.P. (Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada). Dept. of Forest Science)

1992-08-01

British Columbia is a vast province encompassing a wide latitudinal and elevational range. Four of the five major classes of climate in the world are found in British Columbia, where prevailing westerly winds from the Pacific and a series of north-south mountain ranges have produced widely differing local climates. The predicted global warming may result in the migration of species and communities upslope and toward the north, but the heterogenous nature of the present landscape suggests that such migration may not be as pronounced as that likely to occur in regions of Canada with less relief. Effects of climatic warming on long-lived temperate zone trees include possible increased frost damage in early spring; reduced seed production; increased insect and disease incidence; increased damage to forests by wildfire; and, in the warmer parts of coastal British Columbia, a winter climate too warm to satisfy the chilling requirements of some perennial plants.

British Gas: remuneration. There may be trouble ahead

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

When the Chairman and Chief Executive of British Gas was awarded a huge salary increase recently, a major revolt occurred amongst 4,000 of British Gas's small shareholders. The increase was awarded despite the intense opposition because the pension funds voted with the Board. A critique is offered of the occasion, and a comparison with the rather fairer rise requested by Ofgas's Director General, the gas company regulator, who had been paid as a 3 day a week contract, but had been working six days a week. With deregulation of the gas supply market, British Gas has been under governmental pressure to publish its prices, and has been undercut by competitors. The newly developed contractural relationships in the United Kingdom gas market are very complex and, for the first time subject to legal enforcement. (UK)

Chronocentrism and British criminology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rock, Paul

2005-09-01

Criminologists display a largely unexamined propensity to ignore writings that are more than fifteen or so years old, with evident consequences for the public presentation and validation of expert knowledge. A citation study was combined with detailed observations from British criminologists to ascertain quite how that disavowal of the past was accomplished.

Battling Bullying in the British Army 1987 – 2004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James K. Wither

2004-09-01

Full Text Available This article explores the attempts by the UK MOD to eradicate bullying in the British Army. Although British recruits are not confronted by mistreatment that compares with the phenomenon of dedovshchina, the Army has struggled to eliminate incidents of bullying from the ranks, which have tarnished the image of the British Army. The article examines the nature and extent of the problem, the efficacy of official policy to combat it, and suggests reasons why bullying persists even in a long- standing professional army. It also seeks to provide instructive insights for those militaries of the successor states of the Soviet Union that are currently blighted by dedovshchina.

An efficient shock-capturing scheme for simulating compressible homogeneous mixture flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dang, Son Tung; Ha, Cong Tu; Park, Warn Gyu [School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Chul Min [Advanced Naval Technology CenterNSRDI, ADD, Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

This work is devoted to the development of a procedure for the numerical solution of Navier-Stokes equations for cavitating flows with and without ventilation based on a compressible, multiphase, homogeneous mixture model. The governing equations are discretized on a general structured grid using a high-resolution shock-capturing scheme in conjunction with appropriate limiters to prevent the generation of spurious solutions near shock waves or discontinuities. Two well-known limiters are examined, and a new limiter is proposed to enhance the accuracy and stability of the numerical scheme. A sensitivity analysis is first conducted to determine the relative influences of various model parameters on the solution. These parameters are adopted for the computation of water flows over a hemispherical body, conical body and a divergent/convergent nozzle. Finally, numerical calculations of ventilated supercavitating flows over a hemispherical cylinder body with a hot propulsive jet are conducted to verify the capabilities of the numerical scheme.

An efficient shock-capturing scheme for simulating compressible homogeneous mixture flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang, Son Tung; Ha, Cong Tu; Park, Warn Gyu; Jung, Chul Min

2016-01-01

This work is devoted to the development of a procedure for the numerical solution of Navier-Stokes equations for cavitating flows with and without ventilation based on a compressible, multiphase, homogeneous mixture model. The governing equations are discretized on a general structured grid using a high-resolution shock-capturing scheme in conjunction with appropriate limiters to prevent the generation of spurious solutions near shock waves or discontinuities. Two well-known limiters are examined, and a new limiter is proposed to enhance the accuracy and stability of the numerical scheme. A sensitivity analysis is first conducted to determine the relative influences of various model parameters on the solution. These parameters are adopted for the computation of water flows over a hemispherical body, conical body and a divergent/convergent nozzle. Finally, numerical calculations of ventilated supercavitating flows over a hemispherical cylinder body with a hot propulsive jet are conducted to verify the capabilities of the numerical scheme

Registration for public drug benefits across areas of differing ethnic composition in British Columbia, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wong Sabrina T

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In 2003, the government of British Columbia, Canada introduced a universal drug benefit plan to cover drug costs that are high relative to household income. Residents were required to register in order to be eligible for the income-based benefits. Given past research suggesting that registration processes may pose an access barrier to certain subpopulations, we aimed to determine whether registration rates varied across small geographic areas that differed in ethnic composition. Methods Using linked population-based administrative databases and census data, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine whether the probability of registration for the public drug plan varied across areas of differing ethnic composition, controlling for household-level predisposing, enabling and needs factors. Results The adjusted odds of registration did not differ across regions characterized by high concentrations (greater than 30% of residents identifying as North American, British, French or other European. Households located in areas with concentrations of residents identifying as an Asian ethnicity had the highest odds of program registration: Chinese (OR = 1.21, CI: 1.19-1.23 and South Asian (OR = 1.19, CI: 1.16-1.22. Despite this positive finding, households residing in areas with relatively high concentrations of recent immigrants had slightly lower adjusted odds of registering for the program (OR = 0.97, CI: 0.95-0.98. Conclusions This study identified ethnic variation in registration for a new public drug benefit program in British Columbia. However, unlike previous studies, the variation observed did not indicate that areas with high concentrations of certain ethnicities experienced disadvantages. Potential explanations are discussed.

Department of Energy: monitoring and control of British Nuclear Fuels plc. Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) was set up in 1971 to take over the nuclear fuel production and reprocessing activities of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority with the Department of Energy (as majority shareholder) being responsible for the monitoring and control of BNFL's activities. BNFL's activities include the production of nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment, and the transportation and reprocessing of spent fuel. Its major capital investment includes the construction of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) due for completion in 1992. This study examined the effectiveness of the Department's arrangements for monitoring and control and for safeguarding the Government's investment in the company, the arrangements for examining BNFL's capital investment programme and the extent to which the Department's main aims have been achieved. The examination was restricted to the financial performance. The National Audit Office found evidence to suggest that BNFL's financial performance has not kept pace with the general performance level of British Industry. Future success and performance will depend on the success of the THORP plant. (U.K.).

Is small beautiful? A multicriteria assessment of small-scale energy technology applications in local governments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, Jonathan; Hubacek, Klaus

2007-01-01

In its 2003 White Paper the UK government set ambitious renewable energy targets. Local governments and households have an increasing role in the overall energy system as consumers, suppliers of smaller-scale applications and citizens discussing energy projects. In this paper, we consider if small-scale or large-scale approaches to renewable energy provision can achieve energy targets in the most socially, economically and environmentally (SEE) effective way. We take a local case study of renewable energy provision in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in Yorkshire, UK, and apply a multi-criteria decision analysis methodology to compare the small-scale schemes implemented in Kirklees with large-scale alternatives. The results indicate that small-scale schemes are the most SEE effective, despite large-scale schemes being more financially viable. The selection of the criteria on which the alternatives are assessed and the assigned weights for each criterion are of crucial importance. It is thus very important to include the relevant stakeholders to elicit this information

Alternative strategies for the British coal industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manners, G

1973-01-01

The Green Paper, 'Energy Policy - a Consultative Document' (HC-Cmnd--7101) affords a valuable insight into official attitudes towards the future of the British energy market. The present author challenges some of the energy supply and demand forecasts that are presented in the Working Document; in particular, he questions the optimistic market forecasts that continue to dominate official thinking about the coal industry; and he proposes that an alternative strategy is required for the British coal industry, one that involves quite painful choices of an economic, geographical, social and environmental nature.

Lightweight Data Aggregation Scheme against Internal Attackers in Smart Grid Using Elliptic Curve Cryptography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debiao He

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recent advances of Internet and microelectronics technologies have led to the concept of smart grid which has been a widespread concern for industry, governments, and academia. The openness of communications in the smart grid environment makes the system vulnerable to different types of attacks. The implementation of secure communication and the protection of consumers’ privacy have become challenging issues. The data aggregation scheme is an important technique for preserving consumers’ privacy because it can stop the leakage of a specific consumer’s data. To satisfy the security requirements of practical applications, a lot of data aggregation schemes were presented over the last several years. However, most of them suffer from security weaknesses or have poor performances. To reduce computation cost and achieve better security, we construct a lightweight data aggregation scheme against internal attackers in the smart grid environment using Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC. Security analysis of our proposed approach shows that it is provably secure and can provide confidentiality, authentication, and integrity. Performance analysis of the proposed scheme demonstrates that both computation and communication costs of the proposed scheme are much lower than the three previous schemes. As a result of these aforementioned benefits, the proposed lightweight data aggregation scheme is more practical for deployment in the smart grid environment.

Barriers to the development of forest carbon offsetting: Insights from British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson St-Laurent, Guillaume; Hagerman, Shannon; Hoberg, George

2017-12-01

In recent years, the provision of economic incentives through carbon financing and carbon offsetting has been central to efforts at forest carbon mitigation. However, notwithstanding their potentially important roles in climate policy, forest carbon offsets face numerous barriers which have limited widespread implementation worldwide. This paper uses the case study of the Canadian province of British Columbia to explore the barriers associated with achieving widespread implementation of forest carbon offsets in the next several decades. Drawing on interviews with experts from government, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and First Nations, six main barriers are identified and discussed: (1) deficiencies of carbon markets, (2) limited economic benefits, (3) uncertain climate effectiveness, (4) negative public opinion, (5) limited and uncertain property rights, and (6) governance issues. While respondents from different sectors agreed on various points, divergence was also observed, notably on the trade-off between generating environmentally sound offsets and promoting cost-effective ways to achieve mitigation. We discuss these differences in the context of the goals and objectives of different actors, and offer insights for understanding the uptake (or not) of carbon offset policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geothermal prospects in British Columbia: Resource, market and regulatory aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghomshei, M.M.; Brown, T.L.S.; MacRae, J.M.

1992-01-01

British Columbia is host to about 15 young volcanic centres and 60 hot springs, all evidence of presence of geothermal resources. Most high-grade geothermal prospects in British Columbia are located along 3 volcanic belts in the south-western region of the province. It is estimated that a minimum of 800 MWe can be generated from the known prospects in this region. Significant low-grade geothermal resources exist in several provincial regions. Market applications consistent with the geothermal resources known and expected to occur in British Columbia include electrical generation, process and other direct heat uses and recreation. Leasing, exploration and development operations for high-grade geothermal resources are addressed by the British Columbia open-quotes Geothermal Resources Actclose quotes which defines geothermal resources and reserves all rights to the Crown in the right of the Province

Hierarchical Markov Model in Life Insurance and Social Benefit Schemes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiwook Jang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available We explored the effect of the jump-diffusion process on a social benefit scheme consisting of life insurance, unemployment/disability benefits, and retirement benefits. To do so, we used a four-state Markov chain with multiple decrements. Assuming independent state-wise intensities taking the form of a jump-diffusion process and deterministic interest rates, we evaluated the prospective reserves for this scheme in which the individual is employed at inception. We then numerically demonstrated the state of the reserves for the scheme under jump-diffusion and non-jump-diffusion settings. By decomposing the reserve equation into five components, our numerical illustration indicated that an extension of the retirement age has a spillover effect that would increase government expenses for other social insurance programs. We also conducted sensitivity analyses and examined the total-reserves components by changing the relevant parameters of the transition intensities, which are the average jump-size parameter, average jump frequency, and diffusion parameters of the chosen states, with figures provided. Our computation revealed that the total reserve is most sensitive to changes in average jump frequency.

The selection and performance of the natural zeolite clinoptilolite in British Nuclear Fuels' site ion exchange effluent plant, SIXEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baxter, S.G.; Berghauser, D.C.

1986-01-01

SIXEP has been conducted by British Nuclear Fuels plc at its Sellafield reprocessing site as part of its committment to reduce radioactive discharges to the Irish Sea. An extensive development program identified the natural ion exchange mineral clinoptilolite, from a particular deposit in California now owned by Tenneco Specialty Minerals, as the most suitable for use in SIXEP to extract caesium and strontium from spent nuclear fuel storage pond water. Close cooperation with the supplier in a Quality Assurance scheme ensured the supply of a fully-characterised, high grade ion exchanger. Since SIXEP commenced treating pond water on 28 May 1985, the plant has performed well, exceeding the design expectation in terms of discharge reduction and availability

Addressing Cellulose Acetate Microfilm from a British Library perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Shenton

2005-08-01

Full Text Available This paper is about cellulose acetate microfilm from the British Library perspective. It traces how acetate microfilm became an issue for the British Library and describes cellulose acetate deterioration. This is followed by details of what has already been done about the situation and what action is planned for the future.

Corporate governance and the board’s locus of control – The case of the ABI’s treatment of footprints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian G. M. Main

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the degree to which codes of corporate governance and the guidelines that develop around them tend to shift the locus of control away from the board of directors. It is argued that even in principles-based codes of governance such outcomes are an unavoidable consequence and that policy makers should weigh such consequences carefully before promulgating codes and guidelines. The case of the treatment of footprints (incentive plan performance averaging periods by the UK’s Association of British Insurers (ABI is analysed to illustrate the problem.

Russian perceptions of the Boer and British Armies: An introduction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Russian-French "Entente Cordial" when British turned from bitterest enemy to ..... As it was mentioned above, the army's food supplies were provided in an ... Cronje's capitulation will be a glorious page in the history of the British Anns forever. , ...

Art of War Papers: An Exit Strategy not a Winning Strategy? Intelligence Lessons Learned from the British Emergency in South Arabia, 1963-67

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-01

the US and France . The UK government foresaw a methodical British retreat from Em- pire in which Britain retained a global, or at least regional...particularly as they became fired by Arab nationalism and ultimately their own form of Marxism . There is little surviving evidence that the leaders...22 ish and the FSA. The NLF’s increasing move towards Marxism was also inconsistent with local conservative Islamic values.79 In 1964-66 they may

British Energy privatisation - 18 months on

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McRoberts, Doug

1998-01-01

The TV advertisement which launched the privatisation of British Energy in the summer of 1996 - but just how successful has that privatisation been? And who has benefited - shareholders? The nuclear industry? Our own workforce? Last year, as reported to PIME 97 that the privatisation itself had been successfully completed - following the restructuring of the UK nuclear generation industry, and the creation of British Energy, a new name in the UK - and world energy scene. In simple terms, that privatisation has certainly succeeded - our share price since privatisation has more than doubled, from 2 pounds to well over 4 ponds. Over the last year, it has consistently outperformed the UK electricity sector - particularly over the last winter; it has also out-performed the FR Share Index over the same period, and in December British Energy became one of the UK top 100 listed companies, included in the FTSE 100 having started life at around number 130. This in turn has meant that a number of high quality institutions have taken a second look at British Energy and begun to invest in us as part of a portfolio of FTSE 100 companies. Our success as a private sector company could only be built on the solid foundation of successes as a nuclear utility. Over the five years from 1992 to 1997, our output went up by 64 as Sizewell B came on line and the AGRs achieved their design load factors at last. Safety remains our top priority, and while our profitability increased, so did our safety ratings - accident frequency rates came down by 60%, and collective radiation exposure to our workforce came down 58%. As a result of all this achievement, coupled with reduction in our total workforce, our productivity went up by over 100% - surely proof that nuclear can succeed in a competitive, deregulated electricity market. For future, it has been even more important to sustain that initial success to grow and develop British Energy as a company. The results are there for all to see. In the

Governing board of the pension fund

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

On 4 February 2003 the Governing Board of the Pension Fund held its hundred and fourteenth meeting, the first meeting to be attended by G. de la Fuente and M. Goossens, recently elected as Alternates to I. Seis and J.-P. Matheys respectively. Opening the meeting, J. Bezemer, Chairman of the Governing Board with effect from 1st January 2003, paid tribute to the outgoing Chairman, P. Levaux, on behalf of all members of the Governing Board, underlining the skill, clarity of vision and unfailing commitment to the Fund that had marked the twelve years of a remarkable chairmanship. Over that time Paul Levaux had successfully guided the Fund towards the broader-based, dynamic scheme it had now become, and towards a central role within the Organization. The special guest at the meeting, CERN Director-General L. Maiani, also warmly thanked the former Chairman for his remarkable work for the Fund on behalf of the Organization to which he had made so many contributions and for the invaluable role he had played in promot...

Utilization of health-care schemes: A ground reality of Indian scenario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditi Sharma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Health-care system in a society must be built around the term of equity so that each individual should have equal opportunities for maintaining good health, but human societies are characterized by unevenness at every aspect, and it has even not spared the health-care system. Despite great improvements in the oral health status of population across the world, health problems continue to be a major public health concern. India's health system faces the ongoing challenge of responding to the needs of the most disadvantaged groups of the society. Thus, to reduce inequalities in health and ensuring equity in oral health care, India as one of the developing countries in the world have taken steps at center as well as state level to bridge the gap between poor and rich in terms of health care. These schemes are built to touch the lives of the remotest people in the country. The government is boosting its strategies and augmenting its reach mechanisms to ensure that not a soul is dispossessed of any benefits, which arise from the virtue of this scheme. The present review concludes that though these schemes appear to be pro-poor and are inclusive of disadvantaged minorities, the scheme suffers from adverse selection. These schemes have the potential to play an important role in India's move toward universal health coverage.

Smuggling as the “key to a combined market”: British American Tobacco in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Nakkash, R; Lee, K

2008-01-01

Objectives: To understand the strategy of British American Tobacco (BAT) and other transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) to gain access to the Lebanese market, which has remained relatively closed under monopoly ownership and political instability. Methods: Analysis of internal industry documents, local language secondary sources and industry publications. Results: TTCs have relied on legal and illegal channels to supply the Lebanese market since at least the 1970s. Available documents suggest smuggling has been an important component of BAT’s market entry strategy, transported in substantial quantities via middlemen for sale in Lebanon and neighbouring countries. TTCs took advantage of weak and unstable governance, resulting in uncertainty over the Regie’s legal status, and continued to supply the contraband trade despite appeals by the government to cease undermining its revenues. Since the end of the civil war in the early 1990s, continued uncertainty about the tobacco monopoly amid political instability has encouraged TTCs to seek a legal presence in the country, while continuing to achieve substantial sales through contraband. Conclusion: Evidence of the complicity of TTCs in cigarette smuggling extends to Lebanon and the Middle East where this trade has especially benefited from weak governance and chronic political instability. The regional nature of TTC strategy supports strong international cooperation under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to tackle the problem. PMID:18818226

Approach to local autonomy in the German and British systems of municipal financing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Javier Durán García

2017-09-01

Full Text Available At the European level the recognition of local self-government is a peaceful matter after being approved in the European Charter of Local Autonomy. However, the scope of this local financial autonomy varies according to the model of public finances that each country adopts. In this article we analyze the German and British models of local finance, two opposite examples in the way of organizing their treasure that directly affect the scope of the local autonomy of their municipalities. After a first part where the legal basis of the local autonomy is analyzed, the main sources of municipal financing are studied in each model, and it concludes with an assessment of the financial autonomy of the local entities within the Spanish system in comparison with the exposed models.

