nova science publishers inc jul 2009 (70 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The projected economic and societal benefits of nanotechnology have propelled global investments by nations and companies. The United States launched the first national nanotechnology initiative in 2000. Since then, more than 60 nations have launched similar initiatives. In 2006, global public investment in nanotechnology was estimated to be $6.4 billion, with an additional $6.0 billion provided by the private sector. More than 600 nanotechnology products are now in the market, generally offering incremental improvements over existing products. However, proponents maintain that nanotechnology research and development currently underway could offer revolutionary applications with significant implications for the U.S. economy, national and homeland security, and societal well-being. These investments, coupled with nanotechnology's potential implications, have raised interest and concerns about the U.S. competitive position. The data used to assess competitiveness in mature technologies and industries, such as revenues and market share, are not available for assessing nanotechnology. In fact, the U.S. government does not currently collect such data for nanotechnology, nor is comparable international data available. Without this information, an authoritative assessment of the U.S. competitive position is not possible. Alternatively, indicators of U.S. scientific and technological strength (e.g., public and private research investments, nanotechnology papers published in scientific journals, patents) may provide insight into the current U.S. position and serve as bellwethers of future competitiveness. By these criteria, the United States appears to be the overall global leader in nanotechnology. However, other nations are investing heavily and may lead in specific areas of nanotechnology. Some believe the U.S. leadership position in nanotechnology may not be as large as it has been in previous emerging technologies. Efforts to develop and commercialise nanotechnology face a variety of challenges - e.g., technical hurdles; availability of capital; environmental, health, and safety concerns; and immature manufacturing technology and infrastructure. Some advocate a more active federal government role in overcoming these challenges, including funding to aid in the translation of research to commercial products; general and targeted tax provisions; incentives for capital formation; increased support for development of manufacturing and testing infrastructure, standards and nomenclature development, and education and training; creation of science, technology, and innovation parks; and efforts to establish a stable and predictable regulatory environment that keeps pace with innovation. Some support a more limited federal role. Some who hold this view maintain that the market, free from government interventions, is most efficient. They assert that federal efforts can create market distortions and result in the federal government picking 'winners and losers' among technologies, companies, and industries. Others oppose federal support for industrial research and applications, labelling such efforts 'corporate welfare.' Still others argue for a moratorium on nanotechnology R&D until environmental, health, and safety concerns are addressed.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This collection of short essays attempts to depict life, thought and actions indigenous to Black Africa and what has been happening there especially as a result of the White Man's penetration into the Black Man's life and institutions. This penetration was gradual at first, as in colonial times, but since the end of the Second World War it has become massive. Each essay looks at an African concept, attitude or person, or a combination of these, and hopes to stimulate further reading and reflection on the reader's part.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - For any individual who has wondered how a perfectly sane person in today's crazy world is supposed to figure out what is expected of them when navigating a loving relationship (and who hasn't ), this book is a must-read. The primary focus is on those issues most pertinent to the individual -- 'I', 'me', and 'you' issues -- relevant to the quest for satisfying, loving relationships. Using case vignettes from the authors' clinical experiences as psychologists, the book's first 15 chapters address the topics of Self Analysis, Relationship Analysis, My Past, Behaviour Analysis, Dichotomous Thinking, Patterns and Trends, Divorce and Separation, Guilt and Shame, Fears and Phobias, Depression, Grieving, Time and Timing, Happiness and Joy, and The Internet (the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). The last three address where to look for more help when serious situations arise: Seeing a Professional Counsellor, Therapist or Family Mediator, How a Professional Counsellor or Therapist Can be Helpful to You, and Some Suggestions About Getting Help from a Professional. The book is very reader-friendly, solution-focused and down to earth, and also includes 43 Figures from the author's case files that graphically display the issues and helpful recommendations. The book's authors, with many years of experience as psychologists, professors and scholars, conceptualise loving relationships and improving them as representing developmental processes that are best seen as a kind of ongoing and ever-evolving 'dance' between two individuals -- relationships are not events! Reading this book will contribute to, enrich and enhance any individual's developmental process -and especially themselves and their loving relationships.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Most action in the second session is focused on the FY2009 budget request, the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419), and the proposed Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 5351). DOE's FY2009 budget request seeks $1,256.1 million for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs, compared to FY2008 appropriations of $1,722.4 million for EERE. H.R. 5351 is similar to H.R. 2776. It would extend or re-establish several tax incentives that would support renewable electricity production, biofuels production, transportation efficiency and conservation, buildings efficiency, and equipment efficiency. The bill proposes to offset the cost of those incentives primarily by reducing two subsidies for oil and natural gas production.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book explores the ability of persons with disabilities to live independently in affordable, accessible housing. This became a prominent issue starting in 1999 as the result of a Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C., in which the court held that institutionalisation of persons with mental disabilities in lieu of community-based care may constitute discrimination. Shortly after the Olmstead decision, the President announced the New Freedom Initiative, an effort through multiple federal agencies to ensure full participation in society of persons with disabilities. Thus, this book discusses the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)and a number of its programs that provide housing for persons with disabilities in various ways.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The transition to adulthood can be difficult for young adults who suffer from a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. When these individuals are unsuccessful, the result can be economic hardship, social isolation, and in some cases suicide, all of which can pose substantial costs to society. Due to concerns about young adults with serious mental illness transitioning into adulthood, this book provides information on (1) the number of these young adults and their demographic characteristics, (2) the challenges they face, (3) how selected states assist them, and (4) how the federal government supports states in serving these young adults and co-ordinates programs that can assist them.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - At an institution of higher learning in one of China's richest coastal cities, the college students are invited to make their complaints known. The students' complaints registered in this book clearly demonstrate that they are keenly aware of the necessary elements of a quality education. Their concerns track with the concerns expressed in published articles on applied linguistics.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The US National Wildlife Refuge System was created by Executive Order On March 14, 1903, when President Theodore Roosevelt established the country's first wildlife refuge on Florida's central Atlantic coast C the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). From its modest beginning on Pelican Island the Refuge System has expanded into a network of over 550 distinct units that encompasses over 95 million acres. Alaska contains approximately 76.8 million acres of refuge lands, or about 80% of the land in the total system. To accomplish its mission the Refuge System finalised a strategic plan in early 2007 that contains twelve strategic outcome goals (SOGs). These goals cover the areas of habitat and wildlife conservation, wildlife dependent recreation, law 1 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; Public Law 105 57 enforcement, fire management, welcoming and orienting visitors, wilderness management, conservation planning, infrastructure and equipment maintenance, strategic growth and organisational excellence. The Refuge System is part of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which is managed by the Department of Interior.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The Department of Defense (DoD) continues to make significant progress toward achieving the goals of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) and Executive Order (EO) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management. The DOD Energy Program initiatives include energy awareness efforts, energy manager training, audit programs, procurement of energy efficient products, and the use of sustainable design in new construction and major renovation. Other contributing factors include integrated energy planning, enhanced use of renewable energy, demonstration of innovative technologies, and the use of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESC). DOD is responding to EPAct 2005 and EO 13423. Combined, these mandates established a new energy baseline (2003), increased the annual reduction requirement to 3 percent per year, increased the percentage of renewable energy required (7.5 percent by 2013), increased energy efficiency of new construction to 30 percent below the current standard, and required metering electricity consumption of all facilities. Through Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, the Department of Defense achieved a 10.1 percent decrease in goal facility energy consumption (as measured on a British Thermal Units (Btu) per gross square foot (GSF) basis [Btu/GSF]) as compared to the revised 2003 baseline. The Department of the Army determined that the square footage was over reported in 2003, compared to data contained in the real property database. Therefore, this book contains a significantly revised baseline, which raises the previously reported Btu/GSF from 113,510 to 116,134. At the end of FY 2007 the Department has 1.95 billion square feet of facilities and spent $3.4 billion on facility energy. DoD spent $9.5 billion on non-fleet vehicles and other equipment - such as auto gasoline, LPG-Propane, Aviation Gasoline, jet fuel and Navy-special fuel. DOD continues to make progress in installing renewable energy technologies and purchasing electricity generated from renewable sources (solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass) when life cycle cost-effective. The National Defence Authorization Act of 2007 codified a 2005 DOD goal to produce or procure renewable energy equivalent to 25 percent of facility electrical consumption. The total renewable energy that the Department produced or procured in FY 2007 amounted to 12,054 trillion Btu and represents 11.9 percent of the facility electrical consumption. For FY 2007, the Department of Energy revised the guidance for compliance with the renewable energy requirements of EPAct 2005 and EO 13423, allowing only renewable electricity. Under this revised guidance, DoD achieved 5.5 percent total and 3.3 percent new renewable energy, well exceeding the goals of 3 percent and 1.5 percent respectively.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Today the energy sources used to create electricity differ in many ways, including in their environmental impacts. In the United States, conventional means of electricity generation use fossil or nuclear fuels--forms of power generation that impact human health and the environment through air emissions and other effects. Despite advances in pollution controls over the last 30 years, conventional power generation is still the nation's single largest source of industrial air pollution. Electricity markets are changing, however, offering cleaner ways of producing power and giving many consumers the ability to choose how their power is generated. One of these choices is power from renewable sources that is marketed as green power. Innovative organisations are encouraging the use of these new sources of green power and, at the same time, are reducing their own impact on the environment. In some parts of the United States, the deregulation of electricity has enabled consumers to choose the provider of their electric power and thus to buy green power from their chosen supplier. In regulated markets, too, hundreds of utilities now offer their customers the opportunity to purchase green power through green-pricing' programs. Even in areas where consumers cannot buy green power directly, renewable energy certificates (RECs) are available in every state to allow consumers to support green power. While no form of electric power generation is completely benign, electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, small and low-impact hydro power, and biomass has proved to be environmentally preferable to electricity generated from conventional energy sources such as coal, oil, nuclear, and natural gas. The Guide to Purchasing Green Power focuses on electricity generated from renewable energy resources, both delivered through the grid and generated on-site. By buying green power instead of conventional power, consumers can reduce the environmental impact caused by their use of electricity and fossil fuel. For instance, on average, every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of renewable power avoids the emission of more than one pound of carbon dioxide. Because of the sheer quantities of energy involved, consumers of a large amount of electricity may have an enormous environmental impact. If the typical commercial facility switched to 100 percent renewable power or used RECs to offset emissions, this could amount to thousands of tons of emissions avoided each year. A wide range of organisations have purchased green power: federal, state, and local governments; universities; businesses; nonprofits; and individual consumers. By purchasing green power, these organisations are both helping the environment and meeting their own environmental goals. The many other benefits to buying green power range from financial benefits to public relations and even national security. As of the end of 2003, nearly 1,650 megawatts(MW) of new renewable generating capacity had been added to meet the United States' demand for green power. This capacity is enough to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 500,000 houses. Leading organisations are finding that green power is an effective part of a strategic energy management plan to achieve environmental, financial, and other goals. Successful energy management plans are often a 'portfolio analysis' that considers options such as energy efficiency, load management, power purchases, on-site generation, and non-electric (thermal) energy needs. As with any investment portfolio, the best mix of these options depends on the particular situation. Because buying green power is still relatively uncommon in today's energy markets and because these markets offer a wide range of choices, this book provides leading-research for organisations that have decided to buy green power but want help in figuring out how to do it, as well as for organisations that are still considering the merits of buying green power.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Gang activity and related violence threaten public order in a diverse range of communities in the United States today. Contemporary views of the problem have been formed against the background of a significant adverse secular trend in gang activity during the last four decades. In particular, the rapid growth of gang membership, geographical dispersion, and criminal involvement during the violent crime epidemic -- associated with the emergence of the crack cocaine market during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s -- have intensified current concerns. The experience of those years continues to mark both patterns of gang activity and public policy responses toward them. This book provides background information on the issue of youth gangs, including data on gangs and gang crime. It reviews existing anti-gang initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels, and describes some of the legislation proposed to address the gang problem, as well as some of the issues raised by those bills.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book presents a review of the problems of transformation as well as the results of implementation of the financial-currency policy in the post-communist countries. It contains characteristics of alternative circumstances of implementation of the financial policy and the conclusions on their possible transformation. It gives the review of the impediments existing in the exchange rate regulations of different countries and the results obtained in the course of nearest experience are also illuminated. The work is targeting at reviewing the subtleties of the transformational development projected to the foreign currency risks. Paramount importance is attributed to those exchange rate regimes, which have become a major catalyst of economic development in a number of countries. The study is intend to define: a) Likelihood of a rise of currency policy challenges now at the base of experience of the financial crisis of 90,s in the post communist countries and b) Exchange regime options that are rationale for the countries.