bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Light Switch: Towards a History of the Second Enlightenment
Authors: Nelles Henry Vivian
Published: June 2015

This paper attempts to answer the question how and why did planet Earth begin to glow in the dark over the long twentieth century? It begins with a survey of the contemporary global distribution of light followed by an excursion into the history of night, early efforts at interior and exterior illumination, and the global diffusion of light and power companies aided by foreign investment. The spread of the automobile vastly expanded the market for nocturnal illumination just as the economies of scale associated with electricity generation drove down the unit cost of lumens. The paper concludes by emphasizing light as a form of human cultural expression by stressing the importance of social systems, political and cultural factors in turning the lights on, and off.
Ontario’s Electrical Future: Global Environmental Limits, Systems Thinking, and Electrical Power Planning in Ontario, 1974-1983
Authors: Conway Christopher D.
Published: June 2015

In the mid-1970s, the Royal Commission on Electrical Power Planning (RCEPP) was ordered by the government of Ontario to review Ontario Hydro’s ambitious expansion plans. Historians have often considered the RCEPP an interesting but ineffective commission as changing economic factors, rather than the Commissions’ recommendations for slower growth, eventually slowed Hydro’s momentum in the early 1980s. This paper explores the Commission as an important venue for energy debate and as a means of facilitating research from public interest groups, including Energy Probe, in the late 1970s. From this debate the Commission negotiated ideas of “soft energy paths”, global resource limits, and cybernetic system thinking into a set of policy recommendations for democratic, systems-based electrical power planning. I argue that the tension between centralized control and local action found in the Commission’s systems approach to planning illustrates the difficulty of collective, long-term, and expert mediated, globalist planning in a period once thought of as a “dawning age of energy conservation.”
How Hydro Ontario Went Local: The Creation of Local Districts and the Ontario Central System
Authors: Lucas Jack
Published: June 2015

When Ontario Hydro was created, its task was to distribute electricity to local hydro commissions across Ontario. By the 1920s, however, it had become a local distributor itself, providing direct service to thousands of customers across the province. This essay examines the two major events that brought Ontario Hydro into local distribution during this period: the creation of the Central Ontario System in 1916 and the Rural Power District in 1920. This essay draws on previously unexplored archival sources to argue that the two processes were quite separate from one another, and that only one – the Rural Power District – left a lasting institutional legacy in Ontario’s electricity sector. Both developments, however, reveal the “flexibility” of local political autonomy in Ontario – the cultural and political limits of appeals to local autonomy in the face of economic risk and opportunity and technological change.
“It is the finest piece of government work that I know of anywhere”: The Influence of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario on the Giant Power Survey of Pennsylvania, 1923-1927
Authors: Sholdice Mark
Published: June 2015

Since its foundation in 1906, the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario exerted a major influence on the politics of electricity in the United States. American supporters of publicly-owned utilities saw the Hydro as a model worth emulating south of the border. Reformers who sought lower electric prices for consumers also looked to the Hydro for evidence of the technically-feasible lowest cost of producing and transmitting this source of energy. This paper will examine a specific instance when American Progressives sought to use the Hydro as both a source of information and inspiration for electric policy reforms: the Giant Power Survey of 1923-1927, an attempt by Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot to bring about lower electricity costs for consumers and to extend access to rural areas, through a mix of greater regulation and government action. The individuals involved in Giant Power came into close contact with Hydro officials for the vital administrative and technical information with which to argue for their cause; the Ontarians, however, had their own reasons to be wary of getting involved in a controversial proposal.
Le nucléaire dans la stratégie énergétique du Québec, 1963-2012
Authors: Khelfaoui Mahdi
Published: June 2015

Cet article retrace l’évolution de la stratégie électronucléaire du gouvernement du Québec, entre 1963 et 2012. L’analyse se divise en trois périodes principales: l’émergence d’un programme nucléaire entre 1963 et 1970, un moment d’opposition politique sur son évolution à long terme entre 1971 et 1976, et son abandon progressif entre 1977 et 1983. À partir de 1983, avec la mise en service de la centrale Gentilly-2, et jusqu’à son arrêt définitif en 2012, aucun autre projet nucléaire d’envergure n’est entrepris dans la province. À partir de l'analyse de ces différentes périodes, nous mettons en évidence les raisons qui ont poussé le gouvernement du Québec à développer une industrie nucléaire locale. Nous discutons les divers facteurs, techniques, économiques et politiques qui ont conduit à un tel développement et au maintien de l’intérêt politique pour l’énergie nucléaire, malgré des investissements massifs en hydroélectricité durant les années soixante-dix. Enfin, nous mettons à jour les déterminants politiques qui ont poussé le gouvernement à abandonner la filière nucléaire à partir de 1977.
Peak Oil Theory in Canada’s Globe and Mail: A Case Study of the Construction of Ignorance
Authors: Kranakis Eda
Published: June 2015

