17th Annual Institute for Law and Economic Policy Conference Access to Justice: April 7, 2011

There is a fragmented approach to social sustainability in the literature, and this paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the meanings and interpretations of that concept while reviewing and discussing the social dimension of sustainability from the perspectives of two fields: urban development as well as companies and products. The analysis identifies commonalities and differences in the understanding of the conceptualization of social sustainability and helps to identify core aspects that cross disciplinary boundaries. The paper shows that compiling a list of comprehensive aspects that is representative of social sustainability is not straightforward, as interpretations are context dependant and aspects are often closely interconnected. Differences often occur because of variations in scoping and context, or whether or not a life cycle perspective is used. Nonetheless, there seems to be an underlying common understanding of what social sustainability is, and a set of key themes (social capital, human capital and well-being) is suggested as an alternative to put more specific measures and indicators in perspective. However, context-specific information is still necessary in practical applications.QC 20140523. Updated from manuscript to article in journal.</p

Foreword

This paper considers identification of unknown parameters in elastic dynamic models of industrial robots. Identifying such models is a challenging task since an industrial robot is a multivariable, nonlinear, resonant, and unstable system. Unknown parameters (mainly spring-damper pairs) in a physically parameterized nonlinear dynamic model are identified in the frequency domain, using estimates of the nonparametric frequency response function (FRF) in different robot configurations/positions. The nonlinear parametric robot model is linearized in the same positions and the optimal parameters are obtained by minimizing the discrepancy between the nonparametric FRFs and the parametric FRFs (the FRFs of the linearized parametric robot model). In order to accurately estimate the nonparametric FRFs, the experiments must be carefully designed. The selection of optimal robot configurations for the experiments is also part of the design. Different parameter estimators are compared and experimental results show the usefulness of the proposed identification procedure. The weighted logarithmic least squares estimator achieves the best result and the identified model gives a good global description of the dynamics in the frequency range of interest

Equal Educational Opportunity for Children With Special Needs: The Federal Role in Australia

A control engineering benchmark problem with industrial relevance is presented. The process is a simulation model of a nonlinear four-mass system, which should be controlled by a discrete-time controller that optimizes performance for given robustness requirements. The control problem concerns only the so-called regulator problem

¿Es realmente doble la doble mayoría? La segunda ronda del debate sobre el sistema de votación en el Tratado Constitucional de la UE

El sistema de votación del Consejo de la UE ha estado sometido a constante negociación durante los últimos 15 años, a la vista de las sucesivas ampliaciones y desembocando en el Tratado de Niza y el Tratado Constitucional. Este último reemplazó el tradicional sistema de votos ponderados por una doble mayoría del 55% de los Estados miembros y del 65% de la población. El debate debería entenderse fundamentalmente desde la perspectiva del equilibrio de poder entre los países grandes y pequeños en una Unión ampliada. Este documento pretende explicar los efectos de la doble mayoría con unos métodos más rudimentarios pero también más realistas que los cálculos del poder de voto, situándolos además en su contexto político. En él se demostrará que las duras críticas vertidas contra el sistema impuesto por el Tratado de Niza por considerarse complejo y poco eficaz son en gran parte exageradas. Con la mayoría doble impuesta por el Tratado Constitucional el equilibrio de poder entre los Estados miembros quedaría determinado enteramente, en la práctica, por el tamaño de sus poblaciones. El número de Estados muy rara vez desempeñaría algún papel, independientemente de los umbrales impuestos para las poblaciones o los Estados. El resultado es una variación sustancial del equilibrio entre los Estados miembros. Éste fue el aspecto más polémico de las negociaciones sobre el Tratado Constitucional, pero tras su firma apenas ha vuelto a debatirse. Ahora que los tratados van a volver a negociarse vuelve a plantearse esa cuestión, y es probable que Polonia, y también posiblemente la República Checa, formulen propuestas para un modelo distinto. Por tanto, el documento examina también otras opciones, en caso de que se produzca un debate sustancial sobre esta cuestión, así como las posibilidades de que éstas puedan llegar a permitir que se alcance un acuerdo

Ev.lut.seurakunnan luottamushenkilön rooliodotukset ja niiden toteutuminen luottamustoimessa

