Blockchain Papers

Philippe Deboudt

No abstract is available for this record.

Gennady Lyubeznik

Let k be a field, let R be a ring of polynomials in a finite number of variables over k, let D be the ring of k-linear differential operators of R and let f be a non-zero element of R. It is well-known that R_f, with its natural D-module structure, has finite length in the category of D-modules. We give a characteristic-free proof of this fact. To the best of our knowledge this is the first characteristic-free proof.

Sławomir Grzonkowski

Recently we have observed a growing demand for secure technologies for e-commerce that do not put customers at risk of identity theft. We have also experienced the advent of Web 2.0 which has led to new business models and which has changed the way users interact with the Web. This thesis proposes a set of strategies and enhancements towards providing improved security and privacy in such new settings. We introduce a novel concept: Fair Rights Management (FRM). It can be classified as a usage control solution. FRM enables a flexible way of managing digital content. There was a need to provide additional security extensions to keep such a flexible model applicable. Thus, in our approach we take advantage of trust obtained from social networks. This is also the reason why we created an efficient zero-knowledge proof protocol that is lightweight enough to be deployed within existing web-applications. The proposed protocol is also successfully integrated with Semantic Web architecture and associated components. It enables practical Web and mobile applications which employ trust-based transactions as part of their workflow. This core contribution overcomes various disadvantages of prior art and enables a range of new applications and potentially new business models. We show that compared to existing Usage Control Models (UCON) (i) FRM is a step towards fair use in the digital world and we also argue that our approach is enforced by law; (ii) the participants of the proposed solution do not put their privacy at risk. Our research shows that existing infrastructure is sufficient to support ZKP-based solutions; and thus, it is feasible to offer the users enhanced privacy within existing deployed solutions.

Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Anna Squicciarini, Rui Xue, Elisa Bertino

The problem of identity theft, that is, the act of impersonating others' identities by presenting stolen identifiers or proofs of identities, has been receiving increasing attention because of its high financial and social costs. In this paper, we address the problem of verification of such identifiers and proofs of identity. Our approach is based on the concept of privacy preserving multifactor verification of such identifiers and proofs achieved by the development of a new cryptographic primitive, which uses aggregate signatures on commitments that are then used for aggregate zero-knowledge proof of knowledge (ZKPK) protocols. The resultant signatures are very short and the ZKPs are succinct and efficient. We prove the security of our scheme under the co-gap Diffie-Hellman (co-GDH) assumption for groups with bilinear maps. Our cryptographic scheme is an improvement in terms of the performance, flexibility, and storage requirements than the existing efficient ZKPK techniques that may be used to prove under zero knowledge and the knowledge of multiple secrets.

Authors unavailable

Establishment of international institutions has become a central feature of modern international politics (Koremenos et al. 2001). Participation in international organizations, which is itself often used as an indicator of integration into the wider world system, may lead to the active incorporation of nation states with worldwide connotations. There are four principal international organizations, constituting nation state members, which have the capability to influence globalization and regionalism profoundly: the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the United Nations (UN). There are a few points to make about these organizations, which are closely identified with the international political economy and with both regionalism and globalization: (1) states themselves are still very much the dominant actors; (2) the impact of international organizations depends very much on how they work with other actors, especially the national governments (Drake 2001)—their effect is determined by how nation states manage their cooperation with international organizations (Stiglitz 2002); (3) the effect of an organization depends on its own management, leadership, and organizational culture; (4) international organizations are not a monolithic bloc-there are differences between governmental and nongovernmental organizations and between those within the UNO and the financial institutions (Stiglitz 2002; Wang an Xie 2004); (5) many international agencies are governed by and for special corporate financial interests-there is an absence of countervailing democratic checks to ensure that these informal and public institutions serve a general interest (Stiglitz 2002). With regard to higher education, nation-centric policies are no longer sufficient and cannot adequately engage with the new global realities of transnational economic, political, and cultural interconnectivities. Educational ideologies and experience now circulate around the world at a rapid rate, resulting in global educational policy networks that are often more influential than local political actors. Similar pressures, procedures, and organizational patterns increasingly govern educational systems, leading to “universalizing tendencies in educational reform” (Halpin 1994, 204). Consequently, there is a global convergence of educational policy being placed highly on the agendas of national governments and international organizations. While the actual dynamics and pace of change vary across national systems, the direction of change appears to be similar. They seem located within the same neo-liberal imagery (Schugurensky 1999). Why has today’s grand narrative of economic globalization acquired the status of a universalistic logic that supposedly propels and legitimizes such practices of managerialism as downsizing and state deregulations and privatization, as if they were a natural and inevitable response to the steering logic of globalization (Rizvi 2004)? International organizations are part of the answer. They play an increasingly important role in the processes of educational policy formation and evaluation at the national level, involving negotiating consensus and conventions, ensuring coordinated policy action across national systems, as well as supporting international cooperation in education through the development of global indicators and quality. The approaches driven by such organizations indicate a trend toward uniformity, demanding a convergence in thinking and accepting similar diagnoses of problems confronting educational systems with widely differing social, political, and economic traditions. They influence national systems through a number of normative and rule-creating activities (Jacobson 1984). The specific activities that show the relevance of international organizations for worldwide educational policy convergence include the exchange of information, charters and constitutions, standard-setting instruments, and technical and financial resources (McNealy and Cha 1994). With the help of the functioning of international organizations, the neoliberal imagery of globalization has acquired ascendancy in education thinking and become highly normative. It designates certain power relations, practices, and technologies, playing a hegemonic role in organizing and decoding the meaning of the world. Its dominance is secured through a range of political strategies, employed by international organizations and national governments alike. In the context of such multilateralism, developing countries are often coerced to take into account the alleged “imperatives of the global economy.” The restructuring of higher education worldwide informed by neo-liberal market ideologies has transformed the framework of the broader changes in policy and governance, and has had an impact on the manner in which universities are financed and managed (Rizvi 2004). International organizations developed fast in Asia after the Cold War. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), for example, was founded in August 1967 with five members. It included Cambodia as its 10th member in 1999. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member states increased from 12 in 1989 to 21 in 1997. As Asian indigenous international organizations are growing rapidly, the presence of many international organizations that were established elsewhere are gaining increasing visibility in Asia as well. Due to the relative underdevelopment of representative politics and the social discourses, the effect of international organizations to promote neo-liberalism is particularly pervasive. Many international organizations have certain education components in their programs. Those without a mandate for education have also become vivid players in the education policy field. International organizations are active in Asia in similar ways, such as agenda setting, innovating, and disseminating fresh ideas through the coordination and distribution of statistics and policy papers developed by highly skilled professionals who are seen as capable to provide objective and effective solutions to national problems (Finnemore and Sikkink 1998; Haas 1992; March and Olsen 1998), and creating professional transnational networks in the field of education policy through the organization of conferences. With their growing activity, the way of policy making in most Asian countries has been altered (Leuze et al. 2007). As one of the oldest and most wide-ranging organizations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been actively influencing education policy making in Asia. By developing and proposing conventions, resolutions, and recommendations in the field of education (McNeely and Cha 1994), by promoting lifelong learning, and by establishing worldwide applicable quality assurance systems, it shapes policy concepts in its Asian member states. It established the Asian Regional Office for Primary and Compulsory Education, which later became the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, to interpret global priorities and goals in a regional context and adapt broad institutional strategies to achieve the regional goals. In a similar vein, the UNESCO Regional Bureau in Bangkok has now become a network of regional centers to promote training of specialists. It has organized a wide range of networking and capacity-building activities for higher and distance education, and made deliberate efforts to promote greater mobility and recognition of higher education qualifications by the universities in Asia and the Pacific region, often in tandem with the South-East Asian Ministers for Education Organization-Regional Institute for Higher Education. Another UNESCO regional inter-country cooperative program, the AsiaPacific Program of Educational Innovation (APEID), aims to strengthen its member states’ capabilities at national and local levels for creation and use of educational innovations in achieving national development goals, including stimulating and facilitating innovative activities for equity and quality in education, assisting member countries in enhancing capabilities of undertaking innovative actions in related program areas, and promoting inter-country technical cooperation and transfer of innovative experiences. Through the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific, APEID provides financial and technical assistance, serves as a secretariat to implement programs, and assists in providing information on higher education and degrees in its member states for the mutual understanding and recognition of qualifications. As the largest financier of international educational development, and most powerful ideologue and regulator in the developing world (Jones 1992), the World Bank has been the most influential in Asia. Through its profile as a worldwide institution of knowledge-promoting projects in education (Robertson 2005), it propagates the specific neo-liberal view of how public education should be organized (Jakobi 2007), with its emphasis on systemwide reforms, quality, efficiency, decentralization, the restructuring of the public service, the introduction of standardized educational testing regimes, the introduction of private service providers, as well as cost recovery measures. Its projects cover a wide range of education issues in many Asian countries. Its activities in Asia also include providing guidelines for the development of cross-border higher education in the region, launching initiatives in quality, quality assurance, and mutual recognition of qualifications, promoting networking of higher education institutions within the region across the board, and establishing virtual universities to offer distance learning programs to students from the Greater Mekong subregion, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yunnan province in China. There are a number of other international organizations that are influential in Asia. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), for example, publishes annually Education at a Glance, which covers Asian countries. The publication is often seen as one of the most important sources of educational indicators and is thus highly influential in Asia. The Program for International Student Assessment serves as another example, with more and more Asian countries joining the project. By placing greater emphasis on shared international standards rather than national peculiarities of education systems, the OECD has cleared the way for greater convergence and commitment amongst Asian states to uniform models of best practices. Its rating and ranking activities, which appear to be based on objective criteria, scientifically researched by experts, and presented in an easily accessible manner, puts many Asian states under pressure to import and apply models for education developed in other (usually developed) countries (Martens 2007). Increasing international activities in the arena of education raises the question as to what extent international organizations are complementing or even partly taking over the design and provision of education policies. Using examples from higher education practices from the People’s Republic of China, this chapter examines how international organizations “lend” their ideas for circulation, and how the local and the global play out. It analyzes what circulates internationally as “reforms” and its impact on the actors that move and translate such practices into local contexts, exploring the relation of the global in local situations and the complex impact of policy borrowing.