Scientific knowledge is essential to understand problems confronting society, and the mass media have become the main source of this knowledge for most people. However, the mass media filter scientific information, leading sometimes to what has been termed “the construction of ignorance.” This article offers a case study of this process. It explains how Canada’s leading newspaper, the Globe and Mail, has depicted oil depletion theory (or “peak oil” theory). By contrasting the history of oil depletion theory with its representation in the Globe and Mail since the turn of the millennium, the article reveals the contours of this constructed ignorance. Comparison with coverage of meteorological and climate change science further refines the analysis. Finally, the article investigates the underlying causes for the Globe and Mail’s treatment of peak oil theory and how it relates to the Canadian context.
Hallazgo de una bula incunable desconocida en la Catedral de Valencia. Contribución a la imprenta de Antonio Téllez (Toledo, 1495)
Authors: Boscà Codina José Vicente , Mandingorra Llavata María Luz
Published: June 2015

Resumen: El objeto de este trabajo es dar a conocer y estudiar la edición de una bula de indulgencias de la Santa Cruzada, de vivos, escrita en catalán e impresa en Toledo en 1495, de la cual se ha hallado un ejemplar en el Archivo de la Catedral de Valencia. De acuerdo con la información disponible a día de hoy se trata de un ejemplar único en el mundo.Palabras clave: Incunable, bula papal, Antonio Téllez, Catedral de ValenciaAbstract: The aim of this paper is to analyse a copy of a Papal bull granting indulgence for the living. It was issued in favour of the Crusaders, and printed in Toledo in 1495. It is written in Catalan, and has been found in the Valencia Cathedral Archive. We wish to bring its existence to the attention of scholars, as it is the only surviving copy that we know of. Keywords: incunabula, Papal bull, Antonio Téllez, Valencia Cathedral
Leriano y Llull: de amantes y caballeros.
Authors: Cortijo Ocaña Antonio
Published: June 2015

Resumen: En sus ultimas palabras con Tifeo antes de cometer suicidio por amor en la Carcel de Amor, Leriano tiene una oportunidad perfecta para atacar a su desdeñosa dame sans merci, Laureola. Pero Leriano está a la altura de las circunstancias y hace una exposición de amore ante su amigo, que debe mucho al Libro de la orden de la caballeria de Llull, un libro destinado a tener importancia capital en la época tardomedieval y del primer Renacimiento.   Palabras clave: Diego de San Pedro, Carcel de Amor, Llull, Libro de la orden de la caballeria, Leriano   Abstract: In his last words with Tifeo before committing suicide in Carcel de Amor, Leriano has a perfect opportunity to attack his disdainful dame sans merci, Laureola. But Leriano raises above the circumstances and makes and exposition de amore to his friend which in greatly indebted to Llull's Book of the Order of Chivalry, a book that was destined to acquire paramount importance in late medieval and early modern Europe.   Key words: Diego de San Pedro, Carcel de Amor, Llull, Libro de la orden de la caballeria, Leriano
Ressenya a Ximo Company, Bramante, mito y realidad, Lleida, 2012
Authors: Ferrer Orts Albert
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Company, Ximo, Bramante, mito y realidad, CAEM/Milenio, Lleida, 2012, 145 pp., 109 il., ISBN: 978-84-97434-79-9Review to Company, Ximo, Bramante, mito y realidad, CAEM/Milenio, Lleida, 2012, 145 pp., 109 il., ISBN: 978-84-97434-79-9
Ressenya a Enric Pujol (ed.) & Òscar Jané (est.), Antologia de memòries i dietaris personals catalans sobre la Guerra de Successió, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014
Authors: Cases Ibáñez Adrià
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Enric Pujol (ed.) & Òscar Jané (est.), Antologia de memòries i dietaris personals catalans sobre la Guerra de Successió, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014, 286 pp. ISBN: 978-84-9965-221-4Review to Enric Pujol (ed.) & Òscar Jané (est.), Antologia de memòries i dietaris personals catalans sobre la Guerra de Successió, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014, 286 pp. ISBN: 978-84-9965-221-4
Ressenya a Carme Llanes, L’obrador de Pere Nicolau. L'estil gòtic internacional a València (1390-1408), València, PUV, 2014
Authors: Chismol Guillem
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Carme Llanes, L’obrador de Pere Nicolau, L’estil gòtic internacional a València (1390-1408), València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2014, pp. 312, ISBN: 978-84-370-9561-5Review to Carme Llanes, L’obrador de Pere Nicolau, L’estil gòtic internacional a València (1390-1408), València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2014, pp. 312, ISBN: 978-84-370-9561-5
Ressenya a Agustín Rubio Vela, El patriciat i la nació. Sobre el particularisme dels valencians en els segles XIV i XV, Vols. I i II, Barcelona, Fundació Germà Colón Domènech i PAM, 2012
Authors: Chismol Guillem
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Agustín Rubio Vela, El patriciat i la nació. Sobre el particularisme dels valencians en els segles XIV i XV, Vols. I i II, Barcelona, Fundació Germà Colón Domènech i Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat, 2012, pp. 335 i 350, ISBN: 978-84-9883-557-1Review to Agustín Rubio Vela, El patriciat i la nació. Sobre el particularisme dels valencians en els segles XIV i XV, Vols. I i II, Barcelona, Fundació Germà Colón Domènech i Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat, 2012, pp. 335 i 350, ISBN: 978-84-9883-557-1
Ressenya a Frederic Aparisi & Vicent Royo (Eds.), Beyond Lords and Peasants: Rural Elites and Economic Differentiation in Pre-Modern Europe, València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2014
Authors: Curtis Daniel R.
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Frederic Aparisi & Vicent Royo (eds.), Beyond Lords and Peasants: Rural Elites and Economic Differentiation in Pre-Modern Europe, València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2014, pp. 256, ISBN: 978-84-370-9261-4Review to Frederic Aparisi & Vicent Royo (eds.), Beyond Lords and Peasants: Rural Elites and Economic Differentiation in Pre-Modern Europe, València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2014, pp. 256, ISBN: 978-84-370-9261-4
Ressenya a Sònia Gros, «Aquella dolçor amarga». La tradició amatòria clàssica en el Curial e Güelfa. València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2015
Authors: Martí Badia Adrià
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Sònia Gros, «Aquella dolçor amarga». La tradició amatòria clàssica en el Curial e Güelfa. València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2015, 346 pp. ISBN: 978-84-370-9648-3Review to Sònia Gros, «Aquella dolçor amarga». La tradició amatòria clàssica en el Curial e Güelfa. València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2015, 346 pp, ISBN: 978-84-370-9648-3
Ressenya a Emilio Coco, Trentaquattro poeti catalani per il XXI secolo, Rimini, Raffaelli Editore, 2014
Authors: Siviero Donatella
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Emilio Coco, Trentaquattro poeti catalani per il XXI secolo, Rimini, Raffaelli Editore, 2014, 528 pp., ISBN: 978-88-679-2053-2Review to Emilio Coco, Trentaquattro poeti catalani per il XXI secolo, Rimini, Raffaelli Editore, 2014, 528 pp., ISBN 978-88-679-2053-2
Sobre Joan Martorell, señor de Beniarbeig, y otros casos de homonimia en el siglo XV valenciano. Notas de archivo y observaciones metodológicas.
Authors: Rubio Vela Agustín
Published: June 2015

