121,740 research outputs found
How to map industrial waste metabolism at a geographical level? A proposal for a composite indicator
No full textWaste overproduction is a relevant issue in industrialised countries. Most empirical analyses investigate the problem using household consumption and urban waste generation data to identify behavioural patterns for policy design. However, industrial production and its geographical distribution significantly contribute to territorial waste generation and require specific treatments affecting waste metabolism. This paper focuses on the supply-side of waste production in three regions, namely Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, which are considered to be the industrial core of Italy. To further refine the analysis, we use a sub-regional territorial unit, the local labour market area (LLMA), which depicts the local configuration of waste production and treatment and supports estimating the territorial capacity to absorb and treat industrial waste. Combining data on industrial waste production and treatment to the socio-economic features of LLMA over the period 2015-2017, a composite indicator proxying the main waste metabolism constraints is proposed, considering three main dimensions: waste items' hazardousness and quantities, their main treatment in terms of disposal or recovery, and the physical distance travelled from the manufacturing site to the waste treatment plant. Once spatialized, the obtained index provides a geographical representation of waste-based territorial weaknesses. Results show that the density of manufacturing plants, the type of industrial specialisations, and the technological characteristics of such specialisations are the primary sources of constraints to industrial waste metabolism. Overall, the paper contributes to the field by offering an original tool to assess local production systems' main sources of industrial waste vulnerability. Accordingly, the use of the index can support place-based waste policies to improve manufacturing clusters' ecological transition
A Multi-Language Comparison of Influences on Author Verification using Character N-Grams
No full textWe create a new multi-language corpus for author verification based on Wikipedia talkpages, and evaluate the influence that differences in topic and time have on character n-gram author profiles. Topic alignment between two texts is found to increase author verification precision, and an authors writing style is found to change over time, but not more significantly after 3 years than after 1 year.Information ArchitectureWISElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
No full textWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
The vanishing author in computer-generated works: a critical analysis of recent Australian case law
No full textAbstract
The use of software is ubiquitous in the creation of many copyright works, yet the requirement in copyright law that every work have a human author who engages in independent intellectual effort means that its use may prevent copyright subsistence. Several recent Australian cases have refocused attention on authorship as an essential criterion of copyright subsistence, and these cases suggest that much computer-produced output may be authorless and thus lack copyright protection. This article, the first in a two-part series, analyses how each case deals with the question of authorship of computer-produced works and why the use of software diminishes copyright protection for a significant number of computer-generated works. The article critiques the application of conventional notions of human authorship developed in the pre-computer age to modern productions and suggests alternative approaches to authorship that satisfy both the major objectives of copyright policy and the need to adapt to the computer age. The article argues that, without a broader judicial approach to authorship of computer-generated works, Parliament must remedy the lacuna in protection for these ‘authorless’ works. Possible solutions for reform are suggested. In a forthcoming article, the author comprehensively examines those reform proposals
Diffusive author(s), cohesive author: Analysis of S/N (1994)
No full textThis study indicates the ways in which various aspects of the author(s) are brought forth in Dumb type’s performance art, the S/N production. Previous research has suggested a non-hierarchical organization of Dumb type and the absence of a “privileged author” in Dumb type’s collaborative work, S/N. However, the results that I have investigated from member’s interviews on the creative process of S/N along with my analysis of the recorded images of S/N, indicate a different aspect of the author(s). First, S/N was created through, so to speak, the collective ideas of the members of Dumb type. Further, S/N has at least nine quotations from previous performances, installations, and printed writings, besides the work-in-progress technique. Explicating one of the “author functions” as given by Michel Foucault, each text has plural subjects of the author. However, it has been revealed from members’ interviews that Teiji Furuhashi had a decision-making role in selecting the members’ ideas within the performance. Since then, S/N has had plural subjects of creation; however, Furuhashi is one of the subjects of creation along with the “privileged author.” S/N has plural authors (diffusive authors) yet at the same time, it has a “privileged author,” Teiji Furuhashi (cohesive author)
Essays on antibiotic prescription and pharmaceutical regulation
No full textRecent years saw a sharp increase in antibiotic resistance world-wide. The increase in resistance poses a serious threat to society and health systems. Over-prescription of antibiotics in primary care represents one of the key reasons for the surge in resistance. This thesis analyses the effectiveness of EU-wide policies in reducing over-prescription. This work then explores spatial dependence in antibiotic prescription in England. Lastly, this thesis analyses the impact of pharmaceutical regulation on social welfare and innovation. Understanding the impact of pharmaceutical regulation on innovation is important in addressing antibiotic resistance as one of the reasons behind the surge in resistance consists of a lack of newly developed antibiotics.
