Informal strategies of power in the local planning system

Existing studies that question the role of planning as a state institution, whose interests it serves together with those disputing the merits of collaborative planning are all essentially concerned with the broader issue of power in society. Although there have been various attempts to highlight the distorting effects of power, the research emphasis to date has been focused on the operation of power within the formal structures that constitute the planning system. As a result, relatively little attention has been attributed to the informal strategies or tactics that can be utilised by powerful actors to further their own interests. This article seeks to address this gap by identifying the informal strategies used by the holders of power to bypass the formal structures of the planning system and highlight how these procedures are to a large extent systematic and (almost) institutionalised in a shadow planning system. The methodology consists of a series of semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 urban planners working across four planning authorities within the Greater Dublin Area, Ireland. Empirical findings are offered that highlight the importance of economic power in the emergence of what essentially constitutes a shadow planning system. More broadly, the findings suggest that much more cognisance of the structural relations that govern how power is distributed in society is required and that ‘light touch’ approaches that focus exclusively on participation and deliberation need to be replaced with more radical solutions that look towards the redistribution of economic power between stakeholders.

Extending Automated Testing To High-level Software Requirements : A study on the feasibility of automated acceptance-testing

Automated acceptance testing is the testing of software done in higher level to test whether the system abides by the requirements desired by the business clients by the use of piece of script other than the software itself. This project is a study of the feasibility of acceptance tests written in Behavior Driven Development principle. The project includes an implementation part where automated accep- tance testing is written for Touch-point web application developed by Dewire (a software consultant company) for Telia (a telecom company) from the require- ments received from the customer (Telia). The automated acceptance testing is in Cucumber-Selenium framework which enforces Behavior Driven Development principles. The purpose of the implementation is to verify the practicability of this style of acceptance testing. From the completion of implementation, it was concluded that all the requirements from customer in real world can be converted into executable specifications and the process was not at all time-consuming or difficult for a low-experienced programmer like the author itself. The project also includes survey to measure the learnability and understandability of Gherkin- the language that Cucumber understands. The survey consist of some Gherkin exam- ples followed with questions that include making changes to the Gherkin exam- ples. Survey had 3 parts: first being easy, second medium and third most difficult. Survey also had a linear scale from 1 to 5 to rate the difficulty level for each part of the survey. 1 stood for very easy and 5 for very difficult. Time when the partic- ipants began the survey was also taken in order to calculate the total time taken by the participants to learn and answer the questions. Survey was taken by 18 of the employers of Dewire who had primary working role as one of the programmer, tester and project manager. In the result, tester and project manager were grouped as non-programmer. The survey concluded that it is very easy and quick to learn Gherkin. While the participants rated Gherkin as very easy.

Finding the idea of home

La notion de chez-soi est porteuse d’un imaginaire foisonnant et génère un grand intérêt dans notre culture et société. Bien qu’elle soit une considération importante pour la plupart d’entre nous, l’architecte occupe une position privilégiée qui lui permette d’agir sur le chez-soi de manière significative et tangible. La présente recherche explore le concept du chez-soi tel qu’étudié par les architectes et non-architectes de manière à comprendre son impact sur la création du lieu et sur la construction des environnements domestiques en Amérique du nord. Un regard porté sur les connotations entre espace et lieu, à travers la temporalité, les comportements et les perspectives sociales, supporte l’épistémologie du chez-soi comme un élément important des théories et pratiques de design contemporain. Le démantèlement hypothétique d’un espace en ses composantes suppose que les dispositifs architecturaux peuvent être modelés de manière à ce qu’ils opèrent un transfert depuis la maison, en tant qu’élément physique, vers le domaine psychologique du chez-soi. Afin d’élargir la maniabilité des éléments constitutifs du bâtiment et de son environnement, six thèmes sont appliqués à trois champs de données. Les six thèmes, qui incluent l’entre-deux, la limite, la voie, le nœud, le détail et la représentation, illustrent des moments architecturaux déterminants, potentiellement présents à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur du projet domestique et qui transforment les comportements physiques et psychiques. Depuis la pratique normalisée du logement social et abordable au Canada, une analyse de photographies de maisons abordables existantes, du discours critique sur cette typologie et de projets de recherche-création conduits par des étudiants en architecture, révèle le caractère opérationnel de la notion de chez-soi et consolide les valeurs de communauté et de frontière. L’objectif premier de la recherche est d’avancer la production de connaissances en architecture par l’exploration de la notion de chez­soi dans l’enseignement, la recherche et le design. L’approche fonctionnaliste vis-à-vis le < penser > en design, place l’usager au centre de l’environnement domestique, soutient la proposition que le chez­soi donne sens et utilité au logement, et renforce la responsabilité éthique de l’architecte à faire de cette notion une partie intégrante de la réalité quotidienne.

