In 1996 a local planning, financing and governance model was conceived in Nampula province, northern Mozambique. Within ten years it was being hailed as a success by Mozambiqueâs Prime Minister, by the donors who supported it and by academics who studied it (Galli, 2003; Roll, 2004; Weimer, Cabral, and Jackson, 2004). It had influenced national legislation, and attempts to replicate it under World Bank auspices had begun. Yet several of its features remained unclear. There was disagreement about what kind of experiment it was; it occurred amidst centralizing as well as decentralizing initiatives in central government; and the replication attempts have had patchy success. Thus the reports of success should not be taken at face value. We stress this obvious point because we approach the initiative from an insiderâs perspective â the author was involved in its implementation â with all the usual limitations that entails. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Respected chair persons and members of the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), I am extremely happy and privileged to be here at the 59th Annual Conference, before an enlightened gathering to preside over the prestigious IPS. It is a rare honour and it shall be my endeavour to prove myself worthy of being chosen for this prestigious and highly coveted honour among the psychiatrists. I know my limitations but I am also aware of the great role that can be played by our society and I make bold to place before you many of my experiences in the field to exhort my fellow psychiatrists that we have a great responsibility ahead. From what I have observed during these years of my active practice, I have no doubt in my mind that the psychiatry as a profession is slowly gaining ground and in the years to come it will play an effective role in disabusing the minds of the public of their wrong and ill conceived notions. I shall endeavour my best with the cooperation and support of all my fellow psychiatrists. There were quite a few topics that I short listed for my presidential address. Finally, I zeroed in on this topic titled âMAKING PSYCHIATRY A HOUSEHOLD WORDâ as I feel the art and science of psychiatry has a great deal to offer society apart from treating the âcrazy peopleâ. To make that contribution, psychiatrists must continue to tackle society's most pressing problems and also raise the visibility of psychiatry and its perceived relevance to solving a wide range of personal, social and family problems. The image of psychiatry has been tarnished in the eyes of common man, thanks to the battering that the profession has received at the hands of the media, not to mention the apathy of the policy makers. Here is an example to prove my point. At the recently held conference at Jaipur, I was walking outside the convention center when I heard two young women talking to each other. One said to the other: âMy God!!!âŚ. He's so weird! He really should see one of those psychiatrists who are walking around here.â âThat's it!â I thought. âPeople think you have to be âweirdâ to see a psychiatrist.â The public tends to view psychiatrists narrowly, associating us chiefly with our expertise in mental illness. In reality, psychiatrists can promote coping and wellness in addition to diagnosing and treating mental illness. Many people today have significant stress in their lives and we all undergo crises and life-stage transitions as a normal part of life. Psychiatrists can help people assess how they are coping with current stresses and develop new skills and strategies. A lot of people find that their stress levels have increased in this era of wars, terrorism and natural disasters. We, as psychiatrists, could do much more to prevent problems by helping people learn to cope and build their resilience. I wondered what it would take to normalize our public image, that set me thinking and I looked into dentistry, which changed the public image of its profession in the 1980s when it teamed up with Colgate toothpaste in a public education campaign that promoted the idea of the dental check-up. This campaign led to major changes not only in the public image of dentistry but also in the very nature and public impact of dental practice. Dentistry moved from a focus on restorative dentistry to an emphasis on preventive dentistry. We have all witnessed the success of this transition. People no longer wait for a toothache to visit the dentist and employers routinely include preventive examinations and cleanings as a dental benefit. I am envisaging a day when people similarly take appointments for a âpsychological check-upâ akin to a general health check -up and when that day comes one can rest assured that the community has truly embraced our profession. At these check-ups they could address such matters as their stress level, their relationships, how they are caring for their children and ageing parents and health basics such as diet, nutrition, sleep and exercise. In my 30 years of practising psychiatry, I have had a unique vantage point from which to both observe and reflect on, the process whereby psychiatry responds to urgent societal needs and how these needs thus influence the evolution of psychiatry. As I see it, the scope of psychiatric practice is expanding and diversifying into new areas. In short, the stage is set for the public's as well as policymakers and health care payers' full embrace of our field and for the true integration of psychiatry into health care, Only if we make them aware of our scientific knowledge and professional skills. DISABILITY AND MENTAL ILLNESS The burden of mental illness on health and productivity throughout the world has long been profoundly underestimated. Data developed by the massive Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank and Harvard University, reveal that mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, such as the United States. This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers.[1] This Global Burden of Disease study developed a single measure to allow comparison of the burden of disease across many different disease conditions by including both death and disability. This measure was called Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). DALYs measure lost years of healthy life regardless of whether the years were lost to premature death or disability. The disability component of this measure is weighted for severity of the disability. For example, disability caused by major depression was found to be equivalent to blindness or paraplegia whereas active psychosis seen in schizophrenia produces disability equal to quadriplegia. The World Health Organization's Global Burden of Disease study reported that mental disorders comprise four of the top five sources of premature death and disability in 15-44 year olds in the Western world. Using the DALYs measure, major depression ranked second only to ischemic heart disease in magnitude of disease burden in established market economies. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder also contributed significantly to the total burden of illness attributable to mental disorders. The projections show that with the aging of the world population and the conquest of infectious diseases, psychiatric and neurological conditions could increase their share of the total global disease burden by almost half, from 10.5 percent of the total burden to almost 15 percent in 2020. Major depression is the leading cause of disability (measured by the number of years lived with a disabling condition) worldwide among persons age 5 and older. For women throughout the world as well as those in established market economies, depression is the leading cause of DALYs. In established market economies, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are also among the top 10 causes of DALYs for women. The above stated facts, hopefully will be an eye-opener for all the concerned parties. From our side, we should do all that we can in whichever small way to reduce this enormous disease burden. My presidential address, I hope, will serve as an initiative to formulate ways and means to achieve this objective. IMPEDIMENTS IN MAKING PSYCHIATRY A HOUSEHOLD WORD There have been a lot of impediments in making psychiatry a household word. The main culprits are the age old concept of mind-body dualism and lack of integration of mental health care into primary health care, stigma, psychiatrists themselves, the apathy of the policy makers, failure of Consultation - Liaison psychiatry and media. I will make an attempt to briefly detail what resulted in these hindrances and some plausible solutions to overcome them. MIND-BODY DUALISM The earlier concepts of health glorifying mind-body dualism are bankrupt now and mind-body dualism has an enormous negative impact on our health care system. Because of it, our health care system does not systematically attend to the many psychological risk factors for both morbidity and mortality and it virtually ignores the psychosocial pathways that lead to unnecessary utilization of medical and surgical services. In addition, the psychological impact of a medical illness is not well by the health care is the that many people from a illness have psychological illness. Finally, the share of mental health problems are by primary care take a at some of the of the top health risk factors are diet, suicide, and of the leading causes of death have significant At as much as of all to primary care medical are for problems with a psychological those who with mental health problems and those who or for problems with a psychological component those with such as those with and those with medical one study found that than of had and A number of have that health care the utilization of medical and surgical The of people mental health are for by medical with in mental is a of the of psychological in a wide range of health including both and disease system and and In addition to being these are than across a wide of and including and that mental health can be in primary health care with and on but it is whether this is true of for persons with and mental illness. There is a long of in for persons with mental disorders that would be a single system of care that to medical and mental health services. Many mental health problems are seen as and thus the general health is a natural point for and treating mental health problems. Many also continue to find care for psychiatric problems more when by their primary care The and mental health care in an system also a that common and mental disorders will be and that and among will reduce and common of of The concept of a number of that are at the of health care them are the and A significant is that not be in a highly system of As medical are to be more and they have to to each and to know the and to the of problems that Because with conditions are and to their and they will not be with disabling mental illness will have to with who more and to deal with by and of these problems has but they are not can be to and with mental but this is a and can be to increase the of health care to disabling illness, but this must with many in an of new and practice by of public and is but effective in this objective. the that mental health for ill can be into the general health a and that are on at for the The is for persons with more and disorders. - A Psychiatrists should have been seen as and as an as they are so few in In are only psychiatrists for a population of over of psychiatrists to the of is which is quite Psychiatrists are seen in negative by the of the have been are seen as disease and not are seen as being seen as are seen as a on the most in the are seen as the to as not in and thus could them of their and being a are seen as making a a to their view are seen as not scientific psychiatrists in and are seen as are seen as only and not the have been up over and mental health of of and of including have contributed to these of by help has matters The of and of view has it from the the of psychiatrists themselves, the to formulate and not the focus from negative to and not our have it We of the of mental and disease in the but are not to prevent We of mental health but do not or we do not have or for mental health at the professional or We of well being and on The and do not have psychiatrists as the but are to our We would be to of and for but not in at the to preventive and health strategies. We can be if we are to The community of which is a part would be to allow us to lead if we have for and which are effective and We would have to hands with and community with to long solutions for the population than at a of only those who have extremely and We to be for the mental health needs of the and not only the for It is only that psychiatrists in and psychiatry in general would its place and a - PSYCHIATRY of the to with are and are for the cooperation and for effective is a on the part of some to the place of factors in the of the This be to and conditions that are to observe and or to is that mental health have long had a for The or at was in the many people the field in to their psychological problems. it and such an are to The that be and the of psychiatric The on of or at in many is with and One by many including psychiatrists, is that a will come in that the has a more disorder than the one and that the is on should the for psychiatric the the moved to this is not an the two care This is to the of if the psychiatric The should that lack expertise outside of and with psychiatrists is a that must be over a of the most here is to make but when called for an This reduce by the and allow to up in the psychiatrists have a for diagnosing as or the that they be to have some psychiatric problems of their The is not as many psychiatrists and mental health in make of fellow them or their A general way to many of these is for the to be in and to the of and medical and should that the is a in which the will have the The of with psychological problems in with should be and not The should not be or or that will be as very by the He should also be aware of the of the and than a take it or it I have found that with when I am by and does not medical the can find ways to make to the medical He should with and take the of these It is also to attend medical The of knowledge of one by psychiatrists and can during before such and can lead to the also the with an to the and of with their and AND MENTAL of people with mental disorders has throughout It is by to or or people with mental disorders such as It to and and to and It the public from and to In its most and in and it people of their and with their full in for in from the mind and by of in the of the mental health system in the United from the of an influence on and in the world. In the the public mental illness as a and an of mental illness. were not to as when with of who would have been said to be ill to the professional of the The public was not at mental illness from and and to see only of mental illness. illness great social stigma, with of and a that had scientific of mental illness. the in knowledge not social in comparison with the the public's of mental illness more This was true among those who mental illness to include psychosis view held by of the The also how of those with mental illness by The public was more to an with schizophrenia as mental illness than an with This people with mental disorders truly more some public but the of is The risk of is from those who have who have a mental disorder as well as a There is a small in risk of from with mental disorders if they are with their the risk of is much for a than for a family or who is to the with mental In is very risk of or to a from with an who has a mental Because the is to whether who is has of these or in the natural is to be to this all in the of mental disorders to the total of in society is Because most people should have to from those with mental illness, in its most is of so focus on and One of found that the public's and mental illness and people to from those with mental disorders. of the common with from psychiatric disorders are listed of mental illness of of It is not that psychiatry has a in its to mental illness, but that it has also to address its current of the psychiatry in their There is a of psychiatric on and and a to the are some in psychiatry, which are in minds and a great deal to the in psychiatry. A IN PSYCHIATRY and of and and for and help for mental disorders of all people with mental disorders do not the of mental health is among the many that people from to be in in to or and for mental disorder of is in the public's to for mental health services. to for mental health or has been public held in of the public a to for for with mental such as schizophrenia and than for conditions such as and the public to support for its support the that or would be In the of the to for mental illness is to be The public for mental disorders that for There is no or single to the with mental illness. was to with increased knowledge of mental illness, but the in some ways over the years of mental illness by to knowledge be to public is to that negative mental illness can be by on the and mental to of public education and with persons with mental illness and societal way to is to find causes and effective for mental disorders. this to be of and to are of mental disorders for which has The of an infectious and of led to the of when was to a and with was the was in the developed world. with had been in mental in the before its was no one has the of public these conditions over the and of this disease of its these also a more that the mental health field was when causes and were As were each was from the mental health field to medical For over of was moved to and in and over mental disorders was moved to The of this to is that mental health field over the years the for mental disorders was This the mental health field to by their medical that psychiatry was not part of and that psychiatric practice on and that for disorders them or the mental disorders not only but be by to mental health care only those conditions causes or To point this is not to that in mental health should be should be and The here is to some of the of the the general health and mental health that will continue to effective for mental disorders to be an effective people that mental disorders are not the of or will but are that are to much of the negative to to to be developed and science has much to to the and of As a in public should People should to should more to its most they should more to the that are the of this mental health and mental illness are part of the of health and they are a for all to would be the of the to who to mental illness regardless of from the of has been a in the success of on and AND MENTAL and medical profession have been in in the media. psychiatry and psychiatrists have not been so than the profession has been by media. illness has been the for and which the in the minds of the public mental illness and the the old some of the have psychiatry in extremely Psychiatrists are as who and for the most are not in their of mental illness. as as if is not in the minds of The is not in its of psychiatry and psychiatrists. I an by the which in the on the the no longer as a the Indian Psychiatric to do of that and it a measure of the of the profession of psychiatry in if you to a This of will the most from of psychiatric have been some of mental illness, the and both of which have been into the It is to that these have been well and psychiatrists are in a of will well for the mental health profession and for psychiatrists as a There are no to tackle this It is for all of as psychiatrists, to a to this It is our responsibility to more in the mental illness. For we should no as the of this can be of you must have seen in the and for public health causes you seen psychiatry in which I think of a when mental illness and the impact that will have on the common I feel that is a and we in are some to that I all members of to the and come more with a and the psychiatry and do all that you can to the image of psychiatry, which is for the public to embrace our IN PSYCHIATRY In this I would briefly some of the success in the field of mental The that come to my mind are the by the psychiatrists in the of the The has a lot of for psychiatry and psychiatrists. This is significant as this of will a long way in making the public more and in psychiatry. The by psychiatrists during the and and the so called in the Indian of and is a in point. a long way in the with the policy and the public I also the of and that is on in the and I also the of all the psychiatrists who have in the community mental illness and to the PSYCHIATRY IN must a with a as its more than psychiatry at the of a of has such a of as psychiatry This of both and is our and we must not up one for the of the other. health must more for Indian and psychiatry do not develop in a but they develop in a social psychiatric of and and to are all on This is not a very for a with its no has the of the and the of mental the way we have in we continue to concepts and these are in our We to on these and a truly to mental from such an will more with ground in of is its and psychological well being of the community for a and of the and we as mental health should that MENTAL I of this has a to a and an which to an of and family community and care or or in the that of mental health care with primary health care into the and of mental illness and into the of and effective and overcome the with mental illness public and Health to effective must be the for people with mental illness as for medical to mental health care should be across including the and to be with and should be to and to an of psychiatrists, to the current and needs of the population I psychiatry as my profession with a lot of and I am very happy I do feel to the way in which psychiatrists are in the society A day should come when we should be to that am a and in are psychiatrists and are psychiatry. This will if we to offer solutions to a wide range of personal, family and pressing social in and and the of in some of our role in We should make the that their health the to their should be on long solutions for the population than at a of only those who are extremely and We should make the community what we are is what our minds are the which the To this the with a the is a the mind is so to it is that we it to the is the medical profession to the with such emphasis on the In this who the of by in the is by and has to a to at the of the mind and all that it has I a day not in when people make appointments for general health check We to be for the mental health needs of the community and not only the for In these of I would to the the that you to see in the we play our role as psychiatrists, I a when psychiatry in general and psychiatrists in would their place and a household word. My to all of you is that each one of you needs to in this of a household one and all IPS.
Based on a problem introduced by Lysyanskaya,Rivest,Sahai and Wolf,using bilinear maps,this paper proposes a new group signature scheme.There exist two trusted frameworks such as group manager and revocation manager.The group manager issues a joining member a membership certificate,and the revocation manager is able to open a signature and reveal the identity of the signer.The membership certificate is unforgeable because it is based on LRSW problem.The group signature is a non-interactive zero-knowledge proof of a blinded membership certificate on the message m.Therefore,the group scheme proposed in this paper is in possession of all properties of security that a good group signature scheme should hold.
The current political climate has almost ruled out the use of Internet voting.Many politicians, led by vocal computer scientists, are pushing for voter verified paper receipts; which is likely to push us even further away from even electronic voting systems.On the other hand, cryptographers have created homomorphic encryption and non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs with features that can support Internet voting.Adding a few more protocols, including an extended voting period and repeat voting can solve the remaining problems need to make Internet voting at least as secure as existing systems.
Abstract Whether a recipient can prove a signature to others is of great importance. The function is just one reason that we call a signature âsignature â rather than others. In this paper, we point out that one popular signcryption signature convinces only the designated documentâs recipient that the signer deliberately signed the document. The designated recipient can check the validity of a given signcryptext but cannot prove it to others. We also improve it using the efficient technique developed in Schnorrâs signature instead of a zero-knowledge proof such that the receiver can check the validity of a given signcryptext and can prove it to a third party.
Based on the assumption that only weak-trusted relation exists among the participants,designated confirmer signatures in weak-trusted relation has the following security requirements: Process separated between signature construction and verification,zero-knowledge proofs,un-transformability and fakery prevention.A confirmer signature algorithm based on RSA public-key cryptography is proposed,and verification processes are presented,described both in non-formal method and in Camenisch-Michels model.The security of this algorithm is proved to be equivalent to RSA cryptographic functions.
A Publicly Verifiable Secret Sharing(PVSS) scheme is a verifiable secret sharing scheme with the property that the validity of the shares distributed by the dealer can be verified by any party,hence verification is not limited to the respective participants receiving the shares.So there are more application fields than a verifiable secret sharing.A non-interactive and information-theoretic PVSS scheme based on public cryptography and the zero-knowledge proof of knowledge were presented.It is very simple to implement,extend and renew this scheme,which especially fits the publicly verifiable secret sharing for general access structure.
Sub-national finance is a dispensable component of government finance in decentralized regime.In China,sub-national governments collect about half of fiscal revenue and undertake more than 70% of public expenditures.In recent years,sub-national government finance meet quiet a lot of systematic,mechanism risks and difficulties.To make a based-on-fact and comprehensive evaluation to the status-quo of various levels of Chinese sub-national finance is the foundation of future adjusting government fiscal system,and it is also pertinent to the healthy development of regional economy.This paper,plans to advance a framework in evaluating the status-quo of various levels of China's sub-national finance from the perspectives of fiscal capacity,management system and operational mechanism,and then raise relevant suggestions to improve the performance of sub-national finance.
A publicly verifiable encryption scheme allows any entity to verify whether a ciphertext hides the same message as committed but without revealing it. This paper presents an efficient publicly verifiable encryption scheme based on RSA and extends zero-knowledge proof of knowledge, which is not only suitable for one-recipient RSA encryption, but also can be applied to multi-recipient situation. It is more efficient than other encryption schemes.
used of RSA arithmetic and Feige-Fiat-Shami digital agreement to proposal an double-direction mutual user attestation method, improved on Diffie-Hellman arithmetic, user cryptical communications project is constructed. The idea of zero-knowledge proof is used in this project to guarantee key security,and userâs communications content is hide higher.
Cognitive Computing and Networks
Advanced Computational Techniques and Applications
Divisibility of e-cash helps expend digital coin exactly.Most divisible e-cash schemes are based on binary tree,but few e-cash schemes offer fairness and divisibility at the same time.Based on binary tree,blind signature and zero-knowledge proof,a new fair indivisible electronic coins scheme was proposed.
Both knap sack problem and discrete logarithm problem are difficultly solved.This paper proposes a digital signature scheme based on the property of knap sack problem and elliptic curve public-key cryptosystem.The modified scheme can also be used in zero-knowledge proof,and has high security and reliability in practice.
This paper describes an idea of securing mobile agents. The presented method protects all the code, the data and the execution state. The proposal is based on a zero-knowledge proof system and a secure secret sharing scheme. The paper also gives security analysis of the new method.
An interactive-PCP (say, for the membership x â L) is a proof that can be verified by reading only one of its bits, with the help of a very short interactive-proof. We show that for membership in some languages L, there are interactive-PCPs that are significantly shorter than the known (non-interactive) PCPs for these languages. Our main result is that the satisfiability of a constant depth Boolean formula ÎŚ(z1, . . . , zk) of size n (over the gates â§,â¨, â,ÂŹ) can be proved by an interactive-PCP of size poly(k), followed by a short interactive proof of communication complexity polylog(n). That is, we obtain interactivePCPs of size polynomial in the size of the witness. This compares to the known (non-interactive) PCPs that are of size polynomial in the size of the instance. By reductions, this result extends to many other central NP languages (e.g., SAT, k-clique, Vertex-Cover, etc.). More generally, we show that the satisfiability of Vn i=1[ÎŚi(z1, . . . , zk) = 0], where each ÎŚi(z1, . . . , zk) is an arithmetic formula of size n (say, over GF[2]) that computes a polynomial of degree d, can be proved by an interactive-PCP of size poly(k, d), followed by a short interactive proof of communication complexity poly(d, log n). We give many cryptographic applications and motivations for our results. In particular, we show the following: 1. The satisfiability of a constant depth formula ÎŚ(z1, . . . , zk) of size n (as above) has an interactive zero-knowledge proof of communication complexity poly(k) (rather than poly(n))1 . As before, this result extends to many other central NP languages. This zero-knowledge proof has some additional desired properties that will be elaborated on in the body of the paper. 2. Alice can commit to a Boolean formula Î of size m, by a message of size poly(m), and later on prove to Bob any N statements of the form Î(x1) = z1, . . . ,Î(xN ) = zN by a zero-knowledge proof of communication complexity poly(m, log N). Moreover, if Î is a constant depth Boolean formula then the zero-knowledge proof has communication complexity poly(log m, log N). We further motivate this application in the body of the paper.
China's public finance has made great achievements;however,in order to build a harmonious society and socialist market economic system,it needs further improvement.This paper studies the building of pubhc finance from nine aspects including government functions,non-profitness,integration of government revenues and expenditures,public finance by law,fiscal democratization,fiscal decentralization,public services equalization,sustainable development and fiscal internationalization.Some suggestions are made for the building of public finance.
Non-malleable commitment is recently one of research focuses in international cryptographic community. It has many important applications in e-commerce, and plays important role in constructing other cryptographic protocols. Most existing non-malleable commitment schemes are constructed by requiring that a committer proves, by zero-knowledge proof, that he knows his committed secret. The attached zero-knowledge proof process makes existing non-malleable commitments have higher computational and communication complexity. More efficient schemes are appealing. This paper constructs three new efficient non-malleable commitment schemes which do not require that a committer proves he knows his committed secret by zero-knowledge proof, but rather require a committer proves, by other arguments, that he does know the secret at the same time he makes commitment. These non-malleable commitment schemes, without zero-knowledge proof, are much more efficient.
In this paper, we describe a new zero-knowledge proof procotol based on the discrete logarithm and higherorder non-linear variable coefficient differential transformation. By using the high order differential state sequence, the casuality of the system and the capability of resistance to identity deception and differential attacks is enhanced. By introduction of differential transformation method and input-output table into zero-knowledge proof protocol, a new research field for cryptography of zero-knowledge proof identity authentication is thus opened up.
Dike builders or disrupters of the peace? The counts of Flanders and water management in the coastal wetlands (from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries). During the late mediaeval period, water management in the coastal wetlands of the Low Countries was strongly decentralized. It remained untouched by the judicial and administrative policies pursued by Burgundian and Habsburg rulers which aimed to centralise control. In the case of Flanders, this had more to do with government indifference to the situation on the ground than with local resistance government policies. Many initiatives in the field of water management that have been traditionally attributed to the counts of Flanders, were in fact initiatives that were developed, financed and implemented locally, with only tacit support from central government. And yet in the extremely fragmented water management organisation of late medieval Flanders, a coordinating authority was vital to accommodate the divergent interests of local water boards or cities, and to overcome structural disparities in the funding of sea walls. In the absence of any obvious financial reward for themselves and constrained by the private strategies of their officials, the Flemish rulers did not dare disturb the local balances of power to overcome obvious deficiencies in coastal water management.