Tässä opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin Jokioisten seurakunnan luottamushenkilöiden rooli-odotuksia ja niiden toteutumista luottamustoimessa. Työn toimeksiantaja eli Jokioisten seurakunta halusi roolien lisäksi selvittää luottamushenkilöiden tietoisuutta luottamustoimia säätelevistä ohje- ja johtosäännöistä sekä vaitiolovelvollisuudesta. Opinnäytetyön teoreettisessa osuudessa käsiteltiin ensin yleisesti julkisoikeudellisia yhteisöjä ja sitten Ev.lut. seurakuntaa ja sen toimielimiä sekä niiden tehtäviä. Teoria-osuudessa keskityttiin laajasti Jokioisten seurakunnan toimielimiin ja tehtäviin. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin kvantitatiivisin menetelmin. Kaikille Jokioisten seurakunnan luottamushenkilöille lähetettiin e-lomakekysely. Kysely sisälsi pääasiassa monivalintakysymyksiä, mutta muutama kysymys jätettiin avoimeksi. Tutkimuksessa todettiin, että suuri osa luottamushenkilöistä oli tietoisia luottamustoimensa toimielimen ohje- tai johtosäännön sisällöstä. Sen sijaan luottamustoimea velvoittava vaitiolovelvollisuus ei ollut kaikkien tiedossa. Seurakunnan taloudesta päättäminen ja toiminnan jatkuvuuden takaaminen koettiin luottamushenkilöiden keskuudessa tärkeiksi tehtäviksi. Seurakunnan henkilöstön rekrytointi oli tämän selvityksen perusteella myös mieleinen tehtävä muutamien virkojen kohdalla. Rekrytoitavasta toimesta tai virasta riippuen päätäntävaltaa oltiin valmiita siirtämään viranhaltijoille.This thesis studied the Congregation of Jokioinen elected officials’ role expectations and their realization in their elected post. In addition to the roles, the Congregation of Jokioinen wanted to find out public awareness of instructions and management rules, as well as confidentiality. The theoretical part of the thesis was first treated in general public law and then Lutheran church. The church and its institutions and their missions. Theory section focused on the institutions and the tasks of the Congregation of Jokioinen widely. The research was conducted by using quantitative methods. All elected officials of congregation was sent the e-form questionnaires. Questioner contained mainly multi-ple choice questions, but few questions were left opened too. The elected officials are governed by many laws and institutions scoring rules. The study found that the majority of elected officials were aware of the institution in-struction or content of regulations. Instead, the confidence measure binding was not known to everyone. Deciding of the parish finances and to ensure the continuity of operations were considered among the elected officials as very important tasks. The parish personnel recruitment was based on research in one of the favorite roles too. But depending on the mode of recruitment by the office or decision making powers were ready to move to office holders

Property rights in Kosovo - Analyzing the impact on access to credit

After the war in Kosovo in 1999 there was much confusion over property ownerships. This essay examines the importance of increased property rights for economic development in the region since then. The link in focus is that between the decisions over property disputes after 1999 and the access to bank credit. Because of the short time frame, no data can with accuracy reveal the connection between the juridical efforts to solve the property rights situation in Kosovo and bank lending. In addition therefore, other macroeconomical data are used to analyze the effects of other factors on lending. Showing a significant causality is difficult without field studies or larger amounts of data. In this essay, signs of a connection between property rights and bank lending are however observed, where the influence of other factors can be deemed excluded. The connection is attributed to the increased access to credit when bank customers can use their legally owned property as collateral security. When looking at the broader macroeconomical landscape, there are strong indications that credit rationing has been prevalent on the credit market. The interplay between property rights and credit access and how it relates to credit rationing is explained as well. The attention of economists is increasingly turning to the role of well functioning institutions. This essay provides a method by which to study a phenomenon like property rights, even as access to and reliance on the data is severely limited. No previous study found can be closely related to this analysis. There are quantitative examinations of legal ownership in relation to access to credit, but not in any context similar to that of Kosovo

