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A means of exchange and preservation of value is likely as old as our species. Global economic trade is often argued to be as old as trade. The question of the nature of the exchange, of who creates the value and how it is regulated is the issue. While tin from England may have reached Sumeria 4 000 years ago, or Phoenicians' ships entered the Africa area of Cape Palmas at about the same time, the problem of exchange is a central issue. Ideas of money are as diverse as the cultures that produce them, yet today global trade is experiencing modifications of the satisfaction of exchange with new platforms of electronic money. Blockchain technology is touted as foolproof, such claims have appeared in the past with various financial innovations. Such abstractions of value may not be new, but as a product of technology and complexity they create psychological novelty and a form of mesmerizing fetishism (Douglas, M. and Isherwood, B., ed.: The World of Goods: Towards an Anthropology of Consumption. Routledge, London, 1978). Manias of value are also not new, from stock (South Seas Corporation) to tulips (MacKay, C.: Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. Crown Press, London, 1841). The form of the mania is defined and expressed culturally but is often associated with technological change and distance of exchange of partners and clients (Baric, L.: Some aspects of credit, saving and investment in a 'non-monetary' economy (Rossel Island). In: Firth, R. and Yamey, B.S., eds.: Capital, Saving and Credit in Peasant Societies. Aldine Publishing, Chicago, pp.35-52, 1964.). Inequality is also a feature, embedded in economic and technological disruption of trade and exchange. The role of redistribution and taxation are essential in maintaining social credit and equality. We can relate such behaviour to other systems of animal societies.

The impact of forthcoming wide-swath altimetry missions on the ocean analysis and forecasting system was investigated by means of OSSEs (observing system simulation experiments). These experiments were performed with a regional data assimilation system, implemented in the Iberian–Biscay–Ireland (IBI) region, at 1∕12∘ resolution using simulated observations derived from a fully eddy-resolving free simulation at 1∕36∘ resolution over the same region. The objective of the experiments was to assess the ability of different satellite constellations to constrain the ocean analyses and forecasts, considering both along-track altimeters and future wide-swath missions; consequently, the capability of the data assimilation techniques used in the Mercator Ocean operational system to effectively combine the different kinds of measurements was also investigated. These assessments were carried out as part of a European Space Agency (ESA) study on the potential role of wide-swath altimetry in future versions of the European Union Copernicus programme. The impact of future wide-swath altimetry data is evident for investigating the reliability of sea level values in OSSEs. The most significant results were obtained when looking at the sensitivity of the system to wide-swath instrumental error: considering a constellation of three nadir and two "accurate" (small instrumental error) wide-swath altimeters, the error in ocean analysis was reduced by up to 50 % compared to conventional altimeters. Investigating the impact of the repetitivity of the future measurements, the results showed that two wide-swath missions had a major impact on sea-level forecasting – increasing the accuracy over the entire time window of the 5-day forecasts – compared with a single wide-swath instrument. A spectral analysis underlined that the contributions of wide-swath altimetry data observed in ocean analyses and forecast statistics were mainly due to the more accurate resolution, compared with along-track data, of ocean variability at spatial scales ...

This quantitative study investigated the correlation between school culture constructs and student achievement in 160 Title I K-8 schools from four Local Education Agencies. Title I schools receive funds from the federal government to fund programs and provide resources to help students meet rigorous standards on state assessments. School culture is defined as the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions. This study aimed to determine if any relationship existed between school culture constructs and student achievement. Statistical analysis included preexisting data collected from the 2016 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey and 2014-2016 student achievement data from the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests. The School Culture Survey constructs developed by Gruenert and Valentine (1998) were used to conduct a multilevel random intercept model for statistical analysis. Data analysis revealed a significant relationship between 2 of the 6 constructs related to school culture. Statistical analysis results revealed that Professional Development and Learning Partnership constructs had a significant relationship to student achievement. Both constructs had a p value of 0.00, which means a significant relationship exists between them and student achievement. Based on the results, recommendations include (1) broadening sample to include more Title I schools; (2) conduct a study to see if non-Title I schools will have the same constructs that relate to student achievement, (3) conduct a study to evaluate Professional Development and Learning Partnership in Title I schools, (4) analyzing Title I Distinguished schools, and (5) conducting a qualitative study related to understanding Professional Development and Learning Partnership in Title I schools. Building capacity in Professional Learning and Learning Partnerships could be the key to making sustained changes.

