The Joint Vienna Institute

"How does the intellectual role played by international training organisations fit into the contemporary architecture of global governance? The international diffusion of economic policy ideas represents one of the core dimensions of contemporary global governance, which has generated heated controversy in recent years with international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank castigated for championing a ‘one-size-fits-all’ brand of neoliberal economic reform. Yet while substantial scholarly attention has focused on analysing the effects of the formal compliance mechanisms that the IMF and the World Bank rely on to implement neoliberal policy changes in borrowing countries, such as loan conditionality, less attention has been devoted to exploring the intermediate avenues through which neoliberal ideas travel from global governance institutions to national governance contexts. This article aims to address this gap in the study of contemporary global governance and neoliberal policy diffusion through critically examining the evolving role of the Joint Vienna Institute (JVI), an international training organisation set up after the end of the Cold War to transmit global ‘best practice’ economic policy ideas to national officials in post-communist economies.

A Definition of STS Accommodations for Attached Payloads

An input to a study conducted to define a set of carrier avionics for supporting large structures experiments attached to the Space Shuttle Orbiter is reported. The "baseline" Orbier interface used in developing the avionics concept for the Space Technology Experiments Platform, STEP, which Langley Research Center has proposed for supporting experiments of this sort is defined. Primarily, flight operations capabilities and considerations and the avionics systems capabilities that are available to a payload as a "mixed cargo" user of the Space Transportation System are addressed. Ground operations for payload integration at Kennedy Space Center, and ground operations for payload support during the mission are also discussed

Exploring Low Brass Recording Techniques

The modern day art and science of music recording evolved through a constant process of trial and error. Although many of these techniques are well-documented and commonplace in modern recording studios, most of them are generalized recording techniques used in the popular and classical music industries. Among these techniques, there is an observable lack of recognized standards for the recording of low brass instruments. This project aims to articulate quality techniques for low brass recording through research in early recording techniques and through an experimental study comparing many popular stereophonic microphone techniques. Although testing every low brass instrument would give very specific tendencies, a more general representation was presented by recording solo euphonium

Observation of Entanglement-Dependent Two-Particle Holonomic Phase

Holonomic phases---geometric and topological---have long been an intriguing aspect of physics. They are ubiquitous, ranging from observations in particle physics to applications in fault tolerant quantum computing. However, their exploration in particles sharing genuine quantum correlations lack in observations. Here we experimentally demonstrate the holonomic phase of two entangled-photons evolving locally, which nevertheless gives rise to an entanglement-dependent phase. We observe its transition from geometric to topological as the entanglement between the particles is tuned from zero to maximal, and find this phase to behave more resilient to evolution changes with increasing entanglement. Furthermore, we theoretically show that holonomic phases can directly quantify the amount of quantum correlations between the two particles. Our results open up a new avenue for observations of holonomic phenomena in multi-particle entangled quantum systems.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Correspondence: Form Letter from Paul A. Broome to Everett W. Jones, Thomas B. Turner, Anthony J.J. Rourke, Edgar B. Haire, 1969-05-07

A letter to financial donors to the Duval Medical Center. It details what their donations go to and how the hospital uses their fund

Filling Gaps in the Schoolhouse Floor: The Differential Effects of Graduation-Targeted Intervention Services on 11th Grade Academic Achievement in 2008-2009

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of graduation coach services in reducing student risk factors for dropping out of high school and increasing student academic performance, a strong correlate of student persistence to high school graduation (Battin-Pearson et al., 2000). The study employed a quasiexperimental nonequivalent control group design utilizing student risk ratio and individualized Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) scores in English/language arts and mathematics as measures to compare students who received the services of a graduation coach to those who did not. The sample for this study included 39,326 Georgia students continuously enrolled in the 11th grade during the 2008 – 2009 school year and characterized as at risk for high school noncompletion by virtue of possessing a student risk ratio greater than zero. Of these students, 9,076 (23.08%) were selected as caseload students to receive the intervention and support services of a graduation coach (GaDOE, 2009c). To assess the differential effects of graduation coach services on student risk ratio across school improvement regions, gender, and ethnicity, the researcher conducted a series of general linear model (GLM) multivariate repeated measures analyses. Risk ratios for students served by a graduation coach were found to be significantly lower in May 2009 than in August 2008. Differences in student risk ratios existed regionally across the state regardless of graduation coach caseload status. While analyses related to the differential effects of graduation coach service provision revealed no significant difference in the student risk ratio metric according to gender, they did reflect a significant difference in the student risk ratio metric according to graduation coach caseload status and ethnicity. Regression analyses determined that student risk ratio may account for 12.5 percent of the variance in student GHSGT mathematics scores and 9.6 percent of the variance in student GHSGT English/language arts scores for first-time 11th graders. Adding student caseload status into the equation increases the variance accounted for to 12.9 percent in mathematics and 10.4 percent in English/language arts

Improving Transfer of Learning Through Analogical Thinking

This project focused on developing a method for teaching creative thinking tools in ways that enable learning transfer. In the process of defining and identifying stimulants and obstacles for learning transfer, the literature revealed that analogical thinking, a long-standing creative thinking mechanism, is analogous to learning transfer. Many cognitive psychology researchers suggest that since humans can only describe new concepts in terms of things that are already understood, analogical thinking is the basis for all learning. “It is not our senses that limit or liberate us, but our ability to illuminate the unknown by means of analogies to the known. Learning itself depends on analogizing.” (Root-Bernstein & Root-Bernstein, 1999, p.142). A review of the literature on analogical thinking revealed common process steps for using analogical models in teaching. Accelerated learning concepts and components of the Torrance Incubation Model are used to outline a module for teaching analogical thinking. The use of concept maps for the structure mapping step of analogical thinking is recommended

Space shuttle engineering and operations support. Avionics system engineering

The shuttle avionics integration laboratory (SAIL) requirements for supporting the Spacelab/orbiter avionics verification process are defined. The principal topics are a Spacelab avionics hardware assessment, test operations center/electronic systems test laboratory (TOC/ESL) data processing requirements definition, SAIL (Building 16) payload accommodations study, and projected funding and test scheduling. Because of the complex nature of the Spacelab/orbiter computer systems, the PCM data link, and the high rate digital data system hardware/software relationships, early avionics interface verification is required. The SAIL is a prime candidate test location to accomplish this early avionics verification

Are there functional consequences of a reduction in selenium intake in UK subjects?

Dietary Se levels in the UK have fallen over the last 20 years and recent surveys indicate that average Se intakes are 30-40 microg/d, which is well below the current UK reference nutrient intake for adult men (75 microg/d) or women (60 microg/d). Functional consequences of this decline have not been recognised, although epidemiological data suggest it may contribute to increased risk of infections and incidence of some cancers. Previous data have indicated that biochemical changes in Se-dependent proteins occur in otherwise healthy UK subjects given small Se supplements. The current studies have focused on the effect of small Se supplements on the immune response since there is evidence of specific interactions between Se intake and viral replication, and since the potential anti-cancer effects of Se may be mediated by non-antioxidant effects of Se such as changes in immune function. Data indicate that subjects given small Se supplements (50 or 100 microg Se/d) have changes in the activity of Se-dependent enzymes and evidence of improved immune function and clearance of an administered live attenuated virus in the form of poliovirus vaccine. Responses of individual subjects to Se supplements are variable, and current work is evaluating potential explanations for this variability, including genetic variability and pre-existing Se status

Changes in the impact and control of the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) as determined from regional surveys in Great Britain

Mayle, B., Broome, A