The global human security index: Can disaggregations help us to forge progress?

A Human Security Index (HIS) enumerating 200 countries was introduced in 2008. A community-level HSI is under development in the USA. Coastal communities face large disparities in components of human security. How can a HSI support improved policies/services (such as environmental or public health forecasts or warnings) for improving lives? Several issues are discussed. (PDF contains 4 pages

A Method Providing Live Skippable Advertisements

A system and method are disclosed that provide live skippable video advertisements during ad breaks. The system includes a server that allows selection of ads to display from a video pod or carousel. The method may run on the advertisement server to display advertisements from the carousel during an advertisement break, while allowing the viewer the option to skip an advertisement. The algorithm selects advertisements to fit the available time slot. When the user decides to skip an ad, the system selects another advertisement that would fit the time available. After the current ad runs out, the system continues displaying advertisements until the ad break ends. If the time slot is underfilled by a few seconds, the system displays a publisher-specific static image (or black screen) until the live stream resumes. The disclosed method improves user experience by increasing engagement in the rapidly growing area of live video ads

Part I N-acylindole 2+2 Photocycloaddition Reactions Part Ii Enone 2+2 Photocycloaddition Reactions

Part I. Ultra-violet irradiation of N-acylindoles in the presence of alkenes results in the formation of 2+2 photocycloadducts containing a cyclobutane ring derived from the bonding of the alkene termini to the 2 and 3-positions of the indole. The reaction proceeds via the triplet excited state of the N-acylindole with a quantum yield of product formation which is much less than that of the quantum yield for intersystem crossing. The reaction\u27s inefficiency is explained by the existence of 1,4-biradical intermediates which can undergo cleavage to yield ground state starting materials in competition with ring closure to give the observed photocycloadducts. Part I of this thesis describes evidence for the existence of the 1,4-biradical intermediates and for their structures. The cycloadducts obtained from N-acylindoles and flexible alkenes show mixed stereochemistries which is indicative of a 1,4-biradical intermediate. The structures of the products formed by rearrangement of the biradical generated from the photocylcoaddition of N-benzoylindole with vinylcyclopropane indicate that the initial site of bonding between the indole and the alkene is at the 2-position of the indole moiety. The products observed from this reaction along with those from the photocycloaddition of N-benzoylindole with 1,6-heptadiene allow the lifetimes of the biradicals to be clocked at approximately 100 ns.;Part II. The possible factors governing the regioselectivity of the 2+2 photocycloaddition reaction of enones with alkenes are discussed. A study was conducted aimed at determining whether the regioselectivity of the photochemical reaction between cyclopentenone and ethyl vinyl ether is governed by the relative rates of formation of the isomeric 1,4-biradical intermediates or by the proportions with which these intermediates partition between cycloadducts and starting materials. A route for the generation of models of the 1,4-biradicals generated in the photocycloaddition reaction of cyclopentenone with ethyl vinyl ether was examined.;The relative rate constants for formation of the 1,4-biradical intermediates in the reaction of cyclopentenone with ethyl vinyl ether were determined by trapping the biradicals with H{dollar}\sb2{dollar}Se. (Abstract shortened by UMI.

Agricultural Shocks and Social Conflict in Southeast Asia

Agriculture and conflict are linked. The extent and the sign of the relationship vary by the motives of actors and the forms of conflict. We examine whether harvest-time agricultural shocks, associated with transitory shifts in employment and income, lead to changes in social conflict. Using 13 years of data from eight Southeast Asian countries, we find a seven percent increase in battles, and a 12 percent increase in violence against civilians in the croplands during harvest season compared to the rest of the year. These statistically significant effects plausibly link agricultural harvest with conflict through the rapacity mechanism. We validate this mechanism by comparing the changes in harvest-time violence during presumably good vs. bad harvest years. We also observe a three percent decrease in protests and riots during the same period that would align with the opportunity cost mechanism, but these estimates are not statistically significant. The offsetting resentment mechanism may be partly responsible for this, but we also cannot rule out the possibility of the null effect. These findings, which contribute to research on the agroclimatic and economic roots of conflict, offer valuable insights to policymakers by suggesting the temporal displacement of conflict, and specifically of violence against civilians, due to the seasonality of agricultural harvest in rice-producing regions of Southeast Asia

