Multilateral negotiations over climate change policy

Negotiations in the real world have many features which tend to be ignored inpolicy modeling. They are often multilateral, involving many negotiating parties with preferences over outcomes that can differ substantially. They are also often multi-dimensional,in the sense that several policies are negotiated over simultaneously. Trade negotiations are a prime example, as are negotiations over environmental policies toabate carbon dioxide. We demonstrate how one can formally model this type of negotiation process. We use a policy-oriented computable general equilibrium model to generate preference functions which are then used in a formal multilateral bargaining game. The case study is to climate change policy, but the main contribution is to demonstrate how one can integrate formal economic models of the impacts of policies with formal bargaining models of the negotiations over those policies.CGE, bilateral bargaining, CO2, Climate Change

BRAZIL'S NEW FLOATING EXCHANGE RATE REGIME AND COMPETITIVENESS IN THE WORLD POULTRY MARKET

In early 1999, Brazil devalued its currency, increasing its competitiveness in the poultry industry and capturing world market share. This paper discusses the devaluation and its effects on Brazil's trade, evaluates preliminary statistics on the impact of the devaluation on world poultry markets, and reports the results from a computable general equilibrium (CGE) simulation of the devaluation. The medium-run CGE results are compared to the short-run impacts reflected in the preliminary statistics.International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

Missing Power vs low-l Alignments in the Cosmic Microwave Background: No Correlation in the Standard Cosmological Model

On large angular scales (greater than about 60 degrees), the two-point angular correlation function of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), as measured (outside of the plane of the Galaxy) by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, shows significantly lower large-angle correlations than expected from the standard inflationary cosmological model. Furthermore, when derived from the full CMB sky, the two lowest cosmologically interesting multipoles, the quadrupole (l=2) and the octopole (l=3), are unexpectedly aligned with each other. Using randomly generated full-sky and cut-sky maps, we investigate whether these anomalies are correlated at a statistically significant level. We conclusively demonstrate that, assuming Gaussian random and statistically isotropic CMB anisotropies, there is no statistically significant correlation between the missing power on large angular scales in the CMB and the alignment of the l=2 and l=3 multipoles. The chance to measure the sky with both such a lack of large-angle correlation and such an alignment of the low multipoles is thus quantified to be below 10^{-6}.Comment: 4 Pages, 1 Figur

Using and integration of ICT in a diverse educational context of Santander (Colombia)

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the academic context caused a change in the way teaching and learning is carried out. It also broadened the usually formal educational contexts and the way these are accessed. Nonetheless, gaps can still be found concerning the inequality in the access to ICT resources and tools and, therefore, in the universal access to knowledge and education. This paper studies the use and integration of ICT through students’ perceptions from the educational centers of the municipality of San Juan Girón (Santander, Colombia). The population is composed of 208 participants with ages ranging between 12 and 18, 59% female and 41% male. Statistically significant results were obtained concerning the use of school-owned resources and teaching methodologies. One of the most outstanding results shows the population analyzed needs to apply a new teaching methodology to promote the integration of the ICT in the classrooms in a more suitable and coherent way. Moreover, training processes and pedagogical updating are required to motivate a curricular change considering rhythms, forms, quality and different learning styles in the municipality of San Juan GirónPeer Reviewe

The Virtues of Frugality - Why cosmological observers should release their data slowly

Cosmologists will soon be in a unique position. Observational noise will gradually be replaced by cosmic variance as the dominant source of uncertainty in an increasing number of observations. We reflect on the ramifications for the discovery and verification of new models. If there are features in the full data set that call for a new model, there will be no subsequent observations to test that model's predictions. We give specific examples of the problem by discussing the pitfalls of model discovery by prior adjustment in the context of dark energy models and inflationary theories. We show how the gradual release of data can mitigate this difficulty, allowing anomalies to be identified, and new models to be proposed and tested. We advocate that observers plan for the frugal release of data from future cosmic variance limited observations.Comment: 5 pages, expanded discussion of Lambda and of blind anlysis, added refs. Matches version to appear in MNRAS Letter

A retrospective study on the radiographic evaluation of the tibial component alignment in total knee arthroplasty and its postoperative significance

