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Data quality is becoming an increasingly important issue in environments characterized by extensive data replication. Among such environments, this article focuses on cooperative information systems (CISs), for which it is very important to declare and access quality of data. The article describes a general methodology for evaluating quality of data, and the design of an architectural component, named quality factory, that implements quality evaluation of XML data. The detailed design and implementation of a further service, named data quality broker, are presented. The data quality broker accesses data and related quality distributed in the CIS and improves quality of data by comparing different copies present in the system. The data quality broker has been implemented as a peer-to-peer service and a set of experiments on real data show its effectiveness and performance behavior.

This paper examines how the Barisan Nasional (National Front, BN) coalition has held power in
Malaysia since that country's independence in 1957. The first of two perspectives taken in this
examination looks at the practical impediments to opposition party participation during general
elections. This is refracted through the prism of the campaign during the 2004 general elections
of a Parti KeADILan Rakyat candidate. The second perspective looks at the broader cultural
environment in which elections occur in Malaysia. In particular, the BN plays upon popular fears
of a recurrence of ethnic violence that occurred in 1969 when opposition parties polled strongly to
portray itself as the keeper of the country's peace. The examination of both practical mechanisms
and the cultural environment allow a more complete understanding of how the BN maintains
its political dominance in Malaysia.

Abstract The notion that phenotypic traits, including behavior, can be predetermined has slowly given way in biology and psychology over the last two decades. This shift in thinking is due in large part to the growing evidence for the fundamental role of developmental processes in the generation of the stability and variations in phenotype that researchers in developmental and evolutionary sciences seek to understand. Here I review the tenets of a metatheoretical model of development called probabilistic epigenesis (PE) and explore its implications for furthering our understanding of developmental and evolutionary processes. The PE framework emphasizes the reciprocity of influences within and between levels of an organism's developmental manifold (genetic activity, neural activity, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural influences of the external environment) and the ubiquity of gene–environment interaction in the realization of all phenotypes.

The potential consequences of the reintroduction of poliovirus in the post‐eradication era range from trivial (no or self‐limited transmission and no clinical cases) to very serious (return of continued transmission of polioviruses and abandonment of the poliomyelitis eradication goal). This paper summarises the key determinants of such outcomes and identifies factors relating to infection surveillance, to vaccination policies at the time of OPV cessation and beyond, and to the still‐unknown implications of these policies for infection transmission in environments with poor sanitation, as particularly important. Explicit consideration of these issues should encourage studies on the effectiveness of IPV vaccines in reducing poliovirus transmission in tropical environments, and should influence the location and containment requirements of facilities for vaccine production and storage, and for poliovirus‐related research, in the era after cessation of OPV.

How consequential is residence in a presidential battleground state for how people engage in politics? I explore the effects of battleground strategies for campaign exposure, voter interest, political discussion, learning, and participation in the presidential campaign. I also consider the sources of battleground influence, including the campaign efforts of presidential candidates and particular partisan nature of battleground states. Using survey data from the 1992, 1996, and 2000 National Election Studies in conjunction with measures of state campaign context, I find that the effects of battleground environments are limited. Neither levels of campaign interest nor rates of political discussion are affected by presidential campaign intensity. While television advertising promotes learning and participation, battleground influence on the intention to vote reflects the partisan environment of a state rather than advertising or events sponsored by the presidential candidates.

This paper examines the determinants of China's defense expenditure over the period 1960—1999, and two sub-samples before and after transition for 1960—1980 and 1981— 1999, applying official Chinese data and SIPRI Yearbook data. An empirical econometric model is set up on the basis of standard neo-classical theory. The empirical results suggest that earlier defense expenditure, changes in the strategy environment, and GDP are major determinants of China's defense expenditure on the long run. For the split periods, the national security environment, economic factor, and earlier defense expenditure are the main determining factors prior to 1981, but earlier defense expenditure is the main determinant after 1981 (when official Chinese data are used). The impact of Taiwanese military spending on Mainland China's demand for defense expenditure was not statistically significant.

