University of Washington GIS Data 2013

UW access only. Questions about spatial data can be directed to uwlib-gis [at] uw [dot] edu, include the URI address below and any information you have.

Detailed analysis of data from heat pumps installed via the Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme

The RHPP policy provided subsidies for private householders, Registered social landlords and communities to install renewable heat measures in residential properties. Eligible measures included air and ground-source heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal. Around 18,000 heat pumps were installed via this scheme. DECC funded a detailed monitoring campaign, which covered 700 heat pumps (around 4% of the total). The aim of this monitoring campaign was to assess the efficiencies of the heat pumps and to estimate the carbon and bill savings and amount of renewable heat generated. Data was collected from 31/10/2013 to 31/03/2015. This report represents the analysis of this data and represents the most complete and reliable data in-situ residential heat pump performance in the UK to date.

Role on serine protease inhibitors in the pathogenisis of Steinernema carpocapsae

Tese de Doutoramento, Biologia (Biologia Celular e Molecular), 18 de Novembro de 2013, Universidade dos Açores.

School funding and education policy-making models in Ontario /

The purpose of this thesis is to examine various policy implementation models, and to determine what use they are to a government. In order to insure that governmental proposals are created and exercised in an effective manner, there roust be some guidelines in place which will assist in resolving difficult situations. All governments face the challenge of responding to public demand, by delivering the type of policy responses that will attempt to answer those demands. The problem for those people in positions of policy-making responsibility is to balance the competitive forces that would influence policy. This thesis examines provincial government policy in two unique cases. The first is the revolutionary recommendations brought forth in the Hall -Dennis Report. The second is the question of extending full -funding to the end of high school in the separate school system. These two cases illustrate how divergent and problematic the policy-making duties of any government may be. In order to respond to these political challenges decision-makers must have a clear understanding of what they are attempting to do. They must also have an assortment of policy-making models that will insure a policy response effectively deals with the issue under examination. A government must make every effort to insure that all policymaking methods are considered, and that the data gathered is inserted into the most appropriate model. Currently, there is considerable debate over the benefits of the progressive individualistic education approach as proposed by the Hall -Dennis Committee. This debate is usually intensified during periods of economic uncertainty. Periodically, the province will also experience brief yet equally intense debate on the question of separate school funding. At one level, this debate centres around the efficiency of maintaining two parallel education systems, but the debate frequently has undertones of the religious animosity common in Ontario's history. As a result of the two policy cases under study we may ask ourselves these questions: a) did the policies in question improve the general quality of life in the province? and b) did the policies unite the province? In the cases of educational instruction and finance the debate is ongoing and unsettling. Currently, there is a widespread belief that provincial students at the elementary and secondary levels of education are not being educated adequately to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. The perceived culprit is individual education which sees students progressing through the system at their own pace and not meeting adequate education standards. The question of the finance of Catholic education occasionally rears its head in a painful fashion within the province. Some public school supporters tend to take extension as a personal religious defeat, rather than an opportunity to demonstrate that educational diversity can be accommodated within Canada's most populated province. This thesis is an attempt to analyze how successful provincial policy-implementation models were in answering public demand. A majority of the public did not demand additional separate school funding, yet it was put into place. The same majority did insist on an examination of educational methods, and the government did put changes in place. It will also demonstrate how policy if wisely created may spread additional benefits to the public at large. Catholic students currently enjoy a much improved financial contribution from the province, yet these additional funds were taken from somewhere. The public system had it funds reduced with what would appear to be minimal impact. This impact indicates that government policy is still sensitive to the strongly held convictions of those people in opposition to a given policy.

Daily Physical Activity as an Intervention Strategy for Anxious Elementary Students

The focus of this project was twofold: a comprehensive examination of provincially mandated, school-based physical activity programming beyond physical education, as well as an exploration of the potential relationship between school-based physical activity and student anxiety. The data were collected using a descriptive research methodology consisting of a qualitative document analysis of provincial government publications pertaining to school-based physical activity programming and the literature on the relationship between physical activity and student anxiety. The findings revealed inconsistencies between the Canadian provinces and territories in providing mandated school-based physical activity beyond physical education. It was also revealed that regular school-based physical activity has the potential to make a positive impact on students’ lives in many ways. Students are living more sedentary lives, and evidence shows that regular physical activity could prevent and treat student anxiety.

