International space law and norms: an approach for assessing compliance

The number and types of space activities and space actors continue to increase, posing new and unique challenges for space governance and policy. Presently, a comprehensive, periodic, and systematic measure of states’ efforts to comply with existing international space law and norms does not exist, suggesting a critical need to ensure robust and informed policymaking as space activities and actors increase. The evidence-based policymaking and programming movement, alongside the rise of ratings and rankings research, suggest the utility of such an assessment to informing policymaking and identifying compliance or partial or noncompliance of spacefaring countries. Numerous ratings and rankings assessments measure country-level trends across various sectors, including but not limited to business, democracy, economics, human rights, governance, and prosperity. However, none currently measure the behaviour and policies of countries regarding the exploration and use of outer space. An annual space report, published by the Space Security Index, does provide an overview of space activities and trends according to various thematic areas, but neither provides a historical nor baseline comparison of states’ behaviour. This dissertation endeavours to propose a set of criteria, grounded in international space treaties and United Nations-level principles, resolutions, and guidelines, for which space policy stakeholders can apply to countries and develop a comparative understanding of their levels of compliance with binding international space law and non-binding space norms

Cooperative Data Backup for Mobile Devices

Les dispositifs informatiques mobiles tels que les ordinateurs portables, assistants personnels et téléphones portables sont de plus en plus utilisés. Cependant, bien qu'ils soient utilisés dans des contextes où ils sont sujets à des endommagements, à la perte, voire au vol, peu de mécanismes permettent d'éviter la perte des données qui y sont stockées. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons un service de sauvegarde de données coopératif pour répondre à ce problème. Cette approche tire parti de communications spontanées entre de tels dispositifs, chaque dispositif stockant une partie des données des dispositifs rencontrés. Une étude analytique des gains de cette approche en termes de sûreté de fonctionnement est proposée. Nous étudions également des mécanismes de stockage réparti adaptés. Les problèmes de coopération entre individus mutuellement suspicieux sont également abordés. Enfin, nous décrivons notre mise en oeuvre du service de sauvegarde coopérative. ABSTRACT : Mobile devices such as laptops, PDAs and cell phones are increasingly relied on but are used in contexts that put them at risk of physical damage, loss or theft. However, few mechanisms are available to reduce the risk of losing the data stored on these devices. In this dissertation, we try to address this concern by designing a cooperative backup service for mobile devices. The service leverages encounters and spontaneous interactions among participating devices, such that each device stores data on behalf of other devices. We first provide an analytical evaluation of the dependability gains of the proposed service. Distributed storage mechanisms are explored and evaluated. Security concerns arising from thecooperation among mutually suspicious principals are identified, and core mechanisms are proposed to allow them to be addressed. Finally, we present our prototype implementation of the cooperative backup servic

Toward Enhanced Military Chaplaincy Education at Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Problem. Military chaplains who are graduates of the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program at Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDATS) will require enhanced military chaplaincy training to identify and cope with the rapidly changing needs of modern military chaplaincy. Information relating to the United States (US) Navy Chaplain Corps will be presented within this project to illustrate the broader need within the military chaplain community. The needs within the US Navy are largely due to the implementation of four programs: The revised Chaplain Command Program within Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 1730.8B, Professional Naval Chaplaincy within SECNAVINST 5351.1, Naval Combat Operational Stress Control (NCOSC), and Clinical Training for Combat Stress within the Professional Development Training Course (PDTC). US Navy Chaplain candidates are now required to screen for selection to active duty. A primary factor in this screening is the examination of the candidate’s professional education (see Appendices A and I) The move toward enhancing the current MDiv program at Andrews University SDATS with the latest in military chaplaincy instruction will create the possibility of producing a specialty degree from the existing military chaplaincy training. Graduates with this enhanced degree will achieve a sub-specialty code that will affect their professional selection and advancement opportunities and will make them more desirable as candidates. Several accredited theological seminaries throughout the country are in the process of shifting their MDiv programs from a broad scope of ministry to professionally-focused degrees in military chaplaincy (see Appendix C). Andrews University SDATS must not fall behind in this arena of education, so that its graduates can continue to be placed among the most highly trained chaplains in the military. Results. The result of this project document will be the identification of enhanced professional requirements within the rapidly changing profession of military chaplaincy. The primary reference literature of the United States Navy Chaplain Corps describes the need for enhanced educational requirements within the new Professional Naval Chaplaincy (PNC) Instruction as shown in Appendices A and L-M. A primary factor in the screening of military chaplain candidates is the examination of the candidate’s professional education (see Appendices A and L). The move toward enhancing the current MDiv emphasis in chaplaincy at AU SDATS with the latest in military chaplaincy instruction will create the opportunity for a specialty degree. Graduates with this enhanced degree will achieve a sub-specialty code that will affect their professional selection and advancement opportunities and will make them more desirable as candidates. This specialized education will prepare students venturing forth into this increasingly complex field of military ministry with documented subspecialty education. The desired objective of this project document is to move Andrews University SDATS toward offering a Master of Divinity in Military Chaplaincy specialty degree that will provide these key advantages. Conclusions. The current MDiv emphasis in chaplaincy at AU SDATS must be upgraded with the most recent teachable subject matter to avoid the danger of falling behind in this competitive educational arena. As demonstrated in Appendix C, other accredited seminaries in the United States are advertising Master of Divinity in Military Chaplaincy degrees. This project will demonstrate that enhancing military chaplaincy training within the existing Master of Divinity at AU SDATS will prepare graduates for professional, comprehensive ministry and make them more competitive for selection into the active chaplain corps ranks