Nuclear power in British politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pocock, R.F.

1987-01-01

The paper concerns the subject of nuclear power in British politics in 1986. The policies of the major political parties towards nuclear power are briefly outlined, along with public attitudes to nuclear energy, Chernobyl, and the rise of the anti-nuclear campaigners. (UK)

Spatial and temporal accuracy of asynchrony-tolerant finite difference schemes for partial differential equations at extreme scales

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Komal; Donzis, Diego

2017-11-01

Highly resolved computational simulations on massively parallel machines are critical in understanding the physics of a vast number of complex phenomena in nature governed by partial differential equations. Simulations at extreme levels of parallelism present many challenges with communication between processing elements (PEs) being a major bottleneck. In order to fully exploit the computational power of exascale machines one needs to devise numerical schemes that relax global synchronizations across PEs. This asynchronous computations, however, have a degrading effect on the accuracy of standard numerical schemes.We have developed asynchrony-tolerant (AT) schemes that maintain order of accuracy despite relaxed communications. We show, analytically and numerically, that these schemes retain their numerical properties with multi-step higher order temporal Runge-Kutta schemes. We also show that for a range of optimized parameters,the computation time and error for AT schemes is less than their synchronous counterpart. Stability of the AT schemes which depends upon history and random nature of delays, are also discussed. Support from NSF is gratefully acknowledged.

A longitudinal study of the implementation experiences of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme: investigating transformative policy change.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Gemma; Dickinson, Helen

2017-08-17

Internationally there has been a growth in the use of publicly funded service markets as a mechanism to deliver health and social services. This has accompanied the emergence of 'self-directed care' in a number of different policy areas including disability and aged care - often referred to as 'personalisation' (Giaimo and Manow, Comp. Pol Stud 32:967-1000, 1999; Needham, Public Money Manage 30:136-8, 2010; [Hood], [The Idea of Joined-up Government: A Historical Perspective], [2005]; Klijn and Koppenjan, Public Manage 2:437-54, 2000, Greener, Policy Polit 36:93-108, 2008). These reforms are underpinned by an idea that individuals should be placed in control of their own service needs, given funding directly by government and encouraged to exercise choice and control through purchasing their own services. A major challenge for governments in charge of these reforms is determining the best way to structure and govern emerging service markets markets. Given the growing international embrace of market-based reform mechanisms to provide essential services to citizens, finding ways to ensure they promote, and not diminish, people's health and wellbeing is vital. The Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia's first national approach to the use of personalised budgets. The program of research outlined in this paper brings together streams from a range of different studies in order to investigate the implementation of the NDIS longitudinally across different administrative levels of government, service providers and scheme participants. This programme of research will make a contribution to our understanding of the Australian scheme and how individualised funding operates within this context, but will also generate much needed evidence that will have relevance to other jurisdictions and help fill a gap in the evidence base.

Assembling an experimentalist regime: transnational governance interactions in the forest sector revisited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Overdevest, C.; Zeitlin, J.; Bruszt, L.; McDermott, G.A.

2014-01-01

Transnational governance initiatives increasingly face the problem of regime complexity in which a proliferation of regulatory schemes operate in the same policy domain, supported by varying combinations of public and private actors. The literature suggests that such regime complexity can lead to

British Coal Corporation. Report and accounts 1986/87

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1987-01-01

This report reviews the accounts for British Coal from March 30, 1986 to March 28, 1987 with respect to the coal industry in the United Kingdom. The dramatic increases in production and decreases in manpower and collieries have led to many changes and these are discussed. Areas covered include: objectives and relations with public bodies; finance; production; markets; personnel; organization; British Coal Enterprise Limited; research and development; environmental issues; and annual statistics. The full company accounts are also presented.

Foreign students, visitors and immigration to British Columbia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunin, R

1993-01-01

"This report has provided a brief outline of business immigration to Canada and to British Columbia from several source countries in the Asian Pacific Rim. The importance of business immigration to Canada in general, and British Columbia in particular, is [examined].... Even with the limited data currently available, this brief study indicates a very high statistical relationship between business immigration and other less formal and less permanent movements of people such as student flows and visitors." excerpt

Efficiency Studies in the British Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, Geoffrey

1986-01-01

The background, purposes, and methods of institutional efficiency studies conducted at selected British universities are discussed. The evaluations focused on financial management, purchasing, and building maintenance and space utilization. (MSE)

Unity is strength: staff college and the British officer corps.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Anthony

2009-03-01

Utilizing Bourdieu's concept of the habitus, Keith Macdonald has recently examined the elite social origins of the British officer corps. His analysis is valid as far at it goes but it ignores the professional practices of British officers. This article examines Britain's Joint Services Command and Staff College to assess the unification of the three services around common forms of military practice. It argues that while the new staff college has been effective in disseminating new forms of professional expertise among British officers, various practices have been institutionalized which actively undermine the unity of the officer corps.

Perceptions of Quality and Approaches to Studying in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Chinese and British Postgraduate Students at Six British Business Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Haoda; Richardson, John T. E.

2012-01-01

Previous studies of "the Chinese learner" have confounded the effects of culture and context or have used heterogeneous samples of students. In this study, 134 British students and 207 students from mainland China following 1-year postgraduate programmes at six British business schools completed the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ)…

The design of renewable support schemes and CO_2 emissions in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jie; Albrecht, Johan; Fan, Ying; Xia, Yan

2016-01-01

The renewable energy targets put forward by the Chinese government need comprehensive incentive schemes. This paper uses a multi-regional CGE model to evaluate two types of renewable support schemes; a subsidy scheme like a feed-in tariff (FIT) with a direct price impact for final consumers and a subsidy scheme without any price impact. We assess the CO_2 consequences of both approaches, as well as their impact on economic activity in terms of GDP, industrial structure, electricity generation structure, and regional final demand elasticities of electricity. We find that a support scheme with price impact is much more effective in reducing CO_2 emissions while the difference in GDP between the two policies is small. We estimate that the price implications of the support scheme allow for an additional emissions reduction of 113 Mt CO_2—or 0.07% of total emissions—in China during 2020–2035. The support scheme with a price impact does not lead to a negative impact on the Chinese economy although there are significant differences among regions. In addition, while the whole country faces an approximately unitary electricity elasticity demand, we find significant differences in electricity demand elasticities among Chinese regions. - Highlights: • Two types of FIT policies—with and without a price impact—are evaluated. • We assess the CO_2 emissions of both schemes and their impact on economic activity. • A support scheme with price impact is more effective in reducing CO_2 emissions. • The price impact allows for an additional reduction of 113 Mt CO_2 in China during 2020–2035. • Both of the FIT types have a very similar impact on coal consumption.

The Civilisers, British Engineers, Imperialism and Africa 1880-1914

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Casper

2009-01-01

The thesis analyses the connections between British civil engineers and British imperialism in the period 1880-1914. The thesis works at the intersection of intellectual history, history of technology, and imperial history. The thesis argues that Britain and the Empire should be studied...... as an interconnected dynamic unity in which engineers were situated; the geographical and ideological context in which their activities took place. The thesis can be read as a contribution to recent re-conceptualisations of the British Empire as a zone bind together by ‘colonial connections' and ‘imperial networks......' through which knowledge circulated, people travelled, and through which trust and authority was negotiated. It is furthermore a contribution to the cultural and intellectual history of engineering....

British Museum paintings

OpenAIRE

Edmonds, Frances

2011-01-01

Frances Edmonds is one of a group of artists selected for the show ‘Territories’ taking place at Galerie Windkracht 13 in Den Helder, Holland this July 2012. This exhibition is curated by Sharon Beavan and Gethin Evans. The artists represented work across the boundaries of two and three-dimensional and time based form. The brief – to interrogate and explore the notion of territories. Frances will be showing several paintings from the British Museum series, based on imagery collected ...

British scientists and the Manhattan Project: the Los Alamos years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szasz, F.M.

1992-01-01

This is a study of the British scientific mission to Los Alamos, New Mexico, from 1943 to 1947, and the impact it had on the early history of the atomic age. In the years following the Manhattan Project and the production of the world's first atomic explosion in 1945, the British contribution to the Project was played down or completely ignored leaving the impression that all the atomic scientists had been American. However, the two dozen or so British scientists contributed crucially to the development of the atomic bomb. First, the initial research and reports of British scientists convinced American scientists that an atomic weapons could be constructed before the likely end of hostilities. Secondly their contribution insured the bomb was available in the shortest possible time. Also, because these scientists became involved in post-war politics and in post-war development of nuclear power, they also helped forge the nuclear boundaries of the mid-twentieth century. (UK)

British scientists and the Manhattan Project: the Los Alamos years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szasz, F.M. (New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States))

1992-01-01

This is a study of the British scientific mission to Los Alamos, New Mexico, from 1943 to 1947, and the impact it had on the early history of the atomic age. In the years following the Manhattan Project and the production of the world's first atomic explosion in 1945, the British contribution to the Project was played down or completely ignored leaving the impression that all the atomic scientists had been American. However, the two dozen or so British scientists contributed crucially to the development of the atomic bomb. First, the initial research and reports of British scientists convinced American scientists that an atomic weapons could be constructed before the likely end of hostilities. Secondly their contribution insured the bomb was available in the shortest possible time. Also, because these scientists became involved in post-war politics and in post-war development of nuclear power, they also helped forge the nuclear boundaries of the mid-twentieth century. (UK).

Disability, and social and economic inclusion: who is in and out of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme?

OpenAIRE

Cebulla, Andreas; Zhu, Rong

2015-01-01

A new National Disability Insurance Scheme is being trialled in Australia, following criticism of the fragmented and inequitable nature of existing disability supports (e.g. in the 2009 ‘Shut Out’ report by the National People with Disabilities and Carer Council) and reform recommendations made by the Australian Government's Productivity Commission in 2011. The Insurance Scheme distinguishes between people living with disability who will be eligible for different types of supports: either mai...

Union-Active School Librarians and School Library Advocacy: A Modified Case Study of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association and the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

Science.gov (United States)

Ewbank, Ann Dutton

2015-01-01

This modified case study examines how the members of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association (BCTLA), a Provincial Specialist Association (PSA) of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), work together to advocate for strong school library programs headed by a credentialed school librarian. Since 2002, despite nullification…

[Private charity - public health service. Comparison between British and German birthing centers of the 18th century].

Science.gov (United States)

Schlumbohm, Jürgen

In the eighteenth century, lying-in hospitals were founded in many European towns and cities. The way in which these institutions were financed differed greatly across Europe. In the UK, most of them were "charities" and relied on donations from wealthy benefactors, whereas on the continent they were usually funded by "public" money, be it from the state or local communities. The paper focuses on British charities and German hospitals, and explores the corollaries of the mode of financing. In the eighteenth century, a market emerged in Britain where numerous charities with different aims competed for donations from the well-to-do. For attracting benefactors, a charity had to convince potential donors that its clientele and purpose were particularly deserving, and that it used the money donated in a cost-efficient way. In Germany, it was mainly bureaucrats and governments who had to be persuaded, but public opinion did matter as well. In British lying-in charities, the main donors acted as governors, and benefactors could recommend persons for being admitted. In publicly funded German hospitals, the medical directors had much more power. In the competitive market, in which British charities acted, out-patient dispensaries (policlinics) became increasingly important, since they could argue that they were more cost-efficient and had lower mortality. In Germany, however, hospitals remained the dominant type of assistance in this field, in spite of the criticism they received. The different sources of finance appear to have been one of the reasons for this divergence. Teaching was the main purpose of most German lying-in hospitals. They either trained medical students or midwife apprentices or both. Since the patients served as teaching objects, all women were welcomed, and in fact most patients were single mothers. By contrast, most of the British institutions admitted only married women, because donors did not wish to encourage immorality. The charities staged the

Development zoning scheme of the territory of the projected national park "Orilskyi" in order to optimize the structure of natureusing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zelens'ka L.I.

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The scheme planning of land reserved for the creation of a national park "Orilskyi" within Shulhivskoyi village council Petrikov district of Dnipropetrovsk region, which is based on a functional concept of territory planning. Dedicated areas protected mode, recreational and economic of subzones. Grounded floral-faunistic value protected territory types rationalization of nature. The results introduced in local government institutions for the planning scheme area.

The British Royal Family’s Circumcision Tradition

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Robert Darby

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The birth of Prince William’s son in July 2013 was the occasion for an outpouring of media speculation about the fate of the royal baby’s foreskin. The possibility that he might be circumcised was connected to a purported tradition of circumcision within the British royal family, said to be have been initiated either by Queen Victoria or by George I. In this article, we trace the origins and evolution of these stories and assess their validity. Our conclusion is that belief in a royal circumcision tradition derives from the reported circumcision of Prince Charles by the mohel Jacob Snowman in 1948, and the efforts of the British Israelite movement to concoct a “lost tribes of Israel” origin for the British race. These elements merged into a fully developed narrative that was widely disseminated from the late 1990s. The initially separate claim that the tradition was imported from Hanover by George I can be sourced precisely to 2012. We further show that these stories are inventions, and that the royal family circumcision tradition should be regarded as a classic instance of a contemporary legend or urban myth.

Offloading social care responsibilities: recent experiences of local voluntary organisations in a remote urban centre in British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanlon, Neil; Rosenberg, Mark; Clasby, Rachael

2007-07-01

Services offered by voluntary organisations are an integral but often overlooked component of health and social care. Of late, there has been a renewed interest in voluntary welfare provision as a viable alternative to state and market. Recent developments in welfare provision in Canada appear to have brought greater social care roles for the voluntary sector at the same time as new and arguably more restrictive funding and accountability mechanisms are being imposed by different arms of the state. To explore these issues more closely, the present paper examines the impressions and experiences of voluntary and formal sector providers of services for senior citizens and people with disabilities in a remote urban centre (population less than 100 000) in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Two important operational pressures provide the context of the analysis: (1) reform of provincial government funding and regulation of voluntary services; and (2) the restructuring of welfare provision, especially in the areas of health care and social services. The authors found evidence of an escalating incursion of the state into local voluntary sector affairs that needs to be understood in the context of long-standing institutional links between government and 'professional' voluntary welfare provision in British Columbia. The results point to three important directions in contemporary local voluntary provision: (1) an emerging ethos of accountability, efficiency and competition in voluntary provision; (2) increasing pressure to centralise volunteer services; and consequently, (3) the potential erosion of flexibility and personalisation that are seen to characterise the voluntary sector.

BCASP and the Evolution of School Psychology in British Columbia

Science.gov (United States)

Agar, Douglas J.

2016-01-01

Since 1992, the British Columbia Association of School Psychologists (BCASP) has been the professional body for school psychologists in British Columbia. In the intervening 24 years, BCASP has been very successful in performing the dual roles of a certifying body and a professional development organization for school psychologists in British…

Britishness as Racist Nativism: A Case of the Unnamed "Other"

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Heather Jane

2016-01-01

The construct of Britishness, as with nationalism elsewhere in the world, although amorphous and permeable over time, continues to be used by politicians and the media as a powerful exclusionary force. Moreover in England, fundamental British values (FBV), its most recent and official incarnation, now hold particular currency in education policy…

Strategic purchasing and health system efficiency: A comparison of two financing schemes in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Panichkriangkrai, Warisa; Sommanuttaweechai, Angkana; Hanson, Kara; Wanwong, Yaowaluk; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2018-01-01

Strategic purchasing is an essential health financing function. This paper compares the strategic purchasing practices of Thailand's two tax-financed health insurance schemes, the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS), and identifies factors contributing to successful universal health coverage outcomes by analysing the relationships between the purchaser and government, providers and members. The study uses a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, including document review and interviews with 56 key informants. The Comptroller General Department (CGD) of Ministry of Finance manages CSMBS as one among civil servant welfare programmes. Their purchasing is passive. Fee for service payment for outpatient care has resulted in rapid cost escalation and overspending of their annual budget. In contrast, National Health Security Office (NHSO) manages purchasing for UCS, which undertakes a range of strategic purchasing actions, including applying closed ended provider payment, promoting primary healthcare's gate keeping functions, exercising collective purchasing power and engaging views of members in decision making process. This difference in purchasing arrangements resulted in expenditure per CSMBS member being 4 times higher than UCS in 2014. The governance of the purchaser organization, the design of the purchasing arrangements including incentives and use of information, and the institutional capacities to implement purchasing functions are essential for effective strategic purchasing which can improve health system efficiency as a whole.

Multilevel governance in community-based environmental management: a case study comparison from Latin America

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Claudia Sattler

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We analyze four case studies from Latin America using the concept of multilevel governance to assess at what vertical and horizontal levels and in what roles various state, market, and civil society actors interact for successful community-based environmental management (CBEM. In particular, we address the problem of how a conflict over natural resources with high negative impacts on the livelihoods of the respective communities could be overcome by a governance change that resulted in a multilevel governance arrangement for CBEM. The analysis involves a mixed-methods approach that combines a variety of empirical methods in social research such as field visits, personal interviews, participant observations, and stakeholder workshops. To visualize results, we introduce two schemes to present the composition of the governance structures for cross-case comparison. The first scheme plots the different actors into an arrangement that shows their associations with different societal spheres and at which territorial scales they are primarily involved. The second scheme differentiates these actors based on their complementing governance roles. Active roles are attributed to actors who implement activities on the ground, whereas passive roles are assigned to actors who provide specific resources such as knowledge, funding, legislative framework, or others. All cases involved governance actors from more than one societal sphere who operate on at least three different territorial levels (local to international and in distinct roles. Results show that multilevel governance can strengthen CBEM in different ways. First, the success of CBEM is an outcome of the sum of horizontal and vertical interactions of all involved actors, and there is no most appropriate single level of social organization at which a problem can best be addressed. Only the cooperation of actors from different societal spheres within and across levels ensures accessibility to needed

Medical slang in British hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Adam T; Fertleman, Michael; Cahill, Pauline; Palmer, Roger D

2003-01-01

The usage, derivation, and psychological, ethical, and legal aspects of slang terminology in medicine are discussed. The colloquial vocabulary is further described and a comprehensive glossary of common UK terms provided in appendix. This forms the first list of slang terms currently in use throughout the British medical establishment.

Impacts of nonstate, market-driven governance on Chilean forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Heilmayr, Robert; Lambin, Eric F

2016-03-15

Global markets for agricultural products, timber, and minerals are critically important drivers of deforestation. The supply chains driving land use change may also provide opportunities to halt deforestation. Market campaigns, moratoria, and certification schemes have been promoted as powerful tools to achieve conservation goals. Despite their promise, there have been few opportunities to rigorously quantify the ability of these nonstate, market-driven (NSMD) governance regimes to deliver conservation outcomes. This study analyzes the impacts of three NSMD governance systems that sought to end the conversion of natural forests to plantations in Chile at the start of the 21st century. Using a multilevel, panel dataset of land use changes in Chile, we identify the impact of participation within each of the governance regimes by implementing a series of matched difference-in-differences analyses. Taking advantage of the mosaic of different NSMD regimes adopted in Chile, we explore the relative effectiveness of different policies. NSMD governance regimes reduced deforestation on participating properties by 2-23%. The NSMD governance regimes we studied included collaborative and confrontational strategies between environmental and industry stakeholders. We find that the more collaborative governance systems studied achieved better environmental performance than more confrontational approaches. Whereas many government conservation programs have targeted regions with little likelihood of conversion, we demonstrate that NSMD governance has the potential to alter behavior on high-deforestation properties.

