Enhanced financial mechanisms for post 2012 mitigation

Despite the many calls to reform the CDM, its conceptual underpinnings are strong and it will most likely survive in the post-2012 climate regime. Some modifications may be considered in the short term to strengthen the effectiveness and transparency of the mechanism without modifying the Marrakesh Accords. In the medium term substantially increased mitigation efforts in developing countries may require a combination of three possible financial mechanisms: the current activity-based CDM albeit improved, a second market mechanism that would seek to improve the long term emission trends of developing countries by promoting broad based emission reduction programs primarily in the private sector, and a third financial mechanism outside of the market which would be an incentive for the adoption of policy changes leading to a low carbon path, but where emission reductions would not be used as international offsets.Environmental Economics&Policies,Carbon Policy and Trading,Montreal Protocol,Energy and Environment,Environment and Energy Efficiency

La cultura del contraste. Sobre la diferencia y el sentido de pertenencia. El caso de los gitanos.

Actualmente, en la Antropología y en la Sociología, existen discursos sobre los gitanos en los que confluyen formas muy distintas de entenderlos. El punto de vista que se defiende en este artículo se centra en las relaciones culturales que se establecen entre las poblaciones mayoritarias y las minorías. Para explicar estas relaciones se parte del concepto de «cismogénesis» de Gregory Bateson, y del «Modelaje antagónico de estilo» de Wilhelm Emil Mühlmann. Únicamente cuando se conoce profundamente a la otra parte, se puede dar un distanciamiento cultural deliberado: sólo tiene sentido «separar mesa y cama» si se vive en un espacio común. Un rasgo muy característico de la cultura gitana del contraste consiste en eludir el conflicto por medio de la evasión, es decir, recurriendo a la movilidad. Otros rasgos culturales han sido estudiados por Judith Okely (1983) en su conocida obra Complejo de pureza. Se trata de características en apariencia un tanto arcaicas, a las que no pocos relacionan con la India. En la sociedad industrial occidental, en la que son muchos los que desconocen este «complejo», la separación de lo puro y de lo impuro se convierte en un recurso excelente para construir fronteras sociales. En el próximo oriente, por el contrario, donde está muy extendida en la sociedad mayoritaria una concepción igual o similar de la pureza, los gitanos pueden obtener beneficios para la propia cultura transgrediendo reiteradamente esos tabúes

Non-Concentration of Primes in Γ\PSL2(R)\Gamma \backslash PSL_2(\mathbb{R})

This paper generalizes the result of Sarnak and Ubis \cite{sarnak-ubis} about non-concentration of primes in horocycle orbits on $PSL_2(\mathbb{Z}) \backslash PSL_2(\mathbb{R})$ to any lattice in $PSL_2(\mathbb{R})$. The proof combines the asymptotic result of Str\"ombergsson \parencite{strombergsson} and Venkatesh's method \parencite{venkatesh} with the approach of Sarnak and Ubis of approximating horocycle pieces with periodic horocycles. The key step is to establish a dichotomy between $\{\xi h(t), t \in [0, T] \}$ having good equidistribution in $\Gamma \backslash PSL_2(\mathbb{R})$ and it being approximable by closed horocycle pieces with small period. In a follow-up paper, a similar approach will be used to show equidistribution of $\xi h(n^{1+\gamma})$ for small $\gamma>0$, generalizing Venkatesh's result \parencite{venkatesh} to non-compact $\Gamma$.Comment: 26 pages and 4 figures. To appear in Israel Journal of Mathematic

On absolute continuity and maximal Garsia entropy for self-similar measures with algebraic contraction ratio

In this paper, we consider the self-similar measure $\nu_\lambda=\mathrm{law}\left(\sum_{j \geq 0} \xi_j \lambda^j\right)$ on $\mathbb{R}$, where $|\lambda|<1$ and the $\xi_j \sim \nu$ are independent, identically distributed with respect to a measure $\nu$ finitely supported on $\mathbb{Z}$. One example of this is the classical Bernoulli convolution. It is known that for certain combinations of algebraic $\lambda$ and $\nu$ uniform on an interval, $\nu_\lambda$ is absolutely continuous and its Fourier transform has power decay (\cite{garsia1}, \cite{feng}); in the proof, it is exploited that for these combinations, a quantity called the Garsia entropy $h_{\lambda}(\nu)$ is maximal. We show that absolute continuity and power Fourier decay occur when $\lambda$ and $\nu$ are such that $h_{\lambda}(\nu)$ is maximal and classify all combinations for which this is the case. We find that if an algebraic $\lambda$ without a Galois conjugate of modulus exactly one has a $\nu$ such that $h_{\lambda}(\nu)$ is maximal, then all Galois conjugates of $\lambda$ must be smaller in modulus than one and $\nu$ must satisfy a certain finite set of linear equations in terms of $\lambda$.Comment: 48 page

Behavior of the collective rotor in wobbling motion

The behavior of the collective rotor in wobbling motion is investigated within the particle-rotor model for the nucleus $^{135}$Pr by transforming the wave functions from the $K$-representation to the $R$-representation. After reproducing the experimental energy spectra and wobbling frequencies, the evolution of the wobbling mode in $^{135}$Pr, from transverse at low spins to longitudinal at high spins, is illustrated by the distributions of the total angular momentum in the intrinsic reference frame (azimuthal plot). Finally, the coupling schemes of the angular momenta of the rotor and the high-$j$ particle for transverse and longitudinal wobbling are obtained from the analysis of the probability distributions of the rotor angular momentum ($R$-plots) and their projections onto the three principal axes ($K_R$-plots).Comment: 21 pages, 9 page

