Doing business sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. It measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 10 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. In a series of annual reports doing business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. This economy profile presents the doing business indicators for Kazakhstan. To allow useful comparison, it also provides data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for each indicator. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2011 (except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period January December 2010).
Doing business sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. It measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 10 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. In a series of annual reports doing business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. This economy profile presents the doing business indicators for United Kingdom. To allow useful comparison, it also provides data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for each indicator. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2011 (except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period January-December 2010).
Doing business sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. It measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 10 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. In a series of annual reports doing business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. This economy profile presents the doing business indicators for Uzbekistan. To allow useful comparison, it also provides data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for each indicator. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2011 (except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period January-December 2010).
The purpose of the research. The aim of the article is to study and substantiate methodological approaches to building a model of transformation of the digital economy and society. Methodology. The general scientific methods, in particular generalizations, comparisons - for the analysis of views of scientists concerning factors, indicators, components and methodical approaches to construction of models of transformation of digital economy and society are applied in the researched. Results. It is proved that the main components of the concept of "digital economy" are the philosophy of big data, blockchain, cryptocurrency, architecture and infrastructure of the digital economy, smart city (region, country), identification and authentication, electronic services, electronic document management, electronic banking, cybersecurity, e-learning, etc. The main factors and indicators of development of the digital economy of Ukraine are revealed. These include the development of digital finance, social networks, digital identification and infrastructure, the protection of intellectual property, e-commerce and business, and the data revolution. The creation of a model of digital economy transformation is substantiated, which will take into account the incentives and motivation of the government for digitalization of business, development of digital infrastructure, updated projects of competitiveness of industries and spheres of the national economy. It is proved that the main tools for the transformation of digitalization include technology, industrial digital platforms, high-tech industries. It is proved that tracking the degree of impact of information and communication technologies on the economy as a whole and on its individual sectors is possible through the use and analysis of indices such as: Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), Network Readiness Index (NRI), digital capability (Digital Opportunity Index, DOI), ICT Development Index (ICT DI), digital access (Digital Access Index, DAI), digital transformation (Global Connectivity Index, GCI). Practical meaning. The main methodological approaches in shaping the transformation of the digital economy were systemic, parametric-diagnostic, statistical, institutional, differentiated, synergetic. Prospects for further research. The transformation of the digital economy model should be the result of building electronic interaction between business and government, open data, cybersecurity, blockchain, identification and trust, creating an ecosystem, transforming areas of life such as medicine, education, transport, security, ecology, tourism. All this will be the prospects for the author's further research. ; Мета дослідження. Метою статті є дослідження та обґрунтування методичних підходів щодо побудови моделі трансформації цифрової економіки та суспільства. Методологія. У досліджені застосовані загальнонаукові методи, зокрема узагальнення, порівняння – для аналізу поглядів науковців щодо факторів, індикаторів, компонентів й методичних підходів до побудови моделей трансформації цифрової економіки та суспільства. Результати. Доведено, що основними складовими сфери поняття «цифрова економіка» є філософія великих даних, блокчейн, криптовалюта, архітектура та інфраструктура цифрової економки, смарт-місто (регіон, країна), ідентифікація та аутентифікація особи, електронні послуги, електронний документообіг, електронний банкінг, кібербезпека, е-навчання тощо. Виявлено основні фактори та індикатори розвитку цифрової економіки України. До них належить розбудова цифрових фінансів, соціальних мереж, цифрової ідентифікації і інфраструктури, захисту інтелектуальної власності, електронної комерції й бізнесу, революція даних. Обґрунтовано створення моделі трансформації цифрової економіки, що враховуватиме стимули та мотивацію уряду країни для цифровізації бізнесу, розбудови цифрової інфраструктури, оновлені проекти конкурентоспроможності індустрій й сфер народного господарства. Доведено, що до основних інструментів забезпечуючих трансформацію цифровізації належать технології, індустріальні цифрові платформи, високотехнологічні виробництва. Доведено, що відстеження ступеню впливу інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій на економіку країни загалом та на окремі її сектори можливо за рахунок використання та аналізу індексів, таких як: глобальний індекс конкурентоспроможності (Global Competitiveness Index, GCI), мережевої готовності (Networked Readiness Index, NRI), цифрової можливості (Digital Opportunity Index, DOI), індексу розвитку ІКТ (ICT Development Index, ICT DI), цифрового доступу (Digital Access Index, DAI), цифрової трансформації (Global Connectivity Index, GCI). Практичне значення. Основними методичними підходами при формуванні трансформації цифрової економіки стали системний, параметро-діагностичний, статистичний, інституційний, диференційований, синергетичний. Перспективи подальших досліджень. Трансформація моделі цифрової економіки повинна стати результатом розбудови електронної взаємодії бізнесу і влади, відкритості даних, кібербезпеки, блокчейну, ідентифікації й довіри, створення екосистема, перетворення сфер життєдіяльності таких як медицина, освіта, транспорт, безпека, екологія, туризм, чому буде присвячено подальші дослідження автора.