Chapter 2 studies the effectiveness of stewardship programmes in reducing antibiotics consumption across European countries.Using data from the Euro barometers 72.5 (Nov-Dec 2009), 79.4 (April 2013), 85.1 (April 2016), and 90.1 (September 2018), I estimate the impact of stewardship programmes on antibiotic consumption via difference-in-difference analysis,run on a representative sample of the European population. I identify a negative impact of stewardship programmes on antibiotic consumption by means of diff-in-diff analysis. The effect is significant across years, as well as for individual years of policy implementation. I identify inter-temporal effects of the policy, with significant lead effects following its introduction. The results on stewardship are confirmed, even when accounting for alternative national policies,such as National Action Plans (NAP). Stewardship programmes present an impact also on alternative dependent variables, such as receiving antibiotics from a doctor, patient’s intention to consult a doctor for future use, as well as patients opinions on antibiotics.
Chapter 3 explores spatial dependence in antibiotic prescription across English GP practices,by means of a spatial panel analysis developed from presentation level data for the years 2013-2017. I link antibiotic prescription rates to the local characteristics of GP practices, considering demographics, quality of care, condition prevalence, access to services, and supply-side variables. I estimate the role of spatial dependence via SLX models. I test two alternative measures of distance across practices: institutional and geographical proximity. I explore different channels of spatial dependence by means of interaction effects, spatial error and spatial auto regressive models.This paper finds that local demographics, supply side factors, condition prevalence and proxies of access to services all influence antibiotic prescription. Lastly, this paper identifies evidence of spatial dependence in prescription rates for all antibiotics as well as for individual antibiotic classes across English GP practices.
Chapter 4 analyses the impact of price regulation and patent length in influencing social welfare in a dynamic pharmaceutical market with innovation. After introducing a dynamic two-period model with R & D, I explore the trade-off between static efficiency, in which the regulator optimizes for surplus in individual periods, and dynamic efficiency, in which the regulator optimizes welfare in both periods, accounting for the firm’s investment decisions. I then explore the impact of Value-Based Pricing (VBP) regulation, by which the regulator sets prices proportional to expected health benefits. I find an inter-temporal trade-off between static and dynamic welfare. I study the price vs patent trade-off which the regulator might exploit to obtain desired policy results. I compare welfare in an alternative market where the firm is allowed to maximise profits, studying the impact on the amount of market innovation. Lastly, I identify that VBP policy influences consumer surplus and innovation decisions
Dissipative Range Scaling of Higher Order Structure Functions for Velocity and Passive Scalars
No full textDifferently to Kolmogorov's second similarity hypothesis, we find that the 2n-th order velocity and scalar structure functions scale with n-th order moment of the energy dissipation and the scalar dissipation, respectively. The origins of this scaling are analyzed by the transport equations of the fourth order velocity and scalar increment moments and by direct numerical simulations
Fast implementation of iterative adaptive approach for wideband unambiguous radar detection
No full textAccepted author manuscriptMicrowave Sensing, Signals & System
Ratio of n-6/n-3 in the diets of beef cattle
No full textEffects of feeding heat-treated canola (C), soybean (S) and flax (F) or mixtures on growth and slaughter characteristics, taste and fatty acid (FA) composition of beef tissue were investigated using 128 crossbred steers to determine the potential of improving the nutritional quality of beef for humans. For Trial 1 (48 steers), dietary treatments were: roasted C, extruded C, roasted S, extruded S, roasted F and extruded F. For Trial 2 (80 steers), the dietary treatments were: S:F (1:1), S:C (1:1), C:F (1:1) and S:F:C (1:1:1), and the oilseeds were processed either by roasting or extruding before mixing. Soybean meal and soybean oil were used to give equivalent lipid and protein contents to each experimental diet. The basal diet consisted of grass silage, barley grain, vitamins and minerals. Steers were fed for a minimum of 100d then slaughtered at a uniform degree of finish. Growth and slaughter characteristics of the steers were only slightly affected by dietary treatment in that the soybean-fed steers consumed more feed and had a higher average daily gain than the canola or flax-fed animals in Trial 1. There was no difference in taste panel parameters for any of the treatments. Inclusion of flax in the diet increased the total n-3 content of meat. Similar results were found for canola and C18:1n-9 although this was not the case for soybean and the n-6 FA. For the n-6 FA in the PL and neutral lipid fractions of the meat samples, levels were correlated with high dietary levels of n-6 or n-9 with low levels of n-3 while for the n-3 FA, levels were correlated with high dietary n-3 levels and low n-6 levels. Oilseed processing method did not have an effect on any fatty acid levels. It is possible to modify the FA composition of beef meat toward a healthier profile by including heat-treated oilseeds in the diet to influence the degree of lipid metabolism in the rumen.ID: S0377840111004007; M3: Article; Accession Number: S0377840111004007; Author: M.A. McNiven (a, ⁎); Author: J.L. Duynisveld (b); Author: T. Turner (a); Author: A.W. Mitchell (a); Affiliation: Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of PEI, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada C1A 4P3; Affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Nappan, NS, Canada B0L 1C0; Keyword: Oilseeds; Keyword: Roasted; Keyword: Extruded; Keyword: Fatty acids; Keyword: Healthy fat; Number of Pages: 11; Language: English
After seven years in Key West, Florida, author John N. Cole learned to appreciat
No full textAfter seven years in Key West, Florida, author John N. Cole learned to appreciate Maine winters for their beauty and power
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