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book focuses on background, funding, and issues dealing with arts, humanities, and museum services and especially on their roles in strengthening communities.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book follows the life of James Madison, our 4th president, who at the tender age of twenty-five was thrust into significant politics as an elected member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Even in his first venture into statesmanship. Madison took notes on constitutional deliberations, a practice that he would continue in the Federal Convention that proposed the United States Constitution and throughout much of his legislative career whether in Philadelphia, New York City, or Williamsburg, Virginia. Just as most of our knowledge of the framing of the U.S. Constitution is provided by Madison's painstaking notes of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, much of our knowledge of George Mason's many contributions to the Virginia Constitution of 1776 are also known through Madison's efforts. His major personal contribution to that seminal state constitution is a brief but key phrase in the Virginia Declaration of Rights that would in many respects become a pattern for the Bill of Rights that Madison was later largely responsible for addition to the United States Constitution. His addition of a simple clause converted Mason's proposed language from religious toleration, where an official church would permit citizens to attend other churches, to religious freedom with its clear implication that it was one of the Rights of Man that were so important to that revolutionary generation. Throughout his career he remained committed to religious freedom and he is still considered one of its greatest contributors. During the brief time between his terms in Congress he would prevail in battles against the re-establishment of the Episcopal Church in Virginia and would win legislative approval for the Statute for Religious Freedom that Jefferson wrote and in which he took enormous pride, but which required the legislative management of James Madison to become law. Madison is best and justifiably known as 'Father of the Constitution' because of his heroic role in bringing together the Federal Convention in 1787, influencing its outcomes through the Virginia Plan, maintaining records of the debates, winning its ratification in the largest state and influencing several other states.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book is based on a study which investigates the developing conceptualisation of twenty-four first, third, and fifth-grade New York Puerto Rican children of their own cultural group. Unique to the study is the notion that children are developing a conceptualisation of a cultural group and that this conceptualisation begins quiet early, within the first decade of life. While the study focuses on one group, it raises the probability that the immigrant children of other cultural groups are also developing a conceptualisation of their group as they reconcile two primary, but different cultures. The study may stimulate similar studies with children of other cultural groups as they immigrate to a new country. The twenty-four children were individually asked to respond to interview questions aimed at eliciting their conceptualisation of 'Puerto Ricaness'. Given the young age of the children, oral questions were often supported with manipulatives including miniature dolls and photographs representing different cultural groups, marker and paper for drawing. The study focused on nineteen domains and their content which emerge as relevant organisers of children thinking about their cultural group: twelve domains relevant to Puerto Rican people, six domains relevant to the country of Puerto Rico, and one domain relevant to the dual life of Puerto Ricans as they live in the United sates while maintaining physical and/or psychological contact with Puerto Rico. Analysis of the data was organised around patterns in the children's responses related to frequency of reference to each of the nineteen domains (Global Conceptualisation, Differentiated Conceptualisation, Integrated Conceptualisation, and Hierarchically Integrated Conceptualisation), and emerging themselves in the children's conceptualisation.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The quasi government, not surprisingly, is a controversial subject. To supporters of this trend toward greater reliance upon hybrid organisations, the proper objective of governmental management is to maximise performance and results, however defined. In their view, the private and governmental sectors are alike in their essentials, and thus subject to the same economically derived behavioural norms. They tend to welcome this trend toward greater use of quasi governmental entities. Critics of the quasi government, on the other hand, tend to view hybrid organisations as contributing to a weakened capacity of government to perform its fundamental constitutional duties, and to erosion in political accountability, a crucial element in democratic governance. They tend to consider the governmental and private sectors as being legally distinct, with relatively little overlap in behavioural norms. Congress is increasingly engaged with the quasi government. The issues run the gamut from enacting legislation to encourage the creation of non-profit organisations to promote individual national parks, to proposals to strengthen regulation of government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae, to oversight hearings respecting national security issues at Los Alamos Laboratory. There is nothing modest about the size, scope, and impact of the quasi government. Time will tell whether the emergence of the quasi government is to be viewed as a symptom of decline in our democratic government, or a harbinger of a new, creative management era where the purportedly artificial barriers between the governmental and private sectors are breached as a matter of principle.