Resumen: Se aborda, con intención metodológica, el problema de la homonimia en la documentación medieval. Errores de identificación, confusiones y anacronismos detectados en estudios recientes, ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de conocer mejor los aspectos onomásticos, diplomáticos y de contexto que permiten diferenciar correctamente individuos coetáneos portadores del mismo nombre. La documentación relativa a Joan Martorell, señor de Beniarbeig, su hijo y su nieto, tres homónimos de una misma familia valenciana del siglo XV emparentada con la del autor de Tirant lo Blanch, es el punto de partida del artículo, en el que se analizan también otros casos. Palabras clave: Valencia, siglo XV, Joan Martorell, homónimo Abstract: With a methodological purpose, I handle the issue of homonimy in medieval documentation. Identification mistakes, confusions and anachronisms detected in recent studies have contributed to raise awareness about the need to get to know better some onomastic, diplomatic and contextual aspects which allow us to tell the difference between contemporary individuals who had the same surname. The starting point of this article, in which some other cases are also analysed, is the documentation related to Joan Martorell, lord of Beniarbeig, as well as to his son and grandson, three homonymous elements of the same Valencian family living in the 15th century and having blood ties with the author of Tirant lo Blanch. Key words: Valencia, 15th century, Joan Martorell, homonym
Corroborar llegendes, invocar imatges, renovar la memòria i presentar models. El valor dels goigs en la religiositat valenciana durant la Contrareforma
Authors: Gomis Corell Joan Carles
Published: June 2015

Resum: El present article aplica el mètode de Pafnosky a l’anàlisi dels goigs durant el període de la Contrareforma a València. Determina, amb independència de la seua forma poeticomusical i melodia, quina va estar la funció cultural, centrant-nos en quatre exemples diferents. Es confronten les idees subjacents amb altres expressions culturals coetànies –textos històrics, hagiogràfics i devocionals i obres pictòriques-, i s’estableix la relació recíproca entre els valors culturals del goigs i els de la societat que els generà, demostrant que no foren expressió ingènua de la devoció popular, sinó versions reduïdes i assequibles dels les erudites hagiografies i històries d’imatges i, per tant, en tingueren la mateixa finalitat propagandística. Paraules clau: Goigs, Contrareforma, Imatges devocionals, religiositat popular, València, ss. XVI-XVII   Abstract: This article applies the Panofsky’s method to the analysis of goigs during the period of the Counter-Reformation in Valencia. It determines, regardless of their poetical form and melody, which the cultural function of these compositions was during that period, focusing on four different exemples. The underlying ideas are confronted to other contemporary cultural expressions (historical-texts, and devotional and hagiographical works and pictures). This establishes the interrelationship between cultural values of the joys and  the society that generated them, and shows that were not naive expression of popular devotion but small and affordable versions of scholarly hagiographies and histories of images and therefore in order to have the same propaganda purpose. Keywords: goigs, Counter-Reformation, Devotional images, popular religion, Valencia, 16th c.- 17th c.
Itàlia i la configuració de la llegenda negra borgiana.
Authors: Roig Matoses Joan Emili
Published: June 2015

Resum: La llegenda negra dels Borja va començar a Itàlia i la van començar els italians en el segle XV. Començada a forjar per cronistes, informadors, cardenals… i contràriament al que es podria pensar, aquesta no va començar després de la mort del segon papa Borja Alexandre VI, sinó durant el seu cardenalat, el seu pontificat i com no, després de la seua mort i continuant els segles posteriors amb acusacions falses com la simonia, el incest, els assassinats…   Paraules clau: Borja, Roderic de Borja, Alexandre VI, llegenda negra, Bichi, Tiara, papa, conclave, simonia, Ascanio Sforza. Abstract: The black legend of Borja began in Italy and Italians began in the fifteenth century. Created by reporters, cardinals ... and contrary to what you might think, not this black legend began after the death of the second Pope Alexander VI Borja but the cardinal time, and of his pontificate, after his death and continue over the following centuries with false accusations as simony, the incest, murder …   Keywords: Borja, Roderic de Borja, Pope Alexander VI, black legend, Bichi, Tiara, Pope conclave, simony, Ascanio Sforza.
Studi di catalanistica in Italia (2005-2014 circa)
Authors: Compagna Anna Maria , Puigdevall Núria
Published: June 2015

Riassunto: In questo articolo si offre un panorama degli studi catalani che si svolgono in Italia partendo dalla segnalazione ragionata dei più recenti contributi offerti dalla RISCAT, rivista dell’Associazione Italiana di Studi Catalani.Parole chiave: catalanistica italiana, studi catalani in Italia, RISCAT, AISCAbstract: This article provides an overview of Catalan studies carried out in Italy, based on the recent contribution offered in the RISCAT, journal of the Catalan Studies Italian Association.Keywords: Italian Catalanistic, Catalan Studies in Italy, RISCAT, AISC
Juegos de palabras y música en El Cortesano de Luis Milán
Authors: Colella Alfonso
Published: June 2015

Resumen: Este artículo analiza cómo, en El Cortesano, la música y la actuación musical se ven fuertemente afectadas por el carácter burlesco e ingenioso de todos los personajes que frecuentan las reuniones de Fernando de Aragón y de la reina Germana de Foix. Por lo tanto, el músico Milán, para cumplir con todas las expectativas de este mundo del entretenimiento y del juego, debe basarse necesariamente en una serie de opciones interpretativas que permitan actuaciones rápidas en función de las demandas de su público. Lo que emerge es una imagen del músico y de la música diferente de lo que se esperaría normalmente. En una sociedad de este tipo, no cuenta la música entendida en su estética y aspectos técnicos, sino la capacidad de gestionar las apariencias y someterse a las pruebas y los mandatos impuestos por los rituales del juego cortesano. Tenemos muchos ejemplos en que Milán se muestra con pasividad y sumisión. Pero es normal, porque esto entra en los códigos de la vida de la corte.   Palabras clave: Fernando de Aragón, duque de Calabria, El Cortesano, Libro de motes, Las siete angustias de amor, improvisación, juegos de palabras   Abstract: This article takes into consideration El Cortesano (1561) by Luis Milán: in this text the musical performance is strongly influenced by the playful attitudes of the individuals who attended the court meetings of Fernando de Aragón and Germana de Foix. Therefore, the musician has to keep in mind every expectation of courtly entertainment and gaming, and morevoer he must open his interpretative options to meet also the demands of the public. What emerges is a picture of the musician and his music that is different from what one would expect in another social context. In such aristocratic society as the Duke of Calabria, music was not understood only in terms of its aesthetic values and technical aspects, but it also required that the player  accepted  the rituals of the courtly game.   Keywords: Fernando de Aragón, duque de Calabria, El Cortesano, Libro de motes, Las siete angustias de amor, improvisación, juegos de palabras
Primi sondaggi sul testimone J del volgarizzamento catalano della Consolatio Philosophiae
Authors: Concina Chiara
Published: June 2015

Abstract: La vicenda testuale del volgarizzamento catalano del De consolatione philosophiae di Boezio si caratterizza per la problematicità dei suoi aspetti redazionali e per la complessità della sua tradizione manoscritta. Il perduto testo originale di questa traduzione, realizzata dal frate domenicano Pere Saplana in un periodo compreso tra il 1358 e il 1362, si è infatti conservato in due redazioni differenti. La prima (?), anonima, è tramandata da un testimone completo in castigliano e da un frammento catalano. La seconda (?), tràdita da un numero elevato di testimoni, è invece il risultato di un lavoro di revisione operato sul testo di Saplana dal domenicano Antoni Ginebreda (1390 c.). In tempi recenti uno dei due codici del Boeci conservati presso l’Arxiu Comarcal de la Segarra di Cervera (sigla J) è stato indicato come possibile latore di una redazione prossima ad ?, considerata in molti punti quella più conservativa rispetto all’originale di Saplana. Il contributo offre un’indagine preliminare riguardante la struttura e i contenuti del testo tràdito dal codice J ponendolo in relazione con quanto tramandato da ? e ?.   Parole-chiave: Boezio; volgarizzamenti medievali; volgarizzamenti catalani; Pere Saplana; Antoni Ginebreda     Abstract: The history of Boethius’s De consolatione philosophiae Catalan translation is particularly complex for what concerns its manuscript tradition as well as for the textual differences that can be found in the exstant versions of it. The lost original version of this vernacular translation, written around the years 1358-1362 by the Dominican friar Pere Saplana, is preserved in two different versions. The first one (?) is anonymous, and has survived in its complete form in a Castilian translation and in a Catalan fragment. The second (?) is transmitted by a large number of witnesses and is the result of a revision of Saplana’s text made around 1390 by the Dominican Antoni Ginebreda. One of the two manuscripts containing this translation preserved in the Arxiu Comarcal de la Segarra of Cervera (designed as J) was recently mentioned as the possible bearer of a version very similar to ?, considered the closest to Saplana’s original text. The paper offers a first analysis of the structure and the readings of the text of J, comparing them to the versions transmitted by ? and ?.   Keywords: Boethius; Medieval Translations; Catalan Translations; Pere Saplana; Antoni Ginebreda
La llengua de Carles Riba: el cas de Guillot, bandoler
Authors: Turull Isabel
Published: June 2015

