The current situation in Namibia : hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, May 7, 1979.

Mode of access: Internet.

Current situation in South Africa : hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, September 6, 1979.

Mode of access: Internet.

Mechanism and kinetics of dithiobenzoate-mediated RAFT polymerization. I. The current situation

Investigations into the kinetics and mechanism of dithiobenzoate-mediated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerizations, which exhibit nonideal kinetic behavior, such as induction periods and rate retardation, are comprehensively reviewed. The appreciable uncertainty in the rate coefficients associated with the RAFT equilibrium is discussed and methods for obtaining RAFT-specific rate coefficients are detailed. In addition, mechanistic studies are presented, which target the elucidation of the fundamental cause of rate retarding effects. The experimental and theoretical data existing in the literature are critically evaluated and apparent discrepancies between the results of different studies into the kinetics of RAFT polymerizations are discussed. Finally, recommendations for further work are given. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Current situation and perspectives of school libraries in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a small country located in Central America, with an area of 51,100 square kilometers and a population of 2,192,410 inhabitants. The highest percentage of national budget, 26.73%, is dedicated to education. There are currently 360 kindergarten, schools and 317 colleges 3001, considering the different modes: academic, technical, agricultural, industrial, craft and art. These figures mean a huge effort for Costa Rican society is worth now the question what the country looks so large an investment? and what role school libraries are doing in achieving the goals of Education of Costa Rica? I believe unequivocally that those who lead us today reciprocated school libraries, we encourage the same spirit that is well expressed in the famous document UNESCO1. "Learning to Be".

Legal and political regulation of higher education in Portugal: an evolutionary perspective on the current policy issues and the problem of order

The higher education system in Europe is currently under stress and the debates over its reform and future are gaining momentum. Now that, for most countries, we are in a time for change, in the overall society and the whole education system, the legal and political dimensions have gained prominence, which has not been followed by a more integrative approach of the problem of order, its reform and the issue of regulation, beyond the typical static and classical cost-benefit analyses. The two classical approaches for studying (and for designing the policy measures of) the problem of the reform of the higher education system - the cost-benefit analysis and the legal scholarship description - have to be integrated. This is the argument of our paper that the very integration of economic and legal approaches, what Warren Samuels called the legal-economic nexus, is meaningful and necessary, especially if we want to address the problem of order (as formulated by Joseph Spengler) and the overall regulation of the system. On the one hand, and without neglecting the interest and insights gained from the cost-benefit analysis, or other approaches of value for money assessment, we will focus our study on the legal, social and political aspects of the regulation of the higher education system and its reform in Portugal. On the other hand, the economic and financial problems have to be taken into account, but in a more inclusive way with regard to the indirect and other socio-economic costs not contemplated in traditional or standard assessments of policies for the tertiary education sector. In the first section of the paper, we will discuss the theoretical and conceptual underpinning of our analysis, focusing on the evolutionary approach, the role of critical institutions, the legal-economic nexus and the problem of order. All these elements are related to the institutional tradition, from Veblen and Commons to Spengler and Samuels. The second section states the problem of regulation in the higher education system and the issue of policy formulation for tackling the problem. The current situation is clearly one of crisis with the expansion of the cohorts of young students coming to an end and the recurrent scandals in private institutions. In the last decade, after a protracted period of extension or expansion of the system, i. e., the continuous growth of students, universities and other institutions are competing harder to gain students and have seen their financial situation at risk. It seems that we are entering a period of radical uncertainty, higher competition and a new configuration that is slowly building up is the growth in intensity, which means upgrading the quality of the higher learning and getting more involvement in vocational training and life-long learning. With this change, and along with other deep ones in the Portuguese society and economy, the current regulation has shown signs of maladjustment. The third section consists of our conclusions on the current issue of regulation and policy challenge. First, we underline the importance of an evolutionary approach to a process of change that is essentially dynamic. A special attention will be given to the issues related to an evolutionary construe of policy analysis and formulation. Second, the integration of law and economics, through the notion of legal economic nexus, allows us to better define the issues of regulation and the concrete problems that the universities are facing. One aspect is the instability of the political measures regarding the public administration and on which the higher education system depends financially, legally and institutionally, to say the least. A corollary is the lack of clear strategy in the policy reforms. Third, our research criticizes several studies, such as the one made by the OECD in late 2006 for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, for being too static and neglecting fundamental aspects of regulation such as the logic of actors, groups and organizations who are major players in the system. Finally, simply changing the legal rules will not necessary per se change the behaviors that the authorities want to change. By this, we mean that it is not only remiss of the policy maker to ignore some of the critical issues of regulation, namely the continuous non-respect by academic management and administrative bodies of universities of the legal rules that were once promulgated. Changing the rules does not change the problem, especially without the necessary debates form the different relevant quarters that make up the higher education system. The issues of social interaction remain as intact. Our treatment of the matter will be organized in the following way. In the first section, the theoretical principles are developed in order to be able to study more adequately the higher education transformation with a modest evolutionary theory and a legal and economic nexus of the interactions of the system and the policy challenges. After describing, in the second section, the recent evolution and current working of the higher education in Portugal, we will analyze the legal framework and the current regulatory practices and problems in light of the theoretical framework adopted. We will end with some conclusions on the current problems of regulation and the policy measures that are discusses in recent years.

