Are Biotech Crops and Conventional Crops Like Products? An Analysis Under GATT

The transatlantic debate over the use of genetically modified organisms ( GMO s) as food products, with the US as a proponent on one side, and the European Union ( EU ) as an opponent on the other, is set to take center stage. The US has initiated formal legal action under the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement System, charging that the EU violates several agreements of international trade law, including Article III of GATT, an anti-protectionist measure which forbids a country from favoring its own products over imported like products. The US claims that GMOs and conventional crops are like products,, and that the EU moratorium on GMOs thus violates Article III. This iBrief assesses the US like products claim, most notably in light of Asbestos, a recent WTO case which provides important guidance for determining likeness under four criteria

Electric dipole moments in supersymmetric theories

Intrinsic EDMs in microscopic systems at a level of sensitivity achievable in experiments under way or foreseen are predicted in supersymmetric unified theories. I describe this and other sources of measurable EDMs and I show how these sources can be distinguished through experiments in different systems.Comment: 5 pages, LaTex2e using amstex.sty, amssymb.sty, apalike.sty, no figs., to appear in Proceedings of the XXIV ITEP Winter School of Physic

Oxidation induced changes in viscoelastic properties of a thermostable epoxy matrix

The thermal ageing of a neat epoxy matrix has been studied at 200°C in air by three complementary analytical techniques: optical microscopy, mechanical spectrometry and nano-indentation. Thermal oxidation is restricted in a superficial layer of about 195 µm of maximal thickness. It consists in a predominant chain scission process involving, in particular, chemical groups whose β motions have the highest degree of cooperativity and thus, are responsible for the high temperature side of β dissipation band. As a result, chain scissions decrease catastrophically the glass transition temperature, but also increase significantly the storage modulus at glassy plateau between Tβ and Tα. This phenomenon is called “internal antiplasticization”. Starting from these observations, the Di Marzio and Gilbert’s theories have been used in order to establish relationships between the glass transition temperature and number of chain scissions, and between the storage modulus and β transition activity respectively. The challenge is now to establish a relationship between the transition activity and the concentration of the corresponding chemical group

New futures for old collections:Contemporary collecting and community involvement at the National Museum of Denmark

In recognition of altered global relations since colonial times, the Ethnographic Collections at the National Museum of Denmark have identified a need to redefine their role in society. The Ethnographic Collections explore new ways of activating old collections – ways, which include contemporary collecting, co-curation and dialogue with the communities from where the collections derive. Through three recent projects, this paper revolves around questions such as: How can we make associations between the old collections and contemporary society? How do we prioritize, when collecting the contemporary? And how do we ensure that community involvement not only challenges the authority of museums, but also informs museological practices in new and constructive ways? Key words: Ethnography, representation, contextualization, partnerships, contemporary collecting, knowledge sharing, co-curation

Findit - Design and implementation of a mobile application for public transport

The purpose of this master’s thesis was to examine existing augmented reality technologies and develop an application for Windows phone. The goal with the application was to find new ways to use augmented reality technologies together with public transport. The end user would use the application to search for and find new journey options. The development process consisted of four steps – investigation, design, implementation and testing. The investigation was done by looking at current public transport and augmented reality applications for smartphones, compare them and see which functionality may be used or improved. Design consisted of scenarios, low-fi prototyping and storyboards where the author followed Microsoft own guidelines for designing and developing a Windows phone application. The application was implemented for both Windows phone 7 and 8 and a comparison was made between the two systems. The last step was testing and it was done by exploration and performance testing. The result is an application and a video. It became clear that augmented reality can be used and the technology for it is here, but the application still have a long way to go with testing and further consultations from users

Harmonization Without Consensus: Critical Reflections on Drafting a Substantive Patent Law Treaty

In this Article, we contend that the World Intellectual Property Organization\u27s proposed Substantive Patent Law Treaty (SPLT) is premature. Developing countries are struggling to adjust to the heightened standards of intellectual property protection required by the TRIPS Agreement of 1994. With TRIPS, at least, these countries obtained side payments (in the form of trade concessions) to offset the rising costs of knowledge products. A free-standing instrument, such as the SPLT, would shrink the remaining flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement with no side payments and no concessions to the catch-up strategies of developing countries at different stages of technological advancement. More controversially, we argue that a deep harmonization would boomerang against even its developed country promoters by creating more problems than it would solve. There is no vision of a properly functioning patent system for the developed world that commands even the appearance of a consensus. The evidence shows, instead, that the worldwide intellectual property system has entered a brave new scientific epoch, in which experts have only tentative, divergent ideas about how best to treat a daunting array of new technologies. The proposals for reconciling the needs of different sectors, such as information technology and biotechnology, pose hard, unresolved issues at a time when the costs of litigation are rising at the expense of profits from innovation. These difficulties are compounded by the tendency of universities to push patenting up stream, generating new rights to core methodologies and research tools. As new approaches to new technologies emerge in different jurisdictions, there is a need to gather empirical evidence to determine which, if any, of these still experimental solutions are preferable over time. Our argument need not foreclose other less intrusive options and measures surveyed in the Article that can reduce the costs of delaying harmonization. However, the international community should not rush to freeze legal obligations regarding the protection of intellectual property. It should wait until economists and policymakers better understand the dynamics of innovation and the role that patent rights play in promoting progress and until there are mechanisms in place to keep international obligations responsive to developments in science, technology, and the organization of the creative community