The purpose of the research. The aim of the article is to study and substantiate methodological approaches to building a model of transformation of the digital economy and society. Methodology. The general scientific methods, in particular generalizations, comparisons - for the analysis of views of scientists concerning factors, indicators, components and methodical approaches to construction of models of transformation of digital economy and society are applied in the researched. Results. It is proved that the main components of the concept of "digital economy" are the philosophy of big data, blockchain, cryptocurrency, architecture and infrastructure of the digital economy, smart city (region, country), identification and authentication, electronic services, electronic document management, electronic banking, cybersecurity, e-learning, etc. The main factors and indicators of development of the digital economy of Ukraine are revealed. These include the development of digital finance, social networks, digital identification and infrastructure, the protection of intellectual property, e-commerce and business, and the data revolution. The creation of a model of digital economy transformation is substantiated, which will take into account the incentives and motivation of the government for digitalization of business, development of digital infrastructure, updated projects of competitiveness of industries and spheres of the national economy. It is proved that the main tools for the transformation of digitalization include technology, industrial digital platforms, high-tech industries. It is proved that tracking the degree of impact of information and communication technologies on the economy as a whole and on its individual sectors is possible through the use and analysis of indices such as: Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), Network Readiness Index (NRI), digital capability (Digital Opportunity Index, DOI), ICT Development Index (ICT DI), digital access (Digital Access Index, DAI), digital transformation (Global Connectivity Index, GCI). Practical meaning. The main methodological approaches in shaping the transformation of the digital economy were systemic, parametric-diagnostic, statistical, institutional, differentiated, synergetic. Prospects for further research. The transformation of the digital economy model should be the result of building electronic interaction between business and government, open data, cybersecurity, blockchain, identification and trust, creating an ecosystem, transforming areas of life such as medicine, education, transport, security, ecology, tourism. All this will be the prospects for the author's further research. ; Мета дослідження. Метою статті є дослідження та обґрунтування методичних підходів щодо побудови моделі трансформації цифрової економіки та суспільства. Методологія. У досліджені застосовані загальнонаукові методи, зокрема узагальнення, порівняння – для аналізу поглядів науковців щодо факторів, індикаторів, компонентів й методичних підходів до побудови моделей трансформації цифрової економіки та суспільства. Результати. Доведено, що основними складовими сфери поняття «цифрова економіка» є філософія великих даних, блокчейн, криптовалюта, архітектура та інфраструктура цифрової економки, смарт-місто (регіон, країна), ідентифікація та аутентифікація особи, електронні послуги, електронний документообіг, електронний банкінг, кібербезпека, е-навчання тощо. Виявлено основні фактори та індикатори розвитку цифрової економіки України. До них належить розбудова цифрових фінансів, соціальних мереж, цифрової ідентифікації і інфраструктури, захисту інтелектуальної власності, електронної комерції й бізнесу, революція даних. Обґрунтовано створення моделі трансформації цифрової економіки, що враховуватиме стимули та мотивацію уряду країни для цифровізації бізнесу, розбудови цифрової інфраструктури, оновлені проекти конкурентоспроможності індустрій й сфер народного господарства. Доведено, що до основних інструментів забезпечуючих трансформацію цифровізації належать технології, індустріальні цифрові платформи, високотехнологічні виробництва. Доведено, що відстеження ступеню впливу інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій на економіку країни загалом та на окремі її сектори можливо за рахунок використання та аналізу індексів, таких як: глобальний індекс конкурентоспроможності (Global Competitiveness Index, GCI), мережевої готовності (Networked Readiness Index, NRI), цифрової можливості (Digital Opportunity Index, DOI), індексу розвитку ІКТ (ICT Development Index, ICT DI), цифрового доступу (Digital Access Index, DAI), цифрової трансформації (Global Connectivity Index, GCI). Практичне значення. Основними методичними підходами при формуванні трансформації цифрової економіки стали системний, параметро-діагностичний, статистичний, інституційний, диференційований, синергетичний. Перспективи подальших досліджень. Трансформація моделі цифрової економіки повинна стати результатом розбудови електронної взаємодії бізнесу і влади, відкритості даних, кібербезпеки, блокчейну, ідентифікації й довіри, створення екосистема, перетворення сфер життєдіяльності таких як медицина, освіта, транспорт, безпека, екологія, туризм, чому буде присвячено подальші дослідження автора.