Recent years have seen a surge in the number of scientific studies, reports and newspaper articles portraying possible connections between climate variability and violent conflict. As sudden changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to become more frequent in certain areas due to climate change, researchers and decision-makers alike have become increasingly worried about the security implications of extreme events such as droughts and floods. Concerns are that such events could undermine people's livelihoods, exacerbate social tensions and eventually contribute to political instability and violence, with crises in Syria, Darfur and the Western Sahel being frequently mentioned as examples. Yet, despite the vocal nature of those linking climate variability and violent conflict risk and the plausibility of some of their arguments, the empirical connection between the two phenomena is far from evident. Overall, we observe that violence is a far less common reaction to climatic shocks than peaceful adaptation or just silent suffering. Where it emerges, the relationship between climate variability and violent conflict is complex and contingent on further conflict-enabling societal conditions. Systematic knowledge about these conditions and the way in which they shape climate-conflict dynamics remains currently limited, which restricts our ability to understand climate-conflict linkages and assess potential climate-security risks. The present dissertation addresses this gap. Particular emphasis is placed on road and water infrastructures and on the way in which they influence the relationship between drought and conflict risk in Sub-Saharan Africa. Extreme precipitation shortfalls and their disastrous consequences for rain-fed agriculture and pastoralism are frequently discussed in the literature as possible threats to the peace and stability of African states. At the same time, there are reasons to believe that key infrastructures, such as roads and water delivery systems, would mediate the relationship ...

Women's unpaid care and domestic work is gaining relevance in policy-making as well as in academia. Feminist scholars and activists have lobbied successfully for the integration of unpaid care and domestic work into the Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 5.4) of the United Nations in the hope for greater recognition of women's contribution to the economy. Policy documents about social reproduction highlight women's disproportionate share of reproductive activities as an obstacle to women's economic empowerment and as a relic of 'traditional' gender roles. Social reproduction is thereby not understood as a merit in itself, but as an obstacle to women's participation in paid labour. Policy implications will enable certain empowerment effects for some women, but at the same time promote the increasing privatization and commodification of reproductive work across the globe. Rising inequalities between the Global North and South and between women along the categories of class and race will be one major result. To theoretically explain such contradictory effects of the recognition of social reproduction, I use the concept of 'enclosures' based on Marx' 'primitive accumulation'. Feminist scholars use the concept to explain how unpaid care and housework is commodified or de-commodified to integrate women into the paid labour force or to reduce the costs of social reproduction according to the needs of the economy. The sudden interest in unpaid care and domestic work e.g. in the Sustainable Development Goals can therefore be seen as process of double enclosure, which integrates women into the paid labour force, but also sets the grounds for the further commodification of domestic and care work. This paper aims to critically discuss the sudden interest in unpaid domestic and care work and its contradictory effects from a Marxist feminist perspective and reflects on feminist strategies and movements in global governance. After introducing Marxist perspectives on social reproduction, the question if and how feminist ideas ...