'Irish & Roman Catholic Which Upsets All the People Here': Michael McDonnell and British Colonial Justice in Mandatory Palestine, 1927-1936.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Simon

2017-10-23

In 1927 Michael McDonnell, a diasporic Irish Catholic, was appointed Mandatory Palestine's Chief Justice, being directed to institute firm British-style legal-judicial foundations for future self-governance. This entailed common, equal status for Arab and Jewish Palestinians, implicitly de-privileging the Jewish National Home. McDonnell was resisted in this by the British Mandate's Anglo-Jewish, pro-Zionist Attorney General, Norman Bentwich. McDonnell prevailed but only at the cost of being characterized lastingly as a pro-Arab, Catholic anti-Semite. McDonnell's continuing defence of a supreme, independent judiciary antagonized the Palestine Executive of High Commissioner Arthur Wauchope, who tried to co-opt rather than subordinate Zionist interests. Consequent frictions culminated in 1936 with McDonnell adjudicating against supra-legal British repression of Palestine's great Arab rebellion. For this he was dismissed and ostracized, subsequently publishing critiques of British policy in fringe right-wing organs. Yet McDonnell professed explicitly non-racist views, reflecting a liberal-minded, constitutional Irish nationalist equation of Palestine with Ireland, seeing comparable settler-colonial abuses and native distress as remediable only by transcendentally impartial justice. Britain reneging on these principles led McDonnell, like those Irish imperial servants noted in India, to identify with colonial subjects against colonialism. His case is one of empire as a system of domination being challenged from within, although his removal foreshadowed emerging imperial counter-insurgency's tendency not only to repress subject populations but deny civil-progressive alternatives for managing post-colonial transition. © The Author [2017]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme: Historical, Scientific, Socio-political Origins.

Science.gov (United States)

Akers, Harry Francis; Weerakoon, Arosha Tania; Foley, Michael Anthony; McAuliffe, Andrew James

While evidence and expert opinion are the foundations of effective policy, the politics, economics, and timing of a proposal can affect outcome. Australian government involvement in the planning, funding and delivery of dental services has been minimal and inconsistent. Many believe that the hybrid dispersal model of shared constitutional power has intermittently led to poor administration of national health policy. Throughout the decade-long prelude to the introduction of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme, a landmark health policy in Australia, Parliamentarians moved responsibility for public dental services of disadvantaged Australians into an impasse between the Federal, State, and Territorial Governments. Developments throughout the era confirm the influence of administrative intrigue, centralized authority, competing priorities, funding pressures, political strategy, public opinion, scientific evidence and the timing of a proposal on the formulation and implementation of oral health policy. Synchronized inter-governmental collaboration was also absent. Moreover, the impasse and its resolution immediately before a national election demonstrate the bipolar roles of centralized political authority and political resolve in either obstructing or implementing policy. The historical, scientific, and socio-political contexts undermining the preamble to the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme lend weight to concerns about the hybrid dispersal model of constitutional power. Copyright American Academy of the History of Dentistry.

Exact analysis of Packet Reversed Packet Combining Scheme and Modified Packet Combining Scheme; and a combined scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhunia, C.T.

2007-07-01

Packet combining scheme is a well defined simple error correction scheme for the detection and correction of errors at the receiver. Although it permits a higher throughput when compared to other basic ARQ protocols, packet combining (PC) scheme fails to correct errors when errors occur in the same bit locations of copies. In a previous work, a scheme known as Packet Reversed Packet Combining (PRPC) Scheme that will correct errors which occur at the same bit location of erroneous copies, was studied however PRPC does not handle a situation where a packet has more than 1 error bit. The Modified Packet Combining (MPC) Scheme that can correct double or higher bit errors was studied elsewhere. Both PRPC and MPC schemes are believed to offer higher throughput in previous studies, however neither adequate investigation nor exact analysis was done to substantiate this claim of higher throughput. In this work, an exact analysis of both PRPC and MPC is carried out and the results reported. A combined protocol (PRPC and MPC) is proposed and the analysis shows that it is capable of offering even higher throughput and better error correction capability at high bit error rate (BER) and larger packet size. (author)

A cross-cultural comparison of British and Pakistani medical students' understanding of schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Furnham, Adrian; Raja, Nazia; Khan, Umar Ali

2008-06-30

This study aimed to compare British, British Pakistani and Native Pakistani (from Pakistan) medical students' beliefs about the manifestation, causes and cures of schizophrenia, prior to any psychiatric training. A total of 305 participants completed a questionnaire on general beliefs about people with schizophrenia, causal explanations concerning the aetiology of schizophrenia and the role of hospitals and society in treating people with schizophrenia. It was predicted that compared with the British and British Pakistanis, the Pakistanis would have more negative beliefs and attitudes, considering people with schizophrenia to be more dangerous and unpredictable; they were also expected to use more superstitious beliefs to explain the cause of schizophrenia and its symptoms; as well as believe more in seeking help from God and faith healers. There was strong evidence to suggest that Pakistanis possessed more negative beliefs and attitudes about people with schizophrenia, but there was no evidence to indicate that Pakistanis believed more in superstitious causal explanations. Pakistanis were more likely to consider seeking help from faith healers, but not God, compared with British Pakistanis and the British. Results confirm previous European-Asian difference in the understanding of the cause, manifestation and cure of schizophrenia. The impact of traditional and Western cultural influences on British Pakistanis is considered.

Some Observation on the Strengths and Weaknesses of the British Primary Schools. Project for Workshops--Studying Informal Education in the British Setting--England, Summer 1974.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Roselie

In this paper some comparisons are made between the British Primary School system and the American school system. For example, the role of the British headmaster/mistress is considerably more powerful than the role of the American principal in areas concerning curriculum content, school personnel, use of auxiliary personnel, scheduling of…

Is There Such a Thing as 'White Ignorance' in British Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Bain, Zara

2018-01-01

I argue that political philosopher Charles W. Mills' twin concepts of 'the epistemology of ignorance' and 'white ignorance' are useful tools for thinking through racial injustice in the British education system. While anti-racist work in British education has a long history, racism persists in British primary, secondary and tertiary education. For…

Book Review: "Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Book Review: "Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War"by Timothy C. Winegard. ... Timothy Winegard saw active duty in the Canadian Reserve Force from 2001 to 2010 and served on detachment duty to the British Army for a two-year period. He obtained various academic degrees from 1999 ...

Barriers and facilitators to implementation, uptake and sustainability of community-based health insurance schemes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fadlallah, Racha; El-Jardali, Fadi; Hemadi, Nour; Morsi, Rami Z; Abou Samra, Clara Abou; Ahmad, Ali; Arif, Khurram; Hishi, Lama; Honein-AbouHaidar, Gladys; Akl, Elie A

2018-01-29

Community-based health insurance (CBHI) has evolved as an alternative health financing mechanism to out of pocket payments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in areas where government or employer-based health insurance is minimal. This systematic review aimed to assess the barriers and facilitators to implementation, uptake and sustainability of CHBI schemes in LMICs. We searched six electronic databases and grey literature. We included both quantitative and qualitative studies written in English language and published after year 1992. Two reviewers worked in duplicate and independently to complete study selection, data abstraction, and assessment of methodological features. We synthesized the findings based on thematic analysis and categorized according to the ecological model into individual, interpersonal, community and systems levels. Of 15,510 citations, 51 met the eligibility criteria. Individual factors included awareness and understanding of the concept of CBHI, trust in scheme and scheme managers, perceived service quality, and demographic characteristics, which influenced enrollment and sustainability. Interpersonal factors such as household dynamics, other family members enrolled in the scheme, and social solidarity influenced enrollment and renewal of membership. Community-level factors such as culture and community involvement in scheme development influenced enrollment and sustainability of scheme. Systems-level factors encompassed governance, financial and delivery arrangement. Government involvement, accountability of scheme management, and strong policymaker-implementer relation facilitated implementation and sustainability of scheme. Packages that covered outpatient and inpatient care and those tailored to community needs contributed to increased enrollment. Amount and timing of premium collection was reported to negatively influence enrollment while factors reported as threats to sustainability included facility

Costs and effects of the Tanzanian national voucher scheme for insecticide-treated nets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanson Kara

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The cost-effectiveness of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs in reducing morbidity and mortality is well established. International focus has now moved on to how best to scale up coverage and what financing mechanisms might be used to achieve this. The approach in Tanzania has been to deliver a targeted subsidy for those most vulnerable to the effects of malaria while at the same time providing support to the development of the commercial ITN distribution system. In October 2004, with funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria, the government launched the Tanzania National Voucher Scheme (TNVS, a nationwide discounted voucher scheme for ITNs for pregnant women and their infants. This paper analyses the costs and effects of the scheme and compares it with other approaches to distribution. Methods Economic costs were estimated using the ingredients approach whereby all resources required in the delivery of the intervention (including the user contribution are quantified and valued. Effects were measured in terms of number of vouchers used (and therefore nets delivered and treated nets years. Estimates were also made for the cost per malaria case and death averted. Results and Conclusion The total financial cost of the programme represents around 5% of the Ministry of Health's total budget. The average economic cost of delivering an ITN using the voucher scheme, including the user contribution, was $7.57. The cost-effectiveness results are within the benchmarks set by other malaria prevention studies. The Government of Tanzania's approach to scaling up ITNs uses both the public and private sectors in order to achieve and sustain the level of coverage required to meet the Abuja targets. The results presented here suggest that the TNVS is a cost-effective strategy for delivering subsidized ITNs to targeted vulnerable groups.

Shakespearean Intertexts and European Identities in Contemporary Black British Fiction

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz-Valdivieso, Sofía

2012-01-01

The article analyses the presence of William Shakespeare as intertext in three recent novels by black British writers which deploy the work of the Bard as they explore British and European identities. Caryl Phillips's "The Nature of Blood" recreates an Othello-like figure who in early Modern Venice struggles to come to terms with his…

British American Tobacco's partnership with Earthwatch Europe and its implications for public health.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Patricia A; Malone, Ruth E

2012-01-01

This paper explores a partnership between British American Tobacco (BAT) and the environmental organisation Earthwatch Europe (EE) and considers its implications for countries implementing Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. We reviewed approximately 100 internal BAT documents, interviewed EE's former executive director and examined media accounts and BAT and EE websites. We analysed materials by reviewing them iteratively, identifying themes, constructing a timeline of events and assembling a case study. BAT sought a partnership with EE to gain a global ally that could provide entrée into the larger non-governmental organisation (NGO) community. EE debated the ethics of working with BAT, resolving them in BAT's favour and taking a narrow view of its own overall organisational mission. To protect its reputation, EE delayed public disclosure of the partnership. Instead, EE promoted it to policy-makers and other NGOs, extending BAT's reputation and reach into influential circles. The potential for normalising the tobacco industry presence within government through NGO partnerships and the benefits that accrued to BAT even when the partnership was not being publicised show why governments seeking to protect effective tobacco control policies from industry influence need to consider ways to identify and discourage 'hidden' NGO partnerships.

CIRDAP -- the British Council Regional Workshop. Towards Gender Equity: Poverty, Rights, and Participation.

Science.gov (United States)

1998-03-01

This article describes a February 1998, regional workshop entitled "Towards Gender Equity: Poverty, Rights, and Participation," which was organized by the Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and the British Council. Participants included about 60 high-level representatives of governments, nongovernmental organizations, academicians, and activists from CIRDAP, the UK, and Bangladesh. The aim was to identify ways to monitor the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action (BPOA)in CIRDAP member countries and advocate continual compliance with the BPOA. The agenda included five issue-based working sessions, plenaries, group discussions, adoption of group resolutions, and closure. Participants visited urban schools run by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee and the Gono Shahajjo Sangstha that provided education for low income, disadvantaged children. Press conferences were held pre-post workshop. Each participant at the workshop end identified at least one issue or recommendation that they would follow-up on after the workshop. Subthemes were access to income for women (access to and control of resources, microcredit, and small enterprises); rights (land rights, inheritance of property, and legal rights); political participation (good governance, community participation); economic reforms and sustainable development (structural adjustment, liberalization, and globalization), and BPOA. Under each subtheme are lists of issues or problems and recommendations.

The privatisation of British Coal: an assessment of its impact on mining areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fothergill, S; Witt, S

1991-01-01

Although the government does not intend to privatise British Coal until after the next general election; the changes necessary for its sale are already beginning. This report explains why further colliery closures and job losses can be expected in the run-up to privatisation, and examines their local and regional consequences. Overall, the government's strategy looks set to close a further 41 collieries, employing 35,000 men at present. Allowing for knock-on effects on other industries and services, the final job loss in coalfield areas is likely to be nearer 100,000. The report identifies the collieries most at risk of closure up to 1995. The anticipated closures will affect most of the remaining pits in the NE and NW of England, South Wales, Leicestershire and Derbyshire, but the largest job losses are likely to occur in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. A six point strategy is put forward which, it is claimed, would secure a market for an additional 35 million tonnes p.a. of deep-mined coal and obviate the need for closures: reduction in open-cast coal production; moratorium on power station coal imports; cancellation of Sizewell B nuclear power station; restrictions on the use of gas for base-load generation; investment in modern coal-fired plant; and retention of public ownership.

J.G. Crowther's War: Institutional strife at the BBC and British Council.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Allan

2016-06-01

Science writer, historian and administrator J.G. Crowther (1899-1983) had an uneasy relationship with the BBC during the 1920s and 1930s, and was regarded with suspicion by the British security services because of his left politics. Nevertheless the Second World War saw him working for 'establishment' institutions. He was closely associated with the BBC's Overseas Service and employed by the British Council's Science Committee. Both organizations found Crowther useful because of his wide, international knowledge of science and scientists. Crowther's political views, and his international aspirations for the British Council's Science Committee, increasingly embroiled him in an institutional conflict with the Royal Society and with its president, Sir Henry Dale, who was also chairman of the British Council's Science Committee. The conflict centred on the management of international scientific relations, a matter close Crowther's heart, and to Dale's. Dale considered that the formal conduct of international scientific relations was the Royal Society's business rather than the British Council's. Crowther disagreed, and eventually resigned from the British Council Science Committee in 1946. The article expands knowledge of Crowther by drawing on archival documents to elucidate a side of his career that is only lightly touched on in his memoirs. It shows that 'Crowther's war' was also an institutional war between the Science Committee of the British Council and the Royal Society. Crowther's unhappy experience of interference by the Royal Society plausibly accounts for a retreat from his pre-war view that institutional science should plan and manage BBC science broadcasts.

A Pseudo-Temporal Multi-Grid Relaxation Scheme for Solving the Parabolized Navier-Stokes Equations

Science.gov (United States)

White, J. A.; Morrison, J. H.

1999-01-01

A multi-grid, flux-difference-split, finite-volume code, VULCAN, is presented for solving the elliptic and parabolized form of the equations governing three-dimensional, turbulent, calorically perfect and non-equilibrium chemically reacting flows. The space marching algorithms developed to improve convergence rate and or reduce computational cost are emphasized. The algorithms presented are extensions to the class of implicit pseudo-time iterative, upwind space-marching schemes. A full approximate storage, full multi-grid scheme is also described which is used to accelerate the convergence of a Gauss-Seidel relaxation method. The multi-grid algorithm is shown to significantly improve convergence on high aspect ratio grids.

Identity management for e-government Libya as a case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elaswad, Othoman; Jensen, Christian D.

2016-01-01

Governments are strengthening their identity (ID) management strategies to deliver new and improved online services to their citizens. Such online services typically include applications for different types of permissions, requests for different types of official documents and management...... of different types of entitlements. The ID management scheme must therefore be able to correctly authenticate citizens and link online presence to real world identities....

Thermal power plant operating regimes in future British power systems with increasing variable renewable penetration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edmunds, Ray; Davies, Lloyd; Deane, Paul; Pourkashanian, Mohamed

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This work investigates thermal power operating regimes in future power systems. • Gas plants have low utilisation in the scenarios considered. • Ramping intensity increases for gas plants and pumped storage. • Coal plants frequently operate at minimum stable levels and start-ups increase. • Grid emission intensity and total emission production remains substantial. - Abstract: This work investigates the operational requirements of thermal power plants in a number of potential future British power systems with increasing variable renewable penetration. The PLEXOS Integrated Energy Model has been used to develop the market models, with PLEXOS employing mixed integer programming to solve the unit commitment and economic dispatch problem, subject to a number of constraints. Initially, a model of the British power system was developed and validated. Subsequently, a 2020 test model was developed to analyse a number of future system structures with differing fuel and carbon prices and generation mixes. The study has found that in three of the four scenarios considered, the utilisation of gas power plants will be relatively low, but remains fundamental to the security of supply. Also, gas plants will be subject to more intense ramping. The findings have consequent implications for energy policy as expensive government interventions may be required to prevent early decommissioning of gas capacity, should the prevailing market conditions not guarantee revenue adequacy.

Experiences within British Steel since 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, D.S.

1999-01-01

The experience of British steel is that there is a serious and continuing threat of radioactive material being included in scrap delivered to steelworks. All scrap entering the steelworks is monitored for radioactivity. The scrap suppliers and the national authorities have recognized the difficulties caused by the presence of radioactivity in scrap, and are working to minimise the problem. Both domestic and imported scrap has been found to contain radioactivity, but the imported scrap is much more likely to contain radioactivity. If radioactivity is found the Environmental Agency is informed, and established procedures are used to minimise the hazard, and to isolate the radioactivity. Detecting, and isolating radioactive scrap, and preventing it being re-melted in the steelmaking process, is part of the overall commitment of British Steel to work safely, and to provide a safe, good quality, product (author)

Stakeholders Perspectives on the Success Drivers in Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme - Identifying Policy Translation Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Fusheini, Adam; Marnoch, Gordon; Gray, Ann Marie

2016-10-01

Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), established by an Act of Parliament (Act 650), in 2003 and since replaced by Act 852 of 2012 remains, in African terms, unprecedented in terms of growth and coverage. As a result, the scheme has received praise for its associated legal reforms, clinical audit mechanisms and for serving as a hub for knowledge sharing and learning within the context of South-South cooperation. The scheme continues to shape national health insurance thinking in Africa. While the success, especially in coverage and financial access has been highlighted by many authors, insufficient attention has been paid to critical and context-specific factors. This paper seeks to fill that gap. Based on an empirical qualitative case study of stakeholders' views on challenges and success factors in four mutual schemes (district offices) located in two regions of Ghana, the study uses the concept of policy translation to assess whether the Ghana scheme could provide useful lessons to other African and developing countries in their quest to implement social/NHISs. In the study, interviewees referred to both 'hard and soft' elements as driving the "success" of the Ghana scheme. The main 'hard elements' include bureaucratic and legal enforcement capacities; IT; financing; governance, administration and management; regulating membership of the scheme; and service provision and coverage capabilities. The 'soft' elements identified relate to: the background/context of the health insurance scheme; innovative ways of funding the NHIS, the hybrid nature of the Ghana scheme; political will, commitment by government, stakeholders and public cooperation; social structure of Ghana (solidarity); and ownership and participation. Other developing countries can expect to translate rather than re-assemble a national health insurance programme in an incomplete and highly modified form over a period of years, amounting to a process best conceived as germination as opposed

Government health insurance for people below poverty line in India: quasi-experimental evaluation of insurance and health outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sood, Neeraj; Bendavid, Eran; Mukherji, Arnab; Wagner, Zachary; Nagpal, Somil; Mullen, Patrick

2014-09-11

To evaluate the effects of a government insurance program covering tertiary care for people below the poverty line in Karnataka, India, on out-of-pocket expenditures, hospital use, and mortality. Geographic regression discontinuity study. 572 villages in Karnataka, India. 31,476 households (22,796 below poverty line and 8680 above poverty line) in 300 villages where the scheme was implemented and 28,633 households (21,767 below poverty line and 6866 above poverty line) in 272 neighboring matched villages ineligible for the scheme. A government insurance program (Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme) that provided free tertiary care to households below the poverty line in about half of villages in Karnataka from February 2010 to August 2012. Out-of-pocket expenditures, hospital use, and mortality. Among households below the poverty line, the mortality rate from conditions potentially responsive to services covered by the scheme (mostly cardiac conditions and cancer) was 0.32% in households eligible for the scheme compared with 0.90% among ineligible households just south of the eligibility border (difference of 0.58 percentage points, 95% confidence interval 0.40 to 0.75; Ppoverty line (households above the poverty line were not eligible for the scheme), with a mortality rate from conditions covered by the scheme of 0.56% in eligible villages compared with 0.55% in ineligible villages (difference of 0.01 percentage points, -0.03 to 0.03; P=0.95). Eligible households had significantly reduced out-of-pocket health expenditures for admissions to hospitals with tertiary care facilities likely to be covered by the scheme (64% reduction, 35% to 97%; PIndia. © Sood et al 2014.

