Sink or Swim? UK Trade Arrangements after Brexit. Bruges Political Research Papers 57/2017

‘Brexit’ – the departure of the UK from the European Union – will have important implications for international trade in Europe and beyond. This paper explores two related questions. First, how may the trade arrangement between the UK and the remaining EU countries be reconfigured? The spectrum appears to run from free trade and elements of the Single Market (‘soft Brexit’) to the full re-imposition of tariffs across the Channel (‘hard Brexit’). Secondly, what scope does the UK possess for reorganising its future trade relationship with non-EU countries? Is there, for example, a glittering range of free trade possibilities around a dynamic globe, or are the openings for a small player very restricted? The outcome of the imminent negotiations with the EU on Brexit and its trade policy dimensions are likely to have profound consequences for the future prosperity of the UK

International Outsourcing and the Skill Structure of Labour Demand in the United Kingdom

This paper investigates empirically the link between international outsourcing and the skill structure of labour demand in the United Kingdom. It is the first detailed study of this issue for the UK. Outsourcing is calculated using import-use matrices of input-output tables for manufacturing industries for the period 1982 to 1996. Estimating a system of variable factor demands, our main results show that international outsourcing has had a strong negative impact on the demand for unskilled labour. Hence, international outsourcing is an important component in explanations of the changing skill structure of manufacturing industries in the United Kingdom.Outsourcing; Fragmentation; Trade; Wages; Skill-biased technological change

Inclusive Scholarship: Developing Black Studies in the United States

Brings together four reports commissioned between 1982 and 2000 that examine the history of African American Studies, its impact, and its institutionalization. Reviews Ford's grantmaking to African American Studies programs from 1982 to 2007

An Integrated Learning Approach to Teaching an Undergraduate Information Systems Course

This paper describes the redesign and implementation of an introductory Information Systems class. The redesign was guided by principles drawn from the experiential and active learning literature. Central to the redesign are two simulated companies: petGRO, a fictional ERP-enabled pet food and accessories e-tailer; and beans4all, a technology consulting company of which all registered students are employees. Students work in solution crews throughout the semester to solve a set of technology-related challenges that their client, petGRO, is facing. Initial student response to the redesign has been mixed. Survey responses indicate that students have an increased interest in IS after taking the course. There was a significant increase in students’ perception of the usefulness of the knowledge gained from the course in subsequent courses. However, this result is countered by a decrease in students’ perception of whether the course led to an improvement in their academic skills. Open-ended comments reveal the polarizing nature of the redesign but with more positive than negative comments

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a Lunar science orbiter mission currently under development to address the goals of the National Research Council decadal surveys and the recent "Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon" (SCEM) [1] report to study the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment prior to significant human activities. LADEE will determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions. LADEE will also determine whether dust is present in the lunar exosphere, and reveal the processes that contribute to its sources and variability. These investigations are relevant to our understanding of surface boundary exospheres and dust processes throughout the solar system, address questions regarding the origin and evolution of lunar volatiles, and have potential implications for future exploration activities. LADEE employs a high heritage science instrument payload including a neutral mass spectrometer, ultraviolet spectrometer, and dust sensor. In addition to the science payloads, LADEE will fly a laser communications system technology demonstration that could provide a building block for future space communications architectures. LADEE is an important component in NASA's portfolio of near-term lunar missions, addressing objectives that are currently not covered by other U.S. or international efforts, and whose observations must be conducted before large-scale human or robotic activities irrevocably perturb the tenuous and fragile lunar atmosphere. LADEE will also demonstrate the effectiveness of a low-cost, rapid-development program utilizing a modular bus design launched on the new Minotaur V launch vehicle. Once proven, this capability could enable future lunar missions in a highly cost constrained environment. This paper describes the LADEE objectives, mission design, and technical approach

PEDFLOW: development of an autonomous agent model of pedestrian flow.

The paper discusses the need for an autonomous agent approach for the modeling of pedestrians in urbanenvironments and places PEDFLOW in the context of existing models. PEDFLOW is a microscopic modelof pedestrians’ movement, where each pedestrian is represented as an agent capable of making its owndecisions based upon a part of the observable scene local to that pedestrian. The model, implemented inJava, provides a framework where agents are visualised as squares in a grid and movement is modelled as achange of grid position with a delay that characterises the speed of the agent. A single rule set is utilisedthat is made specific to each agent by the incorporation of parameters characterising ‘types’ of pedestrians.The rules originate from computer aided analysis of video footage and are transformed into a form that canbe efficiently processed by the agent. By adding tools to extract measures of pedestrian flow, thePEDFLOW model will be made useful to urban planners to evaluate infrastructural changes intended topromote walking in the urban environment

Lifespan Development: a chronological approach [3rd Australasian edition]

Lifespan Development: a chronological approach [3rd Australasian edition] explores human physical, cognitive and social development within an Australian and New Zealand context. Building on the successful first and second editions, the resource's comprehensive theory coverage includes the latest local and international research in this ever-evolving field, and is perfectly complemented by numerous physical and mental health applications within local psychological, allied health and educational settings. This edition includes enhanced coverage of developmental theories, and increased integrated coverage of cross-cultural and Indigenous issues unique to the multicultural societies of Australia and New Zealand. It is an ideal resource offering for undergraduate students in both countries in order to enhance understanding of human development — from conception through to the end of life

Fluorescent microplate-based analysis of protein-DNA interactions I:immobilized protein

A simple protein-DNA interaction analysis has been developed using a high-affinity/high-specificity zinc finger protein. In essence, purified protein samples are immobilized directly onto the surface of microplate wells, and fluorescently labeled DNA is added in solution. After incubation and washing, bound DNA is detected in a standard microplate reader. The minimum sensitivity of the assay is approximately 0.2 nM DNA. Since the detection of bound DNA is noninvasive and the protein-DNA interaction is not disrupted during detection, iterative readings may be taken from the same well, after successive alterations in interaction conditions, if required. In this respect, the assay may therefore be considered real time and permits appropriate interaction conditions to be determined quantitatively. The assay format is ideally suited to investigate the interactions of purified unlabeled DNA binding proteins in a high-throughput format

Lifespan Development: a chronological approach [3rd Australasian edition]

Lifespan Development: a chronological approach [3rd Australasian edition] explores human physical, cognitive and social development within an Australian and New Zealand context. Building on the successful first and second editions, the resource's comprehensive theory coverage includes the latest local and international research in this ever-evolving field, and is perfectly complemented by numerous physical and mental health applications within local psychological, allied health and educational settings. This edition includes enhanced coverage of developmental theories, and increased integrated coverage of cross-cultural and Indigenous issues unique to the multicultural societies of Australia and New Zealand. It is an ideal resource offering for undergraduate students in both countries in order to enhance understanding of human development — from conception through to the end of life