Verifying Client Media Playback using Unique Embedded Metadata

The described subject matter is directed to injecting metadata into a media stream at (or just after) a cache edge of a content delivery network (“CDN”). A unique instance value (e.g., included within a tag or uniform resource locator (“URL”)), is embedded by an edge device into metadata for the media stream. Examples of media stream metadata include, but are not limited to, D3 timed metadata inserted in an MPEG-2 transport stream or an emsg box in the ISO-BMFF video container for MPEG-DASH. When a streaming media player receives the metadata, it generates a network request or callback request including the tag or directed to the embedded URL. A server receiving this message can use the unique instance value as confirmation that the player received and processed the metadata, which indicates that media content delivered with the metadata was presented by the media player. The server can then authorize additional media delivery and/or generate reliable presentation statistics for the content

Zhidkoye zoloto? Environmental Aspects of Natural Gas Transportation from the Sakha Republic

The Sakha Republic, Russia’s largest administrative unit, could in ten years time be well on its way to becoming a major source of natural gas for a number of Pacific Rim nations, where demand for LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) is growing rapidly. Already, Japanese and South Korean consortia are engaged in pre-feasibility studies for a trans-continental gas pipeline linking the Sakha gas fields with the Korean peninsula and Honshu. This pipeline will be faced not only with political obstacles, such as those evident within Russia and on the Korean peninsula, but also a wide variety of constraints imposed by regional environmental peculiarities. These would create special problems for a long-distance gas pipeline. The environmental implications are far reaching. The West Siberian oil and gas region has suffered severe environmental damage caused by the undesirable interactions between pipelines and the surrounding environment. Pipeline construction activities have also contributed to the overall situation. In view of tlie climatic variability, variations in permafrost continuity and numerous mountain ranges in particular that characterize the Russian Far East, this thesis argues that a gas pipeline from the Sakha Republic should be laid eastwards rather than southwards, direct to markets. A pipeline transmitting gas to a liquefaction plant on the Sea of Okhotsk coast for onwards shipment by LNG tankers, would face fewer environmental constraints, would be relatively economical and would be favourable from the point of view of the republic's human geography. The reasons behind this contention are examined in detail. Also considered are current developments in environmental legislation for foreign investors in Russia's oil and gas sectors

Key factors influencing the reliability of trunk gas pipelines in the West Siberian North

For many years Russia has been the world's largest natural gas producer. Nearly 80% of total Russian production comes from three West Siberian enterprises of RAO Gazprom, Russia's monopolistic gas company. These gas fields are among the largest in the world and lie astride or just north of the Arctic Circle in the Nadym-Pur-Taz gas production complex (located in the Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous District of Tyumenskaya Oblast'), several thousand kilometres from the major markets in the industrial regions of European Russia and in the "near" ( other CIS countries) and "far" ( eastern and western Europe) abroad. The trunk pipelines which supply gas from these fields pass initially through a region of extreme and complex natural-climatic conditions, in particular permafrost, which present an array of problems for gas pipeline planning, construction and operation. Given that Russia depends so much upon the gas industry for hard currency revenues, notably through Gazprom's exports to Europe, and that Russia, the rest of the CIS and Europe depend so much upon the company for energy supplies, Gazprom has a compelling interest in ensuring reliable gas transmission. The integrity of West Siberian trunk gas pipelines inspires little confidence in Gazprom's ability to construct and reliably operate the northern section of the Yamal - Europe Gas Transmission System, the company's most ambitious pipeline project. The purpose of this thesis is to assess the extent to which such lack of confidence is justified. The thesis examines two fundamental aspects of 30 years of trunk gas pipeline planning, construction and operation in the West Siberian North in order to provide a basis for assessing Gazprom's capacity to meet the Yamal challenge. The first involves identification of the key issues relating to the integrity and reliability of buried trunk gas pipelines in this region. Research revealed that Gazprom lacks capacity to ensure pipeline reliability in permafrost conditions in two key respects: high quality planning and construction work backed up by a sound regulatory framework and appropriate product temperature regulation during operation. The second concerns whether there is evidence for or against the existence of a learning process with regard to the planning, construction and operation of northern trunk gas pipelines over the 30 year period. While evidence was found to support the existence of a learning process in some areas of these activities, for example in connection with the "Highly Reliable Pipeline Transport" programme founded in 1993, there are also strong indications of the industry's continuing failure to tackle fundamental problems in northern gas pipeline operations at their root. The thesis then provides an assessment of the technical preparedness of Gazprom for construction of the northern section of the Yamal - Europe Gas Transmission System in an area of even more complex natural-climatic conditions than those operating in the Nadym-Pur-Taz complex. We find that grounds remain for continuing lack of confidence in Gazprom's competence to meet the Yamal challenge.Digitisation of this thesis was sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwi

Comparative Analysis of Old-Age Mortality Estimations in Africa

Survival to old ages is increasing in many African countries. While demographic tools for estimating mortality up to age 60 have improved greatly, mortality patterns above age 60 rely on models based on little or no demographic data. These estimates are important for social planning and demographic projections. We provide direct estimations of older-age mortality using survey data.Since 2005, nationally representative household surveys in ten sub-Saharan countries record counts of living and recently deceased household members: Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. After accounting for age heaping using multiple imputation, we use this information to estimate probability of death in 5-year intervals ((5)q(x)). We then compare our (5)q(x) estimates to those provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Division (UNPD) to estimate the differences in mortality estimates, especially among individuals older than 60 years old.We obtained information on 505,827 individuals (18.4% over age 60, 1.64% deceased). WHO and UNPD mortality models match our estimates closely up to age 60 (mean difference in probability of death -1.1%). However, mortality probabilities above age 60 are lower using our estimations than either WHO or UNPD. The mean difference between our sample and the WHO is 5.9% (95% CI 3.8-7.9%) and between our sample is UNPD is 13.5% (95% CI 11.6-15.5%). Regardless of the comparator, the difference in mortality estimations rises monotonically above age 60.Mortality estimations above age 60 in ten African countries exhibit large variations depending on the method of estimation. The observed patterns suggest the possibility that survival in some African countries among adults older than age 60 is better than previously thought. Improving the quality and coverage of vital information in developing countries will become increasingly important with future reductions in mortality

Multi-Country analysis of palm oil consumption and cardiovascular disease mortality for countries at different stages of economic development: 1980-1997

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cardiovascular diseases represent an increasing share of the global disease burden. There is concern that increased consumption of palm oil could exacerbate mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, particularly in developing countries where it represents a major nutritional source of saturated fat.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study analyzed country-level data from 1980-1997 derived from the World Health Organization's Mortality Database, U.S. Department of Agriculture international estimates, and the World Bank (234 annual observations; 23 countries). Outcomes included mortality from IHD and stroke for adults aged 50 and older. Predictors included per-capita consumption of palm oil and cigarettes and per-capita Gross Domestic Product as well as time trends and an interaction between palm oil consumption and country economic development level. Analyses examined changes in country-level outcomes over time employing linear panel regressions with country-level fixed effects, population weighting, and robust standard errors clustered by country. Sensitivity analyses included further adjustment for other major dietary sources of saturated fat.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In developing countries, for every additional kilogram of palm oil consumed per-capita annually, IHD mortality rates increased by 68 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [21-115]), whereas, in similar settings, stroke mortality rates increased by 19 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [-12-49]) but were not significant. For historically high-income countries, changes in IHD and stroke mortality rates from palm oil consumption were smaller (IHD: 17 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [5.3-29]); stroke: 5.1 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [-1.2-11.0])). Inclusion of other major saturated fat sources including beef, pork, chicken, coconut oil, milk cheese, and butter did not substantially change the differentially higher relationship between palm oil and IHD mortality in developing countries.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Increased palm oil consumption is related to higher IHD mortality rates in developing countries. Palm oil consumption represents a saturated fat source relevant for policies aimed at reducing cardiovascular disease burdens.</p

Aging, Transition, and Estimating the Global Burden of Disease

The World Health Organization's Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reports are an important tool for global health policy makers, however the accuracy of estimates for countries undergoing an epidemiologic transition is unclear. We attempted to validate the life table model used to generate estimates for all-cause mortality in developing countries.Data were obtained for males and females from the Human Mortality Database for all countries with available data every ten years from 1900 to 2000. These provided inputs for the GBD life table model and served as comparison observed data. Above age sixty model estimates of survival for both sexes differed substantially from those observed. Prior to the year 1960 for males and 1930 for females, estimated survival tended to be greater than observed; following 1960 for both males and females estimated survival tended to be less than observed. Viewing observed and estimated survival separately, observed survival past sixty increased over the years considered. For males, the increase was from a mean (sd) probability of 0.22 (0.06) to 0.46 (0.1). For females, the increase was from 0.26 (0.06) to 0.65 (0.08). By contrast, estimated survival past sixty decreased over the same period. Among males, estimated survival probability declined from 0.54 (0.2) to 0.09 (0.06). Among females, the decline was from 0.36 (0.12) to 0.15 (0.08).These results show that the GBD mortality model did not accurately estimate survival at older ages as developed countries transitioned in the twentieth century and may be similarly flawed in developing countries now undergoing transition. Estimates of the size of older-age populations and their attributable disease burden should be reconsidered

Interactional positioning and narrative self-construction in the first session of psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy

The purpose of this study is to identify possible session one indicators of end of treatment psychotherapy outcome using the framework of three types of interactional positioning; client’s self-positioning, client’s positioning between narrated self and different partners, and the positioning between client and therapist. Three successful cases of 8-session psychodynamic-interpersonal (PI) therapy were selected on the basis of client Beck Depression Inventory scores. One unsuccessful case was also selected against which identified patterns could be tested. The successful clients were more descriptive about their problems and demonstrated active rapport-building, while the therapist used positionings expressed by the client in order to explore the positionings developed between them during therapy. The unsuccessful case was characterized by lack of positive self-comment, minimization of agentic self-capacity, and empathy-disrupting narrative confusions. We conclude that the theory of interactional positioning has been useful in identifying patterns worth exploring as early indicators of success in PI therapy

The effects of social service contact on teenagers in England

Objective: This study investigated outcomes of social service contact during teenage years. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (N = 15,770), using data on reported contact with social services resulting from teenagers’ behavior. Outcomes considered were educational achievement and aspiration, mental health, and locus of control. Inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment was used to estimate the effect of social service contact. Results: There was no significant difference between those who received social service contact and those who did not for mental health outcome or aspiration to apply to university. Those with contact had lower odds of achieving good exam results or of being confident in university acceptance if sought. Results for locus of control were mixed. Conclusions: Attention is needed to the role of social services in supporting the education of young people in difficulty. Further research is needed on the outcomes of social services contact

Ernst Freund as Precursor of the Rational Study of Corporate Law

Gindis, David, Ernst Freund as Precursor of the Rational Study of Corporate Law (October 27, 2017). Journal of Institutional Economics, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2905547, doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2905547The rise of large business corporations in the late 19th century compelled many American observers to admit that the nature of the corporation had yet to be understood. Published in this context, Ernst Freund's little-known The Legal Nature of Corporations (1897) was an original attempt to come to terms with a new legal and economic reality. But it can also be described, to paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes, as the earliest example of the rational study of corporate law. The paper shows that Freund had the intuitions of an institutional economist, and engaged in what today would be called comparative institutional analysis. Remarkably, his argument that the corporate form secures property against insider defection and against outsiders anticipated recent work on entity shielding and capital lock-in, and can be read as an early contribution to what today would be called the theory of the firm.Peer reviewe