PROVIDING EQUITABLE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS IN A METROPOLITAN SETTING: AN APPLICATION OF THE LOCATION SET-COVERING PROBLEM

We use the location set covering problem to define a natural area site selection model for use in the Chicago region. This framework allows us to explicitly consider the equity of site distribution by stipulating that each population center has access to a recreational space within a specified distance.Land Economics/Use,

EXPLORING GOAL TRADEOFFS IN METROPOLITAN NATURAL AREA PROTECTION

This study examines the issue of natural area protection in an urban environment. We report on the results of interviews conducted with a wide range of land use planners in the Chicago region. Of particular interest are the unique goals and challenges of land acquisition programs in a metropolitan area.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Semantics in the wild : a digital assistant for Flemish citizens

Public service fragmentation across more than 800 digital channels of government administrations in the region of Flanders (Belgium), causes administrative burden and frustrations, as citizens expect a coherent service. Given the autonomy of the various entities, the fragmentation of information and budget constraints, it is not feasible to rewire the entire e-gov ecosystem to a single portal. Therefore, the Flemish Government is building a smart digital assistant, which supports citizens on the governmental portals, by integrating status information of various transactions. This paper outlines our ongoing research on a method for raising semantic interoperability between different information systems and actors. In this approach, semantic agreements are maintained and implemented end-to-end using the design principles of Linked Data. The lessons learned can speed-up the process in other countries that face the complexity of integrating e-government portals

On the front line: a review of programmes that address HIV among international peacekeepers and uniformed services 2005–2010

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) have published On the front line: A review of programmes that address HIV among international peacekeepers and uniformed services 2005–2010. This report outlines the progress made and the obstacles encountered in implementing Resolution 1308 and will serve as background when the Security Council meet on 7 June to deliberate progress towards the resolution. In 2000 when the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1308 it was a watershed moment in the global AIDS response. It was the first time in its history that the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution addressing a public health concern and its implications for international peace and security. There are clearly new opportunities for consolidating the progress and addressing new challenges. The imperative to further explore the relationship between AIDS and insecurity is also clear Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director and Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations The resolution recognized that societal violence and instability exacerbate the spread of HIV and, left unchecked, could pose a threat to international peace and security. It called on UNAIDS and DPKO to develop HIV-specific strategies and programmes within the context of United Nations peacekeeping operations. The report notes that significant progress has been made in providing access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for all sections of society—including peacekeepers and other uniformed services personnel. Nevertheless, during the past 10 years, the evolving landscape of crises and conflicts throughout the world has reshaped these challenges and underscored the need for a new response to AIDS in the context of United Nations actions to help prevent conflict, ensure security and build peace

Sustainable use of organic resources for bioenergy, food and water provision in rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Acknowledgements We are grateful to the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council Nexus Network for funding this work.Peer reviewedPostprin

Saturation of a spin 1/2 particle by generalized Local control

We show how to apply a generalization of Local control design to the problem of saturation of a spin 1/2 particle by magnetic fields in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The generalization of local or Lyapunov control arises from the fact that the derivative of the Lyapunov function does not depend explicitly on the control field. The second derivative is used to determine the local control field. We compare the efficiency of this approach with respect to the time-optimal solution which has been recently derived using geometric methods.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to new journal of physics (2011

The micro-politics of organizational change in professional youth football: Towards an understanding of ‘the professional self’

Organizational and managerial change plays a significant role in the employment and working lives of coaches in professional football. However, research that explores how individual coaches experience the change process is limited. The aim of this article is to explore the experiences of Ian (pseudonym), a professional football academy youth coach, during the process of organizational change. Data were collected through field notes, informal observations and meetings, formal academy team meetings, co-worker interviews, and four semi-structured in-depth participant interviews. Findings were analysed through a micro-political framework, with a focus on professional self-understanding. They reveal the importance of micro-political literacy in understanding the impact of organizational change on the participant’s working conditions and continued employment. It is proposed that an understanding of micro-politics, professional self-understanding, and micro-political literacy should be developed in formal coach education programmes to better prepare coaches for the realities of employment in professional football

The personal norm of reciprocity

Reciprocity is here considered as an internalized social norm, and a questionnaire to measure individual differences in the internalized norm of reciprocity is presented. The questionnaire, Personal Norm of Reciprocity (PNR), measures three aspects of reciprocity: positive reciprocity, negative reciprocity, and beliefs in reciprocity. The PNR has been developed and tested in two cultures, British and Italian, for a total of 951 participants. A cross-cultural study provides evidence of good psychometric properties and generalizability of the PNR. Data provide evidence for criterion validity and show that positive and negative reciprocators behave in different ways as a function of the valence (positive or negative) of the other's past behaviour, the type of feasible reaction (reward versus punishment), and the fairness of their reaction. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd