The Accountability and Independence of the Auditors-General of Australia: A Comparison of their Enabling Legislation

This paper compares the enabling legislation of the nine auditors-general of Australia from perspectives of public-sector accountability and auditor independence. Following on from the Joint Committee of Public Accounts (JCPA) 1989 and 1996 reports, and in particular English and Guthrie (2000), this study finds general similarities in the enabling legislation for all auditors-general, and striking similarities between the legislation of the commonwealth and Victoria. The policy implications of this study's findings are that for all auditors-general provisions in their enabling legislation could be further strengthened

La nascita e lo sviluppo del nesso tryphé-decadenza nella storiografia ellenistica

In the 4th century BC Greek historiography abandons the monographic genre to propose a general interpretation of history: a possible interpretative key is that of tryphé, excessive luxury that corrupts and leads to an unstoppable decadence cities, peoples and states. The first theoretical elaboration of the tryphé-decadence nexus occurs in the historiographical work of Ephorus of Cyme and Timaeus of Tauromenium. In later Greek historiography, however, the concept of tryphé remains in most cases connected to a moral judgment, without becoming a true criterion of historical interpretation. And if in this sense it has been too often interpreted by the moderns, this is probably due to the influence on them exerted by the Roman historiography. In it the equivalent of tryphé can be considered the luxuria, understood as corrupting luxury, which since the 2nd century BC would lead to a progressive weakening of Rome and that in the historiographic production sees an insistent connection between the social ethics, precisely corrupt, and the political decadence

Capillaroscopy Opens A Window to Look Inside

In 2013 the power of the non-invasive nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) technique, has been recognized for the early diagnosis of the scleroderma spectrum diseases, its predictivity and prognostic value, as well as its role as a tool for the therapeutic follow up. After more than 30 years of intensive investigation, capillaroscopy is now officially considered by the EULAR and ACR guidelines as both an essential and mandatory diagnostic tool for the classification criteria of systemic sclerosis. ACR/EULAR stated in the 2013 guidelines for classification criteria of systemic sclerosis (SSc):"Capillaroscopy is now widely used, and considering the value of magnified nailfold visualization in the diagnosis and management of SSc, these new criteria may encourage acquisition of this skill by physicians caring for SSc patients" [2]

Decreto onorifico ateniese per alcuni esuli acarnani

The decree, dating to the summer of 337 B.C., establishes on the one hand the granting of gold crowns and citizenship to two Akarnanians brothers, Phormion and Karphinas, commanders of an Akarnanian military contingent that apparently supported Athens in the battle of Chaironeia, on the other the recognition of a series of honours to the Akarnanians who followed them and constituted evidently the nerve of this contingent. The honorary decree is extremely interesting for the reconstruction of the Athenian situation immediately after the battle of Chaironeia, when Athens – apparently pro-Macedonian – seemed to carry on its resistance against Philip II by granting asylum to those who had supported the city in the military clash against Macedonia and were persecuted for this reason. The decree, then, explicitly remembers that the grandfather of the two honorands, Phormion, had in turn been beneficiary in 400 BC ca. of the granting of Athenian citizenship: the mention of this previous action creates a strong link, with evident propagandistic implications, between the moments following the battle of Chaironeia and those following the end of the Peloponnesian war. Finally, the decree may also be considered as a valid source for the study of the concession of the isoteleia, in this specific case granted in its widest form (exemption from the metoikion, right of enktesis, guarantee of legal protections, right to pay eisphorai with citizens) and not to individuals, but to a group of political exiles

Production and management of Energy; the interdisciplinary approach of ENEA to Concentrated Solar Power

Clean and efficient energy generation by environmental friendly methods and technologies is now one of the major challenges worldwide. New and heterogeneous methods to produce energy pose the challenge of how to guarantee energy security, storage of exceeding production and distribution. In addition to that, the exploitation of next generation energy sources must consider the impact it may have on other productive systems and on rural areas (e.g. solar vs agriculture, biomass vs food production). ENEA has got and follows an interdisciplinary approach to "challenge the challenge" of a sustainable energy production, merging together materials science, agronomy and biotechnology, solar energy studies, energy efficiency management and more, in collaboration with industries and often in collaboration with the other stakeholders in the Mediterranean area. This paper describes the state of the art technology and how concentrating solar power (CSP) technology could be modulated to meet different energy needs, both spatial needs (e.g. off grid use vs dispatchability) and temporal needs (day vs night and energy on demand)

Osteoporosis, inflammation and ageing

Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by low bone mass and increased bone fragility, putting patients at risk of fractures, which are major causes of morbidity substantially in older people. Osteoporosis is currently attributed to various endocrine, metabolic and mechanical factors. However, emerging clinical and molecular evidence suggests that inflammation also exerts significant influence on bone turnover, inducing osteoporosis. Numerous proinflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the regulation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and a shift towards an activated immune profile has been hypothesized as important risk factor. Chronic inflammation and the immune system remodelling characteristic of ageing, as well as of other pathological conditions commonly associated with osteoporosis, may be determinant pathogenetic factors. The present article will review the current perspectives on the interaction between bone and immune system in the elderly, providing an interpretation of osteoporosis in the light of inflamm-ageing

Locais de Crime: dos vestígios à dinâmica criminosa, de Jesus Antonio Velho et al. Campinas: Millennium Editora, 2013, 574 pp.

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Reflections on the future of research, development and innovation in Colombia

Colombia is going through a moment of historical change. After four years of formal peace negotiations and the signing of a peace agreement with the FARC in November 2016, the country is set to enter an era of increased stability. In this perspective, the Colombian government should concentrate its effort to respond to societal challenges by improving infrastructure, promoting social inclusion and a sustainable use of natural resources. However, while it is acknowledged that greater investments in science and technology could foster economic growth and development and respond to societal needs, Colombia is still lagging behind. Greater investment in science and technology with a long-term perspective should support the country’s efforts for growth and development. Furthermore, considering Colombia´s great diversity in terms of population, topography and societal needs, it appears reductive to apply a ‘one size fits all’ solution. This article presents some reflections on how strengthening the capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs) for research and internationalization and strengthening the link between knowledge, practice and policy would contribute to more and better research, development and innovation in Colombia

Displacement and emission currents from PLZT 8/65/35 and 4/95/5 excited by a negative voltage pulse at the rear electrode

It is shown that non-prepoled PLZT ceramics, both in ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phase, emit intense current bursts when a negative exciting voltage is applied to the rear surface of the cathode. The spontaneous polarization induced in the bulk by applying the field through the cathode disk, creates a sheet of negative charge on the diode boundary of the ferroelectric. This, in turn, induces such a high electric field at the diode dielectric surface that electrons are ejected out from the ceramic surface into the vacuum. The coherent behaviour of the displacement and emitted current shows clearly that the emission is due to a variation of spontaneous polarization. A second effect generated by the application of the high voltage pulse at the rear side is the formation of a surface plasma. Applying a positive voltage to the anode, electrons are readily transferred through the diode gap