Epidemiology of leishmaniasis in Ecuador: current status of knowledge - A review

Although leishmaniasis is regarded as a significant health problem in Ecuador by the Ministry of Health, and the incidence has increased over the last years, an official map on the geographic distribution of disease and sand fly vectors or a control strategy do not exist yet. This article reviews the current situation based on published information to improve our knowledge and understand the epidemiological situation of leishmaniasis in Ecuador in order to help future research and to develop a national control strategy. The disease is endemic in most provinces throughout Pacific coastal region, Amazonian lowlands, and some inter-Andean valleys with a total 21,805 cases reported during 1990-2003. Whereas cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is found throughout Ecuador, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) appears to be restricted to the Amazon region; one, parasitologically unconfirmed case of visceral form was reported in 1949. Most human infections are caused by Leishmania (Viannia) spp., which is distributed in the subtropical and tropical lowlands; infections due to L. (Leishmania) spp. are found in the Andean highlands and in the Pacific lowlands as well. The proven vectors are Lutzomyia trapidoi and Lu. ayacuchensis. Canis familiaris, Sciurus vulgaris, Potos flavus, and Tamandua tetradactyla have been found infected with Leishmania spp. It is estimated that around 3000-4500 people may be infected every year, and that 3.1 to 4.5 millions people are estimated to be at risk of contracting leishmaniasis.

Reliability of current estimates of schistosomiasis prevalence in the Rainforest Zone of the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil

The Program for Schistosomiasis Control within the Unified Health System (PCE-SUS) was implemented by 1999 in the Rainforest Zone or "Zona da Mata" of Pernambuco (ZMP) aiming to carry out biennial stool surveys of whole populations through municipal health organs followed by treatment of the positives through the local units of the Family Health Program (PSF). Yearly reports from the Health Department of Pernambuco State (SES/PE) from 2002 to 2004 on the PCE-SUS surveys were assessed to evaluate whether the current estimates of prevalence in the municipalities of the ZMP are based on reliable samples so as to allow considerations on the real situation of schistosomiasis in that area. The surveys carried out in that period did not follow the major principles underlying sampling design, thus posing problems in both precision and validity of the estimates. Only 12 out of 43 municipalities had minimally reliable estimates: five with moderate prevalence (10-50%) and seven with low prevalence (< 10%). Surveys with appropriate sampling procedures aimed either at representative target groups (school-aged children) or communities are recommended for the ZMP and other endemic areas not only to provide reliable information on the current situation of schistosomiasis but also to plan adequate control strategies.

Repetitive Deliberate Fires: Critical Review of the Situation and Proposal of a Follow-Up Process and Systematic Analysis

Deliberate fires appear to be borderless and timeless events creating a serious security problem. There have been many attempts to develop approaches to tackle this problem, but unfortunately acting effectively against deliberate fires has proven a complex challenge. This article reviews the current situation relating to deliberate fires: what do we know, how serious is the situation, how is it being dealt with, and what challenges are faced when developing a systematic and global methodology to tackle the issues? The repetitive nature of some types of deliberate fires will also be discussed. Finally, drawing on the reality of repetition within deliberate fires and encouraged by successes obtained in previous repetitive crimes (such as property crimes or drug trafficking), we will argue that the use of the intelligence process cycle as a framework to allow a follow-up and systematic analysis of fire events is a relevant approach. This is the first article of a series of three articles. This first part is introducing the context and discussing the background issues in order to provide a better underpinning knowledge to managers and policy makers planning on tackling this issue. The second part will present a methodology developed to detect and identify repetitive fire events from a set of data, and the third part will discuss the analyses of these data to produce intelligence.

What is the current state of cloud service research and its promise for the future? A systematic literature review

The information technology (IT) industry has recently witnessed the proliferation of cloud services, which have allowed IT service providers to deliver on-demand resources to customers over the Internet. This frees both service providers and consumers from traditional IT-related burdens such as capital and operating expenses and allows them to respond rapidly to new opportunities in the market. Due to the popularity and growth of cloud services, numerous researchers have conducted studies on various aspects of cloud services, both positive and negative. However, none of those studies have connected all relevant information to provide a holistic picture of the current state of cloud service research. This study aims to investigate that current situation and propose the most promising future directions. In order to determine achieve these goals, a systematic literature review was conducted on studies with a primary focus on cloud services. Based on carefully crafted inclusion criteria, 52 articles from highly credible online sources were selected for the review. To define the main focus of the review and facilitate the analysis of literature, a conceptual framework with five main factors was proposed. The selected articles were organized under the factors of the proposed framework and then synthesized using a narrative technique. The results of this systematic review indicate that the impacts of cloud services on enterprises were the factor best covered by contemporary research. Researchers were able to present valuable findings about how cloud services impact various aspects of enterprises such as governance, performance, and security. By contrast, the role of service provider sub-contractors in the cloud service market remains largely uninvestigated, as do cloud-based enterprise software and cloud-based office systems for consumers. Moreover, the results also show that researchers should pay more attention to the integration of cloud services into legacy IT systems to facilitate the adoption of cloud services by enterprise users. After the literature synthesis, the present study proposed several promising directions for cloud service research by outlining research questions for the underexplored areas of cloud services, in order to facilitate the development of cloud service markets in the future.

