Free entry in infrastructure

With a policy of free entry, individuals, firms, or community groups who wish to supply power, water, and sanitation services can do so with minimal legal restrictions. Free entry is the opposite of"exclusivity"or"legal monopoly". Free entry is allowed in most industries, but governments usually allow only one provider of power, water, and sanitation in any given area. This is supposed to prevent wasteful duplication and ensure a supply of essential services to poor and marginal areas. But monopoly water and power utilities often operate at high cost, lack funds to invest, and provide low-quality, unreliable service. Worse, poor and marginal areas are often unserved. When the monopoly model doesn't work, it is time to look at alternatives. The authors provide examples of alternative solutions in developing countries: *In Karachi, Pakistan, the Orangi Pilot Project provides sanitation in an unplanned settlement. Roughly 800,000 working class people lived in an area where sanitary conditions were medievaland a long-hoped-for sewerage system never came. Starting in 1980, a charitable group developed a low-cost approach to piped sanitation, explained the technology to the community, and catalyzed community action. Householders and neighborhoods funded the construction of household pourflush latrines and sewerage lines. * In Paraguay, 300 to 400 private individuals and aguateros supply good quality piped water to areas unserved by the public water company. Unlike the public company, the aguateros allow payment of connection fees on installment, making it easier for low-income consumers to connect. * In Yemen, small-scale electricity providers innovatively meet the rural and village demand for electricity that the public utility does not meet. These entrants seldom duplicate investments, although some government intervention to ensure interconnection could improve efficiency. Limitations on entry may sometimes be justified for environmental reasons or to promote private sector investment, but those cases are rare. Legalizing alternative providers will allow them to expand and meet new needs. Limits on their entry may be needed sometimes, but limits should be the exception, not the rule, the authors argue. Generally, free entry should be allowed in power, water, and sanitation.Health Economics&Finance,Decentralization,Water and Industry,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Town Water Supply and Sanitation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Water and Industry,Economic Theory&Research

Signalling, cell cycle and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells

International audienc

A problem structuring method for ecosystem-based management : the DPSIR modelling process

The purpose of this paper is to learn from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory to inform the development of Problem Structuring Methods (PSMs) both in general and in the specific context of marine management. The focus on marine management is important because it is concerned with a CAS (formed through the interconnection between natural systems, designed systems and social systems) which exemplifies their particularly ‘wicked' nature. Recognition of this compels us to take seriously the need to develop tools for knowledge elicitation and structuring which meet the demands of CAS. In marine management, chief among those tools is the DPSIR (Drivers - Pressures - State Changes - Impacts - Responses) model and, although widely applied, the extent to which it is appropriate for dealing with the demands of a CAS is questionable. Such questioning is particularly pertinent in the context of the marine environment where there is a need to not only recognise a broad range of stakeholders (a question of boundary critique) but also to manage competing knowledge (economic, local and scientific) and value claims. Hence this paper emphasises how a CAS perspective might add impetus to the development of a critical perspective on DPSIR and PSM theory and practice to promote a more systemic view of decision-making and policy development

Summary of Research Findings From AIIA/UTS Innovation Online Survey

The main research objective was to explore the innovation culture of organisations from the perspective of their employees and competitors. Measuring these two factors has demonstrated a strong correlation between the organisation’s ability to establish a successful innovation culture, and gaining competitive advantage and financial success. In Q4 2013, UTS academics designed an online survey that would be sent to the AIIA commercial members’ executives. We received 244 responses from 102 organisations. In addition, each respondent was asked to nominate the top three most innovative organisations, listing the reasons why they were the best, and comparing their own organisations with those factors. When the survey results were analysed, percentage ratings were compared for various segments. A 5% - 9% difference was deemed to be significant, and a 10%+ difference was deemed major. Our research partner was Aon Hewitt, currently global leaders in human capital consulting and outsourcing solutions. Their database was invaluable to our project

System and method for the adaptive mapping of matrix data to sets of polygons

A system and method for converting bitmapped data, for example, weather data or thermal imaging data, to polygons is disclosed. The conversion of the data into polygons creates smaller data files. The invention is adaptive in that it allows for a variable degree of fidelity of the polygons. Matrix data is obtained. A color value is obtained. The color value is a variable used in the creation of the polygons. A list of cells to check is determined based on the color value. The list of cells to check is examined in order to determine a boundary list. The boundary list is then examined to determine vertices. The determination of the vertices is based on a prescribed maximum distance. When drawn, the ordered list of vertices create polygons which depict the cell data. The data files which include the vertices for the polygons are much smaller than the corresponding cell data files. The fidelity of the polygon representation can be adjusted by repeating the logic with varying fidelity values to achieve a given maximum file size or a maximum number of vertices per polygon

Mass mortalities in bivalve populations: A review of the edible cockle Cerastoderma edule (L.)