Private forest owner’s attitudes and knowledge about forest residue harvest

Då jorden står inför stora klimatförändringar som skapas på grund av den stora användningen av fossila bränslen som vi har idag pågår det i dagsläget försök med att hitta alternativa förnyelsebara bränslen. Ett alternativ är att utnyttja resterna som blir vid skogsavverkning (GROT = grenar och toppar). Denna studie har genomförts för att se hur benägna privata skogsägare är att ta ut GROT, vilka för- och nackdelar de ser samt hur uttaget skulle kunna ökas då det finns en stor outnyttjad energipotential i dagsläget. Data har samlats in genom en enkätstudie via en webbtjänst och distribuerats till drygt 500 skogsägare som levererat virke till Sveaskog från Jämtland i norr till Skåne i söder. Respondenterna har fått frågor om hur aktivt de brukar skogen, om de gör det själva, hur stor fastigheten är, hur deras inställning till GROT-uttag är och sedan har de fått svara på ett antal påståenden om GROT-uttag och dess påverkan på marken samt självvärdera sina kunskaper om skogsskötsel och skogsbruk. Resultaten visar att majoriteten av skogsägarna var positivt inställda till GROT-uttag, att över 50 procent av skogsägarna som tar ut GROT gör det främst för att underlätta plantering av ny skog och att drygt 20 procent gör det för det ekonomiska tillskottet. Resultaten pekar även på att ca 10 procent av skogsägarna skulle nöja sig med en liten prisökning på 5 kr/MWh för att öka sitt uttag av GROT vid slutavverkning. Då 1 ton skogsbränsle motsvarar 2-4 MWh ger det ett pris på 120-240 kr/ton GROT och en prisökning med 5 kr/MWh motsvarar därmed en prisökning med 10-20 kr/ton. Resultaten visar även att drygt 25 procent vill ha en prisökning på minst 20 kr/MWh för att öka uttaget på grund av dagens låga lönsamhet, samtidigt anser drygt 25 procent att det absolut är lönsamt att ta ut GROT både på granmark och andra marker. Drygt 70 procent anser att de behöver skaffa sig mer kunskaper om GROT-uttag, samtidigt anser över 85 procent att de har medelgoda till mycket goda kunskaper om skogsskötsel och skogsbruk vilket tyder på att information om GROT-uttagens möjligheter och effekter är en viktig faktor för att kunna påverka skogsägarna och deras val om GROT-uttag. De vanligaste anledningarna till att skogsägarna ej tar ut GROT är okunskap om GROT-uttag, de har inte känt till att möjligheten finns, dålig lönsamhet, skogsägarna vill ha riset i skogen för bra bärighet, näringsförlust och att intäkten från GROT inte täcker för den kostnad som näringsförlusten som sker i marken och den minskade skogsproduktionen det ger upphov till.As the Earth is facing major climate change that is created due to the great use of fossil fuels we have today, we are currently trying to find alternative renewable fuels. An alternative is to utilize the residues that occur in forest harvesting. This study has been conducted to see how prone private forest owners are to take out forest residue, the pros and cons they see, and how to increase the harvest as there is a great unused energy potential at the present time. Data have been collected through a survey through a web service and distributed to more than 500 forest owners who deliver timber to Sveaskog from the area of Jämtland in the north down to Skåne in the south of Sweden. The questions have been formulated in collaboration with my supervisor. Respondents have been asked questions about how actively they manage their forest, if they do it themselves, how big the property is, and also to state their attitude towards forest residue harvest. They have then answered a number of claims about forest residues harvest and the impact on the ground, and self-evaluated their knowledge of forest management and forestry. The results show that the majority of forest owners are positively committed to forest residue harvest, that a large proportion of forest owners (over 50 percent) do this primarily to facilitate the planting of new trees, and that more than 20 percent do it because of the financial contribution. The results also point out that about 10 percent of forest owners would be satisfied with a small price increase of 5 SEK/MWh to increase the forest residue harvests at a final felling. Since 1 ton of forest fuels corresponds to 2-4 MWh, the price of forest fuel is equal to 120-240 SEK/ton and the price increase of 5 SEK/MWh equals a price increase of 10-20 SEK/ton. The results also show that just over 25 percent want a price increase of at least 20 SEK/MWh to increase the harvest, at the same time more than 25 percent consider it profitable to harvest forest residues on land planted with spruce and land planted with other species. More than 70 percent believe that they need to gain more knowledge about forest residues, at the same time over 85 percent of respondents consider themselves well knowledgeable about silviculture and forest management which indicates that information about the possibilities and effects of forest residue harvest is an important factor in influencing forest owners and their choice of forest residue harvest. The most common reasons why forest owners do not take out forest residues is lack of knowledge about forest residue harvest, they have not known that the possibility exists, poor profitability, the forest owners want the branches in the forest for good stability and drivability on the land, nutritional loss and because the income from forest residue harvest does not cover the cost for the nutritional loss that occurs in the soil and the reduced forest production that gives rise to

1918-06-10, Anna to Robert

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/lindstadt_brothers_collection/1035/thumbnail.jp

1918-06-14, Anna to Robert

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/lindstadt_brothers_collection/1037/thumbnail.jp

Popular culture and the ’darker side’ of alternative spirituality: the case of metal music

Metal is perhaps the most extreme and aggressive form of contemporary Western popular music. Even though it continues to spark controversy and debate, it has also enjoyed enduring popularity for decades and has spread on a global scale. Metal music and culture has always been characterized by its fascination for dark and austere themes and imagery. Commonly dealing with topics such as evil, death, war, alienation and suffering, metal groups have traditionally found much inspiration in the world of religion, particularly Judeo-Christian eschatology and apocalypticism, different forms of paganism, occultism, esotericism and, last but not least, Satanism. These kinds of religious/spiritual themes have arguably developed into an integral part of metal culture on the whole. They contribute significantly to investing metal music and culture with an apparent aura of sincerity and mystique as well as to raising its shock and entertainment value. At the same time, metal culture is also marked by its high degree of humour and self-irony, its fondness for exaggeration, spectacle and over-the-top theatrics. Even so, metal stands out as a global popular music culture replete with various kinds of often dark and austere religious and spiritual themes, many of which stand in stark contrast to Christianity. Seen in the wider context of the changing face of religion in the West and the increasingly important role played by popular culture in the transformation of religious and spiritual identities, metal has come to play an important role in the dissemination of a wide variety of ‘dark’ alternative religious/spiritual beliefs and ideas. This article sheds further light on this issue through focusing on some contemporary and successful metal groups from the Nordic countries. In relation to this, attention is also drawn to some of the ways in which dark alternative religious/spiritual ideas may be viewed as having become an inseparable part of some sections of metal culture as they have become actively and consciously explored, and sometimes explicitly pro­moted, by the well known contemporary metal groups discussed in this article