Governance Challenges in Telecoupled Food Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Eakin, H.; Mahanti, A.; Rueda, X.

2015-12-01

Distal connections increasingly influence food systems' governance: social actors in one geographic context produce intended and unintended consequences in distant locations, coupling the dynamics of socio-ecological systems. While these linkages are not new, economic globalization, urbanization and the dynamics of consumer preferences have accentuated these 'telecoupled' relationships in food systems. Telecoupling refers to the unexpected causal interactions among human-environment systems that were otherwise not linked. This paper presents a framework for evaluating telecoupling processes and outcomes in food systems, focusing on how the disparate scales of drivers and outcomes, diverse values of actors involved, and spatial and social distance combine to challenge socio-ecological system governance. We draw from two examples of food systems (coffee and maize) to argue that telecoupling, as a challenge for food systems, emerges when the institutions and mechanisms of governance acting over one system do not account for the consequences and interactions involving a different system. Telecoupling can stimulate new forms of governance, such as the development of codes of conduct and certification schemes, with positive impacts on food and livelihood security. Our cases suggest that the emergence of new governance arrangements is at least partially contingent on the prior existence of alternative social networks, which cultivate shared values, meanings and goals in food systems, as well as the capacity of affected actors to mobilize political influence and demonstrate plausible causal links. In the absence of such networks and associated capacities, the prior governance arrangements, although poorly adjusted to the new circumstances, are likely to persist, reinforcing existing power relations and the probability of undesirable social and ecological outcomes.

LITERATURE REVIEW ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE - FIRM PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pintea Mirela-Oana

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the matter of corporate governance reforms, an important aspect is whether the implementation of corporate governance principles and codes has a positive impact on firm performance. The literature testing the relationship between different corporate governance mechanisms and firm performance is extensive. Over time, a lot of corporate governances mechanisms were studied in relation to firm performance and the most used are: CEO duality, board size, proportion of non- executive directors, board committees, ownership structure and concentration, managers’ compensation and incentives schemes. With time, different authors began to use more comprehensive measures for corporate governance rather than a single variable or a single governance mechanism, the so called corporate governance indexes. Regarding performance there are three main approaches to firm performance in social science research: research based on market prices, accounting ratios and total factor profitability.The most used performance measures are: Tobin’s Q, return on equity, return on asset and economic value added. In our paper, we present the studies undertaken since the 1990’s regarding the relationship between different mechanisms of corporate governance and firm performance and between corporate governance index and performance for both developed and developing countries around the world. Regarding the working tools used in this theoretical research we can mention the longitudinal method, by presenting the evolution in time of empirical studies on the research topic and the comparative method used in presenting the resulys of different studies mentioned in our paper. The results of the studies are inconclusive, some studies founded a strog positive relation, others founded a negative correlation between corporate governance and firm performance, while a third category of studies didn’t found any relationship at all. We used participative observation method by issuing

The origins of formal education in sub-Saharan Africa: was British rule more benign?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frankema, E.H.P.

2012-01-01

British colonial rule has often been praised for its comparatively benign features, such as its support of local educational development. This study argues that the impact of British educational policies and investments on the supply of schooling in British Africa should not be overstated. Until

China's Mission in Surveying, Mapping and Geographic Information during Global Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, D.; Xue, C.; Chen, X.

2018-04-01

In the new era, it is proposed that China should be transformed from a participant and a cooperator into a designer, an impeller and a leader, continue taking an effect of responsible great power, increase public product supply, perfect a global governance system and contribute to China's wisdom and China's schemes during global governance, thus surveying and mapping geographic information takes on great mission. On the one hand, we have to timely grasp global geographic information data resources to provide an important scientific data support for China's wisdom and China's schemes. On the other hand, we have to provide surveying and mapping geographic information infrastructure construction and public products for developing countries, support location services within a global territorial scope, and realize the smoothness of talent flow, material flow and information flow between China and countries in the world. Meanwhile, external assistance and international communication and cooperation of surveying and mapping geographic information are also enhanced, and popularization and application of a geographic information technology in underdeveloped countries and regions are promoted.

Finite Boltzmann schemes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sman, van der R.G.M.

2006-01-01

In the special case of relaxation parameter = 1 lattice Boltzmann schemes for (convection) diffusion and fluid flow are equivalent to finite difference/volume (FD) schemes, and are thus coined finite Boltzmann (FB) schemes. We show that the equivalence is inherent to the homology of the

A new tailored scheme for the support of renewable energies in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moner-Girona, Magda

2009-01-01

Historically the promotion of renewable energy technologies in isolated areas has involved international donors or governments subsidising the initial capital investment. This paper proposes an alternative support mechanism for remote villages based on the generation of renewable electricity. This communication presents an evaluation of the Renewable Energy Premium Tariff (RPT) scheme, a locally adapted variation of the Feed-in Tariff tailored for decentralised grids of developing countries. The RPT scheme stimulates the deployment of renewable energy technologies by paying for renewable electricity generated. A good-quality performance is secured since the support is given based on the electricity produced by renewables, not for the initial capital investment. The mechanism has been designed to provide a cost-effective scheme for the introduction of renewable energy technologies to remote villages, to provide sustainable and affordable electricity to local users, to make renewable energy projects attractive to policy-makers, and concurrently decrease financial risk to attract private sector investment. (author)

The British Model in Britain: Failing slowly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Steve

2006-01-01

In 1990, Britain reorganised its electricity industry to run on competitive lines. The British reforms are widely regarded as successful and the model used provides the basis for reforms of electricity industries worldwide. The main reason for this perception of success is major reductions in the real price of electricity with no reduction in service quality. This paper examines whether the reputation of the British reforms is justified. It concludes that the reputation is not justified and that serious fundamental problems are beginning to emerge. The central question is: have the British reforms resulted in the creation of efficient wholesale and retail markets? On this criterion, the reforms have failed. The wholesale market is dominated by obscure long-term contracts, privileged access to the market and self-dealing within integrated generator/retailers, leaving the spot markets with minimal liquidity and unreliable prices. The failure to develop an efficient wholesale market places the onus on consumers to impose competitive forces on electricity companies by switching regularly. Small consumers will not do this and they are paying too much for their power. For the future, there is a serious risk that the electricity industry will become a weakly regulated oligopoly with a veneer of competition

A journey to citizenship: constructions of citizenship and identity in the British Citizenship Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Debra; Griffin, Christine

2014-06-01

The British Citizenship Test was introduced in 2005 as one of a raft of new procedures aimed at addressing the perceived problems of integration and social cohesion in migrant communities. In this study, we argue that this new citizenship procedure signals a shift in British political discourse about citizenship - particularly, the institutionalization of a common British citizen identity that is intended to draw citizens together in a new form of political/national community. In line with this, we examine the British Citizenship Test from a social psychological perspective to interrogate the ways in which the test constitutes identity, constitutes citizenship, and constitutes citizenship-as-identity. Analysis of the test and its associated documents highlights three ways in which Britishness-as-identity is constituted, that is, as a collective identity, as a superordinate and national identity, and finally as both a destination and a journey. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for models of citizenship and models of identity. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

The sixth sense : synaesthesia and British aestheticism, 1860-1900

OpenAIRE

Poueymirou, Margaux Lynn Rosa

2009-01-01

“The Sixth Sense: Synaesthesia and British Aestheticism 1860-1900” is an interdisciplinary examination of the emergence of synaesthesia conceptually and rhetorically within the ‘art for art’s sake’ movement in mid-to-late Victorian Britain. Chapter One investigates Swinburne’s focal role as both theorist and literary spokesman for the nascent British Aesthetic movement. I argue that Swinburne was the first to practice what Pater meant by ‘aesthetic criticism’ and that synaesthe...

Stakeholders Perspectives on the Success Drivers in Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme – Identifying Policy Translation Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Fusheini, Adam; Marnoch, Gordon; Gray, Ann Marie

2017-01-01

Background: Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), established by an Act of Parliament (Act 650), in 2003 and since replaced by Act 852 of 2012 remains, in African terms, unprecedented in terms of growth and coverage. As a result, the scheme has received praise for its associated legal reforms, clinical audit mechanisms and for serving as a hub for knowledge sharing and learning within the context of South-South cooperation. The scheme continues to shape national health insurance thinking in Africa. While the success, especially in coverage and financial access has been highlighted by many authors, insufficient attention has been paid to critical and context-specific factors. This paper seeks to fill that gap. Methods: Based on an empirical qualitative case study of stakeholders’ views on challenges and success factors in four mutual schemes (district offices) located in two regions of Ghana, the study uses the concept of policy translation to assess whether the Ghana scheme could provide useful lessons to other African and developing countries in their quest to implement social/NHISs. Results: In the study, interviewees referred to both ‘hard and soft’ elements as driving the "success" of the Ghana scheme. The main ‘hard elements’ include bureaucratic and legal enforcement capacities; IT; financing; governance, administration and management; regulating membership of the scheme; and service provision and coverage capabilities. The ‘soft’ elements identified relate to: the background/context of the health insurance scheme; innovative ways of funding the NHIS, the hybrid nature of the Ghana scheme; political will, commitment by government, stakeholders and public cooperation; social structure of Ghana (solidarity); and ownership and participation. Conclusion: Other developing countries can expect to translate rather than re-assemble a national health insurance programme in an incomplete and highly modified form over a period of years

Stakeholders Perspectives on the Success Drivers in Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme – Identifying Policy Translation Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Fusheini

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS, established by an Act of Parliament (Act 650, in 2003 and since replaced by Act 852 of 2012 remains, in African terms, unprecedented in terms of growth and coverage. As a result, the scheme has received praise for its associated legal reforms, clinical audit mechanisms and for serving as a hub for knowledge sharing and learning within the context of South-South cooperation. The scheme continues to shape national health insurance thinking in Africa. While the success, especially in coverage and financial access has been highlighted by many authors, insufficient attention has been paid to critical and context-specific factors. This paper seeks to fill that gap. Methods Based on an empirical qualitative case study of stakeholders’ views on challenges and success factors in four mutual schemes (district offices located in two regions of Ghana, the study uses the concept of policy translation to assess whether the Ghana scheme could provide useful lessons to other African and developing countries in their quest to implement social/NHISs. Results In the study, interviewees referred to both ‘hard and soft’ elements as driving the “success” of the Ghana scheme. The main ‘hard elements’ include bureaucratic and legal enforcement capacities; IT; financing; governance, administration and management; regulating membership of the scheme; and service provision and coverage capabilities. The ‘soft’ elements identified relate to: the background/context of the health insurance scheme; innovative ways of funding the NHIS, the hybrid nature of the Ghana scheme; political will, commitment by government, stakeholders and public cooperation; social structure of Ghana (solidarity; and ownership and participation. Conclusion Other developing countries can expect to translate rather than re-assemble a national health insurance programme in an incomplete and highly modified form over a period

The impact of governance modes on sustainable transport - the case of bus transport in Greater Manchester, UK

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Claus Hedegaard; Gudmundsson, Henrik

2010-01-01

'Sustainable transport' has become a priority for transport planning and policy making around the world. Sustainable transport plans often promote efforts to shift passengers from private cars to other modes such as public transport. However, the actual success of such efforts is likely to depend...... on how the transport sector is organised and governed. In this paper, we study the impacts of new public management (NPM) reforms in the British local transport sector on the attraction of passengers to buses. Britain is an interesting example since high level sustainable transport policies have been...... contributions. Second, we apply theoretical notions of 'governance modes', to examine whether the strengths and failures of 'market', 'hierarchy' and 'network' governance respectively can help to explain the results we observe. We find that these concepts are particularly useful to clarify the conditions under...

Young British Art / Hanno Soans

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Soans, Hanno, 1974-

2001-01-01

1990ndate kunsti muutumisest. Inglise kunstniku Peter Daviese maalist "Kuum esimene sada" (1996), Gavin Turki vahakujuna valminud autoportreest "Pop". "Young British Art'i" uuskunstist ja Jasper Zoova installatsioonist "F1". Eri analüüsivõimalusi pakkuvatest töödest (Marko Laimre & Ene-Liis Semperi 2000. a. novembri ühisnäituse osa töid).

Contraband, free ports, and British merchants in the Caribbean world, 1739-1772

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Hunt

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This article examines the evolution of contraband to legitimate trade in the eighteenth century Caribbean world during the War of Jenkins’ Ear and Seven Years’ War. It focuses on the informal networks of the British South Sea Company and the trade of informal actors. The article explores how British legislators shifted Jamaican and Dominican colonial economies away from contraband trade by opening free ports in 1766. The British Parliament passed the Free Port Act of Jamaica and Dominica following Danish and Dutch colonial efforts to crack down on contraband trade in the Caribbean world. This transition from contraband to legitimate trade enabled British merchants to engage in free trade by importing and exporting an assortment of commodities and enslaved people to and from Jamaica to other colonies in the Caribbean world.

Community energy and emissions planning : a guide for BC local governments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-09-01

British Columbia (BC) local governments are becoming more interested in completing an energy and greenhouse gas emissions plan for their community as awareness of climate change grows and energy prices escalate. The purpose of this guide was to support local government elected officials and staff in undertaking an energy and emissions planning process. This guide described the purpose and content of a community energy and emissions plan, its benefits, and how to go about creating one. Specifically, the guide provided practical tips, examples from BC communities, and links to more detailed information. Topics that were presented in the guide included engagement; inventories; target-setting; action plan; implementation and monitoring; and funding and resources. It was concluded that the key to long-term success is to maintain good communication with council/board, staff and the public. The document emphasized that it is important to make sure that people know the work being undertaken, and the results achieved, so that momentum is not lost. refs., tabs., figs

Shared Concerns: Thoughts on British Literature and British Music in the Long Nineteenth Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Allis

2005-10-01

Full Text Available As part of the growth of interdisciplinary studies, a number of recent writings have focused upon links between music and literature in the long nineteenth century. In addition to the general significance of music in the work of individual authors and poets, scholars have highlighted particular imagery used in the literary representation of music (charting its effect on narrative and characterisation, and explored the literary reception of several composers. Within this growing body of literature, references to nineteenth- and early twentieth-century British music are significant by their absence. This article therefore aims to redress the balance by suggesting that there are connections between British music and literature in this period, and that these connections are significant. A number of approaches are discussed to highlight their potential, including composer-author affinities, collaborations, generic parallels, hidden narratives, and the suggestion that musical settings of texts can represent critical ‘readings' of those texts. A range of examples (with musical illustrations and sound clips suggest how this particular interdisciplinary focus can lead to the reassessment of individual musical and literary works, and help to explore wider cultural connections within the Victorian and Edwardian era.

Minimal gain marching schemes: searching for unstable steady-states with unsteady solvers

Science.gov (United States)

de S. Teixeira, Renan; S. de B. Alves, Leonardo

2017-12-01

Reference solutions are important in several applications. They are used as base states in linear stability analyses as well as initial conditions and reference states for sponge zones in numerical simulations, just to name a few examples. Their accuracy is also paramount in both fields, leading to more reliable analyses and efficient simulations, respectively. Hence, steady-states usually make the best reference solutions. Unfortunately, standard marching schemes utilized for accurate unsteady simulations almost never reach steady-states of unstable flows. Steady governing equations could be solved instead, by employing Newton-type methods often coupled with continuation techniques. However, such iterative approaches do require large computational resources and very good initial guesses to converge. These difficulties motivated the development of a technique known as selective frequency damping (SFD) (Åkervik et al. in Phys Fluids 18(6):068102, 2006). It adds a source term to the unsteady governing equations that filters out the unstable frequencies, allowing a steady-state to be reached. This approach does not require a good initial condition and works well for self-excited flows, where a single nonzero excitation frequency is selected by either absolute or global instability mechanisms. On the other hand, it seems unable to damp stationary disturbances. Furthermore, flows with a broad unstable frequency spectrum might require the use of multiple filters, which delays convergence significantly. Both scenarios appear in convectively, absolutely or globally unstable flows. An alternative approach is proposed in the present paper. It modifies the coefficients of a marching scheme in such a way that makes the absolute value of its linear gain smaller than one within the required unstable frequency spectra, allowing the respective disturbance amplitudes to decay given enough time. These ideas are applied here to implicit multi-step schemes. A few chosen test cases

Determination of Solution Accuracy of Numerical Schemes as Part of Code and Calculation Verification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blottner, F.G.; Lopez, A.R.

1998-10-01

This investigation is concerned with the accuracy of numerical schemes for solving partial differential equations used in science and engineering simulation codes. Richardson extrapolation methods for steady and unsteady problems with structured meshes are presented as part of the verification procedure to determine code and calculation accuracy. The local truncation error de- termination of a numerical difference scheme is shown to be a significant component of the veri- fication procedure as it determines the consistency of the numerical scheme, the order of the numerical scheme, and the restrictions on the mesh variation with a non-uniform mesh. Genera- tion of a series of co-located, refined meshes with the appropriate variation of mesh cell size is in- vestigated and is another important component of the verification procedure. The importance of mesh refinement studies is shown to be more significant than just a procedure to determine solu- tion accuracy. It is suggested that mesh refinement techniques can be developed to determine con- sistency of numerical schemes and to determine if governing equations are well posed. The present investigation provides further insight into the conditions and procedures required to effec- tively use Richardson extrapolation with mesh refinement studies to achieve confidence that sim- ulation codes are producing accurate numerical solutions.