An Investigation Of The Factors Affecting The Collaborative Propensity Of Home-Based Businesses: An Outline Of The Initial Study

Business collaboration is frequently used as a method for small businesses to maximise their chances of success in competitive markets, allowing as it does for a reduction in transaction costs and access to resources held by other businesses. Home-based businesses in particular stand to benefit from collaborative arrangements, owing to the typical scarcity of resources available to them. Despite the relative prevalence of collaborative behaviours exhibited by such businesses, very little research has been performed to study the factors which impact a home-based businesses propensity for collaboration. This positional paper presents an investigation into those factor using a “pre- collaborative” approach, using quantitative methods applied to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data to discern commonalities present within the organisational, technological and environmental conditions of home-based businesses which display a collaborative inclination, to determine the underlying factors which predispose these businesses to the formation of collaborative relationships

Research and assessment methods for leadership development in practice

While the field of leadership education continues to grow in terms of number of programs, students, and associated professional educators, our rigorous understanding of the impact of these programs has continued to lag behind such growth. Many postsecondary leadership educators work on campuses and have graduated from masters-level preparatory programs that do not focus extensively on rigorous research/assessment methods and may, therefore, lack the background necessary for high-level work (Brachle et al., 2021; Rosch et al., 2017; Teig, 2018). As a result, researchers and program assessment staff often recognize the need to take their methodological development “into their own hands” to increase their knowledge and maintain the high standards of rigor required in well-developed fields. Advancements in leadership education have afforded the opportunity to facilitate leadership learning better today than 20 years ago or even 10 years ago. For example, advancements in leadership education have taught us the critical importance of undergirding leader/leadership development (LD) programs in leadership theory and research that match learner needs (Avolio et al., 2009; Day & Liu, 2019) – this is what separates leadership education from expensive leadership development consultations that lack depth and involve programs based on popular fads. Advancements in leadership education have taught us that leadership is an active and dynamic process, where leadership is not singularly about the leader (Day et al., 2014; Komives et al., 2013). Those who are not in formal leadership roles are not passive recipients of whatever the leader does, but rather have important voice and are an active and essential part of the leadership process. Thus, we are learning that LD programs must be multi-level (Day et al., 2014; DeRue & Myers, 2014; O’Connell, 2014) – LD cannot focus on individual leader development and expect the team to get better, but rather team leadership capacity must also be enhanced

Effects of Hydrogen on GRCop-84

This report is a section of the final report on the GRCop-84 task of the Constellation Program and incorporates the results obtained between October 2000 and September 2005 when the program ended. GRCop-84 contains approximately 5.5 wt% Nb. Nb can react with H and embrittle easily. Previous work had indicated the thermodynamic possibility that Cr 2 Nb could react with H and form niobium hydrides in the presence of high pressure H such as seen in the Space Shuttle Main Engine. In this study, samples were charged with H and then tested in both high pressure H and He environments to determine if measurable differences existed which indicate that hydrogen embrittlement occurs in GRCop-84. Tensile, notched tensile, stress rupture and low cycle fatigue properties were surveyed. High pressure H environment stress rupture testing resulted in a lower reduction in area than a high pressure He environment, and the LCF lives at high strain ranges fall below the lower 95 percent confidence interval for the baseline data, but in general no significant differences were noted either between H and He environment tests or between hydrogen charged materials and the baseline, uncharged extruded GRCop-84 data sets. There was also no discernable evidence of the formation of hydrides or changes in fracture morphology indicating hydrogen embrittlement occurred

Exploring The Collaborative Activities Of Home-Based Businesses In OECD Countries

Collaboration is frequently cited as a driver for sustainable success, and yet despite over half of all small businesses in OECD countries being run from the home, within the existing literature little attention is paid to how these businesses work with others. This article therefore presents a quantitative study into the collaborative behaviours exhibited by home-based businesses located within OECD countries. Based on a large, cross sectional data set collected by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, this exploratory study outlines the extent of collaboration among home-based businesses, the nature of their collaborative activities and the relationships which exist between the different behaviours that are exhibited. The study finds that collaboration is a widespread occurrence among home-based businesses, with over 75% of home-based businesses collaborating in some way. Furthermore, home-based business collaboration is diverse in its nature and is present across all industries. Moreover, it is found that collaboration among home-based businesses is distinct enough from the current findings of collaboration among SMEs that it warrants further investigation