The Moderating Effects of Emotions on Cognitive Skills

An important challenge in higher education today is the growing tutor -student ratio that diminishes the ‘human touch’. As learning and teaching is ultimately an interpersonal process, this will lead to student discontent and impact on the ir learning. Whilst there is little that teaching practitioners can do in terms of the growing student numbers they have to tutor , they may however influence student learning by enhancing their positive emotions. This study examines the importance of emotion s in improving cognitive skills and how it interacts with knowledge and reflection. This research contributes to theory by examining the role of emotions as a moderating factor in the lear ning process. Our findings reveal that emotions moderate the direct relationship between knowledge and cognitive skills , and the indirect relationship between knowledge and cognitive skills via reflection. The findings demonstrate the critical role that emotions play in student learning. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

A review of Parkinson’s disease cardinal and dyskinetic motor symptoms assessment methods using sensor systems

This paper is reviewing objective assessments of Parkinson’s disease(PD) motor symptoms, cardinal, and dyskinesia, using sensor systems. It surveys the manifestation of PD symptoms, sensors that were used for their detection, types of signals (measures) as well as their signal processing (data analysis) methods. A summary of this review’s finding is represented in a table including devices (sensors), measures and methods that were used in each reviewed motor symptom assessment study. In the gathered studies among sensors, accelerometers and touch screen devices are the most widely used to detect PD symptoms and among symptoms, bradykinesia and tremor were found to be mostly evaluated. In general, machine learning methods are potentially promising for this. PD is a complex disease that requires continuous monitoring and multidimensional symptom analysis. Combining existing technologies to develop new sensor platforms may assist in assessing the overall symptom profile more accurately to develop useful tools towards supporting better treatment process.

Évaluation des effets de l’intervention Circle of Security Parenting auprès de mères d’enfants d’âge préscolaire : une étude pilote

La prévalence importante des troubles d’adaptation au sein de la population d’enfants et d’adolescents du Québec appuient l’importance d’accorder une attention particulière aux piliers développementaux influençant leur trajectoire (Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec, 2002). Dans ce sens, des données longitudinales ont permis de statuer sur la nature de l’impact de la relation d’attachement entre le parent et l’enfant sur son adaptation ultérieure (Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson, & Collins, 2005). La sécurité d’attachement aurait un rôle protecteur, mais cette relation a aussi été identifiée comme le système le plus influent dans la compromission du développement de l’enfant (Cicchetti & Valentino, 2006). Parmi les interventions disponibles, le programme d’intervention Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P) (Powell, Cooper, Hoffman, & Marvin, 2009) s’avère particulièrement prometteur étant donnée la qualité de l’intégration théorique et clinique qui le sous-tend. Cependant, aucune donnée n’est encore disponible pour appuyer son efficacité au sein de la population québécoise dans un contexte de soins de première ligne. La présente étude vise ainsi à amorcer cette démarche avec un devis pré/post tests en explorant les effets du protocole d’intervention COS-P auprès de quatre mères et leur enfant d’âge préscolaire. À ces fins, des mesures cernant la fonction réflexive parentale et les dimensions des représentations de l’expérience affective du parent (Parent Development Interview – PDI; Aber, Slade, Berger, Bresgi & Kaplan, 1985) sont recueillies avant et après l’intervention. Les retombées de l’intervention sont aussi examinées chez les parents au niveau du stress parental (Parental Stress Index — PSI; Abidin, 1995; Bigras, LaFrenière, & Abidin, 1996) et au niveau des problèmes comportementaux et émotionnels chez les enfants (Child Behavior Checklist – CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). L’ensemble de ces données est analysé dans un premier temps avec perspective groupale et dans un deuxième temps, avec une perspective individuelle descriptive détaillant les résultats pour chaque participante. Les analyses ne permettent pas de démontrer une amélioration des représentations parentales et une augmentation de la fonction réflexive parentale, tel qu’attendu. Toutefois, le stress parental et les problèmes intériorisés des enfants diminuent, bien que de façon non significative. Il est proposé que l’effet de l’intervention soit compris en considérant le parent à l’intérieur d’un système dynamique, lui permettant de s’approprier l’intervention à travers un ensemble de facteurs qui lui sont propres. Des suggestions pour les études futures sont formulées en regard des constats méthodologiques et cliniques qui se dégagent de la présente étude notamment quant à la pertinence de mesures de relance (Navarro, manuscrit en préparation) et à la poursuite de la démonstration de l’efficacité du protocole avec un devis expérimental (Lemieux, manuscrit en préparation).