Actually, children and young people play in environments everyday more instable. Economical factors and different cultural heritage promotes several problems for the society, the school and the teachers. Students from different social and cultural environments lead to specific educational policies by the educational system. But this is not an easy task. First, because the change cycle in a complex system are not in agreement with the actual politic. Second, because it is necessary to overcome the existent culture, to break down some mentality resistances and behaviour's. The fundamental constitution of the portuguese republic (CRP), the universal human rights declaration, the portuguese basic law for the educational system (LBSE) and other legal documents present a convergent platform about the promotion of equality in education chances in relation to social, sexual and cultural diversity of the students.

How does a group of parents of autistic children figure out their relation to psychiatry? This article draws on original material: patients' contributions to discussion group on the Internet. It highlights how a distant collective tries to lay down its own definition of autism to the psychiatric environment, considering that this environment is mostly ineffective & maybe dangerous. We see that the discussion group modifies the relations between parents & health professionals, clarifying the etiologic hypothesis of autism, & encouraging an educative model of child's care. The discussion group does not break with psychiatry, but tries to build another definition, excluding psychoanalytic approaches. Thus, the discussion group leads a triple struggle: moral when fighting against a prejudicial approach, cognitive when supporting organic researches & politic when confronting to psychiatric institutions. Adapted from the source document.

Recent advancements in information and communications technology are changing the information environment in both quantitative and qualitative measures. The developments in directional wireless capabilities necessitate the ability to model these new capabilities, especially in dynamic environments typical of military combat operations. This thesis establishes a foundation for the definition and consideration of the unique network characteristics and requirements introduced by this novel instance of the Network Design Problem (NDP). Developed are a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) formulation and two heuristic strategies for solving the NDP. A third solution strategy using the MILP formulation with a degree-constrained Minimum Spanning Tree starting solution is also considered. The performance of the various methods are evaluated on the basis of solution quality, computation time, and other network metrics via randomly generated data sets for several different problem sizes.

Relationship marketing (RM) is a prolific area of current marketing theory development. While RM principles are relevant to a range of business-to-consumer and business-to-business contexts, their theoretical foundations have principally emerged in reference to the private sector. By contrast, this exploratory study examines RM opportunities between entities operating in different sectors, namely university and industry in Australia. Using a qualitative approach, findings led to the development of a conceptual framework of university-industry relationships, integrating variables of organizational environment difference, relationship and value. Overall, this exploratory study broadens RM theory and application to relationships involving parties from fundamentally different organizational environments and suggest opportunities for the implementation of RM in this context. The article concludes with recommendations for academics and practitioners and provides several directions for future research.

In a number of countries in Latin America, recent changes in the constitutional and legislative environment under which indigenous people hold or claim land and natural resource rights have triggered a number of processes and projects to demarcate, legalize, or otherwise consolidate indigenous lands. This review begins with a look at Nicaragua and goes on to examine five of the South American processes, allegedly with the most favorable legal and policy environments, and concludes that they suffer from common problems related to (a) the amount of land and resources being claimed by relatively small numbers of people, (b) the contestation of the claims by non-indigenous sectors, and (c) the nature of indigenous organizations and the NGOs that support them. The confrontation between policy and reality yields some lessons for the future.

Do property entitlements define the moral environment in which rights
to well-being are defined, or do rights to well-being define the moral
environment in which property entitlements are defined? Robert Nozick
argued for the former alternative and he denied that any serious attempt
had been made to state the latter alternative (what he called "the
'reverse' theory"). I actually think John Locke's
approach to property can be seen as an instance of the "reverse"
theory. And Nozick's can too, inasmuch as it shares a number of features
with the Lockean approach. But my paper is not intended as a criticism of
Nozick; on the contrary, it acknowledges the integrity and the importance of
his insistence that welfare, property, and justice be integrated into a
single theory with clearly established priorities.

Scholars and professionals committed to fostering sustainable development have urged a re‐examination of the curriculum and restructuring of research in engineering‐focused institutions of higher learning. This article will address the following themes and questions: How can multi‐ and trans‐disciplinary teaching and research coexist in a meaningful way in today's university structures? Does education relevant to sustainable development require its own protected incubating environment to survive, or will it otherwise be gobbled up and marginalized by attempting to instil it throughout the traditional curriculum? What roles can national and EU governments have in accelerating the needed changes? How can it be made safe for courageous students to take educational paths different from traditional tracks, even if technical options exist to do so? What can one learn from comparative analysis of universities in different nations and environments?