La pensée complexe comme atout pour les leaders de démarches territoriales de développement durable au Québec

Réalisée sous la codirection de l'Université de Montréal (Anthropologie) et de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Aménagement du territoire)

Prospects for regulatory convergence under TTIP. Bruegel Policy Contribution 2013/15, October 2013

An ambitious, comprehensive and high-standard trade and investment agreement between the European Union and the United States is feasible, but a key concern is whether the transatlantic trade partners will succeed in creating a meaningful agreement within the tight timeline of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. The target of a ratified pact before a new European Commission takes office in November 2014 is an objective that is likely to conflict with the level of ambition on the substance. Regulatory congruence would require the unilateral and unconditional recognition by the TTIP partners of each other’s standards, procedures and conformity assessment tests. The way forward is to create a ‘living’ (or progressive commitment) agreement on regulatory cooperation with a horizontal template for coherence and conformity assessment and a detailed monitoring mechanism, with implementation starting immediately for a few selected sectors. Regulatory harmonisation under TTIP may not lead to emerging markets automatically upgrading to the higher TTIP standards. Domestic priorities and the high demand from a rising price-sensitive group of consumers will likely result in a dual regulatory regime in emerging markets in the medium-term.

Transnistria – Where to? EPC Policy Brief, 13 March 2014

At the Vilnius summit of the Eastern Partnership in November 2013, Moldova initialled its Association Agreement with the EU, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement, and is expected to sign the documents before the end of August 2014. Meanwhile, Russia has increased its presence and pressure in the region, as a consequence of which Armenia declined the AA and DCFTA with the EU and Ukraine, after months of protests and political paralysis, now has part of its territory occupied by Russia. Moldova is no exception to Russian pressure. As the country gets closer to upgrading relations with the EU, Russia has increased its activities in Moldova, including in the autonomous region of Gagauzia and in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Even though the “5+2” negotiations for the settlement of the Transnistria conflict continue, the number of incidents in and around this region have increased. The window of opportunity created by the involvement of Germany in the settlement of the conflict and the restart of the “5+2” negotiations in late 2011 seems to have closed. Given the recent events in the region and in Moldova/Transnistria, including the potential impact of DCFTA and visa liberalisation, Chisinau finds it increasingly difficult to manage the juggling act between its EU commitment and dialogue with Tiraspol. This Policy Brief presents the background, state of play and prospects of the Transnistria conflict while also focusing on the potential impact of Moldova’s Association Agreement with the EU on the settlement of the conflict.

Commonalities and Differences in Labour Market Developments and Constraints in Different EU Regions. Factor Markets Working Paper No. 22, February 2012

This paper provides a detailed overview of the differences across EU member states’ labour markets, through the extensive use of descriptive statistics. The objective is two-fold: firstly, it identifies the commonalities and differences in rural labour markets across EU regions and their developments, with special regard to agriculture, and secondly it emphasises the constraints that may hinder the efficient functioning of labour markets. Therefore, the paper starts with a description of the main indicators in the general labour market theory, such as the structure of the population in terms of age and gender distribution, unemployment and activity rates, employment levels, quality of human capital, migration patterns, and so forth. Secondly, we focus on the differences among rural and urban areas to then look closely at the agricultural sector. The institutional framework in which labour market institutions operate is also included. Lastly, as an attempt to summarise the analysis and to classify the EU member states according to certain rural and specific agricultural indicators, cluster analysis is also employed. Policy implications include investment in human capital and vocational training, support to young farmers, promoting economic diversification and upgrading infrastructure, with special regard to the new member states and to the Southern parts of Europe.

The China-Russia trade relationship and its impact on Europe. Breugel Working Paper Issue 4, 2016

This paper analyses empirically how increasingly close trade relations between China and Russia might affect the European Union (EU). We show that EU countries are complementary to Russia on the Chinese market. However, Chinese exports are increasingly relevant substitutes for EU exports on the Russian market. This means that an increase in China-Russia economic cooperation should have a negative impact on European exports. We simulate a scenario in which trade tariffs between Russia and China are eliminated, which is found to reduce EU exports to Russia. Finally, a more granular approach to the question analyses which sectors in Europe will be more affected by the increasing economic links between China and Russia, and finds that electronic machinery, equipment and machinery, and nuclear reactors will be particularly affected. Such findings obviously show quickly China is moving up the ladder in terms of export structure and how strategically important it is for Europe to continue upgrading its industry to compete at the highest level of that ladder.