British Coal Enterprise annual review 1990/91

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-01-01

British Coal Enterprise (BCE) has continued to provide business advice, counselling and financial assistance to small businesses in UK coal mining regions. In 1990, against a background of recession, BCE helped create or safeguard 9,300 jobs. Investment in new projects has continued at a low level. BCEs range of services include provision of loans for new or existing businesses, running of managed workshops to help new businesses start up, provision of small premises to expanding businesses, placement of ex-British Coal and other redundant workers in new employment through Job Shops and helping employers to recruit and train management teams when locating or expanding in the coalfields. The annual report details achievements in these fields within seven coal mining regions of Britain.

Exposure to smoking in movies among British adolescents 2001-2006.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Stacey J; Millett, Christopher; Polansky, Jonathan R; Glantz, Stanton A

2010-06-01

To estimate youth exposure to smoking in movies in the UK and compare the likely effect with the USA. We collected tobacco occurrences data for 572 top-grossing films in the UK screened from 2001 to 2006 and estimated the number of on-screen tobacco impressions delivered to British youths in this time period. 91% of films in our sample that contained smoking were youth-rated films (British Board of Film Classification rating '15' and lower), delivering at least 1.10 billion tobacco impressions to British youths during theatrical release. British youths were exposed to 28% more smoking impressions in UK youth-rated movies than American youth-rated movies, because 79% of movies rated for adults in the USA ('R') are classified as suitable for youths in the UK ('15' or '12A'). Because there is a dose-response relation between the amount of on-screen exposure to smoking and the likelihood that adolescents will begin smoking, the fact that there is substantially higher exposure to smoking in youth-rated films in the UK than in the USA suggests that the fraction of all youth smoking because of films in the UK is probably larger than in the USA. Other countries with ratings systems that are less conservative (in terms of language and sexuality) than the USA will also be likely to deliver more on-screen tobacco impressions to youths. Assigning an '18' classification to movies that contain smoking would substantially reduce youth exposure to on-screen smoking and, hence, smoking initiation among British youths.

Numerical schemes for dynamically orthogonal equations of stochastic fluid and ocean flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueckermann, M.P.; Lermusiaux, P.F.J.; Sapsis, T.P.

2013-01-01

The quantification of uncertainties is critical when systems are nonlinear and have uncertain terms in their governing equations or are constrained by limited knowledge of initial and boundary conditions. Such situations are common in multiscale, intermittent and non-homogeneous fluid and ocean flows. The dynamically orthogonal (DO) field equations provide an adaptive methodology to predict the probability density functions of such flows. The present work derives efficient computational schemes for the DO methodology applied to unsteady stochastic Navier–Stokes and Boussinesq equations, and illustrates and studies the numerical aspects of these schemes. Semi-implicit projection methods are developed for the mean and for the DO modes, and time-marching schemes of first to fourth order are used for the stochastic coefficients. Conservative second-order finite-volumes are employed in physical space with new advection schemes based on total variation diminishing methods. Other results include: (i) the definition of pseudo-stochastic pressures to obtain a number of pressure equations that is linear in the subspace size instead of quadratic; (ii) symmetric advection schemes for the stochastic velocities; (iii) the use of generalized inversion to deal with singular subspace covariances or deterministic modes; and (iv) schemes to maintain orthonormal modes at the numerical level. To verify our implementation and study the properties of our schemes and their variations, a set of stochastic flow benchmarks are defined including asymmetric Dirac and symmetric lock-exchange flows, lid-driven cavity flows, and flows past objects in a confined channel. Different Reynolds number and Grashof number regimes are employed to illustrate robustness. Optimal convergence under both time and space refinements is shown as well as the convergence of the probability density functions with the number of stochastic realizations.

Health Insurance for Government Employees in Bangladesh: A Concept Paper

OpenAIRE

Hamid, Syed Abdul

2014-01-01

Introducing compulsory health insurance for government employees bears immense importance for stepping towards universal healthcare coverage in Bangladesh. Lack of scientific study on designing such scheme, in the Bangladesh context, motivates this paper. The study aims at designing a comprehensive insurance package simultaneously covering health, life and accident related disability risks of the public employees, where the health component would extend to all dependent family members. ...

British Literature: Increasing Relevancy for High School Seniors through Multicultural Augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkland, Nancy C.

A practicum aimed to increase the relevancy (to the ethnically diverse students of contemporary classrooms) of the regular high school senior English course in British literature and composition by expanding the curriculum to include selections from countries (other than the United States) influenced by the British Colonial Empire. Using a…

Report on current status of petroleum substituting energy development in the UK in FY 1997; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho (sekiyu daitai energy kaihatsu no genjo (Eikoku))

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

Blair`s cabinet of the UK, as soon as it was formed, started a review of all policies of the past Conservative government, including the area of energy and environment. The Labour Party has already underlined its commitment to promoting petroleum substituting, i.e., renewable energy. The government made clear that the unique British NFFO Scheme to promote sources of renewable energy would continue and in November, 1997 published the policy guide for the fifth round of NFFO bidding. The British energy market is generally considered to be the most liberalized for free competition in Europe and even the retail market for households is going to be completely open for competition in electricity and gas supply by 1998. As to the regulation of the green house gas exhaust, the Labour Party has put forward a target to cut 20% of the exhaust level of 1990 by the year 2010. The government is now preparing measures for its implementation. At present, the EU is debating the draft of the landfill directive. In the UK, the construction of waste incineration and power generating plants with modern technology is now being promoted. 27 tabs.

Pressurised water reactor. A critique of the Government's nuclear power programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flood, M; Chudleigh, R; Conroy, C

1981-01-01

The subject is covered in sections, entitled: energy forecasts - their decline and fall (Department of Energy; electricity supply industry; the writing on the wall); nuclear economics - how the dream dissolved (Britain's programme - off to a bad start; the government's programme -a catastrophe about to be repeated; the cost of a British PWR; a new choice - nuclear power versus insulation); PWR safety - the unresolvable problem (one in a million (query); fundamental weaknesses; consequences of an accident; unresolved safety problems; the select committee's findings); a new energy strategy - catering for our needs (energy efficiency; district heating/combined heat and power; solar heating; liquid fuels; the international context); conclusions.

Language Planning and the British Empire: Comparing Pakistan, Malaysia, and Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Richard

2002-01-01

Provides historical context for discussions of language planning in postcolonial societies by focusing on policies that have influenced language in three former British colonies. Suggests British colonialism, along with the emergence of America in the 20th century, is the main reason for the global role played by English today and an indispensable…

Women in the British empire: cultural experience and the civilizing mission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalya D. Kryuchkova

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Female participation in imperial policy of Great Britain in the end of XIX – the beginning of XX centuries, their role in distribution of British culture and British values and influence of the civilizing mission on change of women`s position in Britain are the themes of this article.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 25: The technical communications practices of British aerospace engineers and scientists: Results of the phase 4 RAeS mail survey

Science.gov (United States)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1994-01-01

The U.S. government technical report is a primary means by which the results of federally funded research and development (R&D) are transferred to the U.S. aerospace industry. However, little is known about this information product in terms of its actual use, importance, and value in the transfer of federally funded R&D. To help establish a body of knowledge, the U.S. government technical report is being investigated as part of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. In this report, we summarize the literature on technical reports and provide a model that depicts the transfer of federally funded aerospace R&D via the U.S. government technical report. We present results from our investigation of aerospace knowledge diffusion vis-a-vis the U.S. government technical report, and present the results of research that investigated aerospace knowledge diffusion vis-a-vis the technical communications practices of British aerospace engineers and scientists.

Application of kinetic flux vector splitting scheme for solving multi-dimensional hydrodynamical models of semiconductor devices

Science.gov (United States)

Nisar, Ubaid Ahmed; Ashraf, Waqas; Qamar, Shamsul

In this article, one and two-dimensional hydrodynamical models of semiconductor devices are numerically investigated. The models treat the propagation of electrons in a semiconductor device as the flow of a charged compressible fluid. It plays an important role in predicting the behavior of electron flow in semiconductor devices. Mathematically, the governing equations form a convection-diffusion type system with a right hand side describing the relaxation effects and interaction with a self consistent electric field. The proposed numerical scheme is a splitting scheme based on the kinetic flux-vector splitting (KFVS) method for the hyperbolic step, and a semi-implicit Runge-Kutta method for the relaxation step. The KFVS method is based on the direct splitting of macroscopic flux functions of the system on the cell interfaces. The second order accuracy of the scheme is achieved by using MUSCL-type initial reconstruction and Runge-Kutta time stepping method. Several case studies are considered. For validation, the results of current scheme are compared with those obtained from the splitting scheme based on the NT central scheme. The effects of various parameters such as low field mobility, device length, lattice temperature and voltage are analyzed. The accuracy, efficiency and simplicity of the proposed KFVS scheme validates its generic applicability to the given model equations. A two dimensional simulation is also performed by KFVS method for a MESFET device, producing results in good agreement with those obtained by NT-central scheme.

Spitsbergen - Imperialists beyond the British Empire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruse, Frigga; Hacquebord, Louwrens

2012-01-01

This paper looks at the relationship between Spitsbergen in the European High Arctic and the global British Empire in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Spitsbergen was an uninhabited no man's land and comprised an unknown quantity of natural resources. The concepts of geopolitics and New

Do PES Improve the Governance of Forest Restoration?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romain Pirard

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Payments for Environmental Services (PES are praised as innovative policy instruments and they influence the governance of forest restoration efforts in two major ways. The first is the establishment of multi-stakeholder agencies as intermediary bodies between funders and planters to manage the funds and to distribute incentives to planters. The second implication is that specific contracts assign objectives to land users in the form of conditions for payments that are believed to increase the chances for sustained impacts on the ground. These implications are important in the assessment of the potential of PES to operate as new and effective funding schemes for forest restoration. They are analyzed by looking at two prominent payments for watershed service programs in Indonesia—Cidanau (Banten province in Java and West Lombok (Eastern Indonesia—with combined economic and political science approaches. We derive lessons for the governance of funding efforts (e.g., multi-stakeholder agencies are not a guarantee of success; mixed results are obtained from a reliance on mandatory funding with ad hoc regulations, as opposed to voluntary contributions by the service beneficiary and for the governance of financial expenditure (e.g., absolute need for evaluation procedures for the internal governance of farmer groups. Furthermore, we observe that these governance features provide no guarantee that restoration plots with the highest relevance for ecosystem services are targeted by the PES.

Oxford Guide to British and American Culture for Learners of English.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowther, Jonathan, Ed.; Kavanagh, Kathryn, Ed.

The guide to American and British culture, for upper secondary- and university-level students, is intended for use by learners of English as a second language. It is designed to explain specific aspects of British and American life and traditions not generally included in English language dictionaries. The guide has a dictionary format, with terms…

British Columbia's untapped wind export potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, M.

2008-01-01

This presentation discussed wind energy developments in British Columbia (BC). There are currently more than 5000 MW of wind power development activities in British Columbia, but only 325 MW of wind power purchase agreements (PPAs). Various renewable portfolio standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) initiatives are now being use to create demand for additional renewable energy development in the northwestern United States. Studies have demonstrated that BC wind export initiatives have the potential to deliver wind power to markets in the Pacific northwest. Canadian transmission export proposals are now examining methods of bringing renewable energy to areas with high load demands. However, the United States has more than 240,000 MW of proposed wind projects for key markets in the northwestern region. It was concluded that activities in United States wind development are now posing a challenge to Canadian wind energy exporters. Various transmission projects in the United States are now looking at developing renewable energy sources close to BC. tabs., figs

'Good Governance' dan 'Governability'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

- Pratikno

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The article endeavors to trace the outset of governance concept, its dominant meanings and discourse, and its implication towards governability. The central role of government in the governing processes has predominantly been adopted. The concept of governance was emerged precisely in the context of the failure of government as key player in regulation, economic redistribution and political participation. Governance is therefore aimed to emphasize pattern of governing which are based both on democratic mechanism and sound development management. However, practices of such good governance concept –which are mainly adopted and promoted by donor states and agencies– tend to degrade state and/or government authority and legitimacy. Traditional function of the state as sole facilitator of equal societal, political and legal membership among citizens has been diminished. The logic of fair competition has been substituted almost completely by the logic of free competition in nearly all sectors of public life. The concept and practices of good governance have resulted in decayed state authority and failed state which in turn created a condition for "ungovernability". By promoting democratic and humane governance, the article accordingly encourages discourse to reinstall and bring the idea of accountable state back in.

British and American attitudes toward credit cards.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bijou; James, Simon; Lester, David

2006-04-01

American university students owned more than twice as many credit cards as British university students. However, scores on a credit card attitude scale predicted the number of cards owned by respondents in both countries.

The British Empire and the English Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Thron, E. Michael

1987-01-01

Examines the recent call for English departments to recognize literature that falls outside the British and American tradition. Suggests that we recognize English as a world language and choose books to teach accordingly. (JC)

Certification and equity: Applying an “equity framework” to compare certification schemes across product sectors and scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDermott, Constance L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Assessing equity requires a comprehensive conceptual framework. ► The framing of equity varies across sectors and schemes. ► Schemes vary in prioritizing the environment, communities or equity in the supply chain. ► Addressing contextual equity is essential lest certification reinforce inequities of global trade. -- Abstract: This paper applies a comprehensive equity framework to compare the priorities and trade-offs of different environmental and social certification schemes. The schemes selected for comparison are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC), the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO), and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA). The framework considers how the parameters of equity are set in certification scheme governance, including who are the primary decision-makers and intended beneficiaries, and how this is reflected in the content of scheme standards and certification outcomes. Each of these parameters is assessed across the dimensions of procedural, contextual and distributive equity. Results reveal significant variation in the prioritization of the environment, non-commercial stakeholders or equity across the supply chain. In forestry, the FSC has placed primary emphasis on the procedural rights of non-commercial interests in standard-setting processes, the contextual rights of indigenous peoples, and the conservation of natural ecosystems, while the PEFC places more emphasis on procedural equity for producers and the legitimacy of sovereign governments as rule-makers. Both FLO and CCBA prioritize distributive equity regarding the sharing of material benefits with small-scale and/or community producers or workers, while FLO also emphasizes the contextual issue of “empowerment” and capacity-building. In all schemes, contextual factors related to capacity and access have disproportionately advantaged Northern and large

Adaptive protection scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sitharthan

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at modelling an electronically coupled distributed energy resource with an adaptive protection scheme. The electronically coupled distributed energy resource is a microgrid framework formed by coupling the renewable energy source electronically. Further, the proposed adaptive protection scheme provides a suitable protection to the microgrid for various fault conditions irrespective of the operating mode of the microgrid: namely, grid connected mode and islanded mode. The outstanding aspect of the developed adaptive protection scheme is that it monitors the microgrid and instantly updates relay fault current according to the variations that occur in the system. The proposed adaptive protection scheme also employs auto reclosures, through which the proposed adaptive protection scheme recovers faster from the fault and thereby increases the consistency of the microgrid. The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive protection is studied through the time domain simulations carried out in the PSCAD⧹EMTDC software environment.

Are classroom internet use and academic performance higher after government broadband subsidies to primary schools?

OpenAIRE

Hyland, Marie; Layte, Richard; Lyons, Sean; McCoy, Selina; Silles, Mary

2013-01-01

This paper combines data from a government programme providing broadband access to primary schools in Ireland with survey microdata on schools', teachers' and pupils use of the internet to examine the links between public subsidies, classroom use of the internet and educational performance. Provision of broadband service under a government scheme was associated with more than a doubling of teachers' use of the internet in class after about a two year lag. Better computing facilities in school...

Comparative study of numerical schemes of TVD3, UNO3-ACM and optimized compact scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Duck-Joo; Hwang, Chang-Jeon; Ko, Duck-Kon; Kim, Jae-Wook

1995-01-01

Three different schemes are employed to solve the benchmark problem. The first one is a conventional TVD-MUSCL (Monotone Upwind Schemes for Conservation Laws) scheme. The second scheme is a UNO3-ACM (Uniformly Non-Oscillatory Artificial Compression Method) scheme. The third scheme is an optimized compact finite difference scheme modified by us: the 4th order Runge Kutta time stepping, the 4th order pentadiagonal compact spatial discretization with the maximum resolution characteristics. The problems of category 1 are solved by using the second (UNO3-ACM) and third (Optimized Compact) schemes. The problems of category 2 are solved by using the first (TVD3) and second (UNO3-ACM) schemes. The problem of category 5 is solved by using the first (TVD3) scheme. It can be concluded from the present calculations that the Optimized Compact scheme and the UN03-ACM show good resolutions for category 1 and category 2 respectively.

Attitudes toward buying online as predictors of shopping online for British and American respondents.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bijou; Lester, David; James, Simon

2007-04-01

This study compared the attitudes toward online shopping of British and American individuals. Using a sample of 327 British and American university students, the British respondents were found to have less favorable attitudes toward online shopping. Attitudes toward online shopping were found to be significant predictors of making online purchases. The implications of these results were discussed and suggestions made for future research.

Media discourses of low carbon housing: The marginalisation of social and behavioural dimensions within the British broadsheet press.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, Catherine; Hopfe, Christina; MacGillivray, Brian; Pidgeon, Nick

2015-04-01

Decarbonising housing is a key UK government policy to mitigate climate change. Using discourse analysis, we assess how low carbon housing is portrayed within British broadsheet media. Three distinct storylines were identified. Dominating the discourse, Zero carbon housing promotes new-build, low carbon houses as offering high technology solutions to the climate problem. Retrofitting homes emphasises the need to reduce emissions within existing housing, tackling both climate change and rising fuel prices. A more marginal discourse, Sustainable living, frames low carbon houses as related to individual identities and 'off-grid' or greener lifestyles. Our analysis demonstrates that technical and economic paradigms dominate media discourse on low carbon housing, marginalising social and behavioural aspects. © The Author(s) 2013.

British physics Newton's law of funding

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

In Britain, fundamental physics is in a pickle ISAAC NEWTON, besides being the founder of modern physics, was also master of Britain's mint. That is a precedent which many British physicists must surely wish had become traditional. At the moment, money for physics is in short supply in Britain.

Satellite-derived aerosol radiative forcing from the 2004 British Columbia wildfires

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Song; Leighton, H.

2008-01-01

The British Columbia wildfires of 2004 was one of the largest wildfire events in the last ten years in Canada. Both the shortwave and longwave smoke aerosol radiative forcing at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) are investigated using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments. Relationships between the radiative forcing fluxes (??F) and wildfire aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.55 ??m (??0.55) are deduced for both noontime instantaneous forcing and diurnally averaged forcing. The noontime averaged instantaneous shortwave and longwave smoke aerosol radiative forcing at the TOA are 45.8??27.5 W m-2 and -12.6??6.9 W m-2, respectively for a selected study area between 62??N and 68??N in latitude and 125??W and 145??W in longitude over three mainly clear-sky days (23-25 June). The derived diurnally averaged smoke aerosol shortwave radiative forcing is 19.9??12.1 W m-2 for a mean ??0.55 of 1.88??0.71 over the same time period. The derived ??F-?? relationship can be implemented in the radiation scheme used in regional climate models to assess the effect of wildfire aerosols.

State of the air in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, S.; Furberg, M.; Rother, P.

