Food safety is a concern for scientists, policy-makers and consumers especially as food poisoning outbreaks are becoming more common and as particular concerns arise over genetically modified foods. This book covers recent developments in the chemistry, biochemistry and physiological effects of toxicants that might have an impact on human health and welfare.
This book explores how climate institutions in industrialized countries work to further the recognition of social differences and integrate this understanding in climate policy making. With contributions from a range of expert scholars in the field, this volume investigates policy-making in climate institutions from the perspective of power as it relates to gender. It also considers other intersecting social factors at different levels of governance, from the global to the local level and extending into climate-relevant sectors. The authors argue that a focus on climate institutions is important since they not only develop strategies and policies, they also (re)produce power relations, promote specific norms and values, and distribute resources. The chapters throughout draw on examples from various institutions including national ministries, transport and waste management authorities, and local authorities, as well as the European Union and the UNFCCC regime. Overall, this book demonstrates how feminist institutionalist theory and intersectionality approaches can contribute to an increased understanding of power relations and social differences in climate policy-making and in climate-relevant sectors in industrialized states. In doing so, it highlights the challenges of path dependencies, but also reveals opportunities for advancing gender equality, equity, and social justice. Gender, Intersectionality and Climate Institutions in Industrialized States will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate politics, international relations, gender studies and policy studies. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003052821, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
A rigorous introduction to optimal control theory, with an emphasis on applications in economics. This book bridges optimal control theory and economics, discussing ordinary differential equations, optimal control, game theory, and mechanism design in one volume. Technically rigorous and largely self-contained, it provides an introduction to the use of optimal control theory for deterministic continuous-time systems in economics. The theory of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is the backbone of the theory developed in the book, and chapter 2 offers a detailed review of basic concepts in the theory of ODEs, including the solution of systems of linear ODEs, state-space analysis, potential functions, and stability analysis. Following this, the book covers the main results of optimal control theory, in particular necessary and sufficient optimality conditions; game theory, with an emphasis on differential games; and the application of control-theoretic concepts to the design of economic mechanisms. Appendixes provide a mathematical review and full solutions to all end-of-chapter problems. The material is presented at three levels: single-person decision making; games, in which a group of decision makers interact strategically; and mechanism design, which is concerned with a designer's creation of an environment in which players interact to maximize the designer's objective. The book focuses on applications; the problems are an integral part of the text. It is intended for use as a textbook or reference for graduate students, teachers, and researchers interested in applications of control theory beyond its classical use in economic growth. The book will also appeal to readers interested in a modeling approach to certain practical problems involving dynamic continuous-time models.
This book brings anthropologists and critical theorists together in order to investigate utopian visions of the future in the neoliberal cities of India and Sri Lanka. Arguing for the priority of materiality in any analysis of contemporary ideology, the authors explore urban construction projects, special economic zones, fashion ramps, films, archaeological excavations, and various queer spaces. In the process, they reveal how diverse co-existing utopian visions are entangled with local politics and global capital, and show how these utopian visions are at once driven by visions of excess and by increasing expulsions. It’s a dystopia already in the making – one marred by land grabs and forced evictions, rising inequality, and the loss of urbanity and civility.
The Lambeth Commission, established by the Archbishop of Canterbury, was charged with examining the legal and theological implications flowing from the Episcopal Church's decision to appoint a priest in a committed same sex relationship as a bishop and the Canadian Diocese of New Westminster's authorization of services for same sex unions. It was also charged with examining and making practical suggestions about how the provinces of the Anglican Communion may relate when they feel unable to remain in full communion with one another. The report focuses on reconciliation. The Primates' Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion called the commission's unanimous endorsement of the report "a sign of hope." "If there is a real desire to walk together in our discipleship of Christ," the Primates' Committee said in a statement, "then a course can be plotted to maintain the highest degree of Communion possible, in spite of differences about the way in which Christ's Gospel is to be interpreted in a diverse and troubled world."