CATEGORIZATION OF BRAZILIAN INTERNET USERS AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT SERVICES

This paper aims to categorize Brazilian Internet users according to the diversity of their online activities and to assess the propensity of these Internet users´ groups to use electronic government (e-gov) services. The Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach was adopted as the theoretical framework for its consideration of people’s freedom to decide on their use of available resources and their competencies for these decisions, leading to the use of e-gov services. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to perform data analysis from the 2007, 2009 and 2011 editions of ICT Household Survey. The results showed that Internet users belonging to the advanced and intermediate use groups were more likely to use e-gov services than those who belong to the sporadic use group. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that the Internet user group of intermediate use presented a higher tendency to use e-gov services than the Internet user group of advanced use. This tendency is possibly related to the extensive use of interactive and collaborative activities of leisure and entertainment performed by this type of user. The findings of this research may be useful in guiding public policies for the dissemination and provision of electronic government services in Brazil.

Consequences of big data on the individual: Interview

The speed with which data has moved from being scarce, expensive and valuable, thus justifying detailed and careful verification and analysis to a situation where the streams of detailed data are almost too large to handle has caused a series of shifts to occur. Legal systems already have severe problems keeping up with, or even in touch with, the rate at which unexpected outcomes flow from information technology. The capacity to harness massive quantities of existing data has driven Big Data applications until recently. Now the data flows in real time are rising swiftly, become more invasive and offer monitoring potential that is eagerly sought by commerce and government alike. The ambiguities as to who own this often quite remarkably intrusive personal data need to be resolved – and rapidly - but are likely to encounter rising resistance from industrial and commercial bodies who see this data flow as ‘theirs’. There have been many changes in ICT that has led to stresses in the resolution of the conflicts between IP exploiters and their customers, but this one is of a different scale due to the wide potential for individual customisation of pricing, identification and the rising commercial value of integrated streams of diverse personal data. A new reconciliation between the parties involved is needed. New business models, and a shift in the current confusions over who owns what data into alignments that are in better accord with the community expectations. After all they are the customers, and the emergence of information monopolies needs to be balanced by appropriate consumer/subject rights. This will be a difficult discussion, but one that is needed to realise the great benefits to all that are clearly available if these issues can be positively resolved. The customers need to make these data flow contestable in some form. These Big data flows are only going to grow and become ever more instructive. A better balance is necessary, For the first time these changes are directly affecting governance of democracies, as the very effective micro targeting tools deployed in recent elections have shown. Yet the data gathered is not available to the subjects. This is not a survivable social model. The Private Data Commons needs our help. Businesses and governments exploit big data without regard for issues of legality, data quality, disparate data meanings, and process quality. This often results in poor decisions, with individuals bearing the greatest risk. The threats harbored by big data extend far beyond the individual, however, and call for new legal structures, business processes, and concepts such as a Private Data Commons. This Web extra is the audio part of a video in which author Marcus Wigan expands on his article "Big Data's Big Unintended Consequences" and discusses how businesses and governments exploit big data without regard for issues of legality, data quality, disparate data meanings, and process quality. This often results in poor decisions, with individuals bearing the greatest risk. The threats harbored by big data extend far beyond the individual, however, and call for new legal structures, business processes, and concepts such as a Private Data Commons.