2005-08-01

Scientific evidence is rising regarding the danger of air pollution. Poor air quality can pose a problem in British Columbia, particularly in interior communities when temperature inversions, during certain times of the year, trap pollutants in mountain valleys. This document described where pollutants come from, ambient levels in the atmosphere and how they affect human health. Particular focus was on fine particulate matter, ozone and oxides of nitrogen, as these 3 pollutants have been linked to health impacts. The cost of air pollution through increased health care costs and the economic impact of lost productivity from missed work days was also discussed along with the influence of poor air quality on crop damage and forestry production losses. The document also outlined government and community initiatives to protect public health and listed some measures that individuals can do to keep air clean. Air pollution stems from activities such as land development, burning fossil fuels for energy and transportation, industrial operations, residential wood burning and backyard burning of debris and burning from forestry and agricultural operations. The health impacts range from irritation, to coughing and worsening of existing heart and lung conditions. The document states that despite all measures being taken to reduce emissions and to maintain levels of air pollutants at current low levels, health effects are still observed and still pose a burden to health care cost. Scientific evidence indicates that a further reduction in air pollution will result in health benefits. refs., figs

State of the air in British Columbia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDonald, S.; Furberg, M.; Rother, P. [British Columbia Lung Association, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2005-08-15

Scientific evidence is rising regarding the danger of air pollution. Poor air quality can pose a problem in British Columbia, particularly in interior communities when temperature inversions, during certain times of the year, trap pollutants in mountain valleys. This document described where pollutants come from, ambient levels in the atmosphere and how they affect human health. Particular focus was on fine particulate matter, ozone and oxides of nitrogen, as these 3 pollutants have been linked to health impacts. The cost of air pollution through increased health care costs and the economic impact of lost productivity from missed work days was also discussed along with the influence of poor air quality on crop damage and forestry production losses. The document also outlined government and community initiatives to protect public health and listed some measures that individuals can do to keep air clean. Air pollution stems from activities such as land development, burning fossil fuels for energy and transportation, industrial operations, residential wood burning and backyard burning of debris and burning from forestry and agricultural operations. The health impacts range from irritation, to coughing and worsening of existing heart and lung conditions. The document states that despite all measures being taken to reduce emissions and to maintain levels of air pollutants at current low levels, health effects are still observed and still pose a burden to health care cost. Scientific evidence indicates that a further reduction in air pollution will result in health benefits. refs., figs.

Assessment of commercial lamb meat quality by British and Spanish taste panels.

Science.gov (United States)

Sañudo, C; Nute, G R; Campo, M M; María, G; Baker, A; Sierra, I; Enser, M E; Wood, J D

1998-01-01

Trained sensory panels in Britain and Spain assessed loin meat from commercial lambs purchased in Spain, which included Welsh lamb (imported from Britain) and two Spanish breeds (Merino and Rasa Aragonesa). The British panel also assessed British lamb purchased in local butcher shops and supermarkets. Sensory panels, in each country, received meat from the same lambs and used their local methods of cooking and assessment. Spanish panels used unstructured line scales to measure lamb odour intensity, tenderness, juiciness, lamb flavour intensity and two hedonic scales of flavour liking and overall liking. The British panel used 8 point category scales with the same attributes. Results from both panels in objective parameters were in agreement, hence showing that different trained sensory panels may arrive at the same conclusion. However, when panellists were allowed to make hedonic judgements (preference), the British panel preferred British lamb and the Spanish panel preferred Spanish lamb. This finding has important consequences for lamb producers who export their lambs and demonstrates that the underlying reasons for different preferences should be investigated. Production variables are discussed in relation to their influence on lamb eating quality and as a way to tailor lamb eating quality attributes familiar to consumers in the importing country.

Social Enterprise in Public Governance. The Early Stage for the Romanian Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corina-Georgiana Antonovici

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Social enterprise is considered a viable alternative in satisfying social needs and an essential actor within the process of reforming and developing the public sector. The hybrid type of organization (adopting business methods to satisfy social needs characterizes the social enterprise as a complex entity at the cross-roads of public, private and non-profit sectors. Therefore, debates on specific paradigms for social enterprises were extremely challenging for scholars. The main paradigms identified within the literature were the New Public Management (the British literature and the Public Governance (the Italian literature. This paper adopts the paradigm of public governance. The main argument is that public governance paradigm reveals the necessity of elaboration and reconsideration of previous public policies, by developing innovative relational models in cooperation with the third sector (Meneguzzo et al., 2006. In this regard, authors address to the problem of insufficient interest of the Romanian local public authorities in involving social enterprise in local governance. The paper aims at a demonstrating that there is a strong connection between local governance and social enterprise and b identifying the current stage of interconnecting local governance and social enterprise in Romania. Firstly, there will be elaborated an analysis of literature and specific studies and reports at E.U. level on four important dimensions – policy dialogue, producing and providing public goods and services, finances and social matters. Secondly, there will be elaborated an analysis of the current legislative directions applied to the intervention of social enterprise at local level, related to the four dimensions mentioned-above. Thirdly, the authors should be able to contribute with important discussions on how social enterprise can represent a keyactor in public governance strategies. The research methodology consists of both qualitative and

British Columbia Utilities Commission service plan 2004/2005 - 2006/2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The mandate of the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) is to ensure that customers receive safe, reliable and non-discriminatory energy services at fair rates from the utilities. It must also ensure that the shareholders of the utilities have a reasonable opportunity to earn a fair return on the invested capital. This report describes the following six key areas that underlie the Commission's strategic planning for the next 3 years: (1) regulation of automobile insurance, (2) energy policy implementation, (3) natural gas commodity costs, (4) commercial unbundling and customer choice, (5) energy trade, and (6) benchmarking. The report also describes strategic issues with reference to priorities, shifts and risk management. Alignment with the government's strategic plan was also reviewed. The financial outlook for 2003/04 and 2006/07 shows that the Commission intends to fully recover costs from the utilities it regulates. The budget for 2003/04 has increased somewhat from the forecasted amount for the same period reported in the previous year's service plan. This is due to an expanded mandate. Forecast values for the 2004/05 and 2005/06 planning periods have decreased slightly compared to the previous year's plan. tabs., figs

Decentralising Zimbabwe’s water management: The case of Guyu-Chelesa irrigation scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Tambudzai, Rashirayi; Everisto, Mapedza; Gideon, Zhou

Smallholder irrigation schemes are largely supply driven such that they exclude the beneficiaries on the management decisions and the choice of the irrigation schemes that would best suit their local needs. It is against this background that the decentralisation framework and the Dublin Principles on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) emphasise the need for a participatory approach to water management. The Zimbabwean government has gone a step further in decentralising the management of irrigation schemes, that is promoting farmer managed irrigation schemes so as to ensure effective management of scarce community based land and water resources. The study set to investigate the way in which the Guyu-Chelesa irrigation scheme is managed with specific emphasis on the role of the Irrigation Management Committee (IMC), the level of accountability and the powers devolved to the IMC. Merrey’s 2008 critique of IWRM also informs this study which views irrigation as going beyond infrastructure by looking at how institutions and decision making processes play out at various levels including at the irrigation scheme level. The study was positioned on the hypothesis that ‘decentralised or autonomous irrigation management enhances the sustainability and effectiveness of irrigation schemes’. To validate or falsify the stated hypothesis, data was gathered using desk research in the form of reviewing articles, documents from within the scheme and field research in the form of questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews and field observation. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyse data quantitatively, whilst content analysis was utilised to analyse qualitative data whereby data was analysed thematically. Comparative analysis was carried out as Guyu-Chelesa irrigation scheme was compared with other smallholder irrigation scheme’s experiences within Zimbabwe and the Sub Saharan African region at large. The findings were that whilst the

Alaska Highway bibliography, 3rd edition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prange, Laurie

Since the early 20th century various schemes were considered for the construction of roads, trails or railways 71 to link the Yukon, northern British Columbia and Alaska to the “outside.” These schemes were motivated by economic interests, including mining, lumber and tourism concerns. During...... the 1920s and 1930s a small but vocal group of “builders” began to campaign for a highway, either a coastal or inland route, to improve the northwest’s economic base. With the impending threat of war in the late 1930s, there was an increasing awareness by the American and Canadian governments...... increasing military needs. The unexpected bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941 stimulated interest in the construction of the Alaska Highway by the American government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected a route based on the location of the NWSR airfields and the military needs for an alternative...

Operation Pied Piper: a geographical reappraisal of the impact of wartime evacuation on scarlet fever and diphtheria rates in England and Wales, 1939-1945.

Science.gov (United States)

Smallman-Raynor, M R; Cliff, A D

2015-10-01

This paper examines the geographical impact of the British Government's wartime evacuation scheme on notified rates of two common acute childhood diseases (scarlet fever and diphtheria) in the 1470 local government districts of England and Wales, 1939-1945. Drawing on the notifications of communicable diseases collated by the General Register Office (GRO), we establish pre-war (baseline) disease rates for the 1470 districts. For the war years, techniques of binary logistic regression analysis are used to assess the associations between (a) above-baseline ('raised') disease rates in evacuation, neutral and reception districts and (b) the major phases of the evacuation scheme. The analysis demonstrates that the evacuation was temporally associated with distinct national and regional effects on notified levels of disease activity. These effects were most pronounced in the early years of the dispersal (1939-1941) and corresponded with initial levels of evacuation-related population change at the regional and district scales.

Who's making the money on natural gas prices ? What should government do? a CCPA-BC policy brief

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, F.

2001-01-01

The issue of rising oil and gas prices was discussed with reference to British Columbia's three gas distribution companies, BC Gas, Centra Gas, and Pacific Northern. Rising oil and gas prices have significant social and environmental implications and the public wants to know who is profiting and what the government should do about the problem. It was argued that the current prices mean huge profits for natural gas producers. This report listed the top 10 gas producers in British Columbia, along with their raw gas production and estimated profits. Another factor to be considered in this debate is that in the past decade, limited pipeline capacity meant that there was usually a surplus of gas to serve the Canadian market. This all changed with the addition of new pipelines and pipeline expansions, leading to price determination by local market conditions and direct competition with U.S. purchasers. It was suggested that the federal government should tax windfall oil and gas profits and direct the resulting revenues to rebates for low-income households and for energy conservation initiatives. It was also suggested that the trade rules regarding energy should be changed, with particular reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which tied Canada into a North American energy market in which U.S. demand sets prices in Canada. 2 tabs., 1 fig

Electricity and Empire in 1920s Palestine under British Rule.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamir, Ronen

2016-12-01

This article examines some techno-political aspects of the early years of electrification in British-ruled 1920s Palestine. It emphasizes the importance of local technical, topographical and hydrological forms of knowledge for understanding the dynamics of electrification. Situating the analysis in a general colonial context of electrification, the study shows that British colonial rulers lagged behind both German firms and local entrepreneurs in understanding the specific conditions pertaining to electrification in Palestine. Subsequently, the study shows that the British had limited control of the actual electrification process and its declared/professed developmental purposes, thereby complicating assumptions about electrification as a tool of the Empire/tool of empire. Finding some similarities between the cases of electrifying Palestine and India, the article's findings may shed further light on the importance of micro-politics of knowledge for understanding the trajectory of electrification in the colonies.

Mental Health, Cardiovascular Disease and Declining Economies in British Columbia Mining Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janis Shandro

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between community-level exposure to changes in economic conditions and the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders and cardiovascular disease in 29 resource-based communities (with a focus on mining communities in British Columbia (BC during a period of time marked by an economic downturn (1991–2002 The investigation relied on Labour Force Survey (LFS and Statistics Canada Census data, and health records from the British Columbia Ministry of Health (MoH. Age and sex adjusted prevalence and incidence rates were calculated for each community from 1991 to 2002 and the development of an economic change indicator defined using Census data and industry/government documents allowed for yearly assessment of community-level exposure to economic conditions. The relationship between exposure to economic change and rates of acute and chronic cardiovascular disease and mental disorders across the 29 study communities was investigated using a generalized linear model (stratified by type of community, and adjusted for the effect of the community. Findings indicate an impact on the prevalence rates for acute cardiovascular disease (CVD during periods of economic decline (rate increased by 13.1 cases per 1,000 population, p < 0.0001 as compared with stable periods and bust conditions (rate increased by 30.1 cases per 1,000 population, p < 0.0001 as compared with stable conditions and mental disorders (rate increased by 13.2 cases per 1,000 population, p = 0.0001 in mining communities during declining economic conditions as compared to steady periods of mining employment. This is not observed in other resource-based communities. The paper concludes by highlighting implications for the mining industry to consider as they begin to recognize and commit to mining community health.

Balancing the funds in the New Cooperative Medical Scheme in rural China: determinants and influencing factors in two provinces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Luying; Cheng, Xiaoming; Liu, Xiaoyun; Zhu, Kun; Tang, Shenglan; Bogg, Lennart; Dobberschuetz, Karin; Tolhurst, Rachel

2010-01-01

In recent years, the central government in China has been leading the re-establishment of its rural health insurance system, but local government institutions have considerable flexibility in the specific design and management of schemes. Maintaining a reasonable balance of funds is critical to ensure that the schemes are sustainable and effective in offering financial protection to members. This paper explores the financial management of the NCMS in China through a case study of the balance of funds and the factors influencing this, in six counties in two Chinese provinces. The main data source is NCMS management data from each county from 2003 to 2005, supplemented by: a household questionnaire survey, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with all local stakeholders and policy document analysis. The study found that five out of six counties held a large fund surplus, whilst enrolees obtained only partial financial protection. However, in one county greater risk pooling for enrolees was accompanied by relatively high utilisation levels, resulting in a fund deficit. The opportunities to sustainably increase the financial protection offered to NCMS enrolees are limited by the financial pressures on local government, specific political incentives and low technical capacities at the county level and below. Our analysis suggests that in the short term, efforts should be made to improve the management of the current NCMS design, which should be supported through capacity building for NCMS offices. However, further medium-term initiatives may be required including changes to the design of the schemes. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Missing billions. How the Australian government's climate policy is penalising farmers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riguet, T.

2006-10-01

The Climate Institute analysis suggests ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and implementing a national emissions trading scheme today could provide Australian farmers with an income of $1.8 billion over the period 2008-2012, due to the emissions saved by limiting land clearing. Separately, a report to the National Farmers Federation by the Allen Consulting Group earlier this year concluded that a carbon emission trading system which recognised Kyoto Protocol rules could create an additional income stream of $0.7-0.9 billion over a five year period from revenue to farmers from forestry sinks. These two studies suggest that ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the introduction of a national emissions trading scheme could provide farmers an income stream in the order of $2.5 billion. A central tenet of the Federal Government's greenhouse policy for over a decade has been to not ratify Kyoto, but to meet its Kyoto target - a national emissions increase of 8% from 1990 levels, in the period 2008-2012. Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Accounts show that farmers, by reducing land clearing rates since 1990, have offset substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions from other sectors, mainly energy. Official Federal Government projections show that without land clearing reductions, Australia's greenhouse emissions would be 30% above 1990 levels by 2010. Australia's farmers have been responsible for virtually the entire share of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions reductions, but their efforts, worth around $2 billion, have not been recognised or financially rewarded by the Government. By reducing land clearing, farmers have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 75 million tonnes since 1990. By 2010, the savings are projected to be about 83 million tonnes. This level of emissions reductions is equivalent to eliminating the total annual emissions of New Zealand or Ireland. Over that same period, emissions from energy and transport have and continue to sky

Manual of engineering drawing to British and international standards

CERN Document Server

Simmons, Colin H; Maguire, Dennis E

2004-01-01

The Manual of Engineering Drawing has long been recognised as the student and practising engineer's guide to producing engineering drawings that comply with ISO and British Standards. The information in this book is equally applicable to any CAD application or manual drawing. The second edition is fully in line with the requirements of the new British Standard BS8888: 2002, and will help engineers, lecturers and students with the transition to the new standards.BS8888 is fully based on the relevant ISO standards, so this book is also ideal for an international readership. The comprehen

Using Web-Based Technologies and Tools in Future Choreographers' Training: British Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Bidyuk, Dmytro

2016-01-01

In the paper the problem of using effective web-based technologies and tools in teaching choreography in British higher education institutions has been discussed. Researches on the usage of web-based technologies and tools for practical dance courses in choreographers' professional training at British higher education institutions by such British…

Meeting of the Pension Fund Governing Board

CERN Document Server

HR Department

2009-01-01

Reminder Given the current state of the financial markets and the continuing uncertainty as to their future evolution, we begin by reiterating the introductory statement of the last report from the Pension Fund: "The CERN pension scheme is based on the principle of defined benefits, so beneficiaries continue to receive the benefits to which they are entitled in accordance with the Rules of the Pension Fund. This means that pension entitlements under the Rules are not directly affected by the financial crisis and the current economic situation. However, the adjustment of pensions to the cost of living is not automatic and, under the method applied since 2006, must take into account the Fund’s financial position." Meeting of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) The PFGB held its ninth and tenth meetings on 1st December 2008 and 11 February 2009 respectively. At the ninth meeting, the Governing Board bade farewell to P. Lambert, who had been an expert member since November 2007 and a membe...

Meeting of the Pension Fund Governing Board

CERN Document Server

HR Department

2009-01-01

Reminder Given the current state of the financial markets and the continuing uncertainty as to their future evolution, we begin by reiterating the introductory statement of the last report from the Pension Fund: "The CERN pension scheme is based on the principle of defined benefits, so beneficiaries continue to receive the benefits to which they are entitled in accordance with the Rules of the Pension Fund. This means that pension entitlements under the Rules are not directly affected by the financial crisis and the current economic situation. However, the adjustment of pensions to the cost of living is not automatic and, under the method applied since 2006, must take into account the Fund’s financial position." Meeting of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) The PFGB held its ninth and tenth meetings on 1st December 2008 and 11 February 2009 respectively. At the ninth meeting, the Governing Board bade farewell to P. Lambert, who had been an expert member since November...

The third sector, user involvement and public service reform: a case study in the co-governance of health service provision.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Graham P

2011-01-01

The ‘modernization’ of British public services seeks to broaden public sector governance networks, bringing the views of third sector organizations, the public and service users (among others) to the design, management and delivery of welfare. Building on previous analyses of the contradictions generated by these roles, this paper draws on longitudinal qualitative research to enunciate the challenges faced by one third-sector organization in facilitating service user influence in a UK National Health Service (NHS) pilot programme, alongside other roles in tension with this advocacy function. The analysis highlights limits in the extent to which lateral governance networks pluralize stakeholder involvement. The ‘framing’ of governance may mean that traditional concerns outweigh the views of new stakeholders such as the third sector and service users. Rather than prioritizing wider stakeholders' views in the design and delivery of public services, placing third sector organizations at the centre of governance networks may do more to co-opt these organizations in reproducing predominant priorities.

The British official response to Chernobyl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webster, D.

1988-01-01

The author criticizes the British authorities' response to Chernobyl fallout, briefly examines the deficiencies in monitoring arrangements in Scotland, in particular the lack of weather radar cover for that region, and comments on the new National Response Plan and monitoring network, with reference to venison, rainwater, freshwater fish and game, and milk. (U.K.)