Resum: En l'àmbit d'un estudi sistemàtic sobre la llengua de Carles Riba, n'analitzem aquí un conte primerenc. Guillot, bandoler, publicat probablement cap al 1918, representa la primera incursió de l'autor en la narrativa per a infants, en un moment en què la fixació de l'ortografia i la normativa fabrianes encara es troba en evolució.  Hi veiem, doncs, un llenguatge que aspira a la correcció però que és al mateix temps espontani, mentre podem relacionar-ne alguns trets característics amb la voluntat d'adherir-se a un gènere narratiu concret. En aquest sentit, la tradició rondallística admet la presència de termes de registre més elevat en un context de mímesi literària del llenguatge parlat, cosa que justificaria la presència en aquest text d'expressions com: «pujaven [...] tan instruïdets»; al costat de: «la bèl·lica munió».   Paraules clau: Riba - narrativa - gènere - registre   Abstract: As a part of a sistematic study on Carles Riba's language, we analyse in this paper one of his first short stories. Guillot, bandoler represents the author's first attempt to write a children's tale: it was published in 1918, in a moment when Fabra's works on Catalan's orthography and normative were still evolving. It presents, thus, a language that tends to correctness but that is also spontaneous, while we can link some of its characteristic features to the author's will of adhering to a concrete literary genre. The tale's tradition allows the presence of terms that belong to a more elevated language in a context of literary mymesis of the spoken language, and that would justify the presence in this text of expressions like: «pujaven [...] tan instruïdets»; next to: «la bel·lica munió».   Keywords: Riba - narrative - genre - register
Emilio Callado (ed.), La catedral ilustrada. Iglesia, sociedad y cultura en la Valencia del siglo XVIII, 2. vols. València, Institució Alfons el Magnànim, 2013-2014
Authors: Gandia Silvestre Marc
Published: June 2015

Ressenya a Emilio Callado (ed.), La catedral ilustrada. Iglesia, sociedad y cultura en la Valencia del siglo XVIII, 2. vols. València, Institució Alfons el Magnànim, 2013-2014, 356 i 444 pp. ISBN: 978-84-7822-647-4 i 978-84-7822-667-2 Review to Emilio Callado (ed.), La catedral ilustrada. Iglesia, sociedad y cultura en la Valencia del siglo XVIII, 2. vols. València, Institució Alfons el Magnànim, 2013-2014, 356 & 444 pp. ISBN: 978-84-7822-647-4 & 978-84-7822-667-2
Incerta glòria di Joan Sales tra filologia, storia e traduzione
Authors: Rigobon Patrizio
Published: June 2015

Riassunto: In questo saggio si fa una riflessione sull’opera di Joan Sales Incerta glòria e particolarmente si vede le conessione tra filologia, storia e traduzione.Parole chiave: Joan Sales, Incerta gloria, traduzione, storia, filologiaAbstract: This article makes a reflection on the work of Joan Sales, Incerta glòria, and it particularly affects the connection between philology, history and translation.Keywords: Joan Sales, Incerta gloria, philology, history translation
The anti-competitive agreements in the prospective of the law on competition protection - An inside in the Albanian practices and legal framework
Authors: Konomi Perolla Rezana , Peto Zhaklina
Published: June 2015

In Albania legislation on competition was developed only after the 90s and this is natural depending on the economic development and market model, which before the 90s had spaces of a free and competitive development. Competition is an economic phenomenon that refers to such a state of a free market economy, where companies compete independently in order to benefit as many buyers so as to meet the objectives to increase profits and expansion of markets. In this way free competition is both beneficial for business development and profitable for consumers themselves, who should benefit from the prices set based on the demand–offer ratio. Competition should be perceived as a necessary mechanism that promotes increase of welfare in general, by providing enterprises with greater opportunities for profit and therefore better quality for consumers, a major benefit in the range of choices lower prices. Encouraged by the existence of competition, enterprises as market players should be motivated to be always on the alert and perhaps in uncertainty in order to be as much active in the way they compete with their competitors by providing investments and aggressive strategies as a reply to their, but also potential rivals. In competitive markets, the companies are motivated to gain market power in order to strengthen their positions in the markets where they operate and thereby they have an impact in the fulfillment of the growing needs of the consumer, which brings increase of welfare. Nevertheless, quite often companies have such an attitude that they may cause limitation of competition, such as the agreements, whose object or consequence is price fixing, market shares or the establishment of a market structure where competitors join (in case of concentrations). Price fixing is a classic element to all cases of cartels. By means of such behavior competitors try to avoid price competition between them to the detriment of the consumer, by applying higher prices. This may happen at horizontal level, but also at vertical level. What do we perceive with prohibited agreements under Albanian law of competition? What are the forms of agreements that are prohibited and which are excluded? These are some of the questions that this article adresses.
Homosexuality elsewhere: young migrants, sexuality and transcultural identity strategies
Authors: Masullo Giuseppe
Published: June 2015