In: Détermination des produits sensibles et des produits à exclure de l'accord de partenariat économique entre l'Union européenne et l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Université Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg 1)(2007)
Dans le cadre de la politique de coopération commerciale qu'entretient l'Union européenne avec les pays Afrique, Caraïbes, Pacifique (ACP), seront mis en place au 1er janvier 2008 des accords de libre-échange entre l'UE et les six configurations régionales ACP, les Accords de partenariat économique (APE). Depuis 1975, les pays ACP bénéficient d'un accès privilégié au marché européen, cette politique n'étant pas en accord avec les règles de l'OMC, la réciprocité des préférences a dû être appliquée entre les deux zones. L'ouverture des marchés ACP aux produits européens implique des avantages, en particulier sur le bien-être des consommateurs, mais également des risques non négligeables pour ces économies vulnérables, notamment pour une des régions concernées, l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Etant donné les différences de niveau de développement entre les deux régions, le risque principal de l'APE consiste en une poussée des importations en provenance de l'UE au détriment de la production ouest- africaine existante ou potentielle. L'article XXIV régissant les zones de libre-échange permet une certaine flexibilité et notamment de ne libéraliser qu'une partie du commerce, ce qui laisse aux pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest une marge de manœuvre pour désigner un nombre limité de produits exclus de l'APE ou bénéficiant d'une libéralisation progressive.L'objet de cette étude est d'apporter une réflexion quant aux critères justifiant une protection différenciée pour certains produits dans le cadre de l'APE entre l'UE et l'Afrique de l'Ouest. La détermination de ces critères est guidée par la vulnérabilité de ces produits à l'ouverture aux produits européens. Dans ce cadre, des éléments afférant au degré de concurrence du produit, à l'emploi, à l'autosuffisance, à la nature du bien ou encore aux objectifs nationaux et régionaux seront pris en compte, en plus des impacts fiscaux et commerciaux de l'APE. Une base de données à partir d'informations relatives aux échanges, à la production, à la consommation, à l'emploi et aux objectifs sectoriels nationaux et régionaux sera constituée. Une réflexion sur ces différents indicateurs et leur mise en œuvre permettra d'affiner l'analyse sur les produits sensibles. ; As part of EU cooperation and trade policy towards African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries, free trade agreements between the EU and the six ACP regional configurations will be implemented on 1st January 2008. The preferential market access which the EU has given to ACP countries since 1975 will become void because of its incompatibility with WTO rules. As of 2008 the access will have to be reciprocal and the ACP countries will have to open up their markets to European products in order to preserve their preferential access to the European market. These Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) could lead to greater welfare for consumers but they could also lead to important risks for the weak economies of these countries, and in particular for the West African region. Given the differences in the levels of development between the EU and West Africa, the main risk of the EPA is an explosion of imports from the EU to the detriment of existing or potential production. Considering these risks, the West African countries should use the flexibility accorded by article XXIV of the WTO which enables them to liberalize their market only partially, by defining a number of sensitive products which should be excluded from the agreement. This study aims to contribute to the debate concerning the criteria that can justify a differentiated level of protection for sensitive products in the implementation of the EPA between the EU and the West African Countries. These criteria should be be based on the vulnerability of the West African economies to the opening of their domestic markets to European products. As well as the fiscal and trade impacts of the EPA, the degree of competition, the extent to which domestic production provides employment, the self-sufficiency, the nature of the good and the national and regional goals are considered. A database is built based on information about trade, production, consumption, employment as well as national and regional sector-based objectives. The analysis of sensitive products is refined using the indicators contained in the database.