Gas priority users consultation : government response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This consultation document presents the results of an updated analysis of gas priority users comments on the UK government's proposals for updating the current priority lists, amending the eligibility criteria for priority user status, and simplifying the administration of the scheme. The extension of Category C priority users to include sites where interruption of gas supplies would lead to damage exceeding fifty million pounds to a plant at another site is discussed. It is acknowledged that there is a preference for a reduction of gas demand as opposed to a cessation in the case of an emergency gas supply deficit and details are given of a Task Group set up to examine options for reducing demand rather than cessation for large industrial gas users. The role of the Network Emergency Co-ordinator, support for a more flexible approach, pre-agreed rota interruption, a long-duration emergency, demand reduction, and the establishment of a Government/Industry Gas/Electricity Task Group are discussed, and the raising of the load shedding threshold of 25,000 therms/yr is considered

GOVERNING BOARD OF THE PENSION FUND

CERN Document Server

2000-01-01

Since the last report, the Governing Board has held three meetings, on the 5 September, 4 October and 9 November. At its September meeting, the Board took note of the results of the half-year closure of the accounts on 30 June and examined the expenditure of the Fund's Administration to the end of July and its operating budget for 2001, which it approved. The Chairman of the Investment Committee, G. Maurin, reported on the Committee's activities in regard to the monitoring of the fund managers and their results. After an exchange of views, the Governing Board proposed to the Finance Committee and the Council an adjustment of pensions of 1.4% with effect from 1.1.2001. It took note with satisfaction of the decision of the French tax authorities to consider that CERN's investments in France on behalf of its social security scheme formed part of the official activities of the Organization and as such benefited from exemption from direct local taxes in addition to its exemption from national taxation. The Governi...

Price Signals from Electricity Markets and Subsidy Schemes for Renewable Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabolic, D.

2013-01-01

Increasing share of renewable generation itself gives rise to price risks on the electricity markets. Subsidy schemes, in general, additionally distort price signals produced by economic mechanisms of otherwise free markets. In the electricity industry, subsidy schemes, once designed merely to incentivize electricity system decarbonization in its kick-off phase, seem to have grown to such a volume, that they, too, started to profoundly interfere with the whole market structure, and to distort price signals that used to govern long-term development of an adequately structured generation system. This article was made as an attempt to discuss contemporary electricity system policies in relation to RES integration. The economic relations in the sector are growingly influenced, or sometimes even hard-handedly guided, by political institutions, rather than by economic interests of the investors, which may in turn cause considerable problems in achieving ultimate policy goals due to unsustainability of such an economic arrangement.(author)

Foucault's contributions for understanding power relations in British classical political economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danielle Guizzo

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the strategic role played by British classical political economy in constructing new technologies of power. Michel Foucault drew attention to a change that political economists promoted concerning the role of the state, which has been overlooked by historians of economic thought. This paper explores the main arguments provided by the most important British political economists of the 18th and 19th centuries on what concerns population management, State's role and economic dynamics in order to examine Foucault's considerations. Although British classical political economy consolidated the mechanism of markets and economic individuality, thus creating a system of truth that changed economic norms and practices, its discourse also established a political conduct that was responsible for creating mechanisms of control that disseminated new forms of power relations.

BC Hydro - IPC review : report on the creation of IPC International Power Corporation and its joint venture with the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority for the Raiwind power project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-03-01

BC Hydro is one of the sponsors involved in the construction of a thermal electric power plant in Raiwind, Pakistan. As a Crown corporation, BC Hydro and its participation in the project is subject to the policies and priorities of the provincial government. This document describes the circumstances surrounding the creation of the International Power Corporation (IPC) and its joint venture with BC Hydro for the development of international power projects including the Raiwind project. The project has provoked much public discussion in British Columbia because of the involvement of Cayman Island companies in the project structure. There is concern with the intermingling of public and private interests in the project, including allegations that an IPC share offering benefited insiders of government and BC Hydro. A description of the history and structure of the Raiwind project and detailed information on the British Columbia participants is provided. Directors and shareholders of the principal corporate participants are listed. The development process in Pakistan, the key features of the project and the underlying agreements among the participants are described. An assessment of potential conflicts of interest and a review of public sector standards and guidelines regarding conflicts of interest is presented. 60 refs., 39 tabs., 6 figs

A new method for E-government procurement using collaborative filtering and Bayesian approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuai; Xi, Chengyu; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Wenyu; Chen, Yanhong

2013-01-01

Nowadays, as the Internet services increase faster than ever before, government systems are reinvented as E-government services. Therefore, government procurement sectors have to face challenges brought by the explosion of service information. This paper presents a novel method for E-government procurement (eGP) to search for the optimal procurement scheme (OPS). Item-based collaborative filtering and Bayesian approach are used to evaluate and select the candidate services to get the top-M recommendations such that the involved computation load can be alleviated. A trapezoidal fuzzy number similarity algorithm is applied to support the item-based collaborative filtering and Bayesian approach, since some of the services' attributes can be hardly expressed as certain and static values but only be easily represented as fuzzy values. A prototype system is built and validated with an illustrative example from eGP to confirm the feasibility of our approach.

A New Method for E-Government Procurement Using Collaborative Filtering and Bayesian Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuai Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, as the Internet services increase faster than ever before, government systems are reinvented as E-government services. Therefore, government procurement sectors have to face challenges brought by the explosion of service information. This paper presents a novel method for E-government procurement (eGP to search for the optimal procurement scheme (OPS. Item-based collaborative filtering and Bayesian approach are used to evaluate and select the candidate services to get the top-M recommendations such that the involved computation load can be alleviated. A trapezoidal fuzzy number similarity algorithm is applied to support the item-based collaborative filtering and Bayesian approach, since some of the services’ attributes can be hardly expressed as certain and static values but only be easily represented as fuzzy values. A prototype system is built and validated with an illustrative example from eGP to confirm the feasibility of our approach.

Colour schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Leeuwen, Theo

2013-01-01

This chapter presents a framework for analysing colour schemes based on a parametric approach that includes not only hue, value and saturation, but also purity, transparency, luminosity, luminescence, lustre, modulation and differentiation.......This chapter presents a framework for analysing colour schemes based on a parametric approach that includes not only hue, value and saturation, but also purity, transparency, luminosity, luminescence, lustre, modulation and differentiation....

Flood Hazard Management: British and International Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

James, L. Douglas

This proceedings of an international workshop at the Flood Hazard Research Centre (Queensway, Enfield, Middlesex, U.K.) begins by noting how past British research on flood problems concentrated on refining techniques to implement established policy. In contrast, research covered in North American and Australian publications involved normative issues on policy alternatives and administrative implementation. The workshop's participants included 16 widely recognized scientists, whose origins were about equally divided between Britain and overseas; from this group the workshop's organizers expertly drew ideas for refining British urban riverine flood hazard management and for cultivating links among researchers everywhere. Such intellectual exchange should be of keen interest to flood hazard program managers around the world, to students of comparative institutional performance, to those who make policy on protecting people from hazards, and to hydrologists and other geophysicists who must communicate descriptive information for bureaucratic, political, and public decision- making.

Privatizing Our Schools: Lessons from the British Army and World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovoy, Thomas A.

1996-01-01

Notes how the British Army's Officer Corps, based on elitism and financial standing, brought the British Empire to its knees. Argues that privatization--a for-profit market system to ration out education--would have a similar effect. Suggests that charter schools (with considerable autonomy but still held accountable by the chain of command) are…

How British-Chinese Parents Support Their Children: A View from the Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Peter; Guo, Xumei

2014-01-01

Although the high level of achievement experienced by British-Chinese pupils in schools is well documented, the Chinese community in the UK is a relatively under-researched ethnic group. There is only patchy information on ways in which British-Chinese parents and children engage with education. It is often presumed the success of Chinese pupils…

Linguistically-Relevant Diachronic Study of Cultural Values in Early British Advertising Discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Kochetova, Larisa A.

2016-01-01

Drawing on linguistic data retrieved from early advertisements published in British newspapers between 1788 and 1900, the study seeks to map out a set of values and account for linguistic means used to codify them in the diachronic perspective. For the purposes of the study, the corpus of advertisements from random issues of British newspapers…

Arranged Marriage, Identity and Psychological Wellbeing among British Asian Gay Men

OpenAIRE

Jaspal, Rusi

2013-01-01

The cultural expectation of an arranged heterosexual marriage poses social and psychological challenges for British Asian gay men. This article examines the diary accounts of twelve British Asian gay men concerning their perceptions and feelings concerning marriage in face of familial pressure to get married and the implications for identity processes and psychological wellbeing. Data were analyzed qualitatively using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Identity Process Theory. The f...

Channel 4 and British film: an assessment of industrial and cultural impact, 1982-1998

OpenAIRE

Mayne, Laura

2014-01-01

This thesis is an historical investigation of Channel 4’s influence on the British film industry and on British film culture between 1982 and 1998. Combining archival research with interview testimony and secondary literature, this thesis presents the history of a broadcaster’s involvement in British film production, while also examining the cultural and industrial impact of this involvement over time. This study of the interdependence of film and television will aim to bring together aspects...

The social security scheme in Thailand: what lessons can be drawn?

Science.gov (United States)

Tangcharoensathien, V; Supachutikul, A; Lertiendumrong, J

1999-04-01

The Social Security Scheme was launched in 1990, covering formal sector private employees for non-work related sickness, maternity and invalidity including cash benefits and funeral grants. The scheme is financed by tripartite contributions from government, employers and employees, each of 1.5% of payroll (total of 4.5%). The scheme decided to pay health care providers, whether public or private, on a flat rate capitation basis to cover both ambulatory and inpatient care. Registration of the insured with a contractor hospital was a necessary consequence of the chosen capitation payment system. The aim of this paper is to review the operation of the scheme, and to explore the implications of capitation payment and registration for utilisation levels and provider behaviour. A key weakness of the scheme's design is suggested to be the initial decision to give employers not employees the responsibility for choosing the registered hospitals. This was done for administrative reasons, but it contributed to low levels of use of the contractor hospitals. In addition, low levels of use were also probably the result of the potential for cream skimming, cost shifting from inpatient to ambulatory care and under-provision of patient care, though since monitoring mechanisms by the Social Security Office were weak, these effects are difficult to detect conclusively. Mechanisms to improve utilisation levels were gradually introduced, such as employee choice of registered hospitals and the formation of sub-contractor networks to improve access to care. A beneficial effect of the capitation payment system was that the Social Security Fund generated substantial reserves and expenditures on sickness benefits were well stabilised. The paper ends by recommending that future policy amendments should be guided by research and empirical findings and that tougher monitoring and enforcement of quality of care standards are required.

Identities in the third space? Solidity, elasticity and resilience amongst young British Pakistani Muslims.

Science.gov (United States)

Mythen, Gabe

2012-09-01

Over the last decade the issue of identity has been prevalent in discussions about British Muslims, with the events of 9/11 serving as a touchstone for media debates about religious, national and cultural affiliations. The 7/7 terrorist attacks in the UK led to young British Pakistanis being subjected to intense public and institutional scrutiny and wider political concerns being expressed about the failure of multiculturalism. Young British Pakistanis have thus had to negotiate and maintain their identities in an environment in which they have been defined as a threat to national security whilst simultaneously being pressurized to align with 'core British values'. Within this context, we convey the findings of a qualitative study involving British Pakistanis living in the North-west of England. In presenting the experiences and perspectives of participants, three interconnected processes salient to the maintenance of identity are delineated: solidity, elasticity and resilience. Having unpacked these processes, we draw upon Bhabha's third space thesis to explore the political potentiality of and the limits to hybridic identities. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2012.

Government-sponsored microfinance program: Joint liability vs. individual liability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arghya Kusum Mukherjee

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY is a government-sponsored microfinance program. The scheme is based on four features: group lending with joint liability, progressive lending, back-ended subsidy, and social capital. We propose a new model of SGSY having these features: group lending with individual liability, progressive lending, back-ended subsidy, and social capital. “Joint liability” clause of the existing model is replaced with individual liability in the new model. The paper shows that problem of adverse selection is removed in both models, i.e. in “SGSY with group lending and joint liability” and “SGSY with group lending and individual liability.” The problem of “moral hazard” is more severe in the existing model of SGSY compared with the proposed model of SGSY. Borrowers are also benefitted from participation in the proposed scheme of SGSY than that in the existing model of SGSY.

Study on Noise Prediction Model and Control Schemes for Substation

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yang; Liu, Songtao

2014-01-01

With the government's emphasis on environmental issues of power transmission and transformation project, noise pollution has become a prominent problem now. The noise from the working transformer, reactor, and other electrical equipment in the substation will bring negative effect to the ambient environment. This paper focuses on using acoustic software for the simulation and calculation method to control substation noise. According to the characteristics of the substation noise and the techniques of noise reduction, a substation's acoustic field model was established with the SoundPLAN software to predict the scope of substation noise. On this basis, 4 reasonable noise control schemes were advanced to provide some helpful references for noise control during the new substation's design and construction process. And the feasibility and application effect of these control schemes can be verified by using the method of simulation modeling. The simulation results show that the substation always has the problem of excessive noise at boundary under the conventional measures. The excess noise can be efficiently reduced by taking the corresponding noise reduction methods. PMID:24672356

Four former British mining settlements on Spitsbergen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruse, Frigga; Claughton, P.; Mills, C.

2011-01-01

The LASHIPA project participated in the recent International Polar Year to evaluate the large-scale historical exploitation of polar areas. This sub-project looks at the role of British actors in the economic and geopolitical development of the European High Arctic during the early twentieth

Exposure to smoking in movies among British adolescents 2001–2006

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Stacey J; Millett, Christopher; Polansky, Jonathan R

2010-01-01

Objective To estimate youth exposure to smoking in movies in the UK and compare the likely effect with the USA. Methods We collected tobacco occurrences data for 572 top-grossing films in the UK screened from 2001 to 2006 and estimated the number of on-screen tobacco impressions delivered to British youths in this time period. Results 91% of films in our sample that contained smoking were youth-rated films (British Board of Film Classification rating ‘15’ and lower), delivering at least 1.10 billion tobacco impressions to British youths during theatrical release. British youths were exposed to 28% more smoking impressions in UK youth-rated movies than American youth-rated movies, because 79% of movies rated for adults in the USA (‘R’) are classified as suitable for youths in the UK (‘15’ or ‘12A’). Conclusion Because there is a dose-response relation between the amount of on-screen exposure to smoking and the likelihood that adolescents will begin smoking, the fact that there is substantially higher exposure to smoking in youth-rated films in the UK than in the USA suggests that the fraction of all youth smoking because of films in the UK is probably larger than in the USA. Other countries with ratings systems that are less conservative (in terms of language and sexuality) than the USA will also be likely to deliver more on-screen tobacco impressions to youths. Assigning an ‘18’ classification to movies that contain smoking would substantially reduce youth exposure to on-screen smoking and, hence, smoking initiation among British youths. PMID:20197360

Governing the Conflicted Commons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sareen, Siddharth

for collective decision-making. This makes them the natural institution of choice to nurture democratic practice among the Ho people of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, whose village communities form the focus of this study. However, Jharkhand’s state laws are at odds with national ones, and decentralisation...... works more along administrative than democratic lines. This limits the extent to which the village assemblies can nurture democratisation in the implementation of development schemes. One village assembly is far more successful at governing natural resources than the other. This is shown to be due...... to proactive leadership, a cohesive community and local social mobilisation within the successful village assembly, in contrast to the co-option of benefits by some village inhabitants in the other. Based on these cases, it is concluded that while a local deliberative institution is essential for nurturing...

Risk of malaria in British residents returning from malarious areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips-Howard, P A; Radalowicz, A; Mitchell, J; Bradley, D J

1990-01-01

OBJECTIVES--To identify which British residents travelling abroad are at greatest risk of malaria infection, and to determine the efficacy of malaria chemoprophylaxis for preventing P falciparum infections in tropical Africa. DESIGN--Prospective cohort study (case-base linkage) with routine national surveillance systems. Denominators (base population) were obtained from monitoring a random sample of returning British travellers with the international passenger survey. Numerators (cases) were obtained from reports of malaria infections in British residents, through the Malaria Reference Laboratory network. SETTING--International passenger survey conducted at passport control of international airports in Britain. Malaria reports received nationally were collated centrally in London. SUBJECTS--2948 British residents (0.2%) returning to Britain in 1987 randomly selected and questioned and 1052 British residents with microscopically confirmed malaria infections in 1987, whose case reports were reviewed and on whom additional data were collected by postal survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Annual incidence subdivided by categories of risk. Chemoprophylactic efficacy for east and west Africa by principal regimens and compliance. RESULTS--Annual rates of reported infection per 100,000 travellers to Oceania were 4100; to west and east Africa were 375 and 172 respectively; to Latin America, the Far East, and the Middle East were 12, 2, and 1 respectively. Immigrants visiting friends and relatives in Ghana and Nigeria were at greatest risk (1303 and 952 per 100,000 respectively) in west Africa. Business travellers to Kenya experienced the highest attack rates in east Africa (465 per 100,000). Age-sex specific attack rates varied by region. No prophylaxis was reported to have been used by 23% of British visitors to west Africa, 17% to east Africa, 46% to central or southern Africa, and 58% visiting south Asia. The efficacy of chloroquine plus proguanil against P falciparum

La politique britannique d’aide à l’innovation : pour une recherche scientifique d’excellence British Policy and Innovation: Supporting Outstanding World-Class Scientific Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie-Claude Esposito

2009-10-01

Full Text Available After justifying the role played by the government in the financing of R&D and investigating the link between innovation, productivity and economic growth, this article deals with the research and innovation policies under Tony Blair. It focuses on the financing of public research institutions whose objective is to ensure that the British economy becomes a knowledge-based economy with increased productivity and economic growth. Since 1997 there has been a strong increase in public funding for the best institutions especially in “project” type funding.

Identifying British Army infantry recruit population characteristics using biographical data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiernan, M D; Arthur, A; Repper, J; Mukhuty, S; Fear, N T

2016-04-01

The infantry accounts for more than a quarter of the British Army but there is a lack of data about the social and educational background of its recruits. To provide an insight into British Army infantry recruits' personal, social and educational background prior to enlistment. The study sample consisted of infantry recruits who enlisted into the British Army School of Infantry. Each recruit completed a 95-item biographical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample in terms of demographic, physical, personal, social and educational attributes. The study sample consisted of 1000 male recruits. Over half of the recruits were consuming alcohol at a hazardous or harmful level prior to enlistment and 60% of recruits had used cannabis prior to joining the Army. Academic attainment was low, with the majority of recruits achieving GCSE grade C and below in most subjects, with 15% not taking any examinations. Over half the recruits had been in trouble with the police and either been suspended or expelled from school. Substance misuse and poor behaviour are highly prevalent among recruits prior to enlistment. Taken alongside existing evidence that some of these problems are commonplace among personnel in regular service, the assumption that the British Army infantry is, in itself, a cause of these behaviours should be questioned. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The future of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme in Europe: The case of photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyrgou, Andri; Kylili, Angeliki; Fokaides, Paris A.