An Analysis of the McDonald Soccer Skill Test as Applied to Junior High School Girls

The major purposes of this study were to (1) study the reliability of the McDonald Soccer Skill Test, (2) set up norms at Brooks Junior High School for the McDonald Soccer Skill Test, and (3) set up a grading scale that would be used after the completion of the soccer unit for the girls at Brooks Junior High School. RESEARCH METHODS: The subjects used in this study were 265 girls, grades 7-8-9, at Brooks Junior High School who were enrolled in physical education classes during the school year 1961-1962. The McDonald Soccer Skill Test was administered to all subjects after four weeks of soccer participation in class and was then repeated the following week to obtain two sets of raw scores. The mean, standard deviation, chi square, standard error, linear product moment correlation, paired comparison analysis and standard scores were the statistical measures used on the collected data. RESULTS: The means of all the trials did improve after each successive trial. Very little difference was noted when using the average or four trials or the best of three trials. The seventh graders had the lowest mean scores while the ninth graders had the highest mean scores. Each grade improved on test II. The correlation between the two tests was .6248 on the four trials and .5715 on the best of three trials. The values of t obtained through a comparison of the means of test I, best of three trials to test I, four trials; test II, best of three trials to test II, four trials; test I, best of three trials to test II, best of three trials; and test I, four trials to test II, four trials were significant at the .01 level of confidence. This would seem to indicate that the difference obtained was not due to chance factors. Therefore, it is possible that this difference occurred as a result of the skill practice from taking the test the first time. The chi square test for normality exceeded the value necessary for significance at the .05 level, indicating either a normal distribution of soccer ability was not present in this sample or that the test was not able to discriminate between different levels of soccer ability. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusions that have been derived from this study are: 1. All differences obtained were significant when using the average of the tour trials or the best of three trials. 2. The reliability correlation coefficient between test I, four trials and test II, four trials was .6248 and on test I, best of three trials and test II, best of three trials was .5715 and both are low for a reliable test. 3. All of the mean scores improved which could indicate the McDonald Test could be used for the improvement of volleying skill in soccer during the instructional period. 4. The letter grade scales did not show a large range of scores, as in most cases only 2 or 3 kicks would result in a grade change. 5. There are two conclusions possible as a result of the computation of the chi square test. They are: (1) the test was not able to discriminate between different levels of soccer ability in the sample according to a normal distribution or (2) that the range of ability in soccer skill present in the sample of Brooks Junior High School girls was not distributed normally. It would seem logical that the sample obtained was large enough and widely varied enough, according to ability, to obtain a normal distribution of test scores for soccer ability. Therefore, the data indicates that the test did not discriminate between different levels of soccer ability. 6. The reliability of the McDonald Soccer Skill Test was low as shown in this study and would therefore limit the validity of this test for use with the Brooks Junior High School girls. 7. The T-scores that were prepared from this study must be used with some caution and only under certain conditions due to the findings of the significant chi square values which showed a departure from the normal curve

Antioxidant status in acute stroke patients and patients at stroke risk

Background and Purpose: Antioxidant enzymes like copper/ zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and gluthatione peroxidase (GSHPx) are part of intracellular protection mechanisms to overcome oxidative stress and are known to be activated in vascular diseases and acute stroke. We investigated the differences of antioxidant capacity in acute stroke and stroke risk patients to elucidate whether the differences are a result of chronic low availability in arteriosclerosis and stroke risk or due to changes during acute infarction. Methods: Antioxidant enzymes were examined in 11 patients within the first hours and days after acute ischemic stroke and compared to risk- and age-matched patients with a history of stroke in the past 12 months ( n = 17). Antioxidant profile was determined by measurement of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), SOD, GSHPx and minerals known to be involved in antioxidant enzyme activation like selenium, iron, copper and zinc. Results: In comparison to stroke risk patients, patients with acute ischemic stroke had significant changes of the GSH system during the first hours and days after the event: GSH was significantly elevated in the first hours (p < 0.01) and GSHPx was elevated 1 day after the acute stroke (p < 0.05). Selenium, a cofactor of GSHPx, was decreased (p < 0.01). GSHPx levels were negatively correlated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores on admission (r = - 0.84, p < 0.001) and NIHSS scores after 7 days ( r = - 0.63, p < 0.05). MDA levels showed a trend for elevation in the first 6 h after the acute stroke ( p = 0.07). No significant differences of SOD, iron, copper nor zinc levels could be identified. Conclusions: Differences of antioxidant capacity were found for the GSH system with elevation of GSH and GSHPx after acute stroke, but not for other markers. The findings support the hypothesis that changes of antioxidant capacity are part of acute adaptive mechanisms during acute stroke. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

TRANSDISCIPLINARITY AS A DECOLONIZING RESEARCH PRACTICE: : A LATIN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

The paper intends to contribute to an international understanding of transdiciplinarity (TD) from the perspective of Latin America. The basic argument is that TD is a research practice that can foster knowledge democracy within the framework of decoloniality as a social and academic praxis. The first part of the paper highlights some historical and contemporary practices that are important to shape a decolonizing approach to transdisciplinarity. The second section discusses issues involved in the development of transdisciplinary political, contextual and institutional conditions, besides the researcher’s personal and professional commitment and preparedness

The Scale of Participation: From Municipal Public Budget to Cities' Conference

"In a well ordered city every man flies to the assemblies: under a bad government no one cares to stir a step to get to them, because no one is interested in what happens there, because it is foreseen that the general will will not prevail, and lastly because domestic cares are allabsorbing. Good laws lead to the making of better ones; bad ones bring about worse. As soon as man says of the affairs of the State What does it matter to me? the State may be given up for lost. (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1950: 93)." (author's abstract