TumorML: Concept and requirements of an in silico cancer modelling markup language

This paper describes the initial groundwork carried out as part of the European Commission funded Transatlantic Tumor Model Repositories project, to develop a new markup language for computational cancer modelling, TumorML. In this paper we describe the motivations for such a language, arguing that current state-of-the-art biomodelling languages are not suited to the cancer modelling domain. We go on to describe the work that needs to be done to develop TumorML, the conceptual design, and a description of what existing markup languages will be used to compose the language specification

Maximizing Academic Success for Foster Care Students: A Trauma-Informed Approach

Children in foster care have experienced significant trauma due to the loss of primary attachment figures and the circumstances associated with that loss. Children who have suffered trauma generally present with cognitive, social, physical, and emotional vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are often expressed in the P–12 academic setting through difficulties with behavioral and emotional self-regulation, academic functioning, and physical ailments and illness related to chronic stress-induced compromised immune systems. This results in academic failure for half of all children in care. Training in how to respond to children who have suffered trauma is essential to ensure that children are comfortable and feel secure in the classroom so that they can access their education. To that end, a framework to support children in P–12 settings who are particularly vulnerable to academic failure due to trauma is presented

The European Ombudsman: A Resilient Institution in a Turbulent, Evolving Administrative Order

Presentation on department page: http://www.uia.no/no/portaler/om_universitetet/oekonomi_og_samfunnsvitenskap/statsvitenskap_og_ledelsesfag/ forskning_isl/isl_working_papers_seriesABSTRACT One relatively unstudied development in the European Union’s evolving multilayered administrative system is the development of the ombudsman as a core institution of governance. At the national level, nearly all EU Member States have introduced an ombudsman. At the supranational level, there has been a European Ombudsman (EO) since 1995. This chapter sheds light on the strategies with which the EO proves itself able to build its capacity and adjust its institution successfully to the changing politico-administrative context. Drawing on an analysis of documents and a secondary analysis of existing empirical data, this chapter examines the institutional development of the EO over the past two decades. This chapter describes, first, the turbulent expansion of the European Union’s administrative system in terms of both administrative and accountability institutions. It then focusses on the EO’s development as an institutional ombudsman by examining three elements of its accountability capacity, together with the external, turbulent environment and political context in which it exists. The internal turbulence within the system may be seen in both the way the system is set up (administrative order and accountability landscape) and the way it works (accountability practices).

Office of Regulatory Affairs Strategies for Building an Integrated National Laboratory Network for Food and Feed

An interconnected network of accredited federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial laboratories is critical to ensuring the safety of the U.S. food supply and the development of the Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS). In 2004, as part of a national policy to defend the U.S. food supply against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) was created to integrate the nation’s multilevel (i.e., federal, state, local, tribal, territorial) food-testing laboratories to detect, identify, respond to, and recover from a bioterrorism act affecting the safety of the food supply, or a public health emergency/outbreak involving the food supply. Since 2004, federal agencies have invested an estimated $200 million in FERN. The majority of this investment has been in the FERN cooperative agreements with FDA and USDA-FSIS investing$95.8 million and $69 million, respectively. FDA has promoted the accreditation of state laboratories through cooperative agreement funding, investing more than$50 million to fund these grants. On November 11, 2014, the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) requested that the FDA Science Board establish a subcommittee to evaluate current investments in: (1) the FERN cooperative agreement funding program (CAP), and (2) funding for state laboratories to achieve International Organization for Standardization (ISO) accreditation. The goal was to ascertain how ORA can advance and establish an effective integrated laboratory network among ORA, FDA Center, and state public health and food- and feed-testing laboratories. In response to this request, the Science Board created the ORA FERN Cooperative Agreement Evaluation Subcommittee on July 1, 2015. This report summarizes the results of the Subcommittee’s review

The Durban Climate Change Strategy: Lessons learnt from the 2021 strategy review and implementation plan

Urban local governments are increasingly developing climate change adaptation plans. However, there is limited literature on climate change adaptation experiences of African cities, particularly with regard to moving from strategy development to implementation. This continues to hamper efforts to understand and guide city climate change actions on the continent. This article helps address this gap by providing critical insights into the opportunities and challenges experienced, and the solutions found in the process of developing and implementing the Durban Climate Change Strategy (DCCS) in the City of Durban, South Africa. The initial 2015 DCCS was reviewed in 2020/2021, and an analysis of the process and its outcomes provide useful focus areas that could guide other cities across the Global South and beyond for implementing climate change strategies. Based on these focus areas, the article demonstrates that there are considerable governance and other barriers to this process that span multiple scales, but also many opportunities such as good organisation, ongoing support across multiple departments and scales, and perseverance that can be harnessed. The findings have significant practical and policy implications for developing and implementing urban climate strategies and provide important conceptual insights for building transformative resilience in challenging governance contexts

