The Cayman Islands - A Balanced Budget

Report on the effects of the introduction of direct taxation. Commissioned by Cayman Financ

Computer discrimination between diseases of the brain based on MR image features

No description supplie

VAT and the Turks & Caicos Islands – an independent appraisal

Commissioned by the Turks & Caicos Islands Business Council, this report examined the suitability of VAT to the TCI. Its recommendation that VAT was not suitable was adopted by the Cayman government and, after much debate, accepted by the TCI and UK governments

Museum Studies Borderlands: Negotiating Curriculum and Competencies

Given ICTOP‘s work on revising the curriculum guide using the competencies approach (2000-2008), the author asks whether it is possible to reflect some of the issues and conceptual underpinnings that are at play in the discourse of museology/museum studies as a field of study and pedagogy when designing curriculum when taking the competencies approach. Until we address this question, ICTOP‘s work will have little relevance for the design of syllabi/curriculum by post-secondary institutions. This presentation lays out some of the professional issues underlying and the role for critical reflexive professionalism which can bridge theory and practice, competencies and epistemological knowledge and s how a way forward. Then it moves to address some of the territories where critical discussion is at work that would extend the curriculum discussions of ICTOP, while pointing to some developments that offer a museology of possibilities

Structured computer-based training in the interpretation of neuroradiological images

Computer-based systems may be able to address a recognised need throughout the medical profession for a more structured approach to training. We describe a combined training system for neuroradiology, the MR Tutor that differs from previous approaches to computer-assisted training in radiology in that it provides case-based tuition whereby the system and user communicate in terms of a well-founded Image Description Language. The system implements a novel method of visualisation and interaction with a library of fully described cases utilising statistical models of similarity, typicality and disease categorisation of cases. We describe the rationale, knowledge representation and design of the system, and provide a formative evaluation of its usability and effectiveness

What role can Indigenous child care training play in ameliorating disadvantage for Indigenous people?

The early years of children\u27s lives are vitally important to their long term outcomes. Yet, in Australian, not all children have access to the same opportunities to enhance their development and achieve their fullest potential, as Australian Indigenous children experience considerable disadvantage in comparison to other Australian children. The multifaceted approach required to eliminate this disadvantage, and the associated oppression, has education central to it. Emancipatory education is powerful as it assists learners to develop skills and, within the context of the educational philosopher Freire, also develop their ability to confront their oppression. This research paper explores Indigenous child care training developed in Western Australia and Canada\u27s successful model of working with Indigenous Canadians, First Nations, in the child care and education area. This exploration is conducted within Freire\u27s approach to education to determine what makes education liberating for oppressed groups and ameliorates disadvantage

Evaluating 3D pointing techniques

"This dissertation investigates various issues related to the empirical evaluation of 3D pointing interfaces. In this context, the term ""3D pointing"" is appropriated from analogous 2D pointing literature to refer to 3D point selection tasks, i.e., specifying a target in three-dimensional space. Such pointing interfaces are required for interaction with virtual 3D environments, e.g., in computer games and virtual reality. Researchers have developed and empirically evaluated many such techniques. Yet, several technical issues and human factors complicate evaluation. Moreover, results tend not to be directly comparable between experiments, as these experiments usually use different methodologies and measures. Based on well-established methods for comparing 2D pointing interfaces this dissertation investigates different aspects of 3D pointing. The main objective of this work is to establish methods for the direct and fair comparisons between 2D and 3D pointing interfaces. This dissertation proposes and then validates an experimental paradigm for evaluating 3D interaction techniques that rely on pointing. It also investigates some technical considerations such as latency and device noise. Results show that the mouse outperforms (between 10% and 60%) other 3D input techniques in all tested conditions. Moreover, a monoscopic cursor tends to perform better than a stereo cursor when using stereo display, by as much as 30% for deep targets. Results suggest that common 3D pointing techniques are best modelled by first projecting target parameters (i.e., distance and size) to the screen plane.

Silk Purses from Sows' Ears: The Study of Material Evidence in Museums

Museums are a worthy, if untapped, source of material evidence suitable for academic study. Like any other evidential source, museum material collections require conscious study of the methodological problems of their use. In this article, the author discusses the place of museum evidence in the spectrum of types of evidence. Then, an attempt is made to suggest a model for the study of the museum collections, their history, their formation and museum life alterations, in order to test the collections' suitability to research questions or to assist in the reformulation of research questions suitable to museum evidence. In particular, methods of material science investigation are discussed for future interdisciplinary work for museums. Résumé Les musées sont une source précieuse, bien que non exploitée, d'objets-témoins convenant à une étude savante. Comme n'importe quelle autre source de cette nature, les collections matérielles des musées appellent un examen raisonné des problèmes méthodologiques que pose leur utilisation. Dans cet article, l'auteur examine la place qu'occupent les pièces de musées dans la gamme générale des objets-témoins. Il propose ensuite un modèle pour l'étude des collections de musées, de leur histoire, de leur formation et des changements qu'elles ont subis, afin de déterminer dans quelle mesure elles peuvent être utilisées pour chercher réponse à certaines questions ou faciliter la reformulation des questions que le chercheur doit se poser face aux pièces de musées. L'auteur analyse en particulier les méthodes d'étude de la culture matérielle qui pourraient être utilisées dans de futurs travaux interdisciplinaires pour les musées

Governance and Regulation of New Economy Companies: The Role of Human Capital

There has been much publicity surrounding “new economy” companies, a term embracing “dot.com”, “high-tech” and “innovative high growth” companies, amongst others. Whilst such generic terminology serves to obscure the very real differences between such companies, they are generally thought to be an important factor in economic growth despite fears as to their volatility. In economic terms such companies potentially present a number of difficulties relating to judgement problems, information asymmetry, asset specificity, imperfectly competitive markets and measurement. Such distinguishing features give rise to a high probability of market failure and may be argued to have played a significant role in the “dot.com crash”. In particular, it is thought that the role played by human capital and the associated problem of human asset specificity, poses special problems. Such difficulties may provide a justification for state intervention to regulate such companies and, in particular, their governance. This paper evaluates the the legal and regulatory framework for the governance of human capital in new economy companies by reference to the competing or complementary regulatory goals of efficiency, good governance, innovation and human capital. It further illustrates the practical effect of this framework by means of a survey of prospectuses of a sample of 50 companies listed on the Techmark index selected from three relevant groupings of sectors, which included health related, computer hardware, telecommunications and computing services companies, and related annual reports and accounts. It concludes by identifying examples of inappropriate regulation and making proposals for reform