Junichi Saito

This book is perhaps the first English language publication that explains, in full detail, Japan's local government finance. It is a handy reference book that introduces the historical development and institutional features of intergovernmental fiscal relations in Japan. Since the book is intended for both academics and practitioners, the materials covered are presented in a non-technical way. In many ways, Mochida's book provides an original contribution to the literature on Japan's local government finance; readers will learn a lot from his discussion of value-added taxes in particular. After surveying the historical development of Japan's local government finance in Chapter 1, Mochida locates it in international comparative perspective. Mochida's attentive cross-national comparison between Japan and other advanced industrial democracies, in particular Nordic countries, clarifies which institutional features define the Japanese system. Chapter 2 is specifically reserved for this comparison, where Mochida identifies key similarities and differences between Japan and Nordic countries. For instance, Japan and Nordic countries stand out among Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) economies in terms of having relatively large local government expenditures, although vertical imbalances in the tax revenue structures make Japan's local government finance distinct from the Nordic systems. By carefully examining key fiscal statistics, Mochida successfully points to the pathology of Japanese local government finance, in particular the lack of electoral accountability and weak fiscal discipline.

Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Anna Squicciarini, Elisa Bertino, Xiangwei Kong · 5 authors

We present algorithms to reliably generate biometric identifiers from a user's biometric image which in turn is used for identity verification possibly in conjunction with cryptographic keys. The biometric identifier generation algorithms employ image hashing functions using singular value decomposition and support vector classification techniques. Our algorithms capture generic biometric features that ensure unique and repeatable biometric identifiers. We provide an empirical evaluation of our techniques using 2569 images of 488 different individuals for three types of biometric images; namely fingerprint, iris and face. Based on the biometric type and the classification models, as a result of the empirical evaluation we can generate biometric identifiers ranging from 64 bits up to 214 bits. We provide an example use of the biometric identifiers in privacy preserving multi-factor identity verification based on zero knowledge proofs. Therefore several identity verification factors, including various traditional identity attributes, can be used in conjunction with one or more biometrics of the individual to provide strong identity verification. We also ensure security and privacy of the biometric data. More specifically, we analyze several attack scenarios. We assure privacy of the biometric using the one-way hashing property, in that no information about the original biometric image is revealed from the biometric identifier.

Jorge Donis

The objectives of the Local Government Strengthening Project of El Salvador are: 1) to encourage municipal investment through financing of sub-projects of basic priority infrastructure services to municipalities; 2) improving the national legal framework with a focus on decentralization through: upgrading municipal regulatory framework harmonization that defines the powers of central and local level, the establishment of a fiscal decentralization strategy of medium and long term, and strengthening key entities in the national system to support decentralization; 3) to improve the technical and financial capacity of local governments through technical assistance in the basic functions of municipal management; 4) to improve the technical and financial capacity of support institutions to provide basic municipal services, by strengthening and technical assistance on its core functions; and 5) to develop a project implementation efficiently, using streamlined procedures that are transparent and in accordance with the rules and regulations established under the Convention and national laws. There were not any identifiable major or significant adverse effects. However, it may prove necessary to acquire minor amounts of land or other assets even though it is unlikely to require physical relocation of populations.

Jorge Donis

The objectives of the Local Government Strengthening Project of El Salvador are: 1) to encourage municipal investment through financing of sub-projects of basic priority infrastructure services to municipalities; 2) improving the national legal framework with a focus on decentralization through: upgrading municipal regulatory framework harmonization that defines the powers of central and local level, the establishment of a fiscal decentralization strategy of medium and long term, and strengthening key entities in the national system to support decentralization; 3) to improve the technical and financial capacity of local governments through technical assistance in the basic functions of municipal management; 4) to improve the technical and financial capacity of support institutions to provide basic municipal services, by strengthening and technical assistance on its core functions; and 5) to develop a project implementation efficiently, using streamlined procedures that are transparent and in accordance with the rules and regulations established under the Convention and national laws. There were not any identifiable major or significant adverse effects. However, it may prove necessary to acquire minor amounts of land or other assets even though it is unlikely to require physical relocation of populations.

Kristie Trousdale, Joyce Martin, Laura Abulafia, Claire Barnett · 5 authors

Since the government action on the removal of lead from gasoline in the 1970s, children's environmental health research and policy measures have expanded greatly. Education and outreach campaigns urge parents to ensure their homes are lead free and to check for the presence of radon, mold, and other potential environmental hazards. However, children also spend a good portion of their days in school environments, with the conditions of many schools being so poor that Lloyd Kolbe, founding and former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health, has referred to them as “America's largest unaddressed children's health crisis” (Healthy Schools Network, 2005, p. ii.).According to 2008 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data, there are approximately 132,000 public and private schools in the United States, employing over 7 million adults and enrolling 56 million children (NCES, 2008). Twenty percent of the U.S. population attends elementary and secondary schools, many of which are very densely occupied (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2002).In 2006, a national collaborative report entitled Lessons Learned (Healthy Schools Network, 2006) estimated that 32 million U.S. children were at risk due solely to school conditions. These conditions include the presence of old and peeling paint, asbestos, mold, poor indoor air quality, and pesticides, as well as possible preexisting on-site or off-site contamination. According to the EPA (2002), one half of U.S. schools have indoor environmental quality problems. Indoor concentrations of pollutants are commonly three to five times higher than outdoor concentrations due to chemicals found in some conventional cleaning products, improper cleaning procedures, defective or ineffective climate control (HVAC) systems, interior finishes, exterior pollutants, personal care products, and renovation projects (EPA, 2002). Contamination is portable as well and can be brought inside from outdoor exposures.Childhood exposures to environmental toxins have been associated with various cognitive and behavioral impairments, immune dysfunction, adverse reproductive and developmental effects, cardio-respiratory illnesses, and cancer (Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility [GBPSR], 2000; Landrigan, Needleman, & Landrigan, 2002; Rudant et al., 2007; Salam, Li, Langholz, & Gilliland, 2004). One out of every 10 school-aged children, or over 6.7 million children under 18 years of age, has asthma, and between 1977 and 1994 the number of children in special education increased 191% (Akinbami, 2006; American Lung Assocation, 2009; GBPSR, 2000). The prevalence of diagnosed learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children has increased dramatically nationwide (GBPSR, 2000). Environmental contaminants, especially those that affect indoor air quality, have also been linked to increased allergies and sensitivities, rashes, headaches, and other symptoms, often referred to as sick building syndrome (EPA, 2008).Environmental toxic exposures have also been linked with decreased IQ. One study reported that, on average, a 1-µg/dL increase in blood lead results in a decrease of 0.46 IQ points (Canfield et al., 2003). This rate of decline in intellectual functioning appears even greater (1.37 IQ points lost per 1-µg/dL increase in blood lead) among children with blood lead levels below, rather than above, the CDC recommended level of 10 µg/dL (Canfield et al., 2003). Taking into account this increased effect at lower body burdens, more children may be at greater risk of harm from lead exposure than previously believed.Lead has been relatively well researched with regard to its adverse effect on IQ. Yet, other toxicants and combinations of chemicals have also been associated with lowered cognitive functioning. For example, a 2009 Columbia University study found that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chemicals released into the air from burning of coal, diesel, oil, gas, and other substances, such as tobacco, can also inversely impact IQ in the developing brain. Schools that have idling buses or are close to major highways may have higher levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the indoor air (Perera et al., 2009).Researchers have found that lowered IQ, even by just a few points, negatively impacts an individual's future earnings (Schwartz, 1994). Other hidden expenses of unaddressed children's environmental health concerns include parents' lost wages due to medical and therapeutic expenses and missed work and the costs to school districts and taxpayers of postconstruction remediation efforts, which often far exceed the costs of precautionary or proactive measures (Center for Health Environment and Justice [CHEJ], 2005). Additonal expenses may arise from lawsuits brought against school districts by affected families. Indeed, the adverse effects of childhood environmental exposures, such as lead poisoning–induced aggression and violence, affect society as a whole. It is estimated that anywhere from $4.6 to $18.4 billion in costs of neurobehavioral disorders alone in the U.S. are attributable to environmental toxicants (Landrigan, Schechter, Lipton, Fahs, & Schwartz, 2002).Between 1976 and 1994, the average blood lead levels of U.S. children plunged from 16 µg/dL to 3.2 µg/dL, primarily as a result of the removal of lead from products such as gasoline and paint in the 1970s (Gilbert & Weiss, 2006). Grosse, Matte, Schwartz, and Jackson (2002) estimated that U.S. preschool-aged children in the late 1990s had IQs that were, on average, 2.2–4.7 points higher than they would have been had their blood lead distribution matched that observed among U.S. preschool-aged children in the late 1970s. Each 1-point increase in an individual's IQ has been associated with a 1.76% to 2.37% increase in future earning potential, and the researchers estimated that the economic benefit for each year's cohort of 3.8 million 2-year-old children ranged from $110 billion to $319 billion (in 2000 dollars; Gross et al., 2002). This represents a truly significant public health triumph in the United States, yet the problems of lead exposure continue to persist for many children. The CDC estimates that there remain approximately 310,000 children aged 1–5 years with BLLs greater than 10 µg/dL, the upper limit of what is considered an acceptable level, which is arguably too high (CDC, 2005; Gilbert & Weiss, 2006).Although adults also work in school environments, the deleterious health impacts of environmental hazards may be greater for children. The unique physical and behavioral characteristics of children as well as the paucity of research, policy, and regulation with regard to school environments and children's health underscore the need to recognize and address school children as a particularly vulnerable population.Children are not “little adults,” and, therefore, assessments of their exposures to, and outcomes resulting from, environmental toxicants using adult-based toxicological models are insufficient. Children breathe more, eat more, and drink more per pound of body weight than adults, increasing their risk of exposures. Their behaviors also expose them to more possible contaminants (e.g., hand-to-mouth behaviors, more time spent on the ground), and they cannot always identify and protect themselves against hazards (Guzelian, 1992; National Research Council, 1993).Not only are children generally exposed to toxins at higher levels than adults, they may also absorb the toxins more readily than adults, placing them at even greater risk of harm. The efficiency of detoxification and elimination of toxins from the body may differ in children and adults. For example, young children may lack sufficient amounts of a key enzyme needed to metabolize and excrete a particular contaminant quickly, resulting in longer residency time of the contaminant in the body, leading potentially to greater toxicity and harm.Children's organ systems continue developing through early childhood and are, thus, more vulnerable to adverse effect. Longer exposures to some toxins, such as those experienced since early childhood, leads to greater body burdens, with potentially more detrimental health outcomes. Those with existing disabilities may be more vulnerable, both with regard to exposure and absorption, and, thus, at even greater risk.Public sector employees (including teachers and others working within the public school system) in 25 states are protected from environmental and occupational hazards through state-adopted, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)–approved standards. All but 4 of these states also provide protection to private sector employees, such as private school staff and administrators (Healthy Schools Network, 2005). Injured workers may also be eligible for, and receive, worker's compensation, sick leave, union support, and access to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services–funded occupational health clinics; they may also be able to switch their job locations. Thus, there exists protection for some of the adults employed in schools in the United States.However, OSHA standards do not exist for any of the children attending these schools who are exposed to the same environmental hazards and are more vulnerable to their effects. In addition, chemical regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 in the U.S. do not guarantee adequate protection to children because they are based upon risk assessment models derived from adult populations and other inherently limited assumptions (Environmental Working Group [EWG], 2005).Whereas the health effects of some contaminants, such as lead, tobacco, and asbestos, have been well studied, barely any of the approximately 80,000 chemicals inventoried by the TSCA have been fully tested for their impacts on human health (U.S. General Accounting Office, 2005). In fact, only 7% of the 2,863 most commonly used chemicals have undergone complete toxicological testing, and few of these have been studied for neurodevelopmental effects (EPA, 1998).Research of children's environmental health issues at school is either minimal or nonexistent. In fact a seemingly noncontagious outbreak of rashes in 2001–2002, which affected approximately 1,000 children in 27 states, could not be meaningfully investigated due to the lack of baseline data of children's environmental health measures at schools (Healthy Schools Network, 2005).The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performed a workplace evaluation of a school near “ground zero” in New York City and found evidence of new-onset diseases among school staff. However, no agency offered a similar service for students, including children with special needs, in the dust-contaminated school (Bartlett & Petrarca, 2002). Furthermore, had any investigations been conducted, meaningful assessment would have been difficult due to the lack of any baseline data on students' health.A NIOSH Healthy Hazard Evaluation (HHE) evaluates worker health and safety on site based on previous and current individual medical conditions. The same type of evaluation could have been done for school children but was not, thus depriving children (who outnumber adults in schools), their families, schools, IEO sciences, and NIOSH of important information. Children are the work product, or “output,” of schools, so not having any assessment of them erodes the educational mission.Some environmental concerns, such as the prevention of urban sprawl, the creation of walkable and bikable communities, the need for safe routes to school, and the selection of a locale conducive to high-performing schools, are often considered when choosing a school site; however, the presence of on- or off-site sources of pollution are usually not considered. This is mainly due to considerations of land cost and availability (CHEJ, 2005). School districts seek out inexpensive land due to declining school budgets and rising, unfunded mandates, such as the No Child Left Behind Act (legislation enacted in 2002 that ties federal funding for schools to states' performances in standards-based assessments). Contaminated land is inexpensive because it is unsuitable for housing and most types of businesses.Availability of land is another factor in site selection. School districts in rural areas look to site schools on inexpensive, unused agricultural land, which is often contaminated with pesticides, whereas urban school districts, limited in their siting choices due to the shortage of undeveloped land, often turn to sites on or near abandoned landfills or abandoned industrial sites, such as brownfields, or near heavily polluting industries (CHEJ, 2005). Furthermore, urban school districts, motivated to save money or to devote greater percentages of their budgets to hiring highly qualified teachers and improving schools' technology and curriculum, may be unwilling to invest in proper clean up of contaminated sites. There are 1,100 public schools, and over 600,000 students attending public schools, within half a mile of contaminated sites (CHEJ, 2005). This issue directly affects children's health, especially low-income and non-White children, who may have less access to health care and who have higher rates of asthma and lead poisoning (CHEJ, 2005).According to a 50-state siting laws survey detailed in a 2005 report entitled Building Safe Schools: Invisible Threats, Visible Actions, only 10 states have laws that prohibit the siting of a school on or near sources of pollution or other environmental hazards (CHEJ, 2005). These hazards include sites affected by air, motor vehicle, and rail traffic; sites near utility transmission lines; sites impacted by air and noise pollution; sites where hazardous or solid waste was disposed; and sites especially vulnerable to natural hazards, such as flooding or earthquakes.The report indicated that only 6 states require environmental investigation of potential school sites, such as the preparation of Phase I or Phase II environmental assessments or environmental impact statements for school projects. A Phase I environmental assessment is a cursory evaluation of the site, in which surveyors check for obvious of hazards, such as those that can be or Phase II assessments would be based on the of a Phase I assessment and would of site (e.g., Environmental impact statements or the and environmental effects of a such as the building of a school, and states require public or public school sites, and states require or the creation of school siting report also that states have no laws that either prohibit or the siting of a school on or near or environmental hazards and that states do not require school districts to potential school sites for the presence of pollutants or other environmental hazards or to environmental impacts associated with potential school toxicants at contaminated sites include such as lead, and such as and from and gasoline and from at which often at sites where has been in and many more (CHEJ, of the most lead and are and IQ (U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease IQ leads to cognitive and attention and is linked to behaviors, and and also affect the are also both associated with adverse reproductive effects, and in is associated with are also of cognitive functioning in children, more on its health effects are needed is a need for school siting laws that would siting on or near sources of environmental hazards and require investigation and assessment of hazards on potential school sites or impacts to future of proper clean and of contaminated and public in siting of a siting is in public education is also to a siting The of laws and federal on school siting is not In addition, chemical are and often not well by the Thus, parents and school may often be of on-site the need for a educational as of the safety data by a cleaning do not always provide complete on the health hazards of the and are not at for products & cleaning products may and that affect the the such as and and & Landrigan, 2006; et al., 2006; 2002; & et al., U.S. National 2000). commonly found in such as and have been linked with as have some found in such as and including of Occupational and Environmental 2000; et al., 2000; & 1994). and found in cleaning products also are associated with 2000; & chemicals are commonly found in cleaning products and can be to the human body in very The and many of the of other body systems the of chemical to on into the and also can either from to their proper or and with the either important are and adverse health outcomes may The are in cleaning and found in care products and and found in and 2000; et al., 2006; et al., 2005). conventional cleaning chemicals and some less toxic 2005 the public schools a cleaning policy (Environmental Institute New York an the of cleaning products and the New York for public and private schools similar in and a in New to of states had cleaning In addition, many school districts have to or have cleaning even in the of and cleaning not only on the of toxic chemical but for the of more and the of proper for the cleaning staff. cleaning both for and for cleaning (e.g., and are A and human and environmental health its to In a cleaning the of cleaning can be with just one the number of chemicals in and and are also to their conventional in such as care and and indoor air cleaning include on proper and the of the cleaning products, as well as on and chemical these would be in a where the of is another important of cleaning The of and may be of & can be with and be to clean to and to in areas such as those areas by regulations and those where body may be and can most and may be for points, rather than to a cleaning need only their to a free of cleaning products on to staff and a by products and to based on the unique of the For schools that to the of a cleaning an evaluation of the current products, and used on site be conducted, and baseline such as the number of to the be Schools may also to an environmental health and safety to staff other than and to and schools would policy that would staff and However, it is most important that schools it is to a cleaning school an for a number of various and are and within school and and areas may also and among and other educational within schools (Healthy Schools Network, 2006). associated with include the of diseases from and allergies and asthma by and and to some or (EPA, from and may also physical hazards to (EPA, However, conventional control may hazards of their is often the of prevention and control in U.S. schools, and are used on school to control and are to and and and are often to enzyme or (EPA, are potentially toxic to children, and adults. Indeed, with the EPA are not to be safe for human health (Landrigan, Needleman, & Landrigan, 2002). of the enzyme in pesticides, in and in against remain in children through at 7 et al., Thus, this of to school-aged children as well as the of in a to regulation rather than a more precautionary have not been tested by standards and are commonly the complete of each at 10 years University Furthermore, most in have not been tested for their health effects on children (Landrigan, Needleman, & Landrigan, toxicological found that many harm the developing and as resulting in and and many are or (Landrigan, Needleman, & Landrigan, 2002). human health problems associated with exposure include and upper and even and in et al., 2005; for exposure to some has also been associated with health such as childhood such as and developmental and behavioral and disorders & & Rudant et al., 2007; Salam, Li, Langholz, & Gilliland, Weiss, & no federal regulations exist for in schools, the EPA that schools to the risk of exposure to children. is a and usually less for within schools, it not of A school of including the and of when However, a on measures and toxic such as to sources of and for within school and school include the and are at from and in and are either or and are and at a and are by the of each and are is and of at a are times the rather than one the or is to and rather than of are used when are needed (EPA, can and have been found as far as from the of for 2003). Thus, of particularly for schools near agricultural is also and be school schools to their school and and and provide when are used in the United are densely and often and by or budgets are often the to be when budgets In to poor availability of school sites and the lack of research and policy these unaddressed health hazards to the need to for school sites, and schools need to the and of the schools an environmental health to report on conditions and to provide to and the of school projects and the public to protect to from and air out areas to to such as to cleaning and to and clean out such as the National and primarily by the National Institute of Child Health and Human exposures in and Health by the a to these exposures. that and federal a for children's health at by the

Alice Ghent

year as Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announces the annual round of health insurance premium increases, this nation of 7.5 million people lets out a collective groan. Last year, the pain was greater than usual. Concerned about the depletion of cash reserves insurers' coffers, the FOPH allowed rises of up to 14.6% for basic insurance premiums depending on the canton. That hurt. Since 1999 the Swiss have seen health insurance costs rise by 50%, according to the FOPH. From 2008-2009, the price hike was significant enough to cut 0.1% from rising household disposable income. Nadia Bouchardy does not need an announcement to know that a sizeable portion of her family's income is being spent on health. Married to an ambulance driver with two young daughters, the family has an annual income of 90 000 Swiss francs (US$ 83 000) before taxes and insurances. year around 10 500 Swiss francs (US$ 9700) or 12.5% of their income goes on health insurance and extra expenses such as dental care. Last year, Bouchardy, who is aged 41, had an operation and had to pay 10% of the costs of the operation, medicine and her stay hospital. (In out-of-pocket expenses are capped to ensure families do not suffer what is termed catastrophic expenses). We are not very happy with the health insurance system Switzerland, she says. Every year we pay more and we get less. The lists with items that are not covered anymore by the health insurance gets longer. Some items like glasses or basic medicine are not fully covered, so we have to pay these costs out of our non-health budget. So far we are lucky we have not been forced to borrow money order to pay the health bill. The Bouchardy family represents how middle-income Switzerland is being squeezed financially. They earn too much to benefit from the health subsidy received by households that spend more than about 8% of their income on premiums (the level of subsidy depends on the canton). Some 40% of households receive the subsidy--either through a lower premium or tax rebate--which is the government's mechanism for preventing the cost of insurance from unfairly disadvantaging low-income families. Professor Alberto Holly, of the University of Lausanne, is an expert Switzerland's health financing system. He points to a system that is envied for its universal coverage, its equity, standard of care and lack of waiting lists. of the strengths of the Swiss system is equity with respect to health risk and patient ratio. No one is penalized for age, gender or medical history. However, it is not totally equitable and is regressive respect to income, he says. Under the Swiss constitution, the Federal Government is responsible for managing the health insurance but has limited responsibility terms of health policy. Instead, this energetically democratic country has a decentralized system which the 26 cantons are autonomous and choose how to organize their own health care. results a wide disparity terms of insurance premiums, which are usually paid by householders, not employers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since 1996, it has been illegal not to have basic health insurance Switzerland. There are 82 not-for-profit insurers that offer policies costing around 350 Swiss francs (US$ 325) a month per adult. No one can be turned away under this scheme, known as LAMal. Further, some 44 companies offer complementary forms of insurance, which allow benefits such as dental treatment and access to luxurious hospitals, and these companies are free to choose clients according to their risk profile. One characteristic of Switzerland's health-financing system is its expense. This is not an efficient system, says Holly, in that it has not been possible to control costs. The result is that Switzerland has the third most expensive medical system the world. …

Authors unavailable

Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Mich.FigureFigureFounded 121 years ago, the Children's Hospital of Michigan (CHM) is the first and only hospital in the state dedicated exclusively to the treatment of children. A leader internationally in neurology and neurosurgery, cardiology, oncology, and diagnostic services, CHM is one of nine hospitals operated by the Detroit Medical Center. CHM has garnered a number of accolades for clinical excellence, including achieving Magnet Recognition®, being ranked among the nation's top 30 hospitals for children in 2008 by U.S. News & World Report, and being given the 2007 Leapfrog Group Top Hospital designation for safety and quality. In addition, more Michigan pediatricians are educated at CHM than at any other facility. Rhonda Foster, EdD, MPH, MS, RN, vice president of patient-care services, had this to say about CHM's Magnet Recognition, "Children's Magnet designation is public recognition that our nurses, in partnership with physicians and staff, provide quality patient care, promote nursing excellence, and encourage innovations in professional nursing practice. We've always known that our nurses are among the best in the country. This designation simply affirms their work and dedication to patients and families and the profession. Magnet designation has tangibly transformed the hospital culture to one that is filled with new pride and vigor." Quality of leadership The CNO is perceived as a knowledgeable, strong leader who represents nurses at the highest levels of the organization and the system and advocates on behalf of staff and patients. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Versant RN Residency program at CHM, which orients and mentors new graduate nurses. The CNO also recently advocated for the permanent appointment of a staff nurse position in palliative care. Nurses throughout the hospital have identified and advocated for additional resources to support unit goals. Staff nurses have direct influence on staffing and scheduling, unit-based supply stock and usage, and charge capturing. Organizational structure The CNO actively facilitates and supports decentralized decision making through the professional nurse advisory council (PNAC), which is at the center of all problem solving, decision making, and information sharing for nursing. The council and its members serve as conduits for information to and from nursing units, nursing leadership, and various hospital committees. Nursing leadership adjusts scheduling and ensures that nurses who participate in the PNAC are reimbursed if they come in on their day off. Personnel policies All policy and human resource information is available online via the Detroit Medical Center intranet. CHM utilizes the Promoting Excellence in Nursing program as the performance appraisal process. Nurses are evaluated in five categories of performance—customer service, patient care, communication, teamwork/leadership, and professional practice—together with years of experience and the attainment of predetermined professional and personal goals. Professional model of care CHM has adopted a family-centered care philosophy, which emphasizes the involvement of the family in the care of the hospitalized child. This includes a family-centered care rounds pilot initiative that involves physicians, nurses, medical students, case managers, parents, and children (when appropriate). As the initiative continues to develop, nurses will maintain an active role in leading the rounds and collaborating with the medical staff. Quality of care CHM has created and adopted a philosophy of "everyday excellence," which is a motivationally-based service delivery model that instills a culture of excellence by creating exceptional experiences for patients, families, and employees. Nurses at CHM continue to embrace evidence-based practice (EBP) as the framework for best practice. The two resources that help facilitate this framework are a full-time nurse researcher, who has established the EBP steering committee and the development of EBP workshops to increase nurses' confidence and knowledge of EBP, and library resources (both in-house and online) that provide an excellent enhancement to the framework. The senior information resource specialist provides information to the staff to support EBP and nursing research. In addition to being a member of the EBP steering committee, she provides assistance to committees doing policy and procedure review and to unit-based initiatives to implement practice change. To provide opportunities for nurses and the entire healthcare team to increase their knowledge of ethics, diversity, quality improvement, and practice as it relates to care of the pediatric patient and family, the Department of Nursing has established Pizza Friday Lunch & Learn. Each month an internal or external expert presents a different topic to educate nurses, social workers, chaplains, and child life specialists, among others. The class includes one contact hour for nurses. Quality improvement CHM subscribes to a singular organization-wide approach for implementing interdisciplinary and service activities. The Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology of continuous improvement is the basis of all education provided to nurses and other employees. The leadership performance improvement regulatory compliance committee is an interdisciplinary team with representatives from all services that impact patient care. The committee assists in ensuring adherence to established standards of care, maintains regulatory performance, and is at the center of the hospital's quality improvement initiatives. Management style Members of the nursing leadership team are accessible to nursing staff in person and through pagers, cell phones, home phones, and e-mail. In addition, rounding in the units and providing informal lunch gatherings gives nurses opportunities to share concerns and discuss pertinent clinical matters. The shared decision-making structure through PNAC facilitates communication vertically and horizontally across the organization. Consequently, direct care nurses are able to initiate change to improve patient care and the practice environment. Consultation and resources CHM employs more than 60 advanced practice nurses (APNs) who work in many settings and specialties within the hospital. They serve as consultants, educators, researchers, resources, and role models and most are involved in the care of patients, especially those who are acutely ill or have special needs. CHM has a well-established relationship with 15 educational institutions throughout the Detroit metropolitan area. This has created the opportunity to place more than 1,300 nursing students a year in clinical rotations throughout the hospital. In addition, CHM has a close relationship with Wayne State University College of Nursing. As a result of this relationship, CHM established the Elizabeth Schotanus Endowed Professor of Pediatric Nursing. This joint position between the College of Nursing and CHM has created an environment that's collaborative and highly professional. A well-established medical library is on-site and available 24 hours a day with multiple websites and databases available for staff use. Library staff teach nurses on how to access library resources and perform literature searches. Autonomy Direct care nurses are encouraged to exercise independent judgment to resolve patient-care issues and practice autonomously in accordance with standards, practice guidelines, and protocols. Established in 1985, CHM's-specialized neonatal and pediatric transport team is an all RN-managed team that provides safe transport for more than 1,000 babies and children from all over the state, surrounding states, and Canada. Community involvement CHM has an immunization station on campus that serves numerous patients. Funded by a grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health, the clinic sees more than 30 children daily and operates 3 days a week. Immunizations are free to children who are Medicaid eligible, uninsured, or underinsured. Since opening in 2002, more than 20,000 children have received approximately 40,000 immunizations. One example of CHM's community impact is its community-based mobile health service, which visits residential areas of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools locations. Services are rendered regardless of insurance type or coverage, and nurse practitioners provide physical exams, lead screening, developmental screening, immunizations, and hearing and vision screening to name a few. This mobile health program assesses and treats more than 2,400 children a year throughout Detroit. Nurses as teachers The Versant RN Residency Program at CHM is essential to the transition of new graduates into practice. This 18-week program utilizes a structured orientation that includes mentoring, debriefing, looping experiences, and a combination of classroom and clinical experiences. Subject matter experts, mentors, debriefers, and preceptors collaborate with new nurses to successfully prepare for and increase their confidence in providing safe and competent care. The program's success has been demonstrated by a significant decrease in turnover (49% to 13%). The hospital provides 20 clinical faculty members who are also on staff. APNs and other nursing staff maintain adjunct faculty and clinical faculty positions with several universities and serve as guest lecturers and clinical instructors as needed. Nurses are encouraged, supported, and empowered to incorporate teaching in all aspects of their practice. Image of nursing One of the many ways the hospital celebrates and recognizes its nurses is through the Nurse of the Month program. In addition to the monthly rewards, each year during Nurses Week, the Inspiration and Excellence Awards program recognizes nurses for practice, education, research, and leadership. CHM also participates in the DAISY Award, which is presented quarterly to a nurse who provides extraordinary care based on positive patient and family feedback. Collegial relationships Nurses at CHM enjoy interdisciplinary relationships that are built on collaboration, credibility, and ongoing commitment to serving their patients. Nurses, support staff, and physicians work hand in hand to resolve patient-care issues and improve quality metrics and positive outcomes. One example is the implementation of an electronic medical record in 2006. Nurses at all levels of the organization worked with other disciplines and spent many weeks mapping out the specific processes and workflows to ensure a successful transition. Professional development The Center for Excellence in Pediatric Nursing (CEPN) promotes leadership, scholarship, professional development, and an exemplary work environment for nurses at CHM. The CEPN provides financial support to nurses for research and education. It also funds presentations, research proposals, and participation at conferences and professional meetings. A well-established Nursing Grand Rounds program provides educational opportunities for nurses each month. The nursing leadership of CHM collaborated with University of Detroit Mercy to provide an on-site postbaccalaureate certificate program in nursing leadership and financial management. Upon completion of the program, the credits may be applied toward a master's degree in nursing and health systems management. Since the program's inception, 13 members of the nursing leadership team have participated.

