Foreword

This report provides a study and a simulation of a feasible system configuration for the implementation of a Stirling engine for electrification of rural areas in Bolivia. The aim of the review is to determine if a hybrid system combining a biomass-fired Stirling engine and photovoltaic technology may respond to a basic electricity need. An introductory literature study about the Stirling engine technology and the energy resources and characteristics of Bolivia leads to a further proposal of the selected system for rural electrification. The chosen Stirling engine for this study is a 3 kW electric output engine combined with a PV array of 0.9 kW and a battery bank with a capacity of 1200 Ah. The power demand that must be satisfied is based on a rural village in the department of Beni with an amount of 24 households. The simulation is performed in the software Homer Energy where an energy balance between the generated power and the demand can be analysed in order to optimise the power generation strategy. Two scenarios are simulated with monthly demands of 45 and 60 kWh per household. Results from the study indicate that the decision on the size of the Stirling engine must be attached to the demand that is going to satisfy in order to avoid insufficient or excessive power production. In addition, although the PV technology allows an increase on the power demand that the system can handle and makes it more flexible, its contribution is not of the same order of the Stirling engine. The described system configuration is able to attend a demand up to 55 kWh/day and a peak power of 3.8 kW. In conclusion, Stirling engines have the potential to become a good solution for rural electrification, especially when making use of CHP strategies to increase the overall efficiency of the energy generation and fulfil both the electric and thermal demands of rural populations.

The Hague Conference and the Main Issues of Private International Law for the Eighties

The Hague Conference on Private International Law has attempted, since its revitalization in the 1950, to unify the rules of private international law. The efforts of the Conference have in the past centered around the fields of civil procedure, conflict of laws, the international sale of goods, products liability and international family law. Messrs. Droz and Dyer review the history of the achievements of the Conference in these fields and reflect on the problems and opportunities the Conference will encounter in the 1980 s

The Hague Conference and the Main Issues of Private International Law for the Eighties

The Hague Conference on Private International Law has attempted, since its revitalization in the 1950, to unify the rules of private international law. The efforts of the Conference have in the past centered around the fields of civil procedure, conflict of laws, the international sale of goods, products liability and international family law. Messrs. Droz and Dyer review the history of the achievements of the Conference in these fields and reflect on the problems and opportunities the Conference will encounter in the 1980 s

Learning Sequences: Their Existence, Effect, and Evolution

Much is known about the importance of learning and some of the distinct learning processes that organizations use (e.g., trial-and-error learning, vicarious learning, experimental learning, and improvisational learning). Yet surprisingly little is known about whether these processes combine over time in ordered ways, because most research on learning explores one particular process. Using theory elaboration and theory-building methods and data on the accumulated country entries of entrepreneurial firms, we address this gap. Our core contribution is an emergent theoretical framework that develops the concept of learning sequences. We find that learning sequences exist and are influenced by initial conditions. We also find that learning sequences evolve in fundamentally distinct ways over time and with repeated use. Finally, data show how different learning sequences differentially affect both shorter- and longer-term performance, suggesting that it matters which learning processes are used and when. Overall, our findings on learning sequences have important implications for learning theory, international entrepreneurship, and the growing literature on process management

Protecting the right to multicultural education

El artículo presenta los problemas existentes para garantizar el derecho del niño a una educación multicultural en aquellos casos en que los padres, por diversas razones, viven en regiones diferentes de un mismo país o en diferentes países. El autor analiza la legislación internacional centrándose en el «Convenio de la Haya sobre los aspectos civiles del secuestro internacional de menores», el «Convenio del Consejo de Europa relativo al reconocimiento y la ejecución de decisiones en materia de custodia de menores, así como el restablecimiento de dicha custodia» y, por último, el «Convenio inter-Americano sobre el retorno internacional de menores». Estos tratados pretenden homogeneizar los criterios que han de prevalecer al defender el «interés superior del niño» entre diversos países. Es preciso regular las visitas del menor a uno de sus padres de modo que sean ocasiones propicias para conocer otra cultura, tal y como propone el apartado c) de la Convención de los Derechos del Niño. Esto requiere, por un lado, garantizar el regreso del niño al país donde está viviendo para impedir la práctica del «secuestro internacional de menores», así como extender la figura jurídica del «mediador» o «árbitro» -ya existente en algunos países- que evite la creación intencionada de actitudes negativas del niño hacia una de esas culturas. Un caso particular de este problema lo constituyen las adopciones de niños de otros países. En algunos países ya se requiere que los futuros padres adoptivos pasen un cierto tiempo en la cultura de origen del niño. Sin embargo, sigue siendo difícil resolver en estas situaciones el equilibrio cultural demandado en el artículo 29.1.c) de la Convención