A Strategic Evaluation of Public Interest Litigation in South Africa

Based on three case studies, discusses trends and challenges in public interest litigations in South Africa, the most effective combination of strategies in advancing social change, and the role of litigation in social mobilization

Has the deregulation of deposit interest rates raised mortgage rates?

Interest rates ; Mortgages

Uncertainty and Cooperation: Analytical Results and a Simulated Agent Society

Uncertainty is an important factor that influences social evolution in natural and artificial environments. Here we distinguish between three aspects of uncertainty. Environmental uncertainty is the variance of resources in the environment, perceived uncertainty is the variance of the resource distribution as perceived by the organism and effective uncertainty is the variance of resources effectively enjoyed by individuals. We show analytically that perceived uncertainty is larger than environmental uncertainty and that effective uncertainty is smaller than perceived uncertainty, when cooperation is present. We use an agent society simulation in a two dimensional world for the generation of simulation data as one realisation of the analytical results. Together with our earlier theoretical work, results here show that cooperation can buffer the detrimental effects of uncertainty on the organism. The proposed conceptualisation of uncertainty can help in understanding its effects on social evolution and in designing artificial social environments.Agent-Based Modelling, Cooperation, Social Interaction Simulation, Uncertainty

Strategies for Choosing Descent Flight-Path Angles for Small Jets

Three candidate strategies for choosing the descent flight path angle (FPA) for small jets are proposed, analyzed, and compared for fuel efficiency under arrival metering conditions. The strategies vary in operational complexity from a universally fixed FPA, or FPA function that varies with descent speed for improved fuel efficiency, to the minimum-fuel FPA computed for each flight based on winds, route, and speed profile. Methodologies for selecting the parameter for the first two strategies are described. The differences in fuel burn are analyzed over a year s worth of arrival traffic and atmospheric conditions recorded for the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Airport during 2011. The results show that the universally fixed FPA strategy (same FPA for all flights, all year) burns on average 26 lbs more fuel per flight as compared to the minimum-fuel solution. This FPA is adapted to the arrival gate (direction of entry to the terminal) and various timespans (season, month and day) to improve fuel efficiency. Compared to a typical FPA of approximately 3 degrees the adapted FPAs vary significantly, up to 1.3 from one arrival gate to another or up to 1.4 from one day to another. Adapting the universally fixed FPA strategy to the arrival gate or to each day reduces the extra fuel burn relative to the minimum-fuel solution by 27% and 34%, respectively. The adaptations to gate and time combined shows up to 57% reduction of the extra fuel burn. The second strategy, an FPA function, contributes a 17% reduction in the 26 lbs of extra fuel burn over the universally fixed FPA strategy. Compared to the corresponding adaptations of the universally fixed FPA, adaptations of the FPA function reduce the extra fuel burn anywhere from 15-23% depending on the extent of adaptation. The combined effect of the FPA function strategy with both directional and temporal adaptation recovers 67% of the extra fuel relative to the minimum-fuel solution

Public Interest Litigation and Social Change in South Africa: Strategies, Tactics and Lessons

In 2007, The Atlantic Philanthropies approached two legal practitioners, Gilbert Marcus SC and Steven Budlender, to conduct an evaluation of public interest litigation in South Africa, following The Atlantic Philanthropies' substantial investment in the field. The resulting report -- A strategic evaluation of public interest litigation in South Africa -- was published in 2008. This 2008 report has now evolved into a book entitled Public interest litigation and social change in South Africa: Strategies, tactics and lessons, with a further co-author, Nick Ferreira. The book is a revised and substantially expanded version of the initial study, providing new insights and covering post-2008 developments in the field of public interest litigation in South Africa. The book will be relevant to anyone interested in how to best use rights, law and litigation to advance social change

Complementary Patents and Market Structure

Many high technology goods are based on standards that require several essential patents owned by different IP holders. This gives rise to a complements and a double mark-up problem. We compare the welfare effects of two different business strategies dealing with these problems. Vertical integration of an IP holder and a downstream producer solves the double mark-up problem between these firms. Nevertheless, it may raise royalty rates and reduce output as compared to non-integration. Horizontal integration of IP holders solves the complements problem but not the double mark-up problem. Vertical integration discourages entry and reduces innovation incentives, while horizontal integration always benefits from entry and innovatio

Stability of Glutamate-Aspartate Cardioplegia Additive Solution in Polyolefin IV Bags

Objective: Glutamate-aspartate cardioplegia additive solution (GACAS) is used to enhance myocardial preservation and left ventricular function during some cardiac surgeries. This study was designed to evaluate the stability of compounded GACAS stored in sterile polyolefin intravenous (IV) bags. The goal is to extend the default USP beyond-use date (BUD) and reduce unnecessary inventory waste. Methods: GACAS was compounded and packaged in sterile polyolefin 250 mL IV bags. The concentration was 232 mM for each amino acid. The samples were stored under refrigeration (2°C-8°C) and analyzed at 0, 1, and 2 months. At each time point, the samples were evaluated by pH measurement and visual inspection for color, clarity, and particulates. The samples were also analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for potency and degradation products. Due to the lack of ultraviolet (UV) chromophores of glutamate and aspartate, the samples were derivatized by ortho-phthalaldehyde prior to HPLC analysis. Results: The time zero samples of GACAS passed the physical, chemical, and microbiological tests. Over 2 months of storage, there was no significant change in pH or visual appearance for any of the stability samples. The HPLC results also indicated that the samples retained 101% to 103% of the label claim strengths for both amino acids. Conclusion: The physical and chemical stability of extemporaneously prepared GACAS has been confirmed for up to 2 months in polyolefin IV bags stored under refrigeration. With proper sterile compounding practice and microbiology testing, the BUD of this product can be extended to 2 months

Possible Deficiencies in Predicting Transonic Aerodynamics on the X-43A

The initial X-43A flight test, June 2, 2001, resulted in a mishap and loss of the vehicle. A mishap investigation board (MIB) report and findings, including the established root cause, were publicly released on July, 23, 2003. The X-43A Flight 1 Hyper-X Launch Vehicle (HXLV) failed because the vehicle control system design was deficient for the trajectory flown due to inaccurate analytical models (Pegasus heritage and HXLV specific), which overestimated the (control) system margin ? X-43A Mishap Investigation Report, Vol. I. ? included as Reference 1. Several specific errors were noted, 1) HXLV aerodynamics ? failure to model changes to wing, fin and rudder airfoil shapes due to addition of thermal protection system (TPS); 2) Fin actuation system (FAS) modeling ? under prediction of the control surface hinge moments and FAS compliance; and 3) Parametric uncertainties ? insufficient variation in the aerodynamic, FAS and control system models. In response to the MIB findings, the X-43A program has been working RTF through an approved Corrective Action Plan (CAP) over the last two years

Flux expulsion with dynamics

In the process of flux expulsion, a magnetic field is expelled from a region of closed streamlines on a TR1/3 m time scale, for magnetic Reynolds number Rm ≫ 1 (T being the turnover time of the flow). This classic result applies in the kinematic regime where the flow field is specified independently of the magnetic field. A weak magnetic ‘core’ is left at the centre of a closed region of streamlines, and this decays exponentially on the TR1/2 m time scale. The present paper extends these results to the dynamical regime, where there is competition between the process of flux expulsion and the Lorentz force, which suppresses the differential rotation. This competition is studied using a quasi-linear model in which the flow is constrained to be axisymmetric. The magnetic Prandtl number Rm/Re is taken to be small, Rm large, and a range of initial field strengths b0 is considered. Two scaling laws are proposed and confirmed numerically. For initial magnetic fields below the threshold bcore = O(UR−1/3 m ), flux expulsion operates despite the Lorentz force, cutting through field lines to result in the formation of a central core of magnetic field. Here U is a velocity scale of the flow and magnetic fields are measured in Alfv´en units. For larger initial fields the Lorentz force is dominant and the flow creates Alfv´en waves that propagate away. The second threshold is bdynam = O(UR−3/4 m ), below which the field follows the kinematic evolution and decays rapidly. Between these two thresholds the magnetic field is strong enough to suppress differential rotation leaving a magnetically controlled core spinning in solid body motion, which then decays slowly on a time scale of order TRm