Jeff Greene, Dennis Purcell, Brian Edelman, Doug Giordano · 9 authors

In a roundtable published in this journal a year ago, there was a clear consensus that the R&D function in big pharma was inefficient and in need of major restructuring, possibly through increased investments by venture capital and private equity firms. In this discussion, an accomplished group of industry practitioners begins by looking at the prospects for both venture capital and private equity to play meaningful roles in financing early‐ and mid‐stage drug development. In so doing, they explore questions like the following: Are there ways for big pharma and biotech to reduce “science risk” and make R&D funding more profitable and attractive to venture capital and private equity—and perhaps even hedge funds? What roles do you see for specialty PE firms like Symphony Capital and Paul Capital, which are now bundling mid‐stage development assets and securitizing royalties? Then the panelists turn to the broader life sciences industry and consider the outlook for leveraged private equity transactions involving marketed products, late‐stage development, and services. Here they consider issues like the following: Will PE be attracted to less‐R&D‐intensive activities like medtech and generics? Have the recent consolidation through mergers and reorganization of big pharma into decentralized business units created opportunities for carve‐outs of certain businesses? For big pharma and life sciences companies in general, the answers to such questions point to greater specialization and focus achieved partly through strategic alliances with venture capital, private equity, and even hedge funds, and involving marketed products and services as well as early‐stage drug development.

Chunming Tang, Zhifeng Hao

Based on the interactive proof of Hamiltonian Cycle (HC) of large directed graph, which is a $\Sigma$-protocol, we construct a perfectly hiding and computationally binding trapdoor commitment in 2-round from any one-way permutation. Then, based on this trapdoor commitment, we construct perfect zero-knowledge argument of knowledge with negligible error probability in 2-round for $\mathcal{NP}$, assuming only the existence of a one-way permutation.

Gery Nijenhuis

International migration is an integral part of the lives of many people in the South, and many households add remittances to their income in order to finance the daily costs of living that cannot be met by their traditional source of income. In the literature, a debate has emerged on the impacts of these remittances on development, focusing in particular on the micro level, namely the impact on households. Many studies also contend that national governments should try to redirect the impacts of remittances. However, the role of actors in local governance structures seems to be overlooked in this discussion. We argue that in the discussion on managing development through remittances, local governments and other stakeholders at the local level — such as NGOs — might also play a role, especially in those countries that have implemented decentralization. However, thus far, interventions aimed at leveraging remittance flows and facilitating migration processes are only in an initial phase. Our study of 12 municipalities in Bolivia shows that a lack of knowledge and capacities among local governments and NGOs is a decisive factor.

Paweł Swianiewicz, Adam Mielczarek

Territorial fragmentation has been viewed as a problem in several countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Georgia is one of very few cases which has introduced an amalgamation reform dealing with this issue. The paper analyses the process of preparation and implementation as well as the consequences of the reform. It shows alternative reform proposals and discussions around them, which led to the selection of the most radical option of territorial consolidation. The paper briefly discusses the role of international aid programmes and especially of the Council of Europe (and the European Charter of Local Government) in structuring the discourse of the reform. On the basis of a public opinion survey and interviews, it shows that in spite of radical character of the reform it did not attract much of public attention, which is related to the fact that local government is not seen as an important element of the Georgian political system. In spite of initial declarations of the goals of the reform, the actual change was limited to the redrawing of administrative boundaries by the omnipotent (Leviathan) state and was not accompanied by parallel functional or fiscal decentralisation. According to some interpretations, the reform led to an even more centralised power structure. The price of the negative consequences of the amalgamation (such as local government being more distant from the citizens) has been paid, but the potential positive results of more capable and powerful local governments have not been achieved. Unreformed financial system has not allowed to reduce regional inequalities in capacity to finance local services either. Central government is afraid that decentralization may strengthen separatist tendencies undermining unity of the country and that is why the government is hesitant to introduce more decentralization.

Hongda Li, Haixia Xu, Bao Li, Dengguo Feng

No abstract is available for this record.