Applicazioni degli acciai inossidabili in sistemi per la produzione di energia.

Questo elaborato ha lo scopo di esporre quelli che sono i vantaggi derivanti dall' utilizzo degli acciai inossidabili, specificando il tipo di componente e le ragioni della scelta, nei sistemi per la produzione di energia: dalle turbine, agli impianti nucleari, fino agli impianti che sfruttano le energie alternative (solare, eolica, geotermica, biogas). Inizialmente viene fornito un quadro generale sui differenti tipi di acciai inox (martensitici, ferritici, austenitici e duplex, con le relative proprietà, sottolineandone vantaggi e svantaggi), descrivendone anche i sistemi di designazione, con particolare attenzione alla norma AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute). Una volta messe in risalto queste caratteristiche, vengono esaminati e descritti diversi sistemi di produzione di energia in cui gli acciai inox trovano applicazione: si parte dalle turbine (idraulica, a vapore e a gas), spiegando i benefici nell'utilizzo di particolari categorie di acciai inox nella realizzazione di alcuni dei componenti per questi impianti. Vengono quindi esaminati gli impianti nucleari, partendo da quelli che utilizzano come moderatore e fluido refrigerante acqua naturale, ("PWR", Pressurized Water Reactor) e ("BWR", Boiling Water Reactor), fino a quelli che utilizzano invece acqua pesante ("CANDU", Canadian Deuterium Uranium Reactor), nonchè i reattori veloci ("FBR", Fast Breeding Reactor). Infine, vengono esaminate le applicazioni degli acciai inox, nei sistemi per la produzione di energia che, sfruttano fonti alternative (elencate in precedenza).

Latin Americaʹs emergence in global services: a new driver of structural change in the region?

Studies of international production acknowledge that the ability of firms to learn, upgrade and innovate in global value chains (GVCs) is influenced by knowledge flows within these global networks and by the national institutional systems in which the firms are embedded. Little is known, however, about how differences in national innovation and business systems shape the way firms and national economies insert themselves in global value chains and how this influences their upgrading trajectories. Based on a review of the existing academic literature, the chapter examines the impact of national innovation and business systems from middle-income and developing countries on learning and innovation processes in services GVCs.

La pensée complexe comme atout pour les leaders de démarches territoriales de développement durable au Québec

Réalisée sous la codirection de l'Université de Montréal (Anthropologie) et de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Aménagement du territoire)

Three Generations of FPGA DAQ Development for the ATLAS Pixel Detector

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Ablative Pyrolysis of Beetle-killed Trees

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

A dynamic mathematical model for sequential leach bed anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

A mathematical model that describes the operation of a sequential leach bed process for anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) is developed and validated. This model assumes that ultimate mineralisation of the organic component of the waste occurs in three steps, namely solubilisation of particulate matter, fermentation to volatile organic acids (modelled as acetic acid) along with liberation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and methanogenesis from acetate and hydrogen. The model incorporates the ionic equilibrium equations arising due to dissolution of carbon dioxide, generation of alkalinity from breakdown of solids and dissociation of acetic acid. Rather than a charge balance, a mass balance on the hydronium and hydroxide ions is used to calculate pH. The flow of liquid through the bed is modelled as occurring through two zones-a permeable zone with high flushing rates and the other more stagnant. Some of the kinetic parameters for the biological processes were obtained from batch MSW digestion experiments. The parameters for flow model were obtained from residence time distribution studies conducted using tritium as a tracer. The model was validated using data from leach bed digestion experiments in which a leachate volume equal to 10% of the fresh waste bed volume was sequenced. The model was then tested, without altering any kinetic or flow parameters, by varying volume of leachate that is sequenced between the beds. Simulations for sequencing/recirculating 5 and 30% of the bed volume are presented and compared with experimental results. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental influences on helminthiasis and nutritional status among Pacific schoolchildren