Aquatic ecosystems –from marine and coastal to freshwater– are rich in biodiversity and home to a diverse array of species and habitats, providing numerous economic and societal benefits to the European population. Many of these valuable ecosystems are at risk of being irreversibly damaged by human activities and pressures, including pollution, contamination, hydromorphological alterations, invasive species, overfishing and climate change. These pressures threaten the sustainability of these ecosystems, their provision of ecosystem services and ultimately human well-being. AQUACROSS (Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies – http://aquacross.eu) seeks to advance the application of ecosystem-based management for aquatic ecosystems in an effort to support the timely achievement of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and other international conservation targets. In this regard, AQUACROSS aims to develop and test an assessment framework through a series of cases studies which considers the full array of interactions within aquatic ecosystems, including human activities. Following the Horizon 2020 Open Research Data Pilot, AQUACROSS addresses the challenge of bringing together newly generated as well as existing data used in the framework of the case studies, while at the same time supporting the project partners in terms of data integration and harmonisation. Through a lightweight CKAN-based information platform, we aim on one hand to support project partners in terms of discovery and data access (in interoperable formats), while on the other hand we offer operational support to open up raw and processed data for use in other contexts and disseminating these data and results. The latter is facilitated by the capabilities of the CKAN software which includes on-the-fly analysis and visualisation tools and enables easy data access through external software and tools such as R, QGis and Phyton. During this presentation we will report on the main lessons learned during this data integration exercise and focus on selected case study examples.

Background and aims In the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden), the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is relatively low in the general population, but is much higher among people who inject drugs (PWID). We conducted an exploratory study to investigate the extent to which these countries have policies supporting key elements of the public health response that is necessary to achieve the global goal of eliminating HCV as a public health threat. Methods Fourteen stakeholders representing government agencies, medical societies, and civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Nordic countries completed a cross-sectional online survey that included 21 policy questions related to national coordination, prevention, testing, linkage to care, and treatment. We summarised the findings in a descriptive analysis, and noted discrepant responses from stakeholders within the same country. Results Stakeholders reported that three of the five study countries have national viral hepatitis strategies, while only Iceland has a national HCV elimination goal. The availability of harm reduction services varies, with opioid substitution therapy provided for the general population throughout all countries, but not needle and syringe programmes. No country has access to anonymous HCV testing in all parts of the country. National HCV treatment guidelines are available in all countries except Finland, and all countries provide publicly funded direct-acting antiviral treatment. Disagreement regarding policies was observed across countries, and CSOs were the stakeholder group that most frequently answered survey questions incorrectly. Conclusion The Nordic region as a whole has not consistently expressed its commitment to tackling HCV, despite the existence of large HCV epidemics among PWID in these countries. Stakeholder alignment and an established elimination goal with an accompanying strategy and implementation plan should be recognised as the basis for coordinated national public health efforts to achieve HCV elimination in the Nordic region and elsewhere. ; publishedVersion

International audience ; Recently, genetics knowledge has given rise to new DNA-based tests aimed at inferring suspects' geographic origin. Tis article analyzes how recent practices in this feld have been "problematised" in France, between 2006 and 2014, in Michel Foucault's sense of the term. First, the launch of these genetic tests is examined, looking at the work accomplished by actors who helped create the preconditions for this problematisation but at the same time tried to deconstruct it. Te paper goes on to focus on how this problematisation is expressed, questioning the arguments used particularly by its opponents who called upon political and ethical concerns regarding data use. Finally, current state regulations on the mater are outlined, showing how "points of problematisation" have been construed in terms of prohibition. In conclusion, the article shows how problematisation highlights changes in contemporary notions of origin and the types of subjects it produces. ; Recientemente, el conocimiento sobre genética ha dado paso a un nuevo test basa-do en el ADN dirigidos a inferir el origen geográfco de los sospechosos. Este artí-culo analiza cómo se han "problematizado" (en el sentido foucaultiano) en Francia las prácticas recientes en este campo, entre 2006 y 2014. Primero, se examina la implementación de estos test genéticos, centrado en el trabajo llevado a cabo por actores que ayudaron a crear las condiciones previas de esta problematización, pero, al mismo tiempo, intentaron deconstruirlo. Este artículo se centra en cómo se expresa esta problematización, cuestionando los argumentos utilizados, particu-larmente, por sus detractores, quienes destacan las cuestiones éticas y políticas con respecto a los datos utilizados. Finalmente, las actuales regulaciones estatales están demarcadas, mostrando cómo los "puntos de problematización" se han cons-truido en términos de prohibición. En conclusión, el artículo muestra cómo la pro-blematización remarca cambios en nociones contemporáneas de origen y los ...