Power Semiconductors for An Energy-Wise Society

This IEC White Paper establishes the critical role that power semiconductors play in transitioning to an energy wise society. It takes an in-depth look at expected trends and opportunities, as well as the challenges surrounding the power semiconductors industry. Among the significant challenges mentioned is the need for change in industry practices when transitioning from linear to circular economies and the shortage of skilled personnel required for power semiconductor development. The white paper also stresses the need for strategic actions at the policy-making level to address these concerns and calls for stronger government commitment, policies and funding to advance power semiconductor technologies and integration. It further highlights the pivotal role of standards in removing technical risks, increasing product quality and enabling faster market acceptance. Besides noting benefits of existing standards in accelerating market growth, the paper also identifies the current standardization gaps. The white paper emphasizes the importance of ensuring a robust supply chain for power semiconductors to prevent supply-chain disruptions like those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, which can have widespread economic impacts.The white paper highlights the importance of inspiring young professionals to take an interest in power semiconductors and power electronics, highlighting the potential to make a positive impact on the world through these technologies.The white paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers, regulators, industry and other IEC stakeholders for collaborative structures and accelerating the development and adoption of standards

COSPO/CENDI Industry Day Conference

The conference's objective was to provide a forum where government information managers and industry information technology experts could have an open exchange and discuss their respective needs and compare them to the available, or soon to be available, solutions. Technical summaries and points of contact are provided for the following sessions: secure products, protocols, and encryption; information providers; electronic document management and publishing; information indexing, discovery, and retrieval (IIDR); automated language translators; IIDR - natural language capabilities; IIDR - advanced technologies; IIDR - distributed heterogeneous and large database support; and communications - speed, bandwidth, and wireless

From a fossil-fuel to a biobased economy : the politics of industrial biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology involves the replacement of petrochemical processes and inputs with more energy-efficient and renewable biological ones. It is already being used in the production of biofuels and bioplastics and has been touted as a means by which modern economies can be shifted toward a more competitive, low-carbon growth model. This paper does two things. First, it outlines the policy framework established in the European Union and the narrative of a knowledge-based bioeconomy (KBBE) underpinning this. Second, it argues that the ‘win – win’ rhetoric contained within the KBBE narrative is misleading. Among the different groups commenting on the use of industrial biotechnology, the paper locates cleavages between farmers and agribusiness, between those convinced and those sceptical of environmental technofixes, and between procorporate and anticorporate NGOs. Taken together, they show the purported transition from a fossil-fuel to a bio-based economy to be a resolutely political one

Multilevel energy regulation : a study of NVE’s connections and autonomy in a European context

Masteroppgave offentlig politikk og ledelse- Universitetet i Agder, 2016An evolving European executive order is changing the circumstances for national steering and administrative capacities. Increasingly compound and interconnected administrative structures that span across levels of governance provide an environment where domestic agencies might be serving multiple organizations or centres of authority simultaneously. Thus potentially challenging national control and accountability. This thesis has set out to map NVE’s potential participation in such multilevel administrative structures for energy regulation in Europe. By examining NVE’s connection and contact with its ministry department, the supranational organizations of the energy sector, and its participation in transnational energy networks. Theoretically, the thesis is based on two mutually complementing theoretical perspectives, multilevel administration and organization theory. Whilst MLA might explain how and to what extent NVE participates in a multilevel model of European energy regulation, certain organizational characteristics might explain why connections occurs and what might cause inherent variations. Another goal is to consider what consequences potential findings might entail. The methodology is based on qualitative interviews, supplemented with document analysis. Findings show that NVE is in active contact with especially its ministry department and its sister regulators in the Nordic and European countries. Contact with the latter takes place mainly through the transnational networks NordREG and CEER. Direct contact with the supranational organizations appears limited, mainly due to organizational circumstances. Some indirect contact might however be present, then through the transnational networks or the EU energy agency. Thus, the thesis adds to the existing literature that there to varying degrees exists close and direct links between Norwegian domestic agencies and the other organizations, often through sector-specific, transnational networks. Rather than being subject to compound steering from organizations across multiple levels of governance, it however seems as NVE actively works in connection with multiple actors for the purpose of harmonizing and streamlining the European power and energy market. Thus not necessarily serving several centres of authority at exceeding levels of governance, but rather being an active component in a compound, multilevel administrative model. Ultimately, when working on European energy regulation, NVE appears as a specialized, professional and relatively autonomous agency