This paper describes a study undertaken to: (1) determine the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm infections and nutritional status among Pacific Island school children; (2) identify factors influencing helminthiasis; (3) identify interventions to improve school health. A total of 3,683 children aged 5-12 years attending 27 primary schools in 13 Pacific Island countries were surveyed along with school environmental data. Stool samples were collected from 1996 children (54.2%) and analysed for ova and helminths. Total prevalence of helminthiasis was 32.8%. Anaemia prevalence was 12.4%. Children with helminthiasis and anaemia were found to be 8.7 times more likely to be stunted and 4.3 times more likely to be underweight than non-anaemic and non-infected children. Four significant environmental influences on helminthiasis were identified: (1) an inadequate water supply; (2); availability of a school canteen; (3) regular water/sanitation maintenance regimes; and (4) overcrowded classrooms. Helminthiasis was found to be strongly associated with anaemia, stunting and underweight and environmental influences identified. Although mass anti-helminthic drug administrations (MDA) have been taking place, reinfection is common as drug therapy alone is not enough. Programme effectiveness depends upon upgrading school environments to include an adequate water supply, controlled food preparation/provision, well-maintained water/sanitation facilities and class sizes of 30 students or less.

The International Consortium on Mental Health Policy and Services: objectives, design and project implementation

The concept of the burden of disease, introduced and estimated for a broad range of diseases in the World Bank report of 1993 illustrated that mental and neurological disorders not only entail a higher burden than cancer, but are responsible, in developed and developing countries, for more than 15% of the total burden of all diseases. As a consequence, over the past decade, mental disorders have ranked increasingly highly on the international agenda for health. However, the fact that mental health and nervous system disorders are now high on the international health agenda is by no means a guarantee that the fate of patients suffering from these disorders in developing countries will improve. In most developing countries the treatment gap for mental and neurological disorders is still unacceptably high. To address this problem, an international network of collaborating institutions in low-income countries has been set up. The establishment and the achievements of this network-the International Consortium on Mental Health Policy and Services-are reported. Sixteen institutions in developing countries collaborate (supported by a small number of scientific resource centres in industrialized nations) in projects on applied mental health systems research. Over a two-year period, the network produced the key elements of a national mental health policy; provided tools and methods for assessing a country's current mental health status (context, needs and demands, programmes, services and care and outcomes); established a global network of expertise, i.e., institutions and experts, for use by countries wishing to reform their mental health policy, services and care; and generated guidelines and examples for upgrading mental health policy with due regard to the existing mental health delivery system and demographic, cultural and economic factors.

Modelling of two-stage anaerobic digestion using the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1)

The aim of the study presented was to implement a process model to simulate the dynamic behaviour of a pilot-scale process for anaerobic two-stage digestion of sewage sludge. The model implemented was initiated to support experimental investigations of the anaerobic two-stage digestion process. The model concept implemented in the simulation software package MATLAB(TM)/Simulink(R) is a derivative of the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) that has been developed by the IWA task group for mathematical modelling of anaerobic processes. In the present study the original model concept has been adapted and applied to replicate a two-stage digestion process. Testing procedures, including balance checks and 'benchmarking' tests were carried out to verify the accuracy of the implementation. These combined measures ensured a faultless model implementation without numerical inconsistencies. Parameters for both, the thermophilic and the mesophilic process stage, have been estimated successfully using data from lab-scale experiments described in literature. Due to the high number of parameters in the structured model, it was necessary to develop a customised procedure that limited the range of parameters to be estimated. The accuracy of the optimised parameter sets has been assessed against experimental data from pilot-scale experiments. Under these conditions, the model predicted reasonably well the dynamic behaviour of a two-stage digestion process in pilot scale. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eco-efficiency and dairy processing

The dairy industry is a global industry that provides significant nutritional benefit to many cultures. in australia the industry is especially important economically, being a large export earner, as well as a vital domestic sector. in recent years the sector has come under increased competitive pressure and has restructured to cope with the changes. the industry recently undertook an eco-efficiency project to investigate where business and environmental improvements might be found. the project involved collecting and collating previous project data and surveying 38 companies in different dairy operations, from market milk to dried products. after the survey, 10 sites in two states were visited to discuss eco-efficiency issues in detail with key players. From the surveys, visits and data compilation, a comprehensive manual was prepared to help interested companies find relevant eco-efficiency data easily and assist them in the implementation process. ten fact sheets were also produced covering the topics of water management, water recycling and re-use, refrigeration optimisation, boiler optimisation, biogas, the use of treated wastewater, yield optimisation and product recovery, optimisation of ciP systems, chemical use and membranes the project highlighted the large amount of technical and engineering expertise within the sector that could result in eco-efficiency outcomes and also identified the opportunities that exist for changes to occur in some operations to save energy, input raw materials and water.