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book concerns the field of mathematics education. Today, for almost any technology, attaining the most advanced level relies on using digital systems. Therefore, the authors focus on number acquisition and use, emphasise major discussions about related topics, and introduce our personal contribution. They consider three areas: numbers in society, at school, and in the field of education. Modern society needs two kinds of number users: the first has to deal with numbers, the second has to work with numbers. According to the framework for PISA assessment, dealing with numbers concerns every citizen facing situations in which the use of a quantitative. reasoning. would help clarify, formulate or solve a problem. Working with numbers is what a professional (marketing specialist, engineer, physician, artist.) does when he has to cope with numerical theoretical frameworks, or when he collaborates with a mathematician. This brings two types of questioning: what does competence in mathematics mean What level of achievement is desirable in number-learning to meet either numerical need The authors examine what is proposed for teaching such a broad subject to 7-to-18-year-olds. They first observe and question the educational system, the designer of curricula, scenarios for teaching, training programmes, and national assessments. Secondly, they question the notions of problem solving and modelling as mere responses to mathematics-teaching issues. The authors then focus on what really happens in a standard classroom, particularly how teachers apply recommendations and directives, and how the generalisation of assessments affects their practice. Three aspects are considered: epistemological, cognitive, and didactical. The authors distinguish four related levels which they have named: numeracy (competence linked to whole numbers), rationacy (competence linked to ratios and rational numbers), algebracy (competence linked to algebra), and functionacy (competence linked to calculus). The cognitive aspect evokes the essential issue of semiotic registers for representing and processing numerical objects, considers the discipline-of-expression aspect of mathematics, and other issues taken into account by numerous researchers, such as process and object. The didactical is devoted to exposing our conceptual framework for teaching numbers and understanding their learning. An experiment in ratio teaching is described and analysed.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Nanotechnology has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of a number of existing consumer and industrial products and could have a substantial impact on the development of new applications ranging from disease diagnosis and treatment to environmental remediation. Because of the broad range of possible nanotechnology applications, continued evaluation of the potential health risks associated with exposure to nanomaterials is essential to ensure their safe handling. Nanomaterials are engineered materials having at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nanometers. Nanomaterials often exhibit unique physical and chemical properties that impart specific characteristics essential in making engineered materials, but little is known about what effect these properties may have on human health. Research has shown that the physiochemical characteristics of particles can influence their effects in biological systems. These characteristics include: particle size, shape, surface area, charge, chemical properties, solubility, and degree of agglomeration. Until the results from research studies can fully elucidate the characteristics of nanoparticles that may potentially pose a health risk, precautionary measures are warranted. NIOSH has developed this document to provide an overview of what is known about nanomaterial hazard and measures that can be taken to minimise workplace exposures. NIOSH is seeking comments from occupational safety and health practitioners, researchers, product innovators and manufacturers, employers, workers, interest group members, and the general public so that appropriate existing health and safety guidance can be further refined and disseminated. Opportunities to provide feedback and information are available throughout the book.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Schools are entrusted with ensuring the safety of students and staff. One measure of the safety of America's public schools is the presence of violence on school campuses. Violent incidents include rape, sexual battery other than rape, physical attacks or fights with and without a weapon, threats of physical attack with and without a weapon, and robberies with and without a weapon. In order to provide a measure of the most severe incidents, those crimes that would be considered aggravated assaults were included as serious violent incidents. This book focuses on bomb threats, prevention and offender analyses.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Monetary policy can be defined as any policy relating to the supply of money. Since the agency concerned with the supply of money is the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve, monetary policy can also be defined in terms of the directives, policies, statements, and actions of the Federal Reserve, particularly those from its Board of Governors that have an effect on national spending. The nation's financial press and markets pay particular attention to the pronouncements of the chairman of the Board of Governors, the nation's central banker. The reason for this attention is that monetary policy can have important effects on aggregate demand and through it on real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment, real foreign exchange rates, real interest rates, the composition of output, etc. It is paradoxical that these important effects, to the extent that they occur, are essentially only short run in nature. Over the longer run, the major effect of monetary policy is on the rate of inflation. Thus, while a more rapid rate of money growth may for a time stimulate the economy, leading to a more rapid rate of real GDP growth and a lower unemployment rate, over the longer run, these changes are undone and the economy is left with a higher rate of inflation. In some societies where high rates of inflation are endemic, more rapid rates of money growth fail to exercise any stimulating effect and are almost immediately translated into higher rates of inflation. Traditionally, two means have been