The article focuses on young people of foreign origin in Italy, analysing in particular the experiences of those of a homosexual orientation. Starting from a theoretical reflection that takes into account the various possible statuses expressing young migrants situation, we will analyse the complexities that arise in terms of identity for young foreigners who, when living their sexuality, relate both with the cultural standards of the country of origin (often homophobic and repressive) and with those of the host country, in which they can instead intercept new opportunities to express themselves and their desires. The core idea is to verify the means through which they manage these contrasts, aiming at empirically outlining the strategies of behaviour, thus increasing the understanding of the ongoing processes of social and cultural integration.
Measurement and evaluation of the public administration performance through delivery of electronic services
Authors: Batalli Mirlinda
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this paper concerns the relation between delivery of electronic services (e-services) and evaluation of public administration performance. Public sector organizations should pay attention and determine the strategies to be followed in order to increase the satisfaction of citizens and businesses in relation to delivery of electronic services. The study aims to review the demands toward progress to the competitiveness, the sustainability, efficiency and effectives in public administration that have rapidly enforced the wide reforms in the public sector, in order to modernize the initiatives to offer better electronic services for the citizens. The article aims to present that the transformation process toward providing electronic services to the citizens should be assessed continuously, in light with challenges, demands and process of globalization, in order to strengthen the capacities of public administration and make it more efficient. In this regard, the regular evaluation and measurement of the public administration performance leads toward the promotion of enhanced public services and higher level of accountability. Through receiving the e-services, citizens can save their time, can reduce the expenses and create an easier access of communication with all levels of the government.
The juridical nature of the European Court of Justice and the principles of its activity
Authors: Hasneziri Vilma
Published: June 2015

The European Union is a reality closer and closer for Albania as well. The status Albania obtained as a candidate country, not only means a step forward towards the European Union, but it also sets forth a number of challenges to be solved such as, freedom, property, democracy, human rights, the fight against organized crime and corruption etc. Under these circumstances, the analysis of the issues that have to do with the European Union is of a great importance, as in the near future, Albania is designated to join the great European family. The scope of this work is to analyze tow important aspects that have to do with one of the most important institutions of the European Union, such as the European Court of Justice. The first aspect of this work, which is also its first subject, refers to the juridical nature of the European Court of Justice. Analyzing this topic, we shall see that this Court, as per its nature, contains elements of different courts, thus, presenting similarities with the Constitutional Courts of Member States, civil courts, criminal courts, administrative and labour courts and with other international courts as well. However, despite the similarities it presents with other courts, the European Court of Justice is a court of a special kind, “sui generis”, exactly as the European Union is, thus, an organization of a special kind. The second aspect of this paper, which is also its second issue, analyses the fundamental principles where the European Court of Justice bases its activity. The most important principles are that of equality and non discrimination, the principle of protecting and guaranteeing the human rights, the principle of access before the court or the right to address the court, the principle of legality as well as the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity. In this work, especially in the second part, there shall be presented several decisions of the European Court of Justice as well, that have to do with its interpretation on the dispositions of the establishing Treaties as well as the analysis of the above mentioned principles. At the end of this work, there will be given its conclusions as well as the bibliography where it is based on.
The alternatives of imprisonment according to the Albanian Law and the ways of surveillances
Authors: Belishta Admir
Published: June 2015

This paper considers different alternatives to Sentence to a Term of Imprisonment listed in a chapter with the same title, in the Articles 58-64 of the Albanian Criminal Code. This approach to such subject reflects not only the reality of how the judicial system in Albania operates, but, because of the purpose and the positive changes that the implementation of these alternatives to sentence to a term of imprisonment brings, it is also a permanent requirement of the international community. In this note I have focused in three important quests: theoretical interpretations of these criminal code provisions, examples from court’s practices as well as problems and challenges that might arise, and lastly, the procedures required for their implementation. Moreover, in considering the procedural challenges, the conditional sentence (Article 59), semi freedom (Article 58), house arrest (Article 59/a), community service (Article 63) and conditional release or parole (Article 64) of the Criminal Code, I have also presented my personal view on the matters. My thoughts and suggestions add to the explanation and elaboration of this subject not only from the practitioners’ points of view, but they also add to the intellectual discussion among those who exchange ideas and theories on the subject. This concludes the intent and purpose of this note, which focuses on a topic that is very current today.
Developing Interethnic and Intercultural Competencies - Aims and Syllabus in the Context of Elementary Education Students in Republic of Macedonia
Authors: Popova Koskarova Rozalina
Published: June 2015

