Equity and the value of gifts

In this article, we aim to consider equity’s responses to gifts in a new way. We begin by setting out an account of human values that are associated with donative practices and that lend value to gifts themselves. With this map of the values associated with gifts in view, we then turn to consider some equitable responses to gifts, arranged roughly on a spectrum in accordance with the measure of scepticism towards gifts that they might, at first glance, seem to entail. We discuss, in turn: (a) equity’s treatment of imperfect gifts; (b) equity’s treatment of promises to give; (c) the position in equity of donee recipients of misapplied trust assets; (d) the presumptions of resulting trust and (e) advancement; and (f) equity’s treatment of mistaken gifts. With respect to each type of case, we evaluate equity’s response to gifts in light of the range of human values associated with gifts. We conclude by examining some broad themes that emerge from this analysis, and in particular the extent to which equity might achieve a greater accommodation of donative values consistent with the demands of the rule of law.

Size Matters: The Effect of the Scramble for Africa on Informal Institutions and Development

We argue that the partition of ethnic groups following the Scramble for Africa does not itself matter for development in Africa. It matters only when the partitioned groups are relatively small because small groups lack political representation which may promote ethnic mobilization and foster support for informal (rather than formal) institutions which then may a ect development. Furthermore, the analysis of data from the Afrobarometer shows that the persistence of informal/tribal institutions related to property rights and the rule of law is one of the possible channels through which the size of the partitioned group a ects development.

Speaking with One Voice?: Ethno-national Division on the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina

The challenge of designing institutions to manage ethno-national conflict is one of the enduring concerns of political science. One important but relatively understudied aspect of this challenge is the design of constitutional courts. Courts are likely to play a key role in the maintenence of a constitutional settlement. But this role can be especially onerous in a deeply divided and post-conflict setting where the rule of law is weak and judges have ethno-national affiliations that may undermine the appearance of judicial neutrality. In such contexts, a court’s authority (including compliance with its decisions) cannot be taken for granted.

With reference the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and using an original dataset of the Court's non-unanimous plenary decisions, we test several hypotheses about the degree to which ethno-national affiliation influences judicial behavior. We find that (1) judges on the Constitutional Court do in fact divide predictably along ethno-national lines, (2) that these patterns are robust to changes in the tenure system, and (3) are independent of party political background.

Effective grain size distribution analysis for interpretation of tidal-deltaic facies: West Bengal Sundarbans

Research over the past two decades on the Holocene sediments from the tide dominated west side of the lower Ganges delta has focussed on constraining the sedimentary environment through grain size distributions (GSD). GSD has traditionally been assessed through the use of probability density function (PDF) methods (e.g. log-normal, log skew-Laplace functions), but these approaches do not acknowledge the compositional nature of the data, which may compromise outcomes in lithofacies interpretations. The use of PDF approaches in GSD analysis poses a series of challenges for the development of lithofacies models, such as equifinal distribution coefficients and obscuring the empirical data variability. In this study a methodological framework for characterising GSD is presented through compositional data analysis (CODA) plus a multivariate statistical framework. This provides a statistically robust analysis of the fine tidal estuary sediments from the West Bengal Sundarbans, relative to alternative PDF approaches.

Tephra from andesitic Shiveluch volcano, Kamchatka, NW Pacific: chronology of explosive eruptions and geochemical fingerprinting of volcanic glass