GENETIC EVALUATION OF SEED TRAITS FROM INTRASPECIFIC CROSSING OF GENETICALLY DISTINCT WATERMELON VARIETIES

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsumura and Nakai (Cucurbitaceae) is an important cucurbit crop worldwide. Global production of watermelon is about 90 million metric tonnes per annum, making it among the top five most consumed fresh fruits. The objective of this study was to evaluate seed variability in different segregating populations, and determine heritability of traits of watermelon. Interspecific crosses were made between two cultivars of C. lanatus (Bebu and Wlêwlê Small Seeds (WSS) were performed at Research Station of Nangui Abrogoua University in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. There was wide variability between parental, F1, BC1 (first generation of back-crossing) and F2 seeds. Seeds of all hybrid populations were intermediate versus those of the parents. Also, crossing did not affect F1 and F2 seed characters, but affected those of BC1 because of maternal effects. Thus, back-crossing on Bebu cultivar produced seeds which looked like those of Bebu; while back-crossing on WSS cultivar produced seeds similar to those of WSS. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and individuals repartitioning revealed that Bebu and WSS cultivars were genetically distinct and showed three main groups: two groups from each parental line and one from a recombinant line (hybrids). F2 population had a wide individual’s dispersion, and contained seeds of all other populations. High heritability was observed for all evaluated characters.

ADAPTATION OF INTRODUCED MUNGBEAN GENOTYPES IN UGANDA

Mungbean ( Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is an important source of nutrients and income for smallholder farmers in East Africa. Mungbean production in countries like Uganda largely depends on landraces, in the absence of improved varieties. In order to enhance productivity, efforts have been underway to develop and evaluate mungbean varieties that meet farmers’ needs in various parts of the country. This study was conducted at six locations in Uganda, to determine the adaptability of introduced mungbean genotypes, and identify mungbean production mega-environments in Uganda. Eleven genotypes (Filsan, Sunshine, Blackgram, Mauritius1, VC6148 (50-12), VC6173 (B-10),Yellowmungo, KPS1, VC6137(B-14),VC6372(45-60),VC6153(B-20P) and one local check were evaluated in six locations during 2013 and 2014. The locations were; National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (AbiZARDI),Kaberamaido variety trial center, Kumi variety trial center, Nabuin Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NabuinZARDI), and Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NgettaZARDI). G × E interactions were significant for grain yield. Through GGEBiplot analysis, three introduced genotypes (Filsan, Blackgram and Sunshine) were found to be stable and high yielding, and therefore, were recommended for release. The six test multi-locations were grouped into two candidate mega-environments for mungbean production (one comprising of AbiZARDI and Kaberamaido and the other comprising of NaSARRI, NabuinZARDI, Kumi, and NgettaZARDI). National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI) was the most suitable environment in terms of both discriminative ability and representativeness and therefore can be used for selection of widely adaptable genotypes.

THE ETHICS OF READER

We have long been critics of the creative work of philosophers and culture at the tender touch of his words, written or verbal, are both with the "hammer" that whoever owns the Ethics in writer-reader relationship is the first, called "comprehensive architect of the word" but inveterate dominant ideals of multiple anonymous.With this statement suggests that the second of this connection is nothing but a later, perhaps a "so and so" incognito benefits from its "home on earth", and who succeeds, after a long journey "cognitive "the privilege of reading. This old argument raised from ancient tradition, makes the reader a living subject-receptor but without providing the bulk of responsibility quantitative space offered by the marketing and consumption.Distrust of the concepts that attempt to establish a definition coldly detached from a bandage dressing, and the reader has not been imposed by the consumer society. In the sixteenth century came the paperback version, the books of Erasmus of Rotterdam were bestsellers in their time. The Praise of Folly and the political writings of Marthin Luther read at a time when the religious world was incorruptible, were read more than the Bible. Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis in the 1300's, that is, before you discover Gutenberg printing circulated throughout Europe in the Latin language, and even in the inscrutable rock monasteries under his cassock, in the secret place of the monk carrying the book. Accepting that the reader is a result of the market, is to bring the book to reified object category and inapreciar history book.