The influence of product type, humour type, brand attitude, and gender on humour effectiveness in ads

JEL classification system M31 – Marketing M37 – AdvertisingHumour is a growing trend in today’s marketing sphere. Despite the increasing number of managers approaching it, aspects influencing its effectiveness still remains unclear. The aim of this dissertation is thus to illuminate the influence of product type, humour type, brand attitude, and gender on humour effectiveness for the Danish population. This dissertation met the research aim through an extensive study of relevant literature and empirical research. The latter was carried out through a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. A sequential framework was developed based on the literature review, displaying the assumed interrelation between the facets. Interactions supported by the empirical findings. The findings revealed that brand attitude affects ad attitude through humour attitude. Additionally, ad attitude was confirmed to influence brand attitude, though only for yellow and white products. Overall the interrelations depicted in the framework were evidently influenced by the product type approached, the humour type chosen, and the gender focused upon. Subsequently, verifying the following interactions between the facets: The brand focused on affects the product type chosen which then influences the humour type approached. Continuing, the humour type affects the ad attitude which in turn influences the brand attitude. Additionally, gender is assumed to influence the product type chosen, the humour type approached, and the subsequent ad attitude. To flourish managers must therefore understand the prominence of brand attitude, product type, humour type, and gender on attitude towards the ad. Subsequently, managers should acknowledge the important interrelation among the facets and act accordingly

The potential of the private garden for a climate-smart future : a forgotten resource in Sweden's sustainability work?

De privata trädgårdarna har stor potential att vara en aktiv och betydande aktör för att vi ska nå Sveriges hållbarhetsmål, genom att bidra med ekosystemtjänster. För att de privata villaträdgårdsägarna ska få den roll som behövs i det nationella hållbarhetsarbetet, så har ett antal faktorer definierats som avgörande. Inledningsvis behöver villaträdgårdarnas betydelse lyftas fram tydligare och inkluderas i de nationella och lokala myndigheternas kommunikation, samt inkluderas i åtgärdsplaner för hållbarhetsarbetet. Kunskapen om ekosystemtjänster och om den enskildes påverkansmöjligheter bland villaägarna är en annan avgörande faktor. I detta arbete har en undersökande studie av Skånes trettiotre kommuners hemsidor gjorts. Frågeställningen omfattar hur de olika kommunerna kommunicerar hållbarhetsperspektiv genom ekosystemtjänster på deras hemsida, som är riktad till villaägarna och deras utomhusytor. Resultatet av studien varierar mellan de olika kommunerna, men sammanfattningsvis kan sägas att genom att göra informationen mer lättillgänglig och tydlig, gärna i form av en lista med konkreta råd och exempel, skulle det kunna gynna en ökning av kvantiteten och kvaliteten på lokala ekosystemtjänster. Det skulle inte bara bidra till en bättre lokal ekologisk livsmiljö, utan även vara en bidragande del till att förverkliga både de nationella och globala klimatmålen.The private gardens have great potential to be an active and meaningful actor to reach Sweden's sustainability goals, by contributing ecosystem services. For private garden owners to assume the role necessary to promote national sustainability, several factors have been regarded as decisive. Initially, the importance of private gardens needs to be highlighted more clearly and included in the national and local authorities' communication, as well as included in action plans for sustainability work. The knowledge of ecosystem services, and of the individual's possibilities for influence amongst private garden owners is another decisive factor. In this thesis, an investigative study of Skånes thirty-three municipal websites has been carried out. The research questions cover how the various municipalities communicate sustainability perspectives through ecosystem services on their website, which is aimed at villa owners and their outdoor areas. The results of the studies vary between the different municipalities, but in summary it can be said that by making the information more easily accessible and clear, preferably in the form of a list of concrete advice and examples, it could benefit an increase in the quantity and quality of local ecosystem services. It would not only contribute to a better local ecological habitat, but also be a contributing part to both the national and global climate goals