The ~16-ka-long record of explosive eruptions from Shiveluch volcano (Kamchatka, NW Pacific) is refined using geochemical fingerprinting of tephra and radiocarbon ages. Volcanic glass from 77 prominent Holocene tephras and four Late Glacial tephra packages was analyzed by electron microprobe. Eruption ages were estimated using 113 radiocarbon dates for proximal tephra sequence. These radiocarbon dates were combined with 76 dates for regional Kamchatka marker tephra layers into a single Bayesian framework taking into account the stratigraphic ordering within and between the sites. As a result, we report ~1,700 high-quality glass analyses from Late Glacial–Holocene Shiveluch eruptions of known ages. These define the magmatic evolution of the volcano and provide a reference for correlations with distal fall deposits. Shiveluch tephras represent two major types of magmas, which have been feeding the volcano during the Late Glacial–Holocene time: Baidarny basaltic andesites and Young Shiveluch andesites. Baidarny tephras erupted mostly during the Late Glacial time (~16–12.8 ka BP) but persisted into the Holocene as subordinate admixture to the prevailing Young Shiveluch andesitic tephras (~12.7 ka BP–present). Baidarny basaltic andesite tephras have trachyandesite and trachydacite (SiO₂ < 71.5 wt%) glasses. The Young Shiveluch andesite tephras have rhyolitic glasses (SiO₂ > 71.5 wt%). Strongly calc-alkaline medium-K characteristics of Shiveluch volcanic glasses along with moderate Cl, CaO and low P₂O₅ contents permit reliable discrimination of Shiveluch tephras from the majority of other large Holocene tephras of Kamchatka. The Young Shiveluch glasses exhibit wave-like variations in SiO₂ contents through time that may reflect alternating periods of high and low frequency/volume of magma supply to deep magma reservoirs beneath the volcano. The compositional variability of Shiveluch glass allows geochemical fingerprinting of individual Shiveluch tephra layers which along with age estimates facilitates their use as a dating tool in paleovolcanological, paleoseismological, paleoenvironmental and archeological studies. Electronic tables accompanying this work offer a tool for statistical correlation of unknown tephras with proximal Shiveluch units taking into account sectors of actual tephra dispersal, eruption size and expected age. Several examples illustrate the effectiveness of the new database. The data are used to assign a few previously enigmatic wide-spread tephras to particular Shiveluch eruptions. Our finding of Shiveluch tephras in sediment cores in the Bering Sea at a distance of ~600 km from the source permits re-assessment of the maximum dispersal distances for Shiveluch tephras and provides links between terrestrial and marine paleoenvironmental records.

The validity of critical thinking tests for predicting degree performance: A longitudinal study

This study explored the validity of using critical thinking tests to predict final psychology degree marks over and above that already predicted by traditional admission exams (A-levels). Participants were a longitudinal sample of 109 psychology students from a university in the United Kingdom. The outcome measures were: total degree marks; and end of year marks. The predictor measures were: university admission exam results (A-levels); critical thinking test scores (skills & dispositions); and non-verbal intelligence scores. Hierarchical regressions showed A-levels significantly predicted 10% of the final degree score and the 11-item measure of ‘Inference skills’ from the California Critical Thinking Skills Test significantly predicted an additional 6% of degree outcome variance. The findings from this study should inform decisions about the precise measurement constructs included in aptitude tests used in the higher education admission process.

Artificial Neural Network for Compositional Ionic Liquid Viscosity Prediction

Being a new generation of green solvents and high-tech reaction media of the future, ionic liquids have increasingly attracted much attention. Of particular interest in this context are room temperature ionic liquids (in short as ILs in this paper). Due to the relatively high viscosity, ILs is expected to be used in the form of solvent diluted mixture with reduced viscosity in industrial application, where predicting the viscosity of IL mixture has been an important research issue. Different IL mixture and many modelling approaches have been investigated. The objective of this study is to provide an alternative model approach using soft computing technique, i.e., artificial neural network (ANN) model, to predict the compositional viscosity of binary mixtures of ILs [C _n-mim][NTf ₂] with n=4, 6, 8, 10 in methanol and ethanol over the entire range of molar fraction at a broad range of temperatures from T=293.0-328.0K. The results show that the proposed ANN model provides alternative way to predict compositional viscosity successfully with highly improved accuracy and also show its potential to be extensively utilized to predict compositional viscosity taking account of IL alkyl chain length, as well as temperature and compositions simultaneously, i.e., more complex intermolecular interactions between components in which it would be hard or impossible to establish the analytical model. This illustrates the potential application of ANN in the case that the physical and thermodynamic properties are highly non-linear or too complex. © 2012 Copyright the authors.