Тhe main goal of our theoretical research was to show how much the syllabus allow development of awareness about the diversities and development of life values in multiethnic and multicultural environments. In that context, we established the goal to analyze the objectives and the content of the syllabus of the most relevant subjects regarding multicultural and intercultural education: Introduction to society and Society for grades I – V. Having in mind that in Macedonia there are different cultures, religions, traditions and languages, it is necessary to develop competencies to show respect for the diversities and to develop the multicultural awareness of the students at the earliest age. On the other hand, globalization, as a characteristic of the modern age, increasingly imposes the need to develop the intercultural awareness and competencies of the students as well. The interethnic (multicultural) as well as intercultural competencies are especially important from several aspects: firstly, as a result of the need to overcome stereotypes and prejudices still present in our society, and secondly, to develop values in children, and especially empathy in students.
The structure of plant photosystem I super-complex at 2.8 Å resolution
Authors: Mazor Yuval , Borovikova Anna , Nelson Nathan
Published: June 2015

Most life forms on Earth are supported by solar energy harnessed by oxygenic photosynthesis. In eukaryotes, photosynthesis is achieved by large membrane-embedded super-complexes, containing reaction centers and connected antennae. Here, we report the structure of the higher plant PSI-LHCI super-complex determined at 2.8 Å resolution. The structure includes 16 subunits and more than 200 prosthetic groups, which are mostly light harvesting pigments. The complete structures of the four LhcA subunits of LHCI include 52 chlorophyll a and 9 chlorophyll b molecules, as well as 10 carotenoids and 4 lipids. The structure of PSI-LHCI includes detailed protein pigments and pigment–pigment interactions, essential for the mechanism of excitation energy transfer and its modulation in one of nature's most efficient photochemical machines.
Metallocene Catalysts
Authors: Kaminsky Walter
Published: June 2015

Metallocene catalysts are useful for the polymerization of olefins and copolymerization of ethene or propene with cyclic olefins, styrene, and polar vinyl monomers. These catalysts contain two components such as a metallocene or half‐sandwich complex of transition metals and an organoaluminum compound, methylaluminoxane (MAO), or a perfluorinated boron aromatic compound. Most polymerization active metallocenes contain zirconium or titanium as transition metal but also hafnium, chromium, scandium, or others. The use of metallocene catalysts and their modifications has widely increased the synthetic and technical possibilities in more precisely controlling the polymer composition, polymer structure, tacticity, and other special properties. They allow the synthesis of polyolefins with short‐ or long‐chain branches, different tacticities and stereoregularities, copolymers with high‐compositional uniformity, new norbornene or styrene copolymers, and polyolefin composite materials in a purity that cannot be obtained by Ziegler–Natta catalysts. Today, industries mainly produce metallocene‐based linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) and ethene/propene (EPM and EPDM) copolymers. These polyolefins show a higher growing rate than similar polymers obtained by conventional catalysts. The single‐site character of metallocene/MAO or other metallocene/borate catalysts has led to a better understanding of the mechanism of olefin polymerization.
Composite Materials
Authors: Chung Deborah
Published: June 2015

Composite materials are multiphase materials obtained by artificial combination of multiple component materials, for example, a composite with continuous carbon fibers (reinforcement) that are bound by a polymer (matrix or binder). The reinforcement is commonly fibers or particles. Composite materials with continuous fibers (preferably aligned to achieve a high volume fraction) are particularly attractive for their high modulus and strength. The matrix can be polymer (thermosetting or thermoplastic), cement (silicate), metal (eg, aluminum), carbon (eg, graphite), ceramic (eg, silicon carbide), or hybrid (eg, carbon + silicon carbide). Polymer matrix materials are attractive for their low density and low cost. Cement matrix composites such as concrete (which has sand and stones as reinforcement) are even lower in cost. Metal matrix, carbon matrix, and ceramic matrix composites are superior in their ability to withstand elevated temperatures and are also attractive for their low thermal expansion, but their fabrication costs are high. In addition, metal matrix composites are attractive for their high electrical/thermal conductivity and creep resistance. Continuous carbon fiber–carbon matrix composites (carbon–carbon composites) are dominant for high‐temperature lightweight structures, in spite of their tendency to be oxidized at elevated temperatures in the presence of oxygen. Continuous ceramic fiber–ceramic matrix composites (ceramic–ceramic composites) are superior to carbon–carbon composites in the ability to withstand high temperatures, but they are more expensive. The structure, fabrication methods, properties, and applications of various types of composites are covered. Emphasis is on polymer matrix composites with continuous fiber reinforcement due to their wide utilization in lightweight structures. Theories of reinforcement are introduced for unidirectional laminated composites.
Heat‐Resistant Polymers Prepared Through
C
–
N
Coupling Reaction
Authors: Chang Guanjun , Xu Yewei , Yang Li , Zhang Lin
Published: June 2015

Heat‐resistant polymers and their composites are important commercial materials. Polymers containing
N
‐heteroatom demonstrate superior heat resistant properties, but their applications are limited because of poor solubility in organic solvents.