used to measure the posture of monetary policy. Since monetary policy involves the Federal Reserve's contribution to aggregate demand or money spending, it would be logical to examine the growth rate of the money supply. A growing money supply is important for the subsequent growth in money spending or aggregate demand. Defining 'the supply of money' has not been easy. For the United States, three different collections of assets have been defined as 'money' and labelled M1, M2, and M3. Unfortunately, over the period 1990-2007, these aggregates have not been consistently linked to money spending and, consequently, they are not the major focus of monetary policy. Rather, the Federal Reserve executes monetary policy by setting a target for an overnight interest rate called the federal funds rate. Low or falling rates are usually taken as a sign of monetary ease; high or rising rates usually indicate monetary tightness. Changes in the federal funds rates affect primarily short-term interest rates, and through these changes, money spending. Between January 3, 2001, and June 25, 2003, the target rate for federal funds was reduced to 1% from 61/2%. This policy was reversed beginning June 30, 2004. In 17 equal increments ending on June 29, 2006, the target rate was raised to 51/4%. No additional changes were made until September 18, 2007 when, in a series of seven moves, the target was reduced to 2% on April 30. These reductions were designed to ease credit market conditions and stimulate spending.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book looks at hired farmworkers who make up a third of the total agricultural labor force and are critical to U.S. agricultural production, particularly in labor-intensive sectors such as fruits and vegetables. The hired farmworker labor market is unique because it includes a large population of relatively disadvantaged and often unauthorized workers, a portion of whom migrate to, and within, the United States. Recent economic and demographic trends are discussed in this book, such as changing agricultural production methods that permit year-round employment, expanding immigrant populations in nonmetropolitan counties, and growing concerns over U.S. immigration policies. This 2008 profile serves as an update to the 2000 Economic Research Service analysis using current data with expanded sections on legal status, poverty, housing and use of social services. Consequently, as examined in this book, hired farmworkers remain among the most economically disadvantaged working groups in the U.S., despite their critical importance to many agricultural sectors.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The issue of living organ donation is important because it represents one important set of possibilities for balancing the needs of people seeking organs with one another, and with the needs of potential organ donors. On one side of the balance, the drive to increase the supply of transplantable organs is fueled by people awaiting organ transplants. They are, in a sense, competing with one another on waiting lists for potentially life-saving scarce resources. On the other side of the balance, the drive to ensure that the transplant system is ethical and equitable precludes some mechanisms that would increase the supply of transplantable organs. Some options that have been rejected to date in the United States include paying healthy persons to donate their organs, and mandating that transplantable organs be harvested from all cadavers. To maintain the most ideal balance for the organ transplantation system, Congress may now wish to clarify whether certain new types of living organ donation should be adopted to increase the supply of transplantable organs, or prohibited for ethical and/or equitable reasons.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - One month after the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially came into existence on July 1, 2002, the President signed the American Servicemembers' Protection Act (ASPA), which limits U.S. government support and assistance to the ICC; curtails certain military assistance to many countries that have ratified the Rome Statute establishing the ICC; regulates U.S. participation in United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping missions commenced after July 1, 2003; and, most controversially among European allies, authorises the President to use 'all means necessary and appropriate to bring about the release' of certain U.S. and allied persons who may be detained or tried by the ICC. The provision, withholding military assistance under the programs for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) from certain States Parties to the Rome Statute, came into effect on July 1, 2003. The 109th Congress reauthorised the Nethercutt Amendment as part of the FY2006 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3057/P.L. 109-102). Unless waived by the President, it bars Economic Support Funds (ESF) assistance to countries that have not agreed to protect U.S. citizens from being turned over to the ICC for prosecution. H.R. 5522, as passed by the House of Representatives, would continue the ESF restriction for FY2007. The Senate passed a measure as part of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5122, S. 2766) that would modify ASPA to end the ban on IMET assistance. The ICC is the first permanent world court with nearly universal jurisdiction to try individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and possibly aggression. While most U.S. allies support the ICC, the Bush Administration firmly opposes it and has renounced any U.S. obligations under the treaty. After the Bush Administration threatened to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution to extend the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia on the ground that it did not contain sufficient guarantees that U.S. participants would be immune to prosecution by the ICC, the Security Council adopted a resolution that would defer for one year any prosecution of participants in missions established or authorised by.