This thesis consists of a summary and four papers. The first two papers address political economy and indus-trial organization aspects of agricultural policy, and the last two international aspects of environmental policy. Paper [I] explains Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies to farmers by the influence of farmer interest-groups with an EU-wide membership. The analysis is based on panel-data for fifteen commodities over the period 1986-2003. Because the CAP is set as an overall EU policy, effective lobbying presents a collective ac-tion problem to the farmers in the EU as a whole. Indicators of lobbying, which are based on this perception, are found to explain part of the variation in agricultural support. In Paper [II], the Bresnahan-Lau framework is used to analyze whether policy reforms, i.e. the two-price sys-tem (an input quota, 1986-1991) and a general deregulation of dairy policy (1991-1994) had any market power effects on the Swedish butter market. The results show that the null hypothesis of no market power cannot be rejected, for any of the specific policy reforms, at any reasonable significance level. Paper [III] concerns the welfare consequences of environmental policy cooperation. It is assumed that coun-tries finance their public expenditures by using distortionary taxes, and that they differ with respect to compe-tition in the labor market. It is shown how the welfare effect of an increase in the expenditures on abatement depends on changes in the environmental damage, employment and work hours. The welfare effect is also related to the strategic interaction among the countries in the prereform equilibrium. In Paper [IV] environmental policy in an economic federation, where each national government faces a mixed tax problem, is addressed. It is assumed that the federal government sets emission targets, which are imple-mented at the national level. It is also assumed that the economic federation is decentralized. The results high-light a strategic role of income and commodity taxation, i.e. each country uses its policy instruments, at least in part, to influence the emission target.
Perceiving digital watermark detection as image classification problem stands as the basic of the detector criterion independent zero-knowledge watermark detection proof using Support Vector Machine (SVM). In-depth insights are given to using SVM to enable detection criterion independent zero-knowledge watermark detection protocol. The existing zero-knowledge watermark detection protocols are analysed and re-designed to be detection criterion independent zero-knowledge watermark detection protocol.
Advanced Steganography and Watermarking Techniques
Ad-hoc networks formed by peers without relying on any preexisting infrastructure, have been a very attractive field of academic and industrial research in recent years due to their potential applications. An ad-hoc network allows a peer node further to form a task-driven sub-network such that each node in the generated sub-network may exchange data with each other but any other non-member node is prohibited to access the subnetwork. As a result, a task-driven subnetwork generated by a peer node definitely requires membership proof mechanism (in the scenario of anonymous communications, anonymous membership proof systems are required). In this paper, we provide a novel mechanism for anonymous access control (anonymous membership proof systems) in ad- hoc networks based on a new notion which we call or-protocols in the common reference string model. An or-protocol in essence is a three move zero-knowledge proof system that allows a peer node to prove its membership of a given set which is publicly verifiable. Our protocol is of constant size, i.e., the length of a proof is independent with number of users in a given set, and thus is suitable for practice. Furthermore we show that our protocol is provably secure assuming that the discrete logarithm problem defined over prime field is hard.
With regard to the practice of fiscal decentralization,China's fiscal system reform has undergone three main stages since the founding of the PRC.How to make a reasonable division of rights between the central government and local governments at various levels has always been a matter of great importance as well as great difficulty in the process of fiscal system reform in China.To verify the effects of the reform,we should make concrete analyses of the actuality of China's fiscal decentralization.In particular,descriptive statistical analyses should be conducted to reveal a comprehensive and detailed picture of the reality of fiscal decentralization from the tax reform in 1994 up to the present.After the reform,there has been an obvious change of balance between taxation and public finance,as is shown by these facts:tax right is too concentrated in the hands of the central government whereas the increase of local fiscal expenditure is too fast and its self-sufficiency is far lower than that of the central government;more resources are flowing from in-budget to off budget;fiscal discrepancy among provinces is extended;and the course of fiscal decentralization reform is still at avery rudimentary stage.
We present a stronger notion of zero-knowledge: precise concurrent zero-knowledge. Our notion captures the idea that the view of any verifier in concurrent interaction can be reconstructed in the almost same time (within a constant/polynomial factor). Precise zero-knowledge in stand-alone setting was introduced by Micali and Pass in STOCâ06 (The original work used the term âlocal zero-knowledgeâ.). Their notion shows that the view of any verifier can be reconstructed in the almost same time in stand-alone setting. Hence our notion is the generalization of their notion in concurrent setting. Furthermore, we propose a Ď(log 2 n)-round concurrent zero-knowledge argument for NP with linear precision, which shows that the view of any verifier in concurrent interaction can be reconstructed by the simulator with linear-time overhead. Our argument is Feige-Lapidot-Shamir type which consists of a proof-preamble and a proof-body for a modified NP statement. Our result assumes the restriction of adversarial scheduling the communication that the concurrent interaction of preambles of all sessions will be scheduled before any proof-body by the adversarial verifier. 1