Management consulting as a service has become part of almost every company's daily business. The growth is being exponential, even with all the non-consensual issues and controversies in the industry. However, the market is increasingly competitive, with new competitors coming from everywhere. At the same time, the world is changing at a speed never seen before, and the challenges are several: automation, scarcity of resources, democratization of the information, big data, and regulation are some examples. Thus, it's not possible for consulting firms to keep providing the market needs without continuously adapting their own business models. The companies that can outperform these challenges more efficiently will win against the competitors. Investigate which strategies and mechanisms adopt to be agile and flexible enough, in which sectors invest the most, and how reinvent the business models in order to be resilient in a fast changing and technological world are the main objectives of this research. Several interviews with the top management of fifteen of the biggest consulting companies in Portugal were conducted. The results suggested that companies are now trying to differentiate by the services delivered, and these business models' adaptation to the digital transformation is, rather than a reality, a need. ; A consultoria de gestão como serviço faz parte da atividade diária de quase todas as empresas. O crescimento tem sido exponencial, apesar de todos os aspetos não consensuais e controversos da indústria. Contudo, o mercado está cada vez mais competitivo com novos concorrentes a entrar por todo o lado. Ao mesmo tempo, o mundo está a transformar-se a uma velocidade nunca antes vista, e os desafios são diversos: automatização, escassez de recursos, democratização da informação, "big data", e regulação, são apenas alguns exemplos. Portanto, não é possível que as empresas de consultoria continuem a responder às necessidades do mercado sem continuamente adaptarem os seus modelos de negócio. As empresas que ...

The duty to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole is the modern version of the duty of loyalties owed by directors, which is codified in 2006 under section 172 of The Company Act. The section makes various impacts on the directors, shareholders, stakeholders, employees, the community and the business in relation to paying more attention to stakeholders' interests and benefits during corporate decision-making process. Some academicians state that the section has same approach regarding the 'promote the success of the company'; however, others state the section is the modern, new, or modified version of the pre-existing law. Therefore 'the company's success', 'good faith', 'benefit members as a whole' are needed to be evaluated in a wide range. The proposal put forward an idea is that adequately determines the necessity of the Government to strengthen the protection of stakeholders' interests in companies and still the interests of shareholders are left wholly to the discretion of directors not to any acts. ; 2006 tarihli İngiltere Şirketler Kanunu 172. maddesince düzenlenen şirketin bir bütün olarak başarılı şekilde faaliyet göstermesinin sağlanması görevi müdürlerin özen borcunun güncel halidir. İlgili madde kurumsal karar alma sürecinde pay sahiplerinin menfaatlerine ve çıkarlarına daha fazla dikkat etmek için müdürler, pay sahipleri, işçiler, toplum ve faaliyet üzerinde çeşitli etkiler yaratmaktadır. Bazı akademisyenler maddenin, müdürün şirketin başarılı bir şekilde faaliyet göstermesini sağlama görevi ile benzer olduğunu; bazılarının ise eski maddenin güncellenmiş, değiştirilmiş, yeni ve modern hali olduğunu belirtmişlerdir. Bu sebeple şirketin başarılı bir şekilde faaliyet göstermesi, iyi niyet, ortakların bir bütün olarak menfaat sağlaması kavramlarının geniş bir şekilde yorumlanması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışma devletin açık bir şekilde pay sahiplerinin şirketteki menfaatlerini daha güçlü hale getirmesine ihtiyaç olduğu ve madde ile pay sahiplerinin çıkarlarının halen kanuna değil müdürlerin kararlarına bağlı olduğu görüşünü ileri sürmektedir.

This publication presents a variety of genres of new media, analyzes the tools and effectiveness of genres in creating a format for civil journalism and democratization of media space.Traditional journalism has many opportunities for processing and transmitting information. If we work textually with a specific theme, then we use genres that best help to realize the journalist's goal. Digital capabilities allow for the specific presentation and processing of information. The new media represents the transformation of the old and usual approaches that we have become accustomed to using in traditional media, adding opportunities to work even better with text, sound, video, representing the multimedia space, and at the same time measuring the presentation of the person who seeks to share his information with the world. Again, digital capabilities made it possible to formulate distinctive genres of new media, some of them transformed from traditional genres. During our research, we had a focus on the advantages and disadvantages of each genre of new media.First of all we concentrate our attention on blog like a leading genre in new media space. In general, the main features of the blog are the author's and subjective nature of information, uniqueness, style, chronological distribution of publications, interactivity, accessibility to a wide audience, periodic updates. These properties are inherent to all blogs in general, and each of the types has its own peculiarities of functioning.In addition, we analyzed the timeline, stream, podcast, and online broadcasts and analyze the impact of these genres on democratization of society.Key words: new media genres, blog, timeline, stream, podcast. ; У публікації представлено різновиди жанрової палітри нових медій, проаналізовано інструментарій та ефективність жанрів у творенні формату громадянської журналістики та демократизації медіа-простору. Автор дослідження окремо осмислює такі жанри, як: блоґ, мікроблоґ, стрім, подкаст, новина, лонгрід, а також представляє нові можливості мультимедійного інструментарію: тайм-лайн, сторіфай.Ключові слова: жанри нових медій, блоґ, тайм-лайн, стрімінг, подкаст.

The question that the paper answers is formulated through reflections on the issues of non-originalism. Non-originalism refers to an approach to the interpretation of the Constitution where the text of the Constitution adapts to new conditions without any formal change. This approach is applied by courts which, in the light of new circumstances, interpret the Constitution in a different way. The question is whether the same approach should be applied also by the legislator. Should the legislator himself monitor whether the Constitution has changed in substance as a result of changes in society and that some existing statutes thus have become unconstitutional? The paper concludes that the legislator has an obligation to monitor and respond to such changes by amending or abolishing certain statutes or by adopting new ones. If the legislator fails to respond, then his behaviour – inaction – is unconstitutional. However, the paper does not claim that the legislator must respond to all the changes in society, but only to those that are significant and obvious. The legislator is understood as an institution, not as a member of the legislative body (based on the theory of the legislative intent). However, the institution of the legislator is a human creation and composed of individuals, and it is their knowledge that makes up the knowledge of the legislator. And it is precisely their possibilities that determine the boundaries of what the legislator should know. In this text, the creation of law is understood as communication between the legislator, who is the author of statutes, and public bodies, who interpret and apply them. As with any communication, context is what determines it. The legislator's obligations are derived from the content of the context, its function, and its essential position in communication.

The paper constitutes an attempt to describe the refugee issue as a very important problem in international law. Problem which can bring both profits and losses for involved countries in many areas. Along with the inflow of people from abroad, initial expenses related to the administrative process increase. At the same time, the increase in human capital can also be noted. It depends on the policy of a given country, whether it can effectively use human capital or only social costs for the country are generated. Sometimes international law obligation is not enough to convince society that accepting refugees is a right and good decision. The paper focuses on how and with which legislation tools it is done and explores whether or not it is effective. The paper consists, among others, of the following sections: "Who is refugee – legal description", "Non-governmental organizations", "International administration – UNHCR", "EU administration created to help refugees", "The Treaty of Lisbon and refugee policy". In those subchapters, the legal basis of the refugee protection system in the Western world as well as the refugee policy and execution of this law are discussed. ; Artykuł podejmuje próbę ukazania problemu uchodźców i osób migrujących między krajami, jako bardzo ważny aspekt prawa międzynarodowego. Problem, który może generować zyski i straty dla zaangażowanych krajów w wielu obszarach. Razem z napływem osób z zagranicy początkowo rosną wydatki związane z procesem administracyjnym, ale rośnie również potencjalny kapitał ludzki. Zależy to od polityki danego kraju, czy potrafi wykorzystać taki potencjalny kapitał. Czasami zobowiązanie wynikające z prawa międzynarodowego nie wystarcza, aby przekonać społeczeństwo, że przyjmowanie uchodźców jest słuszne. Migracja jest niejako naturalnym procesem występującym pomiędzy krajami. Jest ona generowana różnymi czynnikami. Prawo międzynarodowe pozwala ją uporządkować i sklasyfikować tak, aby jednostki, które we własnym kraju napotykają poważne problemy, mogły spróbować żyć gdzie indziej.