Bank Failures of the 1990s::An Exploratory Analysis

Past research has frequently attributed the incidence of bank failures to macroeconomic cycles and/or downturns in the regional economy. More recent analyses have suggested that the incidence and severity of bank failures can be linked to governance failures, which may be preventable through more stringent disclosure and auditing requirements. Using data on bank failures during the years 1991 to 1997, for the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, this study examines the relationship between institutional characteristics of national legal and auditing systems and the incidence of bank failures. In the second part of our analysis we then examined the relationship between the same institutional variables and the severity of bank failures.
The first part of our study notes a significant correlation between the law and order tradition (‘rule of law’) of a national legal system and the incidence of bank failures. Nations which were assigned high 'rule of law’ scores by country risk guides appear to have been less likely to experience bank failures. Another variable which appears to impact on bank failure rates is the ‘risk of contract repudiation’. Countries with a greater ‘risk of contract repudiation’ appear to be more likely to experience bank failures. We suggest that this may be due to a greater ex ante protection of stakeholders in countries where contract enforcement is more stringent.
The results of the second part of our study are less clear cut. However, there appears to be a significant correlation between the amount paid out by national deposit insurers (our proxy for the severity of bank failures) and the macroeconomic variable 'GDP change'. Here our findings follow the conventional wisdom; with greater amounts of deposit insurance funds being paid during economic downturns (i.e. low or negative GDP 'growth' correlates with high amounts of deposit insurance being paid out). A less pronounced relationship with the severity of bank failures can also be established for the institutional variables ' accounting standards' as well as 'risk of contract repudiation'. Countries with more stringent ‘accounting standards’ and a low ‘risk of contract repudiation’ appear to have been less prone to severe bank failures.

Technological aids for the rehabilitation of memory and executive functioning in children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (Review).

Background The use of technology in healthcare settings is on the increase and may represent a cost-effective means of delivering rehabilitation. Reductions in treatment time, and delivery in the home, are also thought to be benefits of this approach. Children and adolescents with brain injury often experience deficits in memory and executive functioning that can negatively affect their school work, social lives, and future occupations. Effective interventions that can be delivered at home, without the need for high-cost clinical involvement, could provide a means to address a current lack of provision. We have systematically reviewed studies examining the effects of technology-based interventions for the rehabilitation of deficits in memory and executive functioning in children and adolescents with acquired brain injury. Objectives To assess the effects of technology-based interventions compared to placebo intervention, no treatment, or other types of intervention, on the executive functioning and memory of children and adolescents with acquired brain injury. Search methods We ran the search on the 30 September 2015. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE(R) Daily and Ovid OLDMEDLINE(R), EMBASE Classic + EMBASE (OvidSP), ISI Web of Science (SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, CPCI-S, and CPSI-SSH), CINAHL Plus (EBSCO), two other databases, and clinical trials registers. We also searched the internet, screened reference lists, and contacted authors of included studies. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing the use of a technological aid for the rehabilitation of children and adolescents with memory or executive-functioning deficits with placebo, no treatment, or another intervention. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts identified by the search strategy. Following retrieval of full-text manuscripts, two review authors independently performed data extraction and assessed the risk of bias. Main results Four studies (involving 206 participants) met the inclusion criteria for this review. Three studies, involving 194 participants, assessed the effects of online interventions to target executive functioning (that is monitoring and changing behaviour, problem solving, planning, etc.). These studies, which were all conducted by the same research team, compared online interventions against a 'placebo' (participants were given internet resources on brain injury). The interventions were delivered in the family home with additional support or training, or both, from a psychologist or doctoral student. The fourth study investigated the use of a computer program to target memory in addition to components of executive functioning (that is attention, organisation, and problem solving). No information on the study setting was provided, however a speech-language pathologist, teacher, or occupational therapist accompanied participants. Two studies assessed adolescents and young adults with mild to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), while the remaining two studies assessed children and adolescents with moderate to severe TBI. Risk of bias We assessed the risk of selection bias as low for three studies and unclear for one study. Allocation bias was high in two studies, unclear in one study, and low in one study. Only one study (n = 120) was able to conceal allocation from participants, therefore overall selection bias was assessed as high. One study took steps to conceal assessors from allocation (low risk of detection bias), while the other three did not do so (high risk of detection bias). Primary outcome 1: Executive functioning: Technology-based intervention versus placebo Results from meta-analysis of three studies (n = 194) comparing online interventions with a placebo for children and adolescents with TBI, favoured the intervention immediately post-treatment (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.66 to -0.09; P = 0.62; I2 = 0%). (As there is no 'gold standard' measure in the field, we have not translated the SMD back to any particular scale.) This result is thought to represent only a small to medium effect size (using Cohen’s rule of thumb, where 0.2 is a small effect, 0.5 a medium one, and 0.8 or above is a large effect); this is unlikely to have a clinically important effect on the participant. The fourth study (n = 12) reported differences between the intervention and control groups on problem solving (an important component of executive functioning). No means or standard deviations were presented for this outcome, therefore an effect size could not be calculated. The quality of evidence for this outcome according to GRADE was very low. This means future research is highly likely to change the estimate of effect. Primary outcome 2: Memory One small study (n = 12) reported a statistically significant difference in improvement in sentence recall between the intervention and control group following an eight-week remediation programme. No means or standard deviations were presented for this outcome, therefore an effect size could not be calculated. Secondary outcomes Two studies (n = 158) reported on anxiety/depression as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and were included in a meta-analysis. We found no evidence of an effect with the intervention (mean difference -5.59, 95% CI -11.46 to 0.28; I2 = 53%). The GRADE quality of evidence for this outcome was very low, meaning future research is likely to change the estimate of effect. A single study sought to record adverse events and reported none. Two studies reported on use of the intervention (range 0 to 13 and 1 to 24 sessions). One study reported on social functioning/social competence and found no effect. The included studies reported no data for other secondary outcomes (that is quality of life and academic achievement). Authors' conclusions This review provides low-quality evidence for the use of technology-based interventions in the rehabilitation of executive functions and memory for children and adolescents with TBI. As all of the included studies contained relatively small numbers of participants (12 to 120), our findings should be interpreted with caution. The involvement of a clinician or therapist, rather than use of the technology, may have led to the success of these interventions. Future research should seek to replicate these findings with larger samples, in other regions, using ecologically valid outcome measures, and reduced clinician involvement.

