Whither APEC post-2020? Centre stage for New Zealand

As APEC marks its third decade, a priority for the 21 member economies is to agree upon where the agency’s purpose and work programmes should focus over the next 20 years. APEC is the undisputed leading institution promoting Asia-Pacific economic growth. It is not a negotiating body but draws strength from its ‘value proposition’ built on members’ support for consultation, consensus and collaboration. The review of APEC’s future is occurring in the context of a global pandemic that has disrupted regional commerce, travel and community well-being. The preoccupation of APEC members is with economic recovery and renewed growth. The challenge for New Zealand as APEC chair in 2021 will be to gather collective commitment to further measures of regional economic integration, inclusivity and sustainability designed to stimulate recovery, and identify how a digitally enabled regional economy could contribute to that goal

Policing efficacy: Socioeconomic destiny or effective information analysis

Tlie efficacy of new policing techniques has called in to question a long held canon of criminologists: that vast social forces (such as poverty, racism and demographics) beyond police control are the primary determinants of criminal activity. A new approach to policing called COMSTAT (computerized analysis of crime statistics) has resulted in a significant reduction in criminal activity within the cities that have adopted it according to FBI Uniform Crime Report data. These results were achieved by quickly identifying and targeting minor social disorders crimes (such as graffiti, loitering, and vandalism) before they lead to major social disorders (such as robberies, rapes, and homicides). This paper discusses the information and management theory underlying the COMSTAT approach to policing

Voice user interfaces (VUIs) emerge

Human beings use speech as the primary means of communication. Therefore, voice user interfaces (VUIs) represent a natural way for people to interact with computers (Fournier, 1996; Hyde, 1979; Teja and Gonnella, 1983; Witten 1982). Voice input facilitates a much higher computer input rate than keyboard or mouse driven input. Voice output permits computer generated output in devices when output screens are not available (e.g., most phones) or in situations where the user\u27s eyes are busy elsewhere (e.g., driving a car, assembling a product, etc.). Thus, VUIs are viewed as the logical next generation in computer interfaces. Forecasts call for a rapid expansion of voice technology within our work environments over the next few years (Cone, 1997; Schwartz and Brier, 1997). This paper discusses the current state of and potential future of VUIs

Access to Legal Services in Rural Areas of the Northern Rockies: A Recommendation for Town Legal Centers

There are two distinct but related issues that affect legal representation in rural areas of the United States: the problem of attracting and keeping private attorneys,1 and the problem of satisfying the immense need for pro bono representation for low-income residents. Although these issues are interrelated—attracting attorneys to rural areas can help satisfy the need for pro bono representation—each state is handling the problems in distinctive ways. In Part I, this Note will demonstrate why the Northern Rockies—which consists of the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—is a distinctive region with enough similarities between states that a single proposal to improve legal services delivery would be effective across the entire region. In Part II, this Note will discuss the problems facing the Northern Rockies states in delivering legal services to rural areas. In Part III, this Note will examine some of the current solutions being employed in the Northern Rockies states, as well as across the nation, to increase access to legal services for low-, moderate-, and high-income rural residents. This Note will then argue that each solution is either ineffectual or insufficient to solve the issues related to the access of legal services facing rural residents of the Northern Rockies. In Part IV, this Note will recommend that the Northern Rockies states establish statewide networks of “Town Legal Centers,” which operate as virtual offices in local communities where residents can meet with legal professionals from around the state. This Note will then propose that Town Legal Centers should be open not only to legal aid organizations but also to private attorneys offering paid legal services. With a rational basis referral system, these Centers can promote increased pro bono participation from the private bar and provide statewide volunteer opportunities for law students. Last, this Note will explore several different sources of funding that could be used to create and maintain Town Legal Centers and then argue that the program could potentially achieve self-sufficiency through a use fee for paid legal services

The Crystallization Kinetics of Polylactic Acid (Pla) Processed Through Solid-State/Melt Extrusion

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-derived, biodegradable polymer with a number of similar mechanical properties to commodity plastics like polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PETE). There has recently been a great interest in using PLA to replace these typical petroleum-derived polymers because of the developing trend to use more sustainable materials and technologies. However, PLA¿s inherent slow crystallization behavior is not compatible with prototypical polymer processing techniques such as molding and extrusion, and in turn inhibits its widespread use in industrial applications. In order to make PLA into a commercially-viable material, there is a need to process the material in such a way that its tendency to form crystals is enhanced. The industry standard for producing PLA products is via twin screw extrusion (TSE), where polymer pellets are fed into a heated extruder, mixed at a temperature above its melting temperature, and molded into a desired shape. A relatively novel processing technique called solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) processes the polymer in the solid state so that nucleation sites can develop and fast crystallization can occur. SSSP has also been found to enhance the mechanical properties of a material, but its powder output form is undesirable in industry. A new process called solid-state/melt extrusion (SSME), developed at Bucknell University, combines the TSE and SSSP processes in one instrument. This technique has proven to produce moldable polymer products with increased mechanical strength. This thesis first investigated the effects of the TSE, SSSP, and SSME polymer processing techniques on PLA. The study seeks to determine the process that yields products with the most enhanced thermal and mechanical properties. For characterization, percent crystallinity, crystallization half time, storage modulus, softening temperature, degradation temperature and molecular weight were analyzed for all samples. Through these characterization techniques, it was observed that SSME-processed PLA had enhanced properties relative to TSE- and SSSP-processed PLA. Because of the previous findings, an optimization study for SSME-processed PLA was conducted where throughput and screw design were varied. The optimization study determined PLA processed with a low flow rate and a moderate screw design in an SSME process produced a polymer product with the largest increase in thermal properties and a high retention of polymer structure relative to TSE-, SSSP-, and all other SSME-processed PLA. It was concluded that the SSSP part of processing scissions polymer chains, creating defects within the material, while the TSE part of processing allows these defects to be mixed thoroughly throughout the sample. The study showed that a proper SSME setup allows for both the increase in nucleation sites within the polymer and sufficient mixing, which in turn leads to the development of a large amount of crystals in a short period of time

Media Cognizatti: Critical Frames for Free Speech and New Interpretations

The First Amendment creates a space where new readings in media (new knowledge and understanding) can be assessed through qualitative research and content analysis of contentious topics found in liminal zones. The truth (critical thinking) needs to be born in this arena and vetted through this adversarial process. Speech should never be suppressed. Without total freedom of speech, many truths are restricted, hidden, considered subversive, pushed into the dark corners of the internet, or lost to history. At a time when people are actively calling for colleges and governments to restrict and censor speech, it is not surprising that many people get their information from sources once considered to be on the fringe of society, and they are using technology as their guide to reach it. This study comprises research into transgressive literature in chapter one, the male gaze in film in chapter two, class warfare in chapter three, suicide in chapter four, censorship in chapter five, monsters in chapter six, and dictatorships in chapter seven. This thesis argues that the First Amendment protects individuals in these liminal areas of discourse, and it is in the arena of adversarial dialogue that new and dominant arguments surface. The arguments that prevail are appropriated by the group through media cognizatti (the experience of media culture) that guide and allow for more accurate critical world views to be assessed and expressed by individuals, groups, and organizations about what is comparatively true