Oil palm has flourished as an economically vital crop in Indonesia given its use in both food and non-food products (including biodiesel) for domestic and export markets. However, the expansion of oil palm plantations in Indonesia is controversial. While the crop generates fiscal earnings for the country, and regular income streams for farmers and companies, oil palm plantation expansion is claimed to cause deforestation, environmental degradation and biodiversity losses. At the same time, there is a national target to reduce GHG emissions from land use change and the production of palm oil. Climate change mitigation goals also include ambitious targets to blend biodiesel with fossil diesel in various economic sectors. This thesis looks at the palm oil agro-industry, from oil palm plantation to crude palm oil (CPO) production, and CPO based biodiesel production. It proposes a policy evaluation to verify policy implications in relation to the issue of land use allocation, and the poor profitability in palm oil biodiesel production. The overarching objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of prevailing policies used to promote the palm oil agro-industry for biodiesel production in Indonesia. The thesis is framed by policy research and ex-post policy evaluation. The focus is on the process of policy formulation and implementation, rather than outcome evaluation. Two specific analytical frameworks are used to answer the research questions while addressing the criteria of effectiveness in policy evaluation: (i) policy coherence analysis and (ii) life cycle cost analysis. Qualitative indicators are used to measure the coherence of biofuel policy with other sectoral policies (agriculture, climate and forestry) in relation to land allocation. Quantitative economic indicators are used to compare the costs and benefits of conventional palm oil biodiesel production with a biorefinery conceptual plant. There are valuable lessons to be learnt from this policy evaluation. The results indicate areas in which policy ...

Particulate emissions from road transportation are known to have an adverse impact on human health as well the environment. As the effects become more palpable, stricter legislation have been proposed by regulating bodies. This puts forward a challenge for the automotive industry to develop after treatment technologies to fulfil the progressively stricter legislation. At present, the most common after-treatment technologies used for particulates are the diesel and gasoline particulate filters. The typical size distribution of the particles is such that the smallest particles in terms of size are in numbers the largest, although they are not influencing the total particle mass significantly. The most recent legislation have included restrictions on the particle number as well as particle mass. In this thesis numerical tools for studying the transport and interaction of particles in an exhaust flow are evaluated. The specific application is particle agglomeration as a mean to reduce the number of particles and manipulate the size distribution. As particles agglomerate the particle number distribution is shifted and larger sized agglomerates of particles are created reducing the number of ultra-fine particles. The particle agglomeration is obtained by forcing sudden acceleration and deceleration of the host gas carrying the particles by variations in the cross sectional areas of the geometry it is passing through. Initially, a simplified one dimensional model is utilized to assess the governing parameters of particle grouping. Grouping here means that the particles form and are transported in groups, thus increasing the probability for agglomeration. The lessons learned from the 1D-model are also used to design the three dimensional geometry: an axisymmetric corrugated pipe. Two different geometries are studied, they both have the same main pipe diameter but different diameter on the corrugations. The purpose is to find the potential onset of flow instabilities and the influence of 3D-effects such as recirculation ...