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The EU is considering increasing the GHG emissions reduction target by 2020 from 20% to 30% by committing each member state to tighten up its emission reduction goals. According to the recent study such decision could cost some 2 365 million LTL to Lithuanian economy. Evaluation and comparison of CO2 abatement costs incurred by the state implementing a variety of measures in different sectors allow choosing a most cost effective policy scenario. The paper focuses on CO2 emissions related to energy use in buildings. First, this paper reviews the role of the Lithuanian building stock in overall GHG emissions. Then the paper examines the existing studies on the CO2 mitigation potential and cost in buildings. Given the limitations of existing evaluation and lack of comprehensive modelling in the existing studies, this paper proposes a framework for examining the technology options aimed to inform policy making on the options to reduce CO2 emissions in Lithuanian housing and service sectors.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.59.1.680

The purpose of this study was to examine whether and how individual differences contribute to the translation of perceived group discrimination into perceived personal discrimination. One hundred forty-five Pontic Greek and 269 Albanian students (mean age 12.9 years) enrolled in Greek urban public schools were assessed in Grade 1 of high school. Albanians reported higher discrimination against their ethnic group, but not higher discrimination against themselves, personally, than Pontic Greeks. Personal discrimination could be predicted by perceived group discrimination as well as from individual characteristics of immigrant students, independently of their ethnicity. Furthermore, when students reported high, but not low, group discrimination, many of their individual characteristics were shown to buffer against translating perceived group discrimination into experiences of personal discrimination. These results highlight the importance of individual differences, in addition to perceptions of group discrimination, for feelings of being discriminated against as an individual and suggest that high group discrimination of immigrants, independently of ethnic background, does not necessarily result in high personal discrimination, if individual protective factors are present.

Contract Failure Theory argues that the Non Distribution Constraint prototypical of Non Profit Organizations (NPOs) plays the role of a safeguard given to buyers of "trust goods", the latter of which involving dramatic asymmetrical information. Though stimulating, such a paradigm stumbles over the coexistence of firms and commercial NPOs on markets for care, medical services and education. Therefore, it calls for further discussion in order to study its premises and prescriptions more closely. Focusing on care services, this theoretical examination leads on stressing that (a) trust goods actually give rise to specific problems of asymmetrical information (under conditions), (b) CFT overestimates (underestimates) the ability of Non Distribution Constraint to deal efficiently with such setbacks (the ability of firms to arouse trustworthiness) and (c) CFT is less concerned with "trust goods" than with "vulnerable unless monitored consumers" and should strengthen the Non Distribution Constraint with additional signaling devices such as "disclosure of values". Adapted from the source document.

The settling of the 32-year Aceh conflict not only transformed former members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) into administrators, constructing a new circle of elites, but also created opportunities and new spaces for economic and socio-political competition and contestation. Hence, this transformation sowed the seeds of an emerging conflict in Aceh. This study investigates the emerging conflict patterns along with their causes and the actors involved. Three patterns of conflict have been identified as having emerged during the post-Helsinki Peace Agreement period: (i) a conflict among the former GAM elites, (ii) a conflict between the former GAM elites and the former GAM rank-and-file combatants, and (iii) a conflict between the ethnic Acehnese majority and the diverse ethnic minority groups. While the first and second conflicts are primarily induced by individual self-interest, the third is specifically triggered by the social and political discrimination as well as by under-development.

The Showtime TV series Queer as Folk (2000–2005) brought same-sex relationships and sex scenes to prime-time television, putting the stuff of slash up on the small screen. Despite incorporating many slash tropes into the canonical text, Queer as Folk troubles many of the traditional assumptions about how fan fiction and slash operate, particularly the association of slash with subversion. The intertextual relationship between canonically queer texts and their attendant fandoms requires new frameworks for exploring traditional fan fiction subgenres such as slash. When the canonical text itself is queer, gestures and genres that have generally been considered subversive can in fact be more conservative than the canonical text itself. When the political stakes of a canonical series are clear and explicitly progressive, the intertextual relationship between canon and fandom can be particularly important and uniquely problematic, as this case study of Queer as Folk demonstrates in its assessment of the complexities that arise when the canon itself is queer.

Following an initial euphoria over the democratising potential of the Internet, sceptic voices contend that participation via the Internet may increase existing inequalities and even weaken the influence of citizens. A central critique claims that the digital activities are nothing more than slacktivism, i.e. activities that enhance the feel good factor of the participant but have no impact on real life political outcomes. This study examines three accusations of slacktivism levelled against online participants: that they are detached from formal politics and therefore do not aim to influence political outcomes, that they are lazy citizens choosing easily accessible digital forms of engagement over more effective traditional activities, and that they are incapable of comprehending the functioning of the political system. The results suggest that there is little reason to be worried over any negative impact of the Internet on civic engagement, since the virtual participants are both active and competent citizens. In this sense, the accusation of slacktivism against the participants appears to be misguided.

Not Available ; Clarias batrachus, an Indian catfish species, is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and potential cultivable species. The genomic resources in C. batrachus in the form of ESTs containing microsatellite repeats (EST-SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with the expressed genes from spleen were mined. From a total of 1,937 ESTs generated, 1,698 unique sequences were obtained, out of which 221 EST-SSRs were identified and 54% could be functionally annotated by similarity searches. A total of 23 contigs containing 3 or more ESTs were found to contain 31 SNP loci, out of which 8 ESTs showed similarity to genes of known function and 1 for hypothetical protein. Nine ESTs with SSRs and/or SNPs identified in this study were reported to be associated with diseases in human and animals. These identified loci can be developed into markers in C. batrachus, which can be useful in linkage mapping, comparative genomics studies and for its genetic improvement programmes. ; Department of Biotechnology, Government of India

Auf den ersten Blick scheinen Persönlichkeitstests nichts mit den Themen der Erwachsenenbildung zu tun zu haben. In der Weiterbildungspraxis werden sie jedoch vermehrt und variabel als Instrumente der Reflexion eingesetzt. Daraus ergibt sich ein Spannungsfeld zwischen beruflicher Praxis und theoretischem Zugriff, welches in diesem Beitrag beschrieben wird. In drei Abschnitten – Gegenstand, AkteurInnen und Einsatzorte – werden Persönlichkeitstests in der betrieblichen Weiterbildung skizziert. Methode ist die ethnographische Feldbeschreibung. Die gesammelten Daten stammen aus Deutschland und Großbritannien. Im Beitrag wird vorrangig das Persönlichkeitstestfeld in Großbritannien beschrieben. Der Bezug zur österreichischen Situation und mögliche Verbindungen zu Themen der Erwachsenenbildung werden im Fazit aufgezeigt. (DIPF/Orig.) ; At first glance, personality tests do not have much to do with adult education research. In workplace learning and training, however, they are increasingly used for triggering self-reflection. This article examines the tensions that result from this interplay between professional practice and theoretical approach. In doing so, the practice of personality testing in CVET is depicted in three sections – field, participants, and areas of application. Using ethnographic research methods, the study draws on data collected in Germany and Great Britain with a focus on the latter. The article concludes by relating the analysis to the situation in Austria and by discussing possible connections with the field of adult education research. (DIPF/Orig.)