Context-dependent Combination of Sensor Information in Dempster-Shafer Theory for BDI

There has been much interest in the belief–desire–intention (BDI) agent-based model for developing scalable intelligent systems, e.g. using the AgentSpeak framework. However, reasoning from sensor information in these large-scale systems remains a significant challenge. For example, agents may be faced with information from heterogeneous sources which is uncertain and incomplete, while the sources themselves may be unreliable or conflicting. In order to derive meaningful conclusions, it is important that such information be correctly modelled and combined. In this paper, we choose to model uncertain sensor information in Dempster–Shafer (DS) theory. Unfortunately, as in other uncertainty theories, simple combination strategies in DS theory are often too restrictive (losing valuable information) or too permissive (resulting in ignorance). For this reason, we investigate how a context-dependent strategy originally defined for possibility theory can be adapted to DS theory. In particular, we use the notion of largely partially maximal consistent subsets (LPMCSes) to characterise the context for when to use Dempster’s original rule of combination and for when to resort to an alternative. To guide this process, we identify existing measures of similarity and conflict for finding LPMCSes along with quality of information heuristics to ensure that LPMCSes are formed around high-quality information. We then propose an intelligent sensor model for integrating this information into the AgentSpeak framework which is responsible for applying evidence propagation to construct compatible information, for performing context-dependent combination and for deriving beliefs for revising an agent’s belief base. Finally, we present a power grid scenario inspired by a real-world case study to demonstrate our work.