Finding the idea of home

La notion de chez-soi est porteuse d’un imaginaire foisonnant et génère un grand intérêt dans notre culture et société. Bien qu’elle soit une considération importante pour la plupart d’entre nous, l’architecte occupe une position privilégiée qui lui permette d’agir sur le chez-soi de manière significative et tangible. La présente recherche explore le concept du chez-soi tel qu’étudié par les architectes et non-architectes de manière à comprendre son impact sur la création du lieu et sur la construction des environnements domestiques en Amérique du nord. Un regard porté sur les connotations entre espace et lieu, à travers la temporalité, les comportements et les perspectives sociales, supporte l’épistémologie du chez-soi comme un élément important des théories et pratiques de design contemporain. Le démantèlement hypothétique d’un espace en ses composantes suppose que les dispositifs architecturaux peuvent être modelés de manière à ce qu’ils opèrent un transfert depuis la maison, en tant qu’élément physique, vers le domaine psychologique du chez-soi. Afin d’élargir la maniabilité des éléments constitutifs du bâtiment et de son environnement, six thèmes sont appliqués à trois champs de données. Les six thèmes, qui incluent l’entre-deux, la limite, la voie, le nœud, le détail et la représentation, illustrent des moments architecturaux déterminants, potentiellement présents à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur du projet domestique et qui transforment les comportements physiques et psychiques. Depuis la pratique normalisée du logement social et abordable au Canada, une analyse de photographies de maisons abordables existantes, du discours critique sur cette typologie et de projets de recherche-création conduits par des étudiants en architecture, révèle le caractère opérationnel de la notion de chez-soi et consolide les valeurs de communauté et de frontière. L’objectif premier de la recherche est d’avancer la production de connaissances en architecture par l’exploration de la notion de chez­soi dans l’enseignement, la recherche et le design. L’approche fonctionnaliste vis-à-vis le < penser > en design, place l’usager au centre de l’environnement domestique, soutient la proposition que le chez­soi donne sens et utilité au logement, et renforce la responsabilité éthique de l’architecte à faire de cette notion une partie intégrante de la réalité quotidienne.

Using text-mining-assisted analysis to examine the applicability of unstructured data in the context of customer complaint management

Double Degree

Study of new physiological characteristics as protein receptors (RP55) of light, color, heat, motion, smell, electric, vibration and position located in head, body and abdominal, found in mosquito larvae.

The main objective of the research is to demonstrate new physiological characteristics receptors in the presence of mosquito larvae. 100 larvae of different species were collected and studied for a week in periods of 8-24 hrs. Larvae stages I, II, III and IV have photo-thermo receptors of light and heat housed in the body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen, perceive hot or cold environments, and have fibers in chest or hairs lining your body or abdomen, and a pair of antennae on the head. Stages II and III are more developed than the initial stages. They are attracted by the dark green at the bottom, a pair of eyes that perceive light and color. Have receptors proteins (RP55) that capture motion at a speed the slightest movement of waves in the water. Its nose is not well developed but have chemoreceptors. They adapt to changes in pH in alkaline media, are sensitive to chemical, thermal and mechanical changes nociceptors have electroreceptors or galvanoreceptores sensitive to electrical stimuli, have mechanoreceptors that are sensitive to touch, pain, pressure, gravity, sound. They have a GPS position that seems the guides. It is precisely in the fibers, mushrooms or bristles are recipients along with the micro villi in head, thorax and abdomen.
RESUMEN El objetivo principal de la investigación es demostrar nuevas características fisiológicas como la presencia de receptores en las larvas de mosquitos. Se recolectaron 100 larvas de diferentes especies y se estudiaron por una semana en periodos de 8 a 24 hrs. Las larvas de los estadios I,II,III y IV tienen foto-termo receptores de luz y calor alojados en el cuerpo que se divide en cabeza, tórax y abdomen, perciben ambientes fríos o calientes, así como tienen fibras en tórax o pelos que recubren su cuerpo, y un par de antenas en la cabeza. Los estadios II y III son más desarrollados que las etapas iniciales. Tienen receptores proteicos RP55. Les atrae el color verde oscuro en el fondo, un par de ojos que perciben la luz y color con fotoreceptores. Tienen receptores RP55 de movimiento que captan a una velocidad el más mínimo movimiento de ondas en el agua. Su olfato no está muy desarrollado pero tienen quimioreceptores. Se adaptan a cambios de pH en medios alcalinos, tienen nociceptores sensibles a cambios químicos, térmicos y mecánicos, tienen galvanoreceptores o electroreceptores sensibles a estímulos eléctricos, tienen mecanoreceptores que son sensibles al tacto, dolor, presión gravedad, sonido. Tienen un GPS de posición que pareciera las orienta.