Orientación profesional y situación socio-económica en Argentina. 'Career guidance and socio-economic situation in Argentina'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación. Con el apoyo económico del departamento MIDE de la UNED

Climate change and the current 'food crisis'

Many reasons are being advanced for the current ‘food crisis’ including financial speculation,increased demand for grains, export bans on selected foodstuffs, inadequate grain stocks, higher oil prices, poor harvests and the use of crop lands for the production of biofuels. This paper reviews the present knowledge of recorded impacts of climate change and variability on crop production, in order to estimate its contribution to the current situation. Many studies demonstrate increased regional temperatures over the last 40 years (often through greater increases in minimum rather than maximum temperatures), but effects on crop yields are mixed. Distinguishing climate effects from changes in yield resulting from improved crop management and genotypes is difficult, but phenological changes affecting sowing, maturity and disease incidence are emerging. Anthropogenic factors appear to be a significant contributory factor to the observed decline in rainfall in southwestern and southeastern Australia, which reduced tradable wheat grain during 2007. Indirect effects of climate change through actions to mitigate or adapt to anticipated changes in climate are also evident. The amount of land diverted from crop production to biofuel production is small but has had a disproportionate effect on tradable grains from the USA. Adaptation of crop production practices and other components of the food system contributing to food security in response to variable and changing climates have occurred, but those households without adequate livelihoods are most in danger of becoming food insecure. Overall, we conclude that changing climate is a small contributor to the current food crisis but cannot be ignored.

Distressed situation and renegotiation plan: a case study

Este trabalho apresenta um caso real de uma empresa em situação de estresse financeiro: a PlywoodCo. O objetivo deste trabalho é de entender porque a PlywoodCo. chegou na atual situação de estresse e, baseado nisso, propor um plano de renegociação de passivos compatível com esta situação com o objetivo de tornar a PlywoodCo. em uma empresa viável. Uma introdução é feita, a fim de colocar o leitor em contato com a PlywoodCo., apresentado as suas atividades, principais produtos, posição de mercado, bem como brevemente introduzindo sua atual situação. Após a introdução, a revisão bibliográfica é apresentada, descrevendo a teoria relacionada e utilizada neste trabalho. Mais adiante, a metodologia é apresentada, seguida por mais informações a respeito das operações da PlywoodCo., informações financeiras, relacionamento com stakeholders, índices operacionais, demonstrações financeiras, cronograma de pagamento da dívida e depreciação. Depois, as premissas, analises e projeções não apresentadas, consistindo de duas partes: (1) uma seção de diagnóstico endereçando a atual situação da empresa; e (2) uma seção de projeção, que será dividida em duas partes: (a) projeções financeiras da PlywoodCo. na atual situação; e (b) projeções financeiras da PlywoodCo. no novo plano proposto. Finalmente, se conclui que a empresa precisará de esforços além da renegociação de passivos a fim de superar sua situação de estresse financeiro. Após a renegociação da dívida, a empresa precisará de R$ 23 MM até o fim de 2013.

Production Diseases in European Organic Dairy Farms – Current Status and Identification of Drivers for Improvement by Means of a Systemic Approach

The aims of this thesis were to determine the animal health status in organic dairy farms in Europe and to identify drivers for improving the current situation by means of a systemic approach. Prevalences of production diseases were determined in 192 herds in Germany, France, Spain, and Sweden (Paper I), and stakeholder consultations were performed to investigate potential drivers to improve animal health on the sector level (ibid.). Interactions between farm variables were assessed through impact analysis and evaluated to identify general system behaviour and classify components according to their outgoing and incoming impacts (Paper II-III). The mean values and variances of prevalences indicate that the common rules of organic dairy farming in Europe do not result in consistently low levels of production diseases. Stakeholders deemed it necessary to improve the current status and were generally in favour of establishing thresholds for the prevalence of production diseases in organic dairy herds as well as taking actions to improve farms below that threshold. In order to close the gap between the organic principle of health and the organic farming practice, there is the need to formulate a common objective of good animal health and to install instruments to ensure and prove that the aim is followed by all dairy farmers in Europe who sell their products under the organic label. Regular monitoring and evaluation of herd health performance based on reference values are considered preconditions for identifying farms not reaching the target and thus in need of improvement. Graph-based impact analysis was shown to be a suitable method for modeling and evaluating the manifold interactions between farm factors and for identifying the most influential components on the farm level taking into account direct and indirect impacts as well as impact strengths. Variables likely to affect the system as a whole, and the prevalence of production diseases in particular, varied largely between farms despite some general tendencies. This finding reflects the diversity of farm systems and underlines the importance of applying systemic approaches in health management. Reducing the complexity of farm systems and indicating farm-specific drivers, i.e. areas in a farm, where changes will have a large impact, the presented approach has the potential to complement and enrich current advisory practice and to support farmers’ decision-making in terms of animal health.