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The price and availability of oil and natural gas affects every American. That's why it is important that the Energy Committee's first hearing of the 110th Congress focused on the global oil situation and its implications for U.S. economic and national security interests. As a nation, we now depend on oil imports to meet sixty percent of our oil needs. Even modest disruptions in the world supply can result in price spikes at the pump, as we have seen in recent years. First, there is little surplus production capacity relative to global demand. Much of the current production is controlled by national oil companies that are often making political rather than economic decisions, and are not making the investments needed to maintain and expand production capacity. This book examines the geopolitical factors surrounding the acquisition of oil supplies.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book explores the concern about the dramatic increase in childhood obesity in the United States which has prompted Congress to request that the Federal Trade Commission conduct a study of food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents. The results of that study - an analysis of 2006 expenditures and activities by 44 companies - are presented here. Included are not only the traditional measured media - television, radio, and print, but also activities on the Internet and other new electronic media, as well as previously unmeasured forms of marketing to young people, such as packaging, in-store advertising, event sponsorship, and promotions that take place in schools. Integrated advertising campaigns that combine several of these techniques and often involve cross-promotions - linking a food or beverage to a licensed character, a new movie, or a popular television program, dominate today's landscape of advertising to youth. The data presented in this book tell the story of food and beverage marketing in a year just preceding, or early in the development of, industry self-regulatory activities designed to reduce or change the profile of such marketing to children. Furthermore, this book, which compiles information not previously assembled or available to the research community, may serve as a benchmark for measuring future progress with respect to these initiatives.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - On August 2, 2007, Congress passed the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 2272), which the President signed into law (P.L. 110-69) on August 9, 2007. The act responds to concerns that the United States may not be able to compete economically with other nations in the future due to insufficient investment today in science and technology research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development. A similar concern had led President Bush to announce the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) in January 2006 during his State of the Union address. The America COMPETES Act authorises an increase in the nation's investment in science and engineering research and in STEM education from kindergarten to graduate school and postdoctoral education. The act also establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes. (Appendix A provides a summary of the act's programs.) The act authorises increases in funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science over FY2008-FY2010. If maintained, the increases would double the budgets of those agencies over seven years. The Administration's ACI also proposes a doubling-path, but for over ten years for physical sciences and engineering research at the three agencies. Within DOE, ARPA-E is designed to support transformational energy technology research projects with the goal of enhancing the economic and energy security of the United States, based on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Administration and others support the conceptual goal of ARPA-E, but questions whether or not the DARPA model can be used for the energy sector, and has concerns about it potentially redirecting funds from current DOE research activities. ARPA-E proponents counter that ARPA-E is needed to facilitate the energy marketplace by accelerating research that will bridge the gap between basic research and industrial development. At the heart of the America COMPETES Act is the goal of maintaining the United States as the leader in the global economy. Three broad trends influence today's globalisation of the economy. The first is technology, which has sharply reduced the cost of communication and transportation that previously divided markets. The second is a dramatic increase in the world supply of labour producing goods and services traded internationally. The third is government policies that have reduced barriers to trade and investment.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The use of information technology to provide consistent access to and dissemination of government information is essential to promote a more citizen-centred government in a cost-effective manner. Agencies manage web-based technologies and services to help citizens obtain government information and services. In addition, agencies use information technology to communicate with the public and gather feedback to determine whether Federal programs are achieving results and meeting user needs. E-Government is the result of this use of information technology to improve citizen access to government information and services. To ensure agencies apply E-Government principles and use information technology to the fullest potential, agencies measure results to verify progress and planned performance improvement. This allows agencies to better manage their information resources including their investments in information technology. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) works with agencies to systematically track and measure whether resources used by programs help achieve intended goals and results through the President's Management Agenda (PMA) Scorecard each quarter. The Federal Government continues to deploy industry-leading information technologies to more effectively manage and deliver government information and services. This results in more effective and transparent operations of Federal programs with an increased ability to manage the risks associated with information technology and protect information in care of the Federal government. Greater access to government information benefits the country by sustaining an informed citizenry, aiding government decision-makers, and supporting the economy, all of which are fundamental to a healthy democracy.