Compositonal Analysis of Potentially harmful Elements in Soils: Implications for Epidemiology and Kidney Disease

A substantial proportion of aetiological risks for many cancers and chronic diseases remain unexplained. Using geochemical soil and stream water samples collected as part of the Tellus Project studies, current research is investigating naturally occurring background levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils and stream sediments and their possible relationship with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Tellus geological mapping project, Geological Survey Northern Ireland, collected soil sediment and stream water samples on a grid of one sample site every 2 km2 across the rural areas of Northern Ireland resulting in an excess of 6800 soil sampling locations and more than 5800 locations for stream water sampling. Accumulation of several PTEs including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury have been linked with human health and implicated in renal function decline. The hypothesis is that long-term exposure will result in cumulative exposure to PTEs and act as risk factor(s) for cancer and diabetes related CKD and its progression. The ‘bioavailable’ fraction of total PTE soil concentration depends on the ‘bioaccessible’ proportion through an exposure pathway. Recent work has explored this bioaccessible fraction for a range of PTEs across Northern Ireland. In this study the compositional nature of the multivariate geochemical PTE variables and bioaccessible data is explored to augment the investigation into the potential relationship between PTEs, bioaccessibility and disease data.

Volumetric Carbon Content Calculations: A Geostatistical and Compositional Approach

This study applies spatial statistical techniques including cokriging to integrate airborne geophysical (radiometric) data with ground-based measurements of peat depth and soil organic carbon (SOC) to monitor change in peat cover for carbon stock calculations. The research is part of the EU funded Tellus Border project and is supported by the INTERREG IVA development programme of the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The premise is that saturated peat attenuates the radiometric signal from underlying soils and rocks. Contemporaneous ground-based measurements were collected to corroborate mapped estimates and develop a statistical model for volumetric carbon content (VCC) to 0.5 metres. Field measurements included ground penetrating radar, gamma ray spectrometry and a soil sampling methodology which measured bulk density and soil moisture to determine VCC. One aim of the study was to explore whether airborne radiometric survey data can be used to establish VCC across a region. To account for the footprint of airborne radiometric data, five cores were obtained at each soil sampling location: one at the centre of the ground radiometric equivalent sample location and one at each of the four corners 20 metres apart. This soil sampling strategy replicated the methodology deployed for the Tellus Border geochemistry survey. Two key issues will be discussed from this work. The first addresses the integration of different sampling supports for airborne and ground measured data and the second discusses the compositional nature of the VOC data.

Caracterização e modificação de heteroestruturas de nitretos do grupo III

Os nitretos binários semicondutores do grupo III, e respetivos compostos, são vastamente estudados devido à sua possível aplicabilidade em dispositivos optoeletrónicos, tais como díodos emissores de luz (LEDs) e LASERs, assim como dispositivos para a eletrónica de elevadas temperatura, potência e frequência. Enquanto se concretizou a comercialização na última década de LEDs e LASERs recorrendo ao ternário In1-yGayN, estudos das propriedades fundamentais estruturais e óticas, assim como de técnicas de processamento no desenvolvimento de novas aplicações de outros ternários do grupo III-N encontram-se na sua fase inicial. Esta tese apresenta a investigação experimental de filmes finos epitaxiais de Al1-xInxN crescidos sobre camadas tampão de GaN e de Al1-yGayN e o estudo do recozimento e implantação de super-redes (SL) compostas por pontos quânticos de GaN (QD) envolvidos por camadas de AlN. Apesar do hiato energético do Al1-xInxN poder variar entre os 0,7 eV e os 6,2 eV e, por isso, numa gama, consideravelmente superior à dos ternários Al1-yGayN e InyGa1-yN, o primeiro é o menos estudado devido a dificuldades no crescimento de filmes com elevada qualidade cristalina. É efetuada, nesta tese, uma caracterização estrutural e composicional de filmes finos de Al1-xInxN crescidos sobre camadas tampão de GaN e de Al1-yGayN usando técnicas de raios-X, feixe de iões e de microscopia. Mostra-se que o Al1-xInxN pode ser crescido com elevada qualidade cristalina quando a epitaxia do crescimento se aproxima da condição de rede combinada do Al1-xInxN e da camada tampão (GaN ou Al1-yGayN), isto é, com conteúdo de InN de ~18%, quando crescido sobre uma camada de GaN. Quando o conteúdo de InN é inferior/superior à condição de rede combinada, fenómenos de relaxação de tensão e deterioração do cristal tais como o aumento da rugosidade de superfície prejudicam a qualidade cristalina do filme de Al1-xInxN. Observou-se que a qualidade dos filmes de Al1-xInxN depende fortemente da qualidade cristalina da camada tampão e, em particular, da sua morfologia e densidade de deslocações. Verificou-se que, dentro da exatidão experimental, os parâmetros de rede do ternário seguem a lei empírica de Vegard, ou seja, variam linearmente com o conteúdo de InN. Contudo, em algumas amostras, a composição determinada via espetrometria de retrodispersão de Rutherford e difração e raios-X mostra valores discrepantes. Esta discrepância pode ser atribuída a defeitos ou impurezas capazes de alterar os parâmetros de rede do ternário. No que diz respeito às SL dos QD e camadas de AlN, estudos de recozimento mostraram elevada estabilidade térmica dos QD de GaN quando estes se encontram inseridos numa matriz de AlN. Por implantação iónica, incorporou-se európio nestas estruturas e, promoveu-se a ativação ótica dos iões de Eu3+ através de tratamentos térmicos. Foram investigados os efeitos da intermistura e da relaxação da tensão ocorridos durante o recozimento e implantação nas propriedades estruturais e óticas. Verificou-se que para fluências elevadas os defeitos gerados por implantação são de difícil remoção. Contudo, a implantação com baixa fluência de Eu, seguida de tratamento térmico, promove uma elevada eficiência e estabilidade térmica da emissão vermelha do ião lantanídeo incorporado nos QD de GaN. Estes resultados são, particularmente relevantes, pois, na região espetral indicada, a eficiência quântica dos LEDs convencionais de InGaN é baixa.