Le gouvernement du Québec, les relations internationales et l'environnement économique international (1973-1994)

L'objectif de ce mémoire est de jeter les bases d'un nouveau récit historique portant sur les relations internationales du Québec, en rupture partielle avec le récit traditionnel, essentiellement issu des écrits provenant de la science politique, qui décrit l'activité internationale du gouvernement québécois en cherchant dans les particularités de l'histoire québécoise elle-même les forces de changement. Ce faisant, nous tentons plutôt de montrer que l'histoire des relations internationales du Québec est inexorablement enchâssée dans l'histoire canadienne, dans l'histoire nord-américaine et surtout dans l'histoire du capitalisme et du néolibéralisme. Depuis le début de son existence en tant qu'entité politique moderne, le gouvernement québécois entretient des liens avec des gouvernements étrangers, l'intensité de ceux-ci étant function des grandes transformations affectant le système capitaliste international au grand complet. Vers la fin de la période 1867-1973, la politique internationale du gouvernement québécois est institutionnalisée politiquement et juridiquement grâce à la formulation de la doctrine Gérin-Lajoie, qui s'appuie sur les dispositions constitutionnelles propres au Canada pour élaborer la politique internationale québécoise. Dans la période 1973-1981, les relations internationales du Québec se focalisent davantage sur des questions économiques, telles que la quête de capitaux étrangers et la projection d'une image de marque positive sur les marchés étrangers. Puis, dans la période 1981-1994, l'activité internationale du Québec est marquée par le virage néolibéral qui affecte tous les gouvernements capitalistes dans le monde. Ainsi, l'appareil diplomatique du Québec est de plus en plus perçu comme un outil de promotion des exportations des entreprises québécoises et d'adaptation à l'augmentation de l'interdépendance économique, et de moins en moins comme un réseau de contacts politiques et culturels. Afin de faire cette démonstration, nous puisons essentiellement dans deux types de sources primaires : d'une part, des sources gouvernementales, dont les rapports annuels des différents ministères associés aux relations internationales du Québec et du Canada au fil de la période et les livres blancs de politique internationale qu'ils ont publié, et d'autre part, des publications issues du milieu des affaires, dont la revue Les Affaires, excellent baromètre de la mentalité dominante de la classe entrepreneuriale du Québec et du Canada francophone.

Forest and the Law

Forest is essential for the healthy subsistence of human being on earth. Law has been framed to regulate exploitation of forest.This study is an analysis of the law relating to forest from an environmental perspective.Practical suggestions are also made for the better protection of forest .Forest is a valuable component of human environment.For healthy subsistence of human beings on earth it is essential that at least one third of the land area on earth should be under forest cover. Forest helps in keeping air and water fresh and climate good.The Indian Forest Act 1927 and State legislation relating to forest impose Governmental control over forests by classifying them into reserved forests. Protected forests and village forests.Effective environmental impact studies facilitate adoption of the practice of sustainable development.Permission should not be granted for a project before examination of its impact on the flora and fauna in forest.Kerala, much of the vested forest remains under the control of the State Government and are managed like reserved forests.Infrastructural facilities require improvement in almost all States for protecting forest.Inter-State problems can be minimised if a central forest legislation is applied uniformly throughout India.Voluntary organisations should be encouraged to taxe part actively in the programmes for conserving forest and wildlife.The new Forest Act should provide for effective environmental impact study before development projects are undertaken in forest areas. The guidelines for this should be clearly laid down in the Act.The law relating to forest should also clearly lay down the guidelines for implementing social forestry programmes. The Forest Department should be authorised to lease lands for planting useful trees. The new forest legislation should also recognise the traditional tribal rights in forest. The Indian Forest Act 1927 and the State legislation relating to forest with their outdated revenue policy and scheme should be replaced by such a new forest legislation framed with an environmental peres-pective. The new law should be uniformly applied throughout India .

Coastal regulation zone rules in coastal panchayats (villages) of Kerala, India vis-a` -vis socio-economic impacts from the recently introduced peoples’ participatory program for local self-governance and sustainable development

Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest of Government of India in February 1991 as a part of the Environmental Protection Act of 1986 to protect the coast from eroding and to preserve its natural resources. The initial notification did not distinguish the variability and diversity of various coastal states before enforcing it on the various states and Union Territories. Impact assessments were not carried out to assess its impact on socio-economic life of the coastal population. For the very same reason, it was unnoticed or rather ignored till 1994 when the Supreme Court of India made a land mark judgment on the fate of the coastal aquaculture which by then had established as an economically successful industry in many South Indian States. Coastal aquaculture in its modern form was a prohibited activity within CRZ. Lately, only various stakeholders of the coast realized the real impact of the CRZ rules on their property rights andbusiness. To overcome the initial drawbacks several amendments were made in the regulation to suit regional needs. In 1995, another great transformation took place in the State of Kerala as a part of the reorganization of the local self government institutions into a decentralized three tier system called ‘‘Panchayathi Raj System’’. In 1997, the state government also decided to transfer the power with the required budget outlay to the grass root level panchayats (villages) and municipalities to plan and implement the various projects in their localities with the full participation of the local people by constituting Grama Sabhas (Peoples’ Forum). It is called the ‘‘Peoples’ Planning Campaign’’(Peoples’ Participatory Programme—PPP for Local Level Self-Governance). The management of all the resources including the local natural resources was largely decentralized to the level of local communities and villages. Integrated, sustainable coastal zone management has become the concern of the local population. The paper assesses the socio-economic impact of the centrally enforced CRZ and the state sponsored PPP on the coastal community in Kerala and suggests measures to improve the system and living standards of the coastal people within the framework of CRZ.

Análisis de algunas alternativas de control en los acuerdos de cooperación bilateral, regional y multilateral en materia ambiental. Estudio de caso: La regulación del acceso a los recursos genéticos frente a la amenaza de la biopiratería en el Convenio de Diversidad Biológica, La Comunidad Andina y el Tratado de Libre Comercio con Estados Unidos

Esta monografía avanza en la revisión conceptual que permita establecer posibles alternativas de control en los acuerdos de cooperación bilateral, regional y multilateral, que contribuyan a mitigar el efecto de la biopiratería en Colombia debido al acceso de los recursos genéticos. Parte de un análisis comparado de los aspectos básicos de control propuestos para las negociaciones en materia ambiental que se llevaron a cabo en tres ámbitos distintos: el bilateral, el multilateral y el regional, tomando como referencia el tema de la protección de los recursos genéticos de acuerdo con lo establecido en la Convención de Diversidad Biológica, la Decisión 391 de 1996 de la Comunidad Andina y el texto del TLC entre Colombia y Estados Unidos, con énfasis en la negociación de los temas ambientales. Lo anterior con base en información secundaria, referida específicamente a publicaciones oficiales de gobierno, tratados, textos y revistas académicas especializadas, páginas oficiales y publicaciones de institutos de investigación, las cuales permitieron un acercamiento más profundo a los puntos de observación.

Open Data

Original material Taken from training material by the Open Data Institute. Later material from Keynote at Go Open!

Transfer of knowledge of the structural components of the model Q400 and Global Express: the case of Aerospace Bombardier, Querétaro

The aim of this paper is to analyze the knowledge transfer in the production of structural components of two aircraft:Q400 and Global Express of Bombardier Aerospace Company, Querétaro. Bombardier Aerospace is a pioneer company in the aviation sector in Mexico, and the third largest civil aircraft manufacturer. In 2005, Bombardier decided to invest in Mexico, creating Bombardier Aerospace de Mexico S. A. C. V. and transferring production lines from Japan and Toronto to Queretaro. The relocation strategy of both plants aims to reduce modular and general production costs facing other competitors. The relocation has been supported by the State Government funds, through a trust and the creation of Queretaro aerospace cluster. Among various benefits, the State of Queretaro donated seventy-eight acres of land where the Queretaro International Airport (QIA) and a training centre will be built to promote the development of this sector. The interest in this research is to analyze and describe the transfer of knowledge to the production of structural components of both aircraft models, thanks to the results of productivity and internal and external factors which have contributed along with this transfer