This article provides a summary of the synthesis, properties, and applications of the
N
‐heteroatom contained heat resistant polymers, which are prepared by way of CN coupling. The focus of the article is on: (1) polyaryl imino (PAI) heat resistant polymers prepared by way of palladium catalyzed CN coupling; (2) N‐polybenzimidazole (
N
‐;PBI) series compounded through nucleophilic substitution CN coupling; (3) indole‐based soluble heat resistant polymers constructed through the
N
‐arylation of indole.
Kernels for Remote Sensing Image Classification
Authors: Izquierdo‐Verdiguier Emma , Gómez‐Chova Luis , Camps‐Valls Gustau
Published: June 2015

Classification of images acquired by airborne and satellite sensors is a very challenging problem. These remotely sensed images usually acquire information from the scene at different wavelengths or spectral channels. The main problems involved are related to the high dimensionality of the data to be classified and the very few existing labeled samples, the diverse noise sources involved in the acquisition process, the intrinsic nonlinearity and non‐Gaussianity of the data distribution in feature spaces, and the high computational cost involved to process big data cubes in near real time. The framework of statistical learning in general, and of kernel methods in particular, has gained popularity in the last decade. New methods have been presented to address all these problem specificities. We will review the main existing algorithmic proposals to cope with the spatial homogeneity of images, to take advantage of the manifold structure with semisupervised learning, to encode invariances, and to deal with one‐class and multitemporal problems. The design of a suitable regularized functional has led to the successful solution of many remote sensing image classification problems. This article reviews the main advances for remote sensing image supervised classification with kernels through illustrative examples.
Disjoint Paths in Networks
Authors: Iqbal Farabi , Kuipers Fernando A.
Published: June 2015

This article provides the basic concepts, complexity analysis, and discussions on the disjoint paths problem. The disjoint paths problem has a wide range of applications across various network types, particularly in providing a more reliable service to network traffic. Traffic that can make use of disjoint paths is more robust to the effect of network node or link failures. This article also covers many different variants of the disjoint paths problem, namely, the availability‐based disjoint paths problem, the maximally disjoint paths problem, the domain‐disjoint paths problem, the shared risk link group (SRLG)‐disjoint paths problem, the region‐disjoint paths problem, and the disjoint path pairs problem.
Near‐Duplicate Image and Video Detection
Authors: Zhao Wan‐Lei , Ngo Chong‐Wah
Published: June 2015

As the bandwidth accessible to average users is increasing, multimedia data, in particular images and videos, become the fastest growing data type on Internet. Especially with the popularity of social media, there has been exponential growth in images and videos available on the Web. On one hand, among these huge volumes of images and videos, there exist large numbers of near‐duplicates and copies. Near‐duplicates carry both blessing and redundant signals. For example, it provides rich visual clue for indexing and summarizing broadcast videos from different channels. On the other hand, the excessive amount of near‐duplicates makes browsing web videos streamed over Internet an extremely time‐consuming task. In this paper, we provide an overview of the state‐of‐the‐art researches on the algorithms and techniques for large‐scale mining of visual near‐duplicates. It basically covers issues about image representation, image feature indexing and matching, pattern modeling, scalable detection, and emerging multimedia applications that are built upon near‐duplicate detection.
High Dynamic Range Imaging
Authors: Mantiuk Rafał K. , Myszkowski Karol , Seidel Hans‐Peter
Published: June 2015

High dynamic range (HDR) images and video contain pixels, which can represent much greater range of colors and brightness levels than that offered by existing, standard dynamic range images. Such “better pixels” greatly improve the overall quality of visual content, making it appear much more realistic and appealing to the audience. HDR is one of the key technologies of the future imaging pipeline, which will change the way the digital visual content is represented and manipulated.

This article offers a broad review of the HDR methods and technologies with an introduction to fundamental concepts behind the perception of HDR imagery. It serves as both an introduction to the subject and a review of the current state of the art in HDR imaging. It covers the topics related to capture of HDR content with cameras and its generation with computer graphics methods; encoding and compression of HDR images and video; tone mapping for displaying HDR content on standard dynamic range displays; inverse tone mapping for upscaling legacy content for presentation on HDR displays; the display technologies offering HDR range; and finally image and video quality metrics suitable for HDR content.
Sound Source Localization and Separation
Authors: Nakadai Kazuhiro , Nakamura Keisuke
Published: June 2015

This article presents common methods for sound source localization and separation, and their applications to robots.

Sound source localization is an estimate of the location or direction of a sound source, whereas sound source separation extracts each sound source from a mixture of sound sources. Two approaches are possible for both technologies: binaural and microphone array processing. Sound source localization and separation have been widely studied in the fields of psychoacoustics, signal processing, and robotics. In binaural research, the human auditory capability is explored to solve both localization and separation problems. However, this approach is limited in terms of performance. Thus, microphone array processing is also being investigated as a primary topic in signal processing. Since robots are among the most promising applications of sound source localization and separation, robot audition is introduced and real‐time methods (such as the software platform for robot audition called Honda Research Institute Japan Audition for Robot with Kyoto University (HARK)) to deal with real‐world problems are explained.