2016-01-01

The key objective of this study is the examination of the regulatory and policy framework of the feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme, specifically its effect on both the electricity pricing as well as the local and European renewable energy sources (RES) market, and accordingly the definition of its feasibility as a scheme for the further development and promotion of renewable energy technologies (RETs). This work discusses the FiT scheme implementation for photovoltaics (PVs) in four case study countries - Denmark, Germany, Cyprus, and Spain. A model describing the conditions under which a FiT scheme is led to collapse is also introduced and a parametric analysis towards revealing the sensitivity of the different parameters affecting it, is delivered. The study concludes with significant policy implications that should be considered for future implementation of the scheme. For the prevention of the collapse of the scheme, the tariff's value ought to be determined by each country's government based on a set of influencing factors including the operational, capital and investment costs of each RET, the standard cost of renewable energy (RE) generation and the avoidance cost, which would be regularly reviewed depending on the excess of the annual capacity. - Highlights: •Feasibility conditions of FiT schemes examined focusing on the treasury of 4 countries. •FiT's drawbacks led to its collapse less than a decade from its application. •Model for the prediction of the performance of the FiT scheme introduced. •Allocation of the economic growth to penetration rate affects FiT positively. •RES penetration into the energy mix has the highest impact on FiT's sustainability.

Younger British men's understandings of prostate cancer: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grogan, Sarah; Parlane, Victoria L; Buckley, Emily

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to explore young British men's understandings of prostate health and cancer of the prostate. A total of 16 White-British men between 31-50 years of age took part in interviews face-to-face or through computer-mediated communication. Thematic analysis broadly informed by grounded theory identified two key themes; 'limited knowledge about the prostate' and 'early detection & unpleasant procedures'. Accounts are discussed with reference to implications for improving men's understandings of prostate cancer, and likelihood of self-referral for prostate screening where necessary.

Psychosocial routes from housing investment to health: Evidence from England's home energy efficiency scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbertson, Jan; Grimsley, Michael; Green, Geoff

2012-01-01

Over the past decade the Warm Front Scheme has been the English Government's principal programme for improving domestic energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty. This paper reports on a cross-sectional survey of low income householders participating in the Warm Front Scheme in five urban areas of England. Surveys were conducted of 2685 individuals, before and or after intervention. Pathways to self reported health were modelled by logistic regression. Of all the dimensions of health examined, only self reported mental health is directly associated with Warm Front measures. Intermediary variables associated with Warm Front intervention were shown to be significantly correlated with more dimensions of self reported health status. Higher temperatures, satisfaction with the heating system, greater thermal comfort, reductions in fuel poverty and lower stress were significantly correlated with improved health. Alleviating fuel poverty and reducing stress appeared to be the main route to health. We conclude there are complex and indirect relationships linking energy efficiency measures to outcomes on all dimensions of health which contribute to significant material and psychosocial benefits. The impact of the Warm Front Scheme cannot be fully understood by a limited analysis which merely relates indoor temperature and property characteristics to physiological health outcomes. - Highlights: ► Warm Front improvements are linked to significant material and psychosocial benefits. ► The alleviation of fuel poverty and the reduction of stress emerge as the likely route to health. ► The scope for improving health is greater than implied by the UK Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy. ► A dual but integrated approach to alleviating cold living conditions and fuel poverty is required.

LevelScheme: A level scheme drawing and scientific figure preparation system for Mathematica

Science.gov (United States)

Caprio, M. A.

2005-09-01

LevelScheme is a scientific figure preparation system for Mathematica. The main emphasis is upon the construction of level schemes, or level energy diagrams, as used in nuclear, atomic, molecular, and hadronic physics. LevelScheme also provides a general infrastructure for the preparation of publication-quality figures, including support for multipanel and inset plotting, customizable tick mark generation, and various drawing and labeling tasks. Coupled with Mathematica's plotting functions and powerful programming language, LevelScheme provides a flexible system for the creation of figures combining diagrams, mathematical plots, and data plots. Program summaryTitle of program:LevelScheme Catalogue identifier:ADVZ Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADVZ Operating systems:Any which supports Mathematica; tested under Microsoft Windows XP, Macintosh OS X, and Linux Programming language used:Mathematica 4 Number of bytes in distributed program, including test and documentation:3 051 807 Distribution format:tar.gz Nature of problem:Creation of level scheme diagrams. Creation of publication-quality multipart figures incorporating diagrams and plots. Method of solution:A set of Mathematica packages has been developed, providing a library of level scheme drawing objects, tools for figure construction and labeling, and control code for producing the graphics.

The role and responsibilities of top executives with regard to climate change: the British Petroleum case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corinne Gendron; Bernard Girard; Silvester Ivanaj; Vera Ivanaj; Alice Friser

2017-01-01

At the same time as they massively exploit conventional energy sources, the main gas and oil companies of the world claim to be involved in the fight against climate change. This article aims to explain this ambiguity by exploring the way CEOs perceive their responsibilities towards society but also towards climate change. In order to do this, parallels are drawn between British Petroleum's public image following its famous Beyond Petroleum campaign, the official speeches of the company's former CEO's before the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, and the key elements of the subsequent disaster management programme. This analysis highlights that the main obstacle to a genuine and sustained environmental commitment from these companies resides in the firm's corporate governance which ensure that the shareholder's interests remain the CEO's number one priority. This implies that convincing shareholders to fight climate change is necessary

British domestic synchronous clocks 1930-1980 the rise and fall of a technology

CERN Document Server

Pook, Leslie Philip

2015-01-01

This book complements available one-make books on domestic synchronous clocks. It is also a history of science book that sets British domestic synchronous clocks, their manufacturers and technology in their social context. Part I covers the historical background, British domestic synchronous clock manufacturers and brands, how synchronous clocks work, domestic synchronous clock cases, practical advice on the servicing of domestic synchronous clocks, and analysis of the marketing and reliability of British domestic synchronous clocks. This analysis provides an explanation of the rise and eventual fall of their technology. Part II contains galleries of a selection of British domestic synchronous clocks, and of the movements with which they are fitted. There is a front and back view of each clock, together with a brief description. Views of each movement include views with the movement partly dismantled, together with a brief technical description of the movement. This profusely illustrated book is primarily fo...

Infectious disease control in the Ionian Islands during the British Protection (1815-1864).

Science.gov (United States)

Tsiamis, Costas; Thalassinou, E; Poulakou-Rebelakou, E; Anogiatis-Pelé, D; Hatzakis, A

2013-09-01

This review presents the medical and social role of British military doctors in the formation of the British sanitary campaign in the Ionian Islands during the period 1815-1864. They were the core of a health system based on the old sanitary model of the Venetian Republic, which was the former ruler of the region. The British innovation and reorganisation of the old lazarettos (a quarantine system for maritime travellers), the new marine sanitary procedures, the determination of quarantine duration for major infectious diseases along with the introduction of the vaccination system resulted in a satisfactory defence against epidemics in Greece during the 19th century. The British military physicians applied and established West European medical ideas, as well as the principles of preventive medicine, for the first time in the Greek territory and this is a historical example of a successful sanitary campaign based on the experience of military physicians and their collaboration with civilian physicians.

Academic Advising in British Columbia. Executive Summary

Science.gov (United States)

British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, 2016

2016-01-01

"Advising" consists of those activities and tasks that result in providing information to students. British Columbia's (BC) post-secondary education has evolved over the past number of years and student advising has changed along with it. Post-secondary institutions are currently challenged to increase student engagement, improve…

Outcomes of a New Residential Scheme for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan: A 2-Year Follow-Up

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Y-C.; Pu, C.; Kroger, T.; Lee, W.; Chang, S.

2011-01-01

Background: The Taiwanese government launched a new programme in November 2004 to support adults with intellectual disabilities living in smaller facilities. This paper aims to evaluate the service outcomes of this new residential scheme over 2 years including those residents who moved from an institution and those who moved from their family.…

British Nuclear Fuels - a dirty business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunyard, P.

1983-01-01

The radioactive discharges from British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield, Cumbria, reprocessing plant to the sea are discussed. Statements that have been made by various individuals and groups about the contamination of the sea, the coast and places inland, and the biological effects of plutonium and americium, are discussed in detail. Particular stress is placed on statements about increased incidence of cancers. (U.K.)

Quinine, mosquitoes and empire: reassembling malaria in British India, 1890-1910.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Rohan Deb

2013-01-01

The drug quinine figured as an object of enforced consumption in British India between the late 1890s and the 1910s, when the corresponding diagnostic category malaria itself was redefined as a mosquito-borne fever disease. This article details an overlapping milieu in which quinine, mosquitoes and malaria emerged as intrinsic components of shared and symbiotic histories. It combines insights from new imperial histories, constructivism in the histories of medicine and literature about non-humans in science studies to examine the ways in which histories of insects, drugs, disease and empire interacted and shaped one another. Firstly, it locates the production of historical intimacies between quinine, malaria and mosquitoes within the exigencies and apparatuses of imperial rule. In so doing, it explores the intersections between the worlds of colonial governance, medical knowledge, vernacular markets and pharmaceutical business. Secondly, it outlines ways to narrate characteristics and enabling properties of non-humans (such as quinines and mosquitoes) while retaining a constructivist critique of scientism and empire. Thirdly, it shows how empire itself was reshaped and reinforced while occasioning the proliferation of categories and entities like malaria, quinine and mosquitoes.

The Landscape Ecological Impact of Afforestation on the British Uplands and Some Initiatives to Restore Native Woodland Cover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bunce Robert G. H.

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The majority of forest cover in the British Uplands had been lost by the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, because of felling followed by overgrazing by sheep and deer. The situation remained unchanged until a government policy of afforestation, mainly by exotic conifers, after the First World War up to the present day. This paper analyses the distribution of these predominantly coniferous plantations, and shows how they occupy specific parts of upland landscapes in different zones throughout Britain Whilst some landscapes are dominated by these new forests, elsewhere the blocks of trees are more localised. Although these forests virtually eliminate native ground vegetation, except in rides and unplanted land, the major negative impacts are at the landscape level. For example, drainage systems are altered and ancient cultural landscape patterns are destroyed. These impacts are summarised and possible ways of amelioration are discussed. By contrast, in recent years, a series of projects have been set up to restore native forest cover, as opposed to the extensive plantations of exotic species. Accordingly, the paper then provides three examples of such initiatives designed to restore native forests to otherwise bare landscapes, as well as setting them into a policy context. Whilst such projects cover a limited proportion of the British Uplands they nevertheless restore forest to landscapes at a local level.

Contentious corporate social responsibility practices by British American tobacco in Cameroon

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Kingsly Awang Ollong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Since the mid-1980s, tobacco companies have intensified market expansion strategies in several African countries. They have used music to target youths and children. They organised fashion shows to entice women into smoking. They offered kids free cigarettes on the streets and for a very long time undermined efforts by governments to put in place effective tobacco legislation. They actively participated in the smuggling of tobacco products into the continent. Worse still, tobacco companies persuaded some African governments to promote tobacco cultivation as a major source of foreign earnings. And in recent years, the tobacco industry has resorted to using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR to massage its image and cover its tracks. British American Tobacco (BAT, which is the focus of this paper, had a virtual monopoly in parts of Africa, both in terms of tobacco manufacturing and sales of cigarettes. In eleven African countries BAT had more than a 90% share of the cigarette market. This paper examines some of the health, social and economic impacts of BAT’s activities in Africa from 1985 to 2010 using Cameroon as a case study. The paper concludes that though the full effects of rising tobacco consumption (namely a steep rise in smoking-induced illness and premature death was at the dawn of the 21st century, Africa was already in the grip of a major tobacco epidemic. There is no doubt therefore that, BAT’s heavy footprint on the African continent wreaked havoc on the economy, health and welfare of the people, thus partially contributing to the non-realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs that were designed to help the world’s poorest people.

The truth behind british politeness: some misinterpretations

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Peixoto, Rafael Marcos Tort

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyse a chart published by the British newspaper The Telegraphabout the most common misunderstandings foreigners face while making use of English as their second language. L2 speakers are said to take every word at face value and therefore making some pragmatic mistakes. Sometimes there can be another meaning behind the spoken words, like it is unsaid for a reason. The pragmatics theories of irony in Attardo (1999 shed light on these translating and intercultural awareness issues by explaining what is behind the misunderstanding which is the secret ofthe so famous British politeness. Some considerations will be made upon the chart so as to understand it, such as an analysis of irony and native speakers’ perspectives on it. In addition to that, we will take into account the opinion of some native speakers of English to unveil some details and clarify how meaningful some sentences may be and if the researched chart is actually accurate

The Ruins of the British Welfare State

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Tahl Kaminer

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The subjects of Owen Hatherley’s A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain are architecture and urban development. The book addresses also some broader cultural, political and economic references, as well as personal anecdotes and memories. It includes many encounters with the remnants of the British welfare state.As an extension to his blog postings and a sequel of sorts to his previous Militant Modernism, Hatherley’s antagonist here is the semi-official architecture of New Labour, which he terms ‘pseudomodernism’: an unimaginative, inferior, and, in its own specific way, also tacky architecture of white stucco, steel and glass. He attacks the Faustian bargain of Richard Rogers and his allies with neoliberalism, a pact that produces a modernism devoid of social content, reflected by the unimaginative, speculation-driven architectural design. While Hatherley produces the promised indictment of recent British architecture, the book is, at the end of the day, primarily a eulogy to the disappearing postwar architecture he so evidently loves.

Family Functioning Differences Across the Deployment Cycle in British Army Families: The Perceptions of Wives and Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Pye, Rachel E; Simpson, Leanne K

2017-09-01

Military deployment can have an adverse effect on a soldier's family, though little research has looked at these effects in a British sample. We investigated wives' of U.K.-serving soldiers perceptions of marital and family functioning, across three stages of the deployment cycle: currently deployed, postdeployment and predeployed, plus a nonmilitary comparison group. Uniquely, young (aged 3.5-11 years) children's perceptions of their family were also investigated, using the parent-child alliance (PCA) coding scheme of drawings of the family. Two hundred and twenty British military families of regular service personnel from the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps, were sent survey packs distributed with a monthly welfare office newsletter. Wives were asked to complete a series of self-report items, and the youngest child in the family between the ages of 3.5 and 11 years was asked to draw a picture of their family. Complete data were available for 78 military families, and an additional 34 nonmilitary families were recruited via opportunity sampling. Results indicated wives of currently deployed and recently returned personnel were less satisfied with their family and its communication, and children's pictures indicated higher levels of dysfunctional parent-child alliance, whereas predeployed families responded similarly to nonmilitary families. Marital satisfaction was similar across all groups except predeployed families who were significantly more satisfied. Nonmilitary and predeployed families showed balanced family functioning, and currently and recently deployed families demonstrated poor family functioning. In comparison to nonmilitary families, predeployed families showed a large "spike" in the rigidity subscale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV. Wives' perceptions of family functioning, but not marital satisfaction, differed between the deployment groups. The results from the coded children's drawings correlated with the self

Packet reversed packet combining scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhunia, C.T.

2006-07-01

The packet combining scheme is a well defined simple error correction scheme with erroneous copies at the receiver. It offers higher throughput combined with ARQ protocols in networks than that of basic ARQ protocols. But packet combining scheme fails to correct errors when the errors occur in the same bit locations of two erroneous copies. In the present work, we propose a scheme that will correct error if the errors occur at the same bit location of the erroneous copies. The proposed scheme when combined with ARQ protocol will offer higher throughput. (author)

Leukaemia near british nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, D.

1991-01-01

An excess of childhood leukaemia has been seen near some British nuclear installations, especially near the Sellafield reprocessing plant. The same result was found in a more general study including a large number of nuclear sites. Similar studies made in USA, Canada and France have been negative. Moreover, epidemiological studies made in England have discovered other childhood leukaemia clusters in areas far from nuclear facilities, and especially near potential sites of nuclear installations. Several explanations are suggested but no definite conclusion is yet possible. Doses from radioactive releases seem to be too low to account for the additional deaths from leukaemia by environmental contamination. A virus activation, which might be associated with population influx into rural isolated areas, has been considered. The hypothesis of genetic mutation induced by ionising radiation in the fathers of children with leukaemia has been made because a higher risk of leukaemia was observed for children of fathers employed at Sellafield. No firm conclusion is possible considering the small number of observed cases and the lack of excess leukaemias in the offspring of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors. The possibility of internal contamination, chemicals or even radon is discussed as other causes. Studies in progress might allow to find an answer to the problem of leukaemia in the vicinity of British nuclear installations [fr

Contesting legitimacy of voluntary sustainability certification schemes: valuation languages and power asymmetries in the roundtable on sustainable palm oil in Colombia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marin-Burgos, V.; Clancy, Joy S.; Lovett, Jonathan Cranidge

2015-01-01

Voluntary certification schemes aimed at assuring producer compliance with a set of sustainability criteria have emerged as market-based instruments (MBIs) of sustainability governance. However, the impacts they tackle can be part of a complex arena of socio-environmental conflict, where values and

PROMISING FINANCING SCHEME OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN UKRAINE

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Martha Slavitych

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The promising financing scheme of health insurance in Ukraine should be found at the present stage of its development. The health care system in Ukraine is cumbersome and outdated. It is based on the Semashko model with rigid management and financing procedures. The disadvantages accumulated in the national health care system due to lack of modernization, disregard of the population needs, non-use of modern global trends, the inefficient operation of the system and the high level of corruption cause the underlying situation. The decision of new government policy in the sector is introduction of new financial mechanisms, in order to ensure human rights in the health sector. Methodology. The study is based on a comparison of systems of financing of medicine in Ukraine and in other countries, provided advantages and disadvantages of each model. Results showed that the availability of medical services is the key problem in any society. The availability of health care services is primarily determined by the proportion of services guaranteed by the government (government guarantees. In some countries such as the United States, practically the whole medicine is funded by voluntary health insurance (VHI. In Europe the mandatory health insurance (MHI and government funding are the most significant source of funds. Practical importance. The improvement of the demographic situation, the preservation and improvement of public health, improvement of social equity and citizens' rights in respect of medical insurance. Value/originality. Premiums for health insurance are the source of funding. Based on the new model requirements it is necessary to create an appropriate regulation, which would determine its organizational and regulatory framework. This process is primarily determined by identification and setting rules governing the relationship between patients, health care providers and insurers, creation of the conditions and the implementation of quality

CAM, free speech, and the British legal system: overstepping the mark?

Science.gov (United States)

Milgrom, Lionel R

2009-10-01

The British Chiropractic Association recently won a libel case against the science writer and CAM 'skeptic' Dr Simon Singh for publishing an article in a British newspaper in which he accused them of promoting 'bogus' treatments. This has ignited a campaign in the UK to 'keep the libel laws out of science'. In this article, the tension between media freedom of expression and defamation law is examined, and possible ramifications for CAM in the UK explored.

British Higher Education and Its Older Clients.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodley, Alan; Wilson, Jane

2002-01-01

Using results from a survey of British graduates, examined outcomes of higher education for older students, including their current employment situation, relationship of degree to job, and student satisfaction. Found that mature students are an extremely heterogeneous group, with differences in outcomes by age and mode of study. (EV)

American and British Business-Related Spelling Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, James Calvert

2004-01-01

English language business-related documents around the world contain purposeful spelling differences that reflect two standards, American English and British English. Given the importance of culturally acceptable spelling, the need to be aware of and sensitive to cultural differences, and strong reactions to variation in spelling, it is important…

Does bigger mean better? British perspectives on American cancer treatment and research, 1948.