El poder electrónico para la gente: un desafío para la democracia contemporánea

Los adelantos tecnológicos han transformado prácticamente todos los aspectos de nuestras vidas. En la última década, la producción de conocimiento se ha dado casi de manera exponencial, y ello, sin lugar a dudas, también tiene implicaciones en la forma como nos relacionamos entre nosotros como ciudadanos y con el Estado. El presente artículo hace una reflexión acerca de los desafíos que el sistema democrático actual tiene para lograr una autodeterminación de los grupos e individuos y la inclusión efectiva en el sistema. Para tal fin, se deben encaminar dos grandes procesos: en el primero, el objetivo debe ser el empoderamiento de la gente con respecto al uso creativo de todas aquellas herramientas electrónicas que el mundo ofrece y el segundo tiene que ver con la construcción que el Estado debe realizar para comunicarse con los ciudadanos en un nuevo contexto de ubicuidad social. ---Electronic power to the people: a challenge to contemporary democracyTechnological advances have transformed virtually every aspect of our lives. In the last decade, knowledge production has grown almost exponentially, and this, undoubtedly has implications in how we relate to each of us as citizens and the state. This article makes a reflection on the challenges that the current democratic system is to achieve self-determination of groups and individuals and the effective inclusion into the system. To that end, must be directed at two major processes, the first aimed at empowering people in all those electronic tools that the world offers us to make it a creative use, and the second has to do with the ability of the State have to build to communicate with citizens in a new context of social ubiquity.Key words: electronic power, Internet, democracy, inclusion, self determination, State, government, education, rights.---O poder eletrônico para gente: Um desafio para a democracia contemporâneaOs avanços tecnológicos têm transformado praticamente todos os aspectos de nossas vidas. Na última década, a produção de conhecimento se tem dado quase de maneira exponencial, e isso, certamente, também tem implicações na forma como nos relacionamos entre nós como cidadãos e com o Estado. O presente artigo faz uma reflexão acerca dos desafios que o sistema democrático atual tem para lograr uma autodeterminação dos grupos e indivíduos e a inclusão efetiva no sistema. Para tal fim, se devem encaminhar dois grandes processos: no primeiro, o objetivo deve ser o empoderamento das pessoas em relação ao uso criativo de todas aquelas ferramentas eletrônicas que o mundo oferece e o segundo tem que ver com a construção que o Estado deve realizar para se comunicar com os cidadãos em um contexto de ubiqüidade social.Palavras chave: Poder eletrônico, democracia, inclusão, autodeterminação, Estado, governo, educação, direitos.

La gouvernance, point noir de l´émergence indienne

India's Constitution is not a covenant, or compact, between the states. The states are the creation of Constitution and subsequently of Parliament. Article 2 of the Constitution empo-wers Parliament to admit into Union, or establish new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit . Article 3 gives more comprehensive powers to Parliament for formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of the existing States.The Indian Constitution not only permits, but also ordains various States to enact special laws to limit the ownership of land only to some designated residents. Goa does not have to reinvent the wheel. As a full-fledged State of the Indian Union it has to only convince the Union government that the ground of its legitimacy as a State is doomed without the Special Status which may empower the State Government to adopt legal instruments to safeguard its cultural and territorial identity and integrity, the ground of its Statehood.

Community mix, affordable housing and metropolitan planning strategy in Melbourne

Income segregation across Melbourne’s residential communities is widening, and at a pace faster than in some other Australian cities. The widening gap between Melbourne’s rich and poor communities raises fears about concentrations of poverty and social exclusion, particularly if the geography of these communities is such that they and their residents are increasingly isolated from urban services and employment centres. Social exclusion in our metropolitan areas and the government responses to it are commonly thought to be the proper domain of social and economic policy. The role of urban planning is typically neglected, yet it helps shape the economic opportunities available to communities in its attempts to influence the geographical location of urban services, infrastructure and jobs. Under the current metropolitan strategy ‘Melbourne 2030’ urban services and transport infrastructure are to be concentrated within Principal Activity Centres spread throughout the metropolitan area and it is the intention that lower-income households should have ready access to these activity centres. However, the Victorian state government has few housing policy instruments to achieve this goal and there are fears that community mix may suffer as house prices and rents are bid up in the vicinity of Principal Activity Centres, and lower-income households are displaced. But are these fears justified by the changing geography of house prices in the metropolitan region? This is the key research question addressed in this paper which examines whether the Victorian practice of placing reliance on the market to deliver affordable housing, while intervening to promote a more compact pattern of urban settlement, is effective.

Steering across scales: applying Strategic-Relational Approach to a study of land mobilisation for road widening in Kochi

This paper argues for the relevance of paying attention to structuring participation processes across scales as one of the ways in which participation of multi-organisational partnerships that involve conflicting interests might be managed. Issue wise the paper deals with problems in connection with land mobilisation for road widening in complex and concentrated high value urban settings. It discusses a case study of plan implementation involving individual landowners, the land development market, the local government, other governmental and non-governmental organisations and the state government, which together achieved objectives that seemed impossible at first sight. In theoretical terms, the paper engages with Jessop's (2001) Strategic-Relational Approach (SRA), arguing for its potential for informing action in a way that is capable of achieving steering outputs. The claim for SRA is demonstrated by re-examining the case study. The factors that come through as SRA is applied are drawn out and it is suggested that the theory though non-deterministic, helps guide action by highlighting certain dynamics of systems that can be used for institutional intervention. These dynamics point to the importance of paying attention to scale and the way in which participation and negotiation processes are structured so as to favour certain outcomes rather than others