This study is a first attempt to estimate the impact of a red seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) feed additive on total emissions from cattle and the feasibility of scaling up farmed seaweed production to meet projected demand from the livestock sector. The approach used for the analysis combines projections of supply and demand of beef and milk production to 2050 with a cattle herd model that allows calculation of animal categories by age and sex, animal weight and production, and feed intake and methane emissions from cattle. At the time of this study, the seaweed additive showed limited applicability in grazing systems as it has been used experimentally, mostly incorporated in mix rations for each treatment animal, with not enough evidence available at present to determine the time of decay of the active component in seaweed after consumption by animals with limited access to the additive. Given these limitations, this study assumes that the applicability of the seaweed additive could be extended in the future to most dairy systems via slow-release formulations that have already been developed for other CH4 inhibitors and that can be fed daily during milking time. Based on this assumption, the maximum potential reduction of enteric methane emissions of the new technology is analyzed by projecting a scenario where the seaweed additive is supplied globally to dairy cows. Results show that the seaweed additive could result in a reduction of up to 10 percent in total methane emissions from cattle compared to a No-Seaweed scenario. Most of this reduction was driven by decreased emissions in Latin America, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The estimated reduction in feed intake associated with the seaweed additive was equivalent to an annual reduction in grain consumption of approximately 50 kgs per cow, or US$5 billion in global cost savings per year. The total amount of dry seaweed needed to supply dairy cows in 2050 was estimated at 5 million metric tons per year, representing 18 percent of the world's seaweed-farmed area. Simply assuming the sector's long-term historical average growth rates, this production level might be reached in approximately 20 years, although there are still several open questions about production and technologies and high variability in production costs and producer prices, as A. taxiformis is not extensively produced at present. Available knowledge on seaweed production seems to suggest that, at least at the start, production of A. taxiformis will be by nearshore culture. Expansion of nearshore culture could result in site competition with established seaweed production, access to operational license and government approvals in several countries, licenses to use livestock feeds incorporating seaweed as a feed additive, and more research to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the additive in accordance with country's regulations. The best possibilities for the development of production A. taxiformis seem to be in South Asia, for its growing demand and production of dairy products, its importance in terms of global emissions, and its location near the best- and well-established seaweed production areas in Southeast Asia. ; Non-PR ; IFPRI1; CRP2 ; EPTD; PIM ; CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)
Grassland birds are among the fastest declining avian species in North America, primarily due to habitat loss. In the southeastern United States, much grassland and open savanna habitat has been converted to timber production or agriculture, neither of which typically provides habitat for breeding or wintering grassland birds. Powerline right-of-ways could provide suitable habitat for many grassland species because these areas are maintained to be treeless. We studied the population dynamics of Henslow's Sparrows (Centronyx henslowii) wintering in powerline right-of-ways in southeastern Georgia through an 11-year mark-recapture study. We used a robust design Cormack-Jolly-Seber model to estimate probability of detection and apparent survival. Abundance varied substantially among years at each site, with density varying from 1.7 to 8.5 birds/ha. Within-year detection probability was moderately high at 28% (24-33%, 95% credible interval [CI]), but apparent survival was very low at 13% (9-17%, 95% CI). This low apparent survival was likely due to low return rates (and not necessarily low survival). However, birds that did return to the study sites had extremely high site fidelity, with 82% of across-year recaptures < 200 m apart. This apparent incongruity between low apparent survival rates (likely due to emigration from the study sites) and high site fidelity for returning individuals