Suvremeni hrvatski liberalizam

Research shows a high level of commitment to liberal-democratic values among leading Croatian politicians, without regard to whether they are from the party in power or the opposition. As a rule most show greater democratic disposition than one would assume based on parliamentary debates or government policies. There are numerous reasons, but one of the key reasons is that democratic values are always harder to bring to reality in countries at war. Although the war continues, there are signs of a strengthening liberal alternative to the nationalist party in power. In this paper, I identify a cleavage between elites whose primary orientation is toward the ethnonational revolution and those committed to a liberal-democratic, pluralist civil-society model for Croatia. I describe the convergent values of Croatian liberalism, and discuss possible alliances creating a viable liberal opposition in the next elections.Istraživanje ukazuje na visoku razinu prihvaćanja liberalno-demokratskih vrijednosti medu vodećim hrvatskim političarima, bez obzira pripadaju li stranci na vlasti ili oporbi. U pravilu, većina ih iskazuje veće demokratske dispozicije no što bi se očekivalo na temelju parlamentarnih debata ili političkih poteza. Postoje brojni razlozi za to, no jedan od ključnih jest da je demokratske vrijednosti uvijek teže ostvariti u zemljama u ratu. Premda se rat nastavlja, postoje znakovi jačanja liberalne alternative nacionalističkoj stranci na vlasti. Autor identificira rascjep između političkih elita sklonih etnonacionalističkoj transformaciji te onih sklonih liberalno-demokratskom, pluralističkom i civilnom modelu. Rad opisuje konvergentne vrijednosti hrvatskog liberalizma i razmatra pitanje mogućih koalicija koje bi stvorile liberalni blok na sljedećim izborima

Electronic resources and web sites: replacing a backend database with Innovative's Electronic Resource Management

This is a preprint of an article accepted for publication in the December, 2005, issue of "Information Technology and Libraries."In the fall of 2002, Ohio State University along with the University of Washington, the University of Western Australia, Washington State University and Glasgow University entered into a development partnership with Innovative Interfaces, Inc. The goal was to develop a module to manage electronic resources, integrated into Innovative’s Millennium library system. The product, Electronic Resource Management (ERM), became available in 2004 and is based on the work of the Digital Library Federation Electronic Resources Management Initiative. This article focuses on one aspect of ERM, the integration of the module with the Web OPAC, and describes how the Ohio State University Libraries replaced a backend database with ERM to support lists of electronic resources on their web site

Revealing Fundamental Physics from the Daya Bay Neutrino Experiment using Deep Neural Networks

Experiments in particle physics produce enormous quantities of data that must be analyzed and interpreted by teams of physicists. This analysis is often exploratory, where scientists are unable to enumerate the possible types of signal prior to performing the experiment. Thus, tools for summarizing, clustering, visualizing and classifying high-dimensional data are essential. In this work, we show that meaningful physical content can be revealed by transforming the raw data into a learned high-level representation using deep neural networks, with measurements taken at the Daya Bay Neutrino Experiment as a case study. We further show how convolutional deep neural networks can provide an effective classification filter with greater than 97% accuracy across different classes of physics events, significantly better than other machine learning approaches

Breaking the Language Barrier: A Report on English Language Services in Greater Boston

Assesses Massachusetts' English for Speakers of Other Languages system, demand and supply for services, their quantity and quality, and challenges such as lack of coordination. Recommends ways to reduce gaps in services and raise efficiency and quality

The process of establishing implementing and maintaining a social support infant feeding programme

Objective To describe the process of establishing and implementing a social support infant feeding intervention. Design This paper outlines the initial stages of a randomised controlled trial which assessed the effectiveness of a social support intervention on a range of infant feeding outcomes. Details are presented of the processes involved in recruiting, training and supporting a group of volunteers who provided support to the study sample. Setting Camden and Islington, London, UK. Results Initial networking with local agencies and organisations provided invaluable information and contacts. Employing a dedicated volunteer co-ordinator is vitally important in the recruitment, training and support of volunteers. Providing child care and travel expenses is an essential incentive for volunteers with young children. Advertisements placed in local newspapers were the most successful means of recruiting volunteers. Appropriate training is needed to equip volunteers with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide effective support. Particular emphasis in the training focused upon developing the necessary interpersonal skills and self-confidence. The evaluation of the training programme demonstrated that it improved volunteers’ knowledge and reported confidence. The provision of ongoing support is also essential to maintain volunteers’ interest and enthusiasm. The retention of volunteers is, however, a key challenge. Conclusions The processes outlined in this paper have demonstrated the feasibility of successfully establishing, implementing and maintaining a community-based social support infant feeding programme. The experiences described provide useful insights into the practical issues that need to be addressed in setting up a social support intervention

Effectiveness of a social support intervention on infant feeding practices : randomised controlled trial

Background: To assess whether monthly home visits from trained volunteers could improve infant feeding practices at age 12 months, a randomised controlled trial was carried out in two disadvantaged inner city London boroughs. Methods: Women attending baby clinics with their infants (312) were randomised to receive monthly home visits from trained volunteers over a 9-month period (intervention group) or standard professional care only (control group). The primary outcome was vitamin C intakes from fruit. Secondary outcomes included selected macro and micro-nutrients, infant feeding habits, supine length and weight. Data were collected at baseline when infants were aged approximately 10 weeks, and subsequently when the child was 12 and 18 months old. Results: Two-hundred and twelve women (68%) completed the trial. At both follow-up points no significant differences were found between the groups for vitamin C intakes from fruit or other nutrients. At first follow-up, however, infants in the intervention group were significantly less likely to be given goats’ or soya milks, and were more likely to have three solid meals per day. At the second follow-up, intervention group children were significantly less likely to be still using a bottle. At both follow-up points, intervention group children also consumed significantly more specific fruit and vegetables. Conclusions: Home visits from trained volunteers had no significant effect on nutrient intakes but did promote some other recommended infant feeding practices