Mass mortalities in bivalve populations have long been of particular concern, especially when the species supports a commercial fishery or is of conservation interest. Here we consider the evidence of mass mortalities of the edible cockle, Cerastoderma edule (L.). Through the construction of a conceptual model eight potential factors (or groups of factors) which may cause mass mortalities are identified and reviewed. These include: food limitation; density; oxygen depletion and organic loadings; temperature and salinity; parasites, pathogens and commensals; toxicants and other persistent pollutants; predation, and changes in sediment, suspended solids, topography and bathymetry. The interplay between factors in recognized and discussed based on evidence mainly from the published literature relating to temperate edible cockle beds. Anecdotal evidence is also reported from a structured survey of site-specific evidence provided by fisheries managers in England and Wales. Case studies from the UK and Europe indicate that there is often no single, clear generic cause of mass mortalities in cockle populations. The importance of linked site-specific scientific investigations and laboratory-based experiments to fill the gaps in our current understanding of mass mortalities in bivalve species is highlighted as necessary to take account of both local extrinsic and intrinsic factors

Management of the marine environment: Integrating ecosystem services and societal benefits with the DPSIR framework in a systems approach

Ever increasing and diverse use of the marine environment is leading to human-induced changes in marine life, habitats and landscapes, making necessary the development of marine policy that considers all members of the user community and addresses current, multiple, interacting uses. Taking a systems approach incorporating an understanding of The Ecosystem Approach, we integrate the DPSIR framework with ecosystem services and societal benefits, and the focus this gives allows us to create a specific framework for supporting decision making in the marine environment. Based on a linking of these three concepts, we present a set of basic postulates for the management of the marine environment and emphasise that these postulates should hold for marine management to be achieved. We illustrate these concepts using two case studies: the management of marine aggregates extraction in UK waters and the management of marine biodiversity at Flamborough Head, UK. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A study of the literary theories and art criticism of Emile Zola and Joris-Karl Huysmans

An examination is made in this dissertation, of the art criticism of Zola and Huysmans. Chapter One provides a biographical framework; this is based mainly on correspondence between Zola and Huysmans. Chapter Two contains an expose of Zola's literary theory, with especial reference to Le Roman experimental, and includes a discussion of realism and Naturalism making reference to the writings of Balzac, Flaubert and Goneourt. The particular characteristics of Zola's literary theory are pointed out: his insistence upon truth and the author's individuality; this is paralleled in his art criticism, as Chapter Four illustrates. Chapter Three examines Huysmans' literary theory with reference to his novels and the differences between Huysmans' Naturalism and Zola's. The increasing importance of the spiritual element, yet continued adherence to Naturalist practice is illustrated. Chapter Four begins with a description of the world of the arts in Paris when Zola wrote his "Salons". This is followed by an account of Zola's relationships with Independent painters of his time. Finally an examination of Zola's writings on art is made, and the formula by which he expressed his art theory is discussed: "Une ce uvre d'art est un coin de l a creation vu a. travers un temperament. The qualities Zola admired in a painter (and which reflected characteristics of his own writing) are observed: the vigour and solidity of Courbet, the sincerity of Manet and the Impressionists. It is further observed that the avant-garde realist painters appealed to a democratic sense in Zola, although his views on the technique of painting, essentially conservative, could not fully embrace the Impressionists' avant-garde technique. Chapter Five follows a similar pattern to the previous chapter and contains a discussion of Huysmans' writings on art, commenting on his acumen and objectivity as critic in appreciating the work of Impressionists, Cezanne, Gauguin and others. The increasing subjectivity, however, and preoccupation with spiritual rather than artistic matters parallels the development in his novel-writing, as illustrated in Chapter Three. In conclusion, an assessment is attempted of the critical writings on art of Zola and Huysmans