How do you teach tolerance, self-awareness, and responsibility? How can you help children deal with fear, mistrust, or aggression? Play a game with them! Games are an ideal way to help children develop social and emotional skills; they are exciting, relaxing, and fun. 101 LIFE SKILLS GAMES FOR CHILDREN: LEARNING, GROWING, GETTING ALONG (Ages 6-12) is a resource that can help children understand and deal with problems that arise in daily interactions with other children and adults. These games help children develop social and emotional skills and enhance self-awareness. The games address the following issues: dependence, aggression, fear, resentment, disability, accusations, boasting, honesty, flexibility, patience, secrets, conscience, inhibitions, stereotypes, noise, lying, performance, closeness, weaknesses, self confidence, fun, reassurance, love, respect, integrating a new classmate, group conflict. Organized in three main chapters: (I-Games, You-Games and We-Games), the book is well structured and easily accessible. It specifies an objective for every game, gives step-by-step instructions, and offers questions for reflection. It provides possible variations for each game, examples, tips, and ideas for role plays. Each game contains references to appropriate follow-up games and is illustrated with charming drawings.
The University of Minho (UMinho) defined some years ago a comprehensive and integrative research policy in order to actively contribute to pushing the frontiers of human knowledge, to the reinforcement of the national scientific system, and to the consolidation of its institutional position both in national and international arenas. Thus, the commitment to become a research university is stated in the different strategic documents approved by the University along the last decade. UMinho defined a clear strategy in order to be an open and permanent space for the creation of knowledge and the furtherance of nationally and internationally relevant innovation across the different areas of knowledge. Being a comprehensive University, UMinho aims at fostering high quality research in all the scientific domains in which our Research Units inscribe their activity: Sciences, Health and Life Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities. From the very beginning, UMinho has adopted the principles of open access and open science. We aim at carrying out our scientific activity in a transparent and collaborative way, actively promoting the sharing and communication of research processes, data and outputs. We are convinced that we do better science when we make it both more sensitive to the needs of society and also more effective in what concerns the allocated resources. As we see it, accountability is a pre-requisite for reinforcing citizen awareness of the contributions of science to a better world. These are the reasons why UMinho played a pioneering role in allowing open access to its publications and why it is currently expanding its sharing of research data. At UMinho, research is carried out in close connection with education. The University is increasingly involving students of the different learning cycles in research activities. Conversely, both PhD students and post-doctoral researchers play a role in teaching activities. Acting in this way, not only do we guarantee better quality education but we also establish the basis for a sustainable development of the scientific system and the fostering of scientific culture. We conceive research as a global enterprise, seeking for the answers to the main challenges of our times. In this sense, research is essentially international and requires the continuous reinforcement of international collaborations and participation in international initiatives, namely in the context of the European Research Area. At the same time, we are always promoting the multiplier effects of the scientific research we undertake for the socio-economic and cultural development of the country and of our region. The University’s high-quality scientific performance is clear when we consider: (i) the results of the international evaluation of our Research Units carried out by the National Science Foundation (FCT); (ii) the position that UMinho has been achieving in important international rankings; (iii) the number and diversity of University projects approved under the 7th Framework Program and the H2020; and (iv) the large collaboration projects with companies and other organisations that are under development. The high standards of the activity of our Research Units is made clear in this publication. When we consider the characteristics of their human resources, their publications, the projects funded by national and international agencies, the national and international recognition of their researchers, the networks with which they are engaged, and the scientific events they promote it becomes clear how well positioned in the national and international context our Research Units are. This publication gives a general overview of research in UMinho along the year of 2018. It is the first of a series providing detailed information about the research work of the University. Research at UMinho is governed by a permanent concern with providing feedback to the scientific community and to our fellow citizens as most of our funding is from public sources. Together with the adoption of external evaluation procedures, providing feedback is one of the best ways to establish the relevance of science undertaken for the public good, and for guaranteeing the scientific independence of our researchers and their Research Units. Nowadays, science is essential for fostering social and economic development. Through this publication we reveal the relevant role that UMinho is playing in this enterprise. Rui Vieira de Castro Rector