BACKGROUND: The goal of tibial component positioning in total knee arthroplasty is to achieve neutral tibial alignment. Malalignment of the tibial component alters the distribution of tibial loading, resulting in increased wear. The purpose of this study was to correlate two radiological parameters (mechanical and anatomical axis) of the tibial component in total knee arthroplasty with patient related outcome measures at 5 years.METHOD: 91 primary total knee arthroplasties were considered in this study. Tibial component alignment was assessed using post op radiographs. All x-rays were taken immediately post operatively. The Oxford Knee Score was used to quantify the patient’s pain and function following the total knee arthroplasty. Patient follow up at Orthopaedic outpatients and date of discharge were also considered. The radiographic outcome was then correlated with the patient reported outcome over 5 years. Correlation was measured using either the parametric Pearson correlation coefficient (testing for a linear correlation) and its non-parametric counterpart; the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.RESULTS: There is a very weak correlation between the Oxford Knee Score and the varus angle of deviation. The correlation is stronger in the valgus position, but still not statistically significant. There is also a weak negative correlation between the angle of deviation and the number of follow ups at Orthopaedic outpatients.CONCLUSION: From our study, we can conclude that an angle of deviation of £ 6o in both varus and valgus did not have a negative prognostic effect on patient outcome.peer-reviewe

Empowering Students’ Learning Achievement Through Project-Based Learning As Perceived By Electrical Instructors And Students

Purposes of this research were to find out factors empowering electrical students‘ learning achievement through Project-Based Learning (PBL) as perceived by instructors‘ and students‘ opinions. The sample chosen for this study were 247 electrical power instructors at vocational education institutes and 161 electrical students in the 3 rd and 4th year who were studying in the 1st semester of academic year 2006 at Electrical Education Department, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut‘s University of Technology Thonburi by using simple random sampling. The instrument used for data collection was 7 rating scales questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument calculated by Cronbach Alpha Coefficient was 0.8185 and 0.9839, respectively. The data were analysed by using mean ( ), Standard Deviation (S.D.) and Analysis of Factors by Principal Component Analysis technique: PCA, orthogonal rotation axis by Varimax Method. The results of the study on factors empowering electrical students‘ learning achievement through Project-Based Learning (PBL) were as follows: both instructors and students agreed on Interesting/Attention(0.799 and 0.885, respectively) while other factors such as Planning(0.722), Sharing Ideas(0.582), Thinking(0.576), Facilitating (0.547), Constructionism (0.540), Scientific Process (0.525), Multiple Intelligence (0.479), and Goal Setting(0.453) were perceived by instructors, and students‘ opinions were on Advising/Guiding(0.863), Thinking(0.661), Goal Setting (0.634), Multiple Intelligence(0.553), Scientific Process(0.528), Assisting(0.524), and Sharing Ideas (0.492), if not more so

Bias in low‐multipole cosmic microwave background reconstructions

The large‐angle, low‐multipole cosmic microwave background (CMB) provides a unique view of the largest angular scales in the Universe. Study of these scales is hampered by the facts that we have only one Universe to observe, only a few independent samples of the underlying statistical distribution of these modes, and an incomplete sky to observe due to the interposing Galaxy. Techniques for reconstructing a full sky from partial‐sky data are well known and have been applied to the large angular scales. In this work, we critically study the reconstruction process and show that, in practice, the reconstruction is biased due to leakage of information from the region obscured by foregrounds to the region used for the reconstruction. We conclude that, despite being suboptimal in a technical sense, using the unobscured region without reconstructing is the most robust measure of the true CMB sky. We also show that for noise‐free data reconstructing using the usual optimal, unbiased estimator may be employed without smoothing, thus avoiding the leakage problem. Unfortunately, directly applying this to real data with noise and residual, unmasked foregrounds yields highly biased reconstructions requiring further care to apply this method successfully to the real‐world CMB.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88089/1/j.1365-2966.2011.19511.x.pd

Coronary flow velocity reserve after percutaneous interventions is predictive of periprocedural outcome

BACKGROUND: Because heterogeneous results have been reported, we assessed coronary flow velocity changes in individuals who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and examined their impact on clinical outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: As part of the Doppler Endpoints Balloon Angioplasty Trial Europe (DEBATE) II study, 379 patients underwent Doppler flow-guided angioplasty. All patients were evaluated according to their coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) results (> or =2.5 or < 2.5) at the end of the procedure. A CFVR < 2.5 after angioplasty was associated with an elevated baseline blood flow velocity in both the target artery and reference artery. CFVR before PTCA and CFVR in the reference artery were independent predictors of an optimal CFVR after balloon angioplasty (CFVR before PTCA: odds ratio [OR], 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57 to 3.24; CFVR in reference artery: OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.98; both P<0.001) and stent implantation (before PTCA: OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.47 to 4.36; reference artery: OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.07 to 3.87; both P<0.05). A low CFVR at the end of the procedure was an independent p