could be explained by the dependability of the rightof-way habitat, which differs from typically patchy and temporally variable grassland and savanna wintering habitats. Dependable habitat may allow for higher site fidelity than this species would otherwise have, potentially resulting in the high densities we observed. Thousands of miles of right-of-ways in Georgia, and other southeastern states, could be managed to maximize potential habitat for declining grassland bird species. ; Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division through a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant; Georgia Southern University ; Published version ; The authors thank Allison Colter, Chris Coppola, Chris Depkin, Clyde Dixon, Dana Dixon, Tony Dodd, Ann Gilmore, Ashley Harrington, Eddie Hatchet, Ethan Hatchet, Rob Hicks, Robert Horan, Alex Isenberg, John Jensen, Gene Keferl, Tim Keyes, Jason Lee, Kevin Loope, Chuck Martin, Charlie Muise, Kara Nitschke, Jim Ozier, Sean Peacock, Perri Rothemich, Bob Sattelmeyer, Evan Schneider, Christian Scott, Fletcher Smith, Matthew Stoddard, Amanda Tveite, Miranda Wilkinson, and many other volunteers for their help in the field. We thank the Georgia Power Company for granting access to powerline right-of-ways and Tony Dodd and Jim Ozier of Georgia Power as well as Chuck Martin of The Nature Conservancy who assisted with access and logistics. We thank Phil Stouffer and two anonymous reviewers for reviews of this manuscript. This research was funded by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division through a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant and Georgia Southern University. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Introduction: Official data on COVID-19 in Honduras is published daily by the government via the National Risk Management System (SINAGER). Method: Data was curated manually, correcting for frequent inconsistencies by consulting primary sources (health system and municipalities). Business Intelligence tools were used for data modeling and visualization using Power BI Desktop. Results: As of August 28, 2020, there were 58,810 cases confirmed by RT-PCR, average age of 39.8 years (range 21-40 years), 53% were men. Interestingly, 28.6% of all cases were reported in August, extemporary by several weeks late due to laboratory limitations. There were 1,827 deaths from COVID-19, average age of 62.4 years, 65% were men, 48% were between 51 to 70 years of age; 33.1% of all cases and 36.2% of deaths were from the Department of Cortés, followed by Francisco Morazán and progressively increasing in other departments. Discussion: Only 1.5% of the population has undergone RT-PCR. As of August 28, the number of cases was reduced by 24.4%, but associated with 29.2% reduction in lab testings done, compared to previous months. The positivity rate in August (45.5%) is the highest in Central America. Conclusion: Despite limited access to RT-PCR, official data on COVID-19 in Honduras shows an ascending curve in August, expanding into the rural regions. We propone to give access to open data of higher quality and to innovate with business intelligence to fight this pandemic. ; Introducción. Los datos oficiales sobre el COVID-19 en Honduras son publicados a diario por el gobierno vía Sistema Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos (SINAGER). Método: Se dio tratamiento manual de los datos, subsanando frecuentes inconsistencias acudiendo a fuentes primarias (sistema de salud y municipalidades). Se usó herramientas de Inteligencia de Negocios para el modelamiento y visualización de datos con Power BI Desktop. Resultados: Al 28 de agosto de 2020 había 58,810 casos confirmados por RT-PCR, con edad promedio de 39.8 años (rango 21-40 años) y 53% hombres. El 28.6% del total fueron reportados en agosto, pero extemporáneos por retraso por limitaciones laboratoriales. Hubo 1,827 muertes por COVID-19, con edad promedio de 62.4 años, 65% hombres, 48% entre 51 a 70 años de edad. El 33.1% de los casos y 36.2% de las defunciones eran de Cortés, seguido por Francisco Morazán y aumentando progresivamente en otros departamentos. Discusión: Sólo 1.5% de la población se ha realizado RT-PCR. Al 28 de agosto se redujo en 24.4% el número de casos, asociado a una reducción de realización de pruebas de 29.2% respecto a meses previos. La tasa de positividad en agosto (45.5%) es la más alta en Centroamérica. Conclusión: A pesar del limitado acceso a RT-PCR, los datos oficiales sobre COVID-19 en Honduras muestran una curva ascendente en agosto, expandiéndose al interior del país. Se propone dar más acceso a datos abiertos de mayor calidad e innovar agregando inteligencia de negocios para luchar contra esta pandemia.