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Borrowers who used alternative mortgages to finance homes during the housing boom have experienced rising foreclosure rates as housing markets have declined. Some types of alternative mortgages may have exacerbated price declines and damaged the finances of consumers and lenders. The use of mortgages with adjustable rates, zero down payment, interest-only, or negative amortisation features raise economic risk compared to traditional mortgages. Because some borrowers and lenders did not adequately evaluate these risks, housing finance markets have been hit with significant losses and financial markets have been in turmoil. Alternative mortgages offer some combination of adjustable rates, extremely low down payments, negative amortisation, and optional monthly payments. The prudent use of alternative mortgages offers benefits. For example, during periods of exceptionally high interest rates, adjustable rates may suit consumers expecting rates to fall. People whose incomes depend on commission or bonuses may be attracted to mortgages with flexible monthly payments. These benefits come with potential costs for the borrower and for the financial system. Adjustable rates shift the risk of rising interest rates from banks to borrowers. Low down payments increase the risk that borrowers will owe more than their house is worth if prices fall. A borrower owing more than the house is worth may be unable to sell or refinance the house. The use of alternative mortgages in these areas may have contributed to rising defaults and more volatile home prices. More than a trillion dollars of mortgages originated during the boom will reset their monthly payments by 2009.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Estate and gift taxes are used to tax large transfers of wealth between individuals. Gift taxes are imposed on transfers made during an individual's lifetime, and estate taxes are imposed on transfers made at the time of death. Although gift taxes and estate taxes are paid separately, they are a unified tax in the sense that a single graduated rate schedule applies to the cumulative total of taxable transfers made through gifts and estates. The 2001 tax cut legislation enacted by Congress and President Bush gradually phases out the estate tax over ten years but revives it after sunsetting at the end of 2010. Since the law does not treat the gift tax entirely the same (the gift tax is never fully repealed, for example) the two taxes are no longer fully unified. The effective marginal tax rates decrease gradually from 2001 through 2010 but generally range from around 38% to 44%, after accounting for the credit for state estate taxes. (The 2001 law replaces the credit with a deduction in 2006). This book gathers important information on issues directly concerned with estate and gift taxes.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Professional football is a very popular sport, and the physical nature of the game of football is part of its appeal, but, at the same time, playing the game can exact a physical and mental toll on players. Violent collisions, as well as other aspects of the sport, can and do cause injuries. Each week during the season, the National Football League (NFL) releases an injury report that lists, for each team, players who are injured, the type or location of the injury (for example, 'concussion,' 'knee,' or 'ribs'), and the players' status for the upcoming game. During the 2007 season, aside from weeks one and eight, at least 10% of NFL players were identified each week as being injured. Players' injuries and current health conditions (for example, excess weight and sleep apnea) might have long-term consequences for their health, meaning that today's injury might become a chronic health problem or disability during retirement from the NFL. The issue has received considerable attention from Congress, including hearings in both chambers. Through collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations and other discussions, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have established a number of benefits, including retirement benefits (that is, a pension), severance pay, total and permanent disability benefits, and an annuity program. Some benefits are available to all players, while other benefits are available only to players who played in the NFL during certain years. Additionally, some benefits have eligibility requirements. Funds for benefits that are included in the CBA come from the portion of the league's total revenues that is allocated to the players. Apparently, the NFL and the NFLPA determine how to fund other benefits. The NFL and the NFLPA have taken steps to promote the health and safety of players. The league has established several committees, such as the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Committee, and, through NFL Charities, awards grants for medical and scientific research related to health and safety issues. The NFLPA has a medical advisor and a performance consultant, and there is an NFL-NFLPA joint committee on player safety. The subject of injuries, disabilities, and benefits is a complex one, and there are a variety of issues surrounding this subject. For example, it has been argued that the way compensation is structured within the NFL might induce an individual to play while injured instead of seeking medical treatment. The oldest retired players might make up a subset with exceptional financial and medical needs, because they (1) might not have been protected as well as current players are; (2) might have received medical care that, while the best available at the time, was not as effective as the care available today; and (3) are not eligible for all of the benefits available to current players. Another issue involves MTBI research and whether multiple concussions might have long-term effects. The NFLPA proposed three legislative options in 2007. Other possibilities include establishing one or more ombudsman offices or taking steps to mitigate the economic risk of injuries and disabilities.