An Operations Manual to Replicate a Playground Program for Children with Special Needs in Global Regions

Physical disabilities restrict children’s motor abilities, affecting their participation in physical activities and play. But play area equipment can give children a way to participate in play regardless of their disability. The purpose of the study was to explore the need for an operations manual for nonprofit organizations when designing and developing inclusive play areas for children with special needs worldwide. The research question examined what processes during the design and development of inclusive play areas could be standardized with an operations manual. Interviews were conducted with two members with historical and operational knowledge of the organization. Transcribed data were coded, separated into themes, then categorized by the organizational process. Three primary themes outlined the critical results of the analysis: general information, design and development operation, and financials. An operations manual was created using the information and documentation from the organization. The client received the Table of Contents for the manual with some sections completed; however, due to confidentiality, the client chose to include additional documents after the delivery of the operations manual. The positive social change implications of the study include the operations manual helping streamline a process, maximize personnel and resource usage, and increase flexibility in the organization. An operations manual can reduce the organization’s timeline when designing and developing global play areas for children with special needs

Consolidation of Heterogeneous Terminology Resources

Elektroniskā versija nesatur pielikumusAndrejs Vasiļjevs Promocijas darbā piedāvātas jaunas pieejas datu sistēmu veidošanā un datorizētā informācijas apstrādē, lai risinātu aktuālas problēmas terminoloģijas jomā. Promocijas darbs teorētiski un praktiski parāda, ka terminoloģijas resursu fragmentācijas un heterogenitātes radītās pieejamības un lietojamības problēmas var efektīvi atrisināt ar federatīvu daudzvalodu sistēmu, kas nodrošina konsolidētu datu reprezentāciju un integrāciju lietojumprogrammatūrā. Darbā piedāvāta vienota metodoloģija konsolidētu sistēmu izveidē, kas ietver svarīgākos soļus no scenārijos balstītas prasību analīzes līdz autonomu datubāzu federācijai. Piedāvāts jauns princips - terminu ierakstu sastatīšana, lai identificētu un apvienotu semantiski atbilstošus daudzvalodu terminus. Semantiskajai salīdzināšanai piedāvāta automatizēta korpusbāzēta kontekstanalīzes metode. Atslēgvārdi: datorsistēmas, terminoloģija, federatīvās datubāzes, terminu sastatīšana, terminoloģijas konsolidācijaAndrejs Vasiļjevs This thesis researches data management and accessibility problems in the terminology domain. The thesis theoretically and practically demonstrates that the usability problems posed by the fragmentation and heterogeneity of terminology resources can be effectively solved with a federated multilingual database system that consolidates data representation and integration in authoring software. A unified consolidation methodology is proposed covering all major aspects from scenario based requirements analysis, data modeling, storage and representation to the federation of autonomous databases. The thesis introduces a new concept of terminology entry compounding for identification of semantically matching multilingual terms from different resources. An automated corpus based on context analysis is proposed for term sense disambiguation in entry compounding. Keywords: computing, terminology, federated databases, term compounding, terminology consolidatio

Watchkeeper

The SAFE Port Act of 2006 designated the Coast Guard as the lead federal agency tasked with building Interagency Operations Centers in critical U.S. ports. A critical component of the IOC initiative is an Information Management System (IMS) to provide improved means for information sharing, and coordination among federal, state, local, and public sector stakeholders related to maritime safety and security in critical U.S. ports. The Coast Guard WatchKeeper project is a proposed IMS being designed to address the information sharing and information management challenges faced by these agencies. The WatchKeeper development program has faced challenges in delivering capability. Initial capability was to be delivered in 2009. This did not happen. Up to today, WatchKeeper has not delivered any new capabilities. Several development practices may provide advantages to the development process-ensuring value adding capabilities, minimizing project risk, and ensuring Coast Guard leadership can understand how WatchKeeper capabilities support Coast Guard core business process. This thesis describes these development practices, and proposes an architectural consideration to provide focus to future WatchKeeper products. This thesis concludes with considerations for further developing WatchKeeper, and recommendations for moving forward with development.http://archive.org/details/watchkeeper109455405US Coast Guard (USCG) authorApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Computer Law Institute

Materials from the Computer Law Institute held by UK/CLE in May 1999