Does the existing Corporate Governance structure and strict Legal Framework, affect the strategic decisionmaking of CEOs?

This thesis is a case study on Corporate Governance and Business Ethics, using the Portuguese Corporate Law as a general setting. The thesis was conducted in Portugal with illustrations on past cases under the Business Judgment Rule of the State of Delaware, U.SA along with illustrations on current cases in Portugal under the Portuguese Judicial setting, along with a comparative analysis between both. A debate is being considered among scholars and executives; a debate on best practices within corporate governance and corporate law, associated with recent discoveries of unlawful investments that lead to the bankruptcy of leading institutions and an aggravation of the crisis in Portugal. The study aimed at learning possible reasons and causes for the current situation of the country’s corporations along with attempts to discover the best way to move forward. From the interviews and analysis conducted, this paper concluded that the corporate governance structure and legal frameworks in Portugal were not the sole influencers behind the actions and decisions of Corporate Executives, nor were they the main triggers for the recent corporate mishaps. But it is rather a combination of different factors that played a significant role, such as cultural and ethical aspects, individual personalities, and others all of which created gray areas beyond the legal structure, which in turn accelerated and aggravated the corporate governance crisis in the country.

Characterization of volatile organic gunshot residues in fired handgun cartridges by headspace sorptive extraction

In forensic investigation of firearm-related cases, determination of the residual amount of volatile compounds remaining inside a cartridge could be useful in estimating the time since its discharge. Published approaches are based on following the decrease of selected target compounds as a function of time by using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME). Naphthalene, as well as an unidentified decomposition product of nitrocellulose (referred to as "TEA2"), are usually employed for this purpose. However, reliability can be brought into question given their high volatility and the low reproducibility of their extracted quantities. In order to identify alternatives and therefore develop improved dating methods, an extensive study on the composition and variability of volatile residues in nine different types of cartridges was carried out. Analysis was performed using headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE), which is a more exhaustive technique compared to SPME. 166 compounds were identified (several of which for the first time), and it was observed that the final compositional characteristics of each residue were strongly dependent on its source. Variability of single identified compounds within and between different types of cartridge, as well as their evolution over time, was also studied. Many explosion products containing up to 4 aromatic rings were found to be globally present in high proportions amongst residues. 27 of them (excluding naphthalene) also presented detectable decreases during the first 24 h. Therefore, they could be used as complementary target analytes in future dating methods.