Carrie Printz

Many cancer centers reach out to their elected officials by meeting with them on Capitol Hill and inviting them to tour their institutions. But few go as far as the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC). At this National Cancer Institute-designated center based in Columbus, Ohio, elected officials and their staffs take on the roles of patients, researchers, or healthcare providers to gain a more personalized understanding of the importance of translational research and its impact on patient care. “At the end of their visit, we have roundtable discussions, and the feedback is always, ‘we never knew how complex cancer care and research is’,” says Jennifer Carlson, director of government relations for OSUCCC. As further proof of the program's success, legislators discussing cancer-related legislation at government hearings have referred to their participation in Project Cancer Education and the knowledge they gained from it, Carlson notes. “This hands-on program literally takes policymakers from the bench to the bedside and helps them understand some of the challenges we face,” she says, adding that it also helps illustrate some of the lost opportunities that can occur with lack of government investment or support of medical research and care. Because Project Cancer Education has been so successful in Ohio, OSUCCC Director Michael Caligiuri, MD, who was recently elected president of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), proposed making it available to member centers across the country. The program is “the cornerstone of our advocacy efforts this year,” he notes. “We have had amazing success in seeing important anticancer legislation move forward in Ohio because of the impact Project Cancer Education has had on our elected officials,” Dr. Caligiuri says. “We are asking the community of American cancer centers through the AACI to implement this best practice at their centers because it will help to justify the greater investment in cancer research and make our elected officials and staff aware of why our cause is such an urgent one.” Participants in Project Cancer Education learn about the challenges of cancer care through role-playing scenarios. Carlson is chairing the committee within the AACI that is developing a toolkit based on her center's existing collateral materials for all member centers to refine and adopt to fit their specific needs. They plan to have the materials available this spring. Additionally, they are working with the National Cancer Institute to roll out a similar program for congressional committee staffers who are based in Washington, DC. The toolkits will include different “tracks,” such as a patient scenario or a researcher scenario. The program can range from 2 hours, geared mainly toward the elected officials, to a half-day or full day, which is designed for their staff members. Participants also receive graduation certificates and pose for a photograph, which is later E-mailed to them to reinforce the program's messages. The program that supported your research has been eliminated because of federal budget cuts. Your second- and third-year budgets have been zeroed out. The institutional review board determined that you did not plan to have enough research nurses for your proposed phase 1 study. Wait 6 months and try again. Due to cuts in federal funding line for your grant, your budget has been reduced by 30% for the next 3 years. Visits to cancer care and research facilities allow participants to see the intricacies of discovery and treatment firsthand. Participants encounter positive results too, such as, “The drug you developed is ready to come to market and is expected to bring in large profits to the university during its patent lifetime. The new science building on campus will be named in your honor.” In the patient scenario, some of the challenges participants learn about are lack of insurance coverage for clinical-trial patient-care costs, the importance of proper insurance authorization for specific treatments, and the intensive recovery that occurs with an allogeneic marrow transplant for acute myeloid leukemia. In some cases, policymakers get a chance to talk with patients participating in clinical trials who are living proof of research's value, Carlson notes. She is confident that cancer centers across the country will find the program beneficial. “By partnering with our elected officials, we can take cancer care to the next level,” she says. The Ohio legislative cancer education program, Project Cancer Education, is set to roll out nationwide. The program gives elected officials a chance to walk in the shoes of researchers and patients. Legislators and their staffs experience firsthand the challenges faced by cancer centers. Cancer centers will receive toolkits from AACI to help tailor their own programs.

Thomas C. Schmidt, Gabriel Hege, Matthias Wählisch, Hans L. Cycon · 6 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Matthew L. Smith, Laurent Elder

In the years following 2008, developing countries as a whole may invest as much as US$100 billion annually in information infrastructure (Khalil & Kenny, 2008). In addition, the rapid expansion of mobile phones—even in the poorer regions of the world1,2—and the emergence of the “social” (i.e., participatory and collaborative) Web3 are rapidly reshaping not only the ways people access and share information, but also how they relate, collaborate, and organize (Benkler, 2006; Shirky, 2008). These new tech-nologies, most notably information and communication technologies (ICTs), offer new and transformative applications and services, means to communicate and produce content, and decentralized innovation models (Heeks, 2008). In this context of expanding ICT networks and applica-tions, Khalil and Kenny (2008) appropriately ask, “How can we catalyze the impact of ICTs on development?” The hypothesis of this paper is that open social arrangements, enabled by ICTs, can help to catalyze the development impacts of ICTs. In other

Kazuho Yokogawa

In this paper, we consider the effects of the 2003 local government reform (Law 131) on the budgetary systems of local governments in Russia, paying special attention to the allocation of functions and tax resources between different levels of government. An evaluation based on the standard theory of fiscal federalism and an international comparison indicated that Russia's institutional characteristics exhibit two parallel and contradictory tendencies. On the one hand, they tend to normalize according to the theory of public finance, but, on the other hand, the administrative and budgetary systems become centralized, which contradicts the global trend of decentralization.

Herwastoeti Herwastoeti

Discourse concerning local autonomy have long expanded in Indonesia. But clearly just started in 1974 published of Law No 5/1974. This law do not be executed as expected. Then go out Law of No. 22 1999 generating various important problems in public administration systems especially in policy of compilation of APBD. The problems result to be published Law No. 32 2004 representing penyempurnaan of Law No. 22 1999. In fact of this Law perform a elementary change to public administration and local finance systems. This change is in decentralization of fiscal, although from facet of regulasi, problems still also emerge so that need deeper study.

Suyudi Suyudi

Dynamic growth that happened claim the organization to can to expand and adapt to the actual growth that happened. That way also in higher education management, what ever always to expand to. In relation of those things, this research was aim to for describe and analyse the development of  Wijayakusuma  University  Purwokerto in the effort to  become certifiable private college. Research method used qualitative. Data collecting method used indepth interview, observation, and documentation. Informan chosen done by purposive. Data analyse used interactive model of analysis and data validity used triangulation with model source. Wijayakusuma University have developed a number of steps and policis in order to organizational development so that can become the certifiable  private college. In HELTS framework, the effort of organizational development in Wijayakusuma University done by make-up of competitiveness, decentralize and autonomous and also organizational health. Various effort which have the in the reality not yet earned to give the significant contribution to university progress. Degradation sum up the student still be happened. It was indicated the low  enthusiasm  of  society  to  become  Wijayakusuma  University  student.  Endless  internal conflict and negativity perception expanding in society to Wijayakusuma University and also low competitiveness likely still become the dominant factor making Wijayakusuma University not yet earned to awaken from down.

Dick M. Carpenter, Scott L. Noller

In an era of increased accountability and challenging times for public finance, charter schools built on decentralization, grassroots accountability, and market forces may provide, in the spirit of "educational laboratories," lessons for increasing student achievement more efficiently through diverse and innovative management, organization, structures, and operations. Using stochastic frontier analysis, this study put that proposition to the test and found limited difference in technical efficiency, favoring noncharter public schools over charters.