This dissertation is devoted to the study of who used the formal channels of interaction in the early modern era and why. It examines the full range of the political conversation in early modern Sweden, as seen in the supplications to the Diet in the Age of Liberty (1719–1772), and more specifically the supplications submitted to the parliamentary committee tasked with handling them, the Screening Deputation. The literature yields few systematic studies of this official channel, and supplications have long been terra incognita in the early modern political landscape. Their exact importance is uncertain, to say the least. Using a database built on three samples from the beginning, middle, and end of the Age of Liberty, the Diet's supplication channel is shown to have been used by two groups: supplicants from state-affiliated households primarily tried to use it to pursue their claims on the state, to settle various issues related to employment, or to receive some sort of support through hard times; and, increasingly, commoners, especially delegates in the Estate of the Burghers, used the channel for their gravamina concerning commerce, taxation, and the like, and state support for public amenities, a group for whom the Screening Deputation offered an alternative route to getting their grievances heard by the Diet. Both groups increasingly used the Diet's supplication channel was appeal the verdicts of the King in Council (Kungl. Maj:t). Although most were not appeals against the Judicial Audit, the results reveal an active use of appeals, and thus a de facto erosion of Kungl. Maj:t's supremacy. The results also show that as many as three-fifths of all supplicants had their supplications accepted by the Screening Deputation for further examination by the Diet. Although the acceptance rate was definitely lower in the 1730s and 1740s, the committee seems to have been fairly benevolent in its interpretation of the rules on petitioning. The results, lastly, show that although the Diet's supplication channel allowed excluded groups direct access to the Diet - including women of all classes, commoners of rank, and unrepresented groups - it mainly catered to men with the social status or wealth that put them in the middle and upper strata of society. Although this supplication channel stood open to anyone, its egalitarian potential was seemingly never realized. The use of March and Olsen's institutional theory about the logic of appropriateness, has revealed that certain institutional templates and norms that would have enabled these groups more access to the channel succumbed and made room for other institutional foundations. Supplications were part of the medieval and early modern centralization of legal and political power, the formation of the state, the protection of the privileges of Swedish subjects, and, during the Age of Liberty, the power struggle between the Diet and the kings. Each supplication viewed by itself might seem trivial, but nonetheless played a part in each and every one of these major processes. An ordinary Swede could have an impact on early modern politics when acting in concert with other supplicants, like rain eating away at rock.
[ES] Con el aumento de la esperanza de vida y el crecimiento de conocimientos e información, las TIC permiten a las personas mayores aumentar y mejorar su desarrollo individual y social y optimizar su calidad de vida desde los puntos de vista técnico, económico, político y cultural. El estudio que presentamos pretende analizar el uso que realizan las personas mayores de las TIC. El método utilizado para el estudio es descriptivo mediante la técnica del cuestionario para constatar los conocimientos que las personas mayores poseen sobre las TIC, intereses, utilidades y dificultades de acceso. Los resultados sostienen que las personas mayores consideran pobre su dominio de las TIC, utilizándolas para comunicarse con amigos y familiares. La mayoría domina correo electrónico, sabe abrir, adjuntar e imprimir un archivo y usa buscadores de Internet para encontrar información; los valores más bajos se relacionan con las hojas de cálculo, bases de datos y paquetes estadísticos. Las consideran útiles para ayudar a crear comunicación, desarrollar la integración, generar información entre las personas y mejorar la relación intergeneracional, conseguir información poco accesible por otros medios y aprender nuevos conocimientos. No tienen miedos a la hora de usarlas, consideran asequible su aprendizaje y ven muchas posibilidades en su uso por lo que merece la pena dedicarles tiempo y esfuerzo aunque sienten que la sociedad depende demasiado de los ordenadores. En conclusión, se considera que será imprescindible favorecer el acceso de las personas mayores a las TIC ya que constituyen una herramienta esencial para la mejora de su calidad de vida y no se encuentran dificultades importantes para un manejo eficaz. [EN] With increasing life expectancy and growth of knowledge and information, ICT enable elderly people to increase and improve their individual and social development and optimize their quality of life from a technical, economic, political and cultural viewpoint. The present study aims to analyze the use that elderly people make of ICT. The method used for the study is descriptive using the questionnaire technique to verify the knowledge that elderly people have on ICT, interest, tools and difficulties of access. Results show that elderly people consider poor their ICT skills, using them primarily to communicate with friends and family. Most of them can use the e-mail, can open, print and attach a file and use Internet search engines to find information, the lowest values are associated with spreadsheets, databases and statistical packages. They consider ICT as being useful to help building communication, developing integration, generating information among people and improving intergenerational relationship, gathering information not readily accessible by other means and learning new skills. They have no fear when using them, consider attainable their learning and see many possibilities in its use and therefore worth spending time and effort but feel that society is too dependent on computers. In conclusion, we consider essential to improve access for elderly people to ICT as an important tool for improving their quality of life and there are no major difficulties for effective management.
A surprisingly large proportion of the world's dictators today hold elections, so much so that scholars have coined the term ``electoral authoritarianism" to identify this oxymoronic phenomenon. Yet, the role these elections play in shaping authoritarian politics for the regime and its citizenry alike is undertheorized. Do the specific types of institutions that govern elections under authoritarianism matter? In democracies we see sustained relationships between voters and their elected representatives. Do elections shape enduring citizen-state linkages under authoritarianism or are they simply isolated events of state-society interaction? Moreover, how do electoral institutions under authoritarianism interact with salient ethnic cleavages and local political landscapes? I argue that the way in which electoral institutions are structured have meaningful consequences for citizens living under authoritarianism much as they do for those living in democracies – a fact that is almost completely overlooked in the literature. Taking electoral institutions under authoritarianism seriously, this research analyzes the effects of variations in electoral rules on voter behavior, parliamentarian clientelistic service provision, and ethnically-based citizen-state linkages. Drawing upon data I collected from over two years of fieldwork in Jordan, I investigate how the Jordanian regime overcomes a classic conundrum for dictators who hold elections: how to cultivate widespread loyalty to the regime while maintaining deep-seated divisions among the elite and the masses alike to avoid threats to their power from unmitigated collective action. I claim that elections help the ruler solve both sides of this quandary. I leverage shifts in the electoral institutional design throughout history to investigate how different types of electoral institutions are structured to ensure that parliamentarians win their seats with narrow voter coalitions rather than broad-based ones, encouraging parliamentarians to win their seats based on clientelistic rather than programmatic appeals. I explain how the use of a single, non-transferable vote system favors political mobilization on ethnic lines when compared to the use of a single-member plurality system in Jordan. The dataset I draw from comprises of the full election results from 1989 to 2013, parliamentarian constituent casework logs, tribal indices I constructed for each electoral district, more than a hundred qualitative interviews with stakeholders in the elections, as well as a national poll of eligible voters in Jordan.My empirical evidence demonstrates how elections serve as a reliable mechanism of rent distribution in authoritarian settings, facilitating the purchase of loyalty from tribal sectors of the population who have historically been open to trading support for privileged access to state benefits. Under these conditions, parliamentarians spend all of their time catering to the personal concerns of their constituents rather than pursuing national legislation and they become beholden to the regime for fulfilling their requests. In the final chapter, I show how the rules governing the elections can either enhance or diminish ethnic identity as the basis for political mobilization and distribution of government goods and services long after the elections. These findings are evidence that for citizens living in a dictatorship electoral institutional design plays an important role in their ability to access state goods and services through their member of parliament.
Eine Umsetzung der EU Bio VO, die den Zugang zu einem Gewässer vorschreibt, ist in Ö. kaum möglich, da natürliche Gewässer durch das Wasserrecht geschützt sind. Deshalb werden in der Praxis künstliche Bademöglichkeiten getestet. Bei der vorliegenden Arbeit handelt es sich um vergleichende Fallstudien. Dabei wurde untersucht, inwiefern sich die Form des Wasserangebots auf das Gefieder und das Verhalten auswirkt. Insgesamt wurden zwei Betriebe mit Rohrtränke (RB) sowie drei Betriebe mit Wasserangebot (WB) in Wannen untersucht. Es wurde mittels scan-sampling die Nutzung verschiedener Bereiche rund um das Wasser aufgezeichnet und der Verschmutzungsgrad bzw. Gefiederzustand beurteilt. In den RB wurde bei der Ersterhebung eine kontinuierliche Fokustierbeobachtung durchgeführt. Es konnten insgesamt keine erheblichen Verschmutzungen festgestellt werden. Für einen Betrieb mit Rohrtränke lag eine tendenziell schlechtere Bewertung vor. Der zweite RB lag in der Größenordnung der WB. Bei der Beurteilung des Gefieders zeigten sich keine deutlichen Unterschiede. Jedoch wiesen beide Varianten scharfe Kanten auf, die sich in Schäden in verschiedenen Körperregionen bemerkbar machten. An den Rohrtränken bzw. an den zusätzlich angebotenen Tränken hielten sich grundsätzlich größere Anteile von Tieren auf als direkt an den Wannen. Die Größe der Wannen ließ nur die gleichzeitige Nutzung durch zwei Tiere zu. Beide RB zeigten neben den Trinkverhalten auch wasserbezogene Verhaltensweisen, die dem Komfortverhalten zugeschrieben werden. Unvollständiges Baden wurde in einem der Untersuchungsbetriebe beobachtet. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass neben der Form des Wasserangebots auch Faktoren wie Gruppengröße und Wasserverfügbarkeit Einfluss nehmen können. Eine praxisgerechte Lösung könnte die Gewährleistung der vorgegebenen Mindest Trinkrinnenseite über Rohrtränken bei zusätzlichem, ständigem Wasserangebot über Wannen sein. ; EU regulation requires that organic geese and ducks access to a running water or a lake. This is not possible in Austria due to strict water protection legislation. Therefore it is necessary to find an adequate solution which offers the geese enough possibilities to perform their natural behaviours and fulfil their need related to water. It was the aim of the present case studies to describe different alternatives of water supply with regard to inegrity and cleanliness of plumage and behaviour. The five farms offered pipes as drinking throughs (twice observations) or cut tanks as open drinkers (one observation). In order to evaluate the bodily state, 20 animals from each farm were examined for integrity and cleanliness of the plumage. Using scan sampling, the utilisation of different areas around the water point was recorded. Additionally, behaviour sampling was used to assess the water directed behaviours on the "pipe farms". There were no major differences in the cleanliness of the plumage except for one farm with pipes which had a significantly higher score indicating more animals with muddy plumage. Plumage condition was generally evaluated as in good or very good condition for all geese. There were more animals present close to the pipes or other water points than close to the troughs, maybe because there was only space for at most two geese. The results showed that geese with access to pipe drinkers show - apart from drinking - also a wide range of water - related activities (head into water, preening with water). Partial bathing activities were observed at only one type of pipe drinker. Besides the type of water supply, it is necessary to take the number of geese, the stocking rate and availability of water as a critical factor into consideration before final conclusions can be drawn. Feasible solution may consist of a combination of both pipe drinkers and water troughs which allow for more diverse behavioural acitivities. ; eingereicht von Speta Nina ; Zsfassung in engl. Sprache ; Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Dipl.-Arb., 2008 ; (VLID)1082975
Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This document presents the results of GAO's survey of public housing agencies that manage developments that house primarily the elderly and non-elderly persons with disabilities. The purpose of the survey was to (1) collect data on physical and social characteristics that constitute aspects of "severe distress," (2) verify HUD data from the PIC and REAC databases, and (3) collect data about ways in which the stock of severely distressed public housing for the elderly and non-elderly persons with disabilities could be improved. We surveyed 46 public housing agencies that manage the 76 developments identified as potentially severely distressed using a mail questionnaire. Questions covered the following topics: physical deterioration, systems requiring renovation or modernization, the neighborhood environment in which the development was located, accessibility features, access to social and public services, and actions to remedy housing challenges. Each questionnaire contained a set of specific questions about the identified development and a set of general questions about public housing for the elderly and non-elderly persons with disabilities. In the 11 cases where the housing agency managed more than one of the identified 76 developments, respondents were asked to provide separate answers--in response to the specific questions--for each of the identified developments. For the 35 public housing agencies with one development, we also asked the local housing agencies whether they had other developments or buildings occupied primarily by elderly persons or non-elderly persons with disabilities that did not score above our distress threshold, but had conditions comparable to or worse than the developments we identified. We mailed the questionnaire to each public housing agency on June 10, 2005. Participants could return the questionnaire by mail or fax and collection of survey data ended on August 30, 2005. We had 43 housing agencies return the survey, providing a response rate of 93 percent, and representing 66 of the 76 developments. Respondents were asked to provide written comments to open-ended questions; however to maintain the confidentiality of participants, responses to these items are not provided here. We did not attempt to verify the respondents' answers against an independent source of information; however, we used two techniques to verify the reliability of questionnaire items. First, we used in-depth cognitive interviewing techniques to evaluate the answers of pretest participants. Interviewers judged that all the respondents' answers to the questions were correct. Second, we compared some responses with observations made during site visits; again, observers concluded that responses to these items were correct. A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology, and a discussion of the survey results are contained in our report, Distressed Conditions in Developments for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities and Strategies Used for Improvement. Clicking on the following link will provide access to this report (GAO-06-163). We conducted our survey work from November 2004 through August 2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards."
