Intermediary Entity Research Articles

Why app-hailed transportation remains inadequately accessible to wheelchair users

People with disabilities in general and wheelchair users in particular face challenges in transportation services hailed using smartphone apps such as as Uber and Lyft. Although some riders who use wheelchairs use the services successfully, others experience various challenges from shortage of accessible vehicles, service denial by drivers, and long wait times. This article explains how in the U.S. these companies position themselves as technology platforms, an intermediary entity between drivers and riders, and therefore not accountable for accessibility regulations and labor standards. This positioning leads to inaccessible services for wheelchair users. This paper highlights considerations for change that can improve the prospects of wheelchair users to travel using these apps.

Modeling market trading strategies of the intermediary entity for microgrids: A reinforcement learning-based approach

Participation of a large number of microgrids (MGs) in the energy markets faces several challenges. To address these challenges, MGs can be aggregated by an Intermediary entity (IE). In this paper, a new decision-making framework is proposed to solve the energy management problem of multiple MGs and their participation in the energy market through the IE. This framework has three main functions. First, energy price forecasting is conducted using the long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks method. Then, the power exchange of the MGs with the main grid is optimized by solving their energy management problem. In this stage, the integrated power exchanges of the MGs with the grid are determined based on the predicted prices. In the final function, the Monte Carlo reinforcement learning technique is employed to optimize real-time pricing decisions and identify potential obstacles that may affect proposed bid prices. This approach addresses energy management challenges and enables profitable energy trading in multiple MGs within energy markets, with confirmation supported by simulation results. The results show a maximum increment of 4.55% in the profit of the IE when purchasing energy and a 3.79% maximum increment when selling energy in the real-time market compared to day-ahead decisions, respectively.

Coupling properties of subjects in a three-body interaction system with an intermediary entity and symmetrical participants on both sides

This paper studies the phenomenon of light-excited entanglement between nucleon spins, which is realized by using a transient light beam to excite the spin of electrons to produce entanglement between the two nucleon spins. This standard three-body interaction system is composed of an intermedium equivalent to a spin-1 quasiparticle and two spin-1/2 nucleons. We describe the entire system, its corresponding effective Hamiltonian, and the eigenvalues and eigenstates. The Hamiltonian is analyzed under the symmetric assumption, which can significantly simplify the effective Hamiltonian and make obtaining the corresponding dynamic characteristics easier. In the calculation process, degenerate perturbation theory calculates the eigenequation, whose degeneracy is not eliminated to a first approximation. We calculate the eigenequation to the second order to obtain an accurate zero-order wave function.

A Thomistic Account of Human Free Will and Divine Providence: Pedro de Ledesma and the De Auxiliis Controversy

Pedro de Ledesma is one of the Dominican theologians of the School of Salamanca involved in the De Auxiliis controversy, i.e., the disputes around a famous book by Luis de Molina on the relation between divine foreknowledge and providence and our free will. Studying an unpublished manuscript by Ledesma and his 1611 book on this subject, the article shows that he opposed Molina with a Thomistic position that we call deflationary. According to this interpretation, God, in moving the created will to do good actions, does not bring about an entity distinct from volition itself. Contrary to other Thomists, he does not think that the immediate effect of the divine motion of the will is an intermediary entity used by God to produce, with the will, the created free act. Ledesma defends his thesis by using some elements of Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysics, in particular, a minimalist interpretation of the relation between action and passion already present in Domingo de Soto and the specific causality of immanent acts.

Dry ports: Redefining the concept of seaport-city integrations

The fusion of seaport and city has been a key assimilation that has aided any coastal country in global trading operations. Meanwhile, the constraints on seaports, particularly their rigidity and inability to respond immediately to the uncertainty inherent in the global trading scenario, necessitate the establishment of dry ports as an intermediary entity between seaport and city. As a result, the term "seaport-city" has been redefined in this study. Additionally, the benefits and drawbacks of reciprocal relationship between a harbour and a metropolis have been discussed. Face to face interviews were conducted and the transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Essentially, seaport-city in Malaysia refers to a symbiotic interaction between these two organisations for the purpose of maintaining the country's sustained growth. Regional growth is the primary benefit derived by cities from seaports, whereas pollution is the primary disadvantage derived by seaports. On the other hand, cities rewarded seaports with labour assistance and favourable spatial conditions. In comparison, seaports from surrounding cities experienced constraints such as delays and fewer possibilities for labour variety. To facilitate the development of a seamless network connecting seaports and cities, dry ports have been suggested as intermediate node in this complex freight network.

Information through Intermediaries: Influence of Venture Capital in M&A

This study investigates the influence of indirect relationship between the buyer and seller linked through common (shared) intermediary on the ex-ante acquisition choice and the ex-post acquisition integration outcomes. Prior M&A research has typically focused on the influence of direct ties of entities affiliated either with the buyer or with the seller. In contrast, we build on inter-organizational relationships research to examine how specialized information obtained through an intermediary entity connecting the acquirer-target dyad, influence value creation in acquisition deals. Using acquisition deals of VC-backed technology ventures, we empirically examine the impact of common venture capital affiliations shared between the acquired and acquiring firms on the likelihood of acquisition and post-acquisition management and knowledge integration. We find that acquirer-target dyads with common VC connection are more likely to be selected and more likely to achieve post-acquisition integration and the integration effect is amplified when the common VC is an industry specialist in the acquirer’s focal industry.

Capitalism and the ethics of sport governance: a history of the board of control for cricket in India

In the twenty-first century, domestic politics has played a key role in determining the behavioural attributes of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Hence, it emerged as an intermediary entity for promoting the national interest of the government. Besides, the growing commercialization of Indian cricket have paved the way for BCCI to emerge as a financial powerhouse at the turn of the new millennium. Against this backdrop, the article attempts to figure out if BCCI reveal the larger dynamics of the Indian government, politics and economy in a tacit manner. Put differently, the governance of cricket by the BCCI is subject to regulation by the administrative and judicial apparatus of the Indian state. The article strives to link cricket with crucial aspects of national security, diplomacy and Indian business through its discussion of India-Pakistan cricket series, the negotiations in the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Indian Premier League (IPL).

Crossing the Rubicon: Is the use of a realisation company still a viable tax planning tool?

In this article the principles established in the Natal Estates, Berea West and Founders Hill cases read together with the relevant legislation and other related cases are analysed. The aim is to determine whether the interposition of a realisation entity when selling immovable property with the view to protecting the capital nature of receipts in respect of the property, is a viable tax planning tool for the 21st century. The Supreme Court of Appeal in all three cases applied the so-called “crossing the Rubicon” metaphor to determine the point when the realisation of a capital asset transforms into a scheme of profit-making and thus becomes taxable. The decisions in these three cases, if closely analysed, confirm that the courts have provided complimentary rather than conflicting viewpoints on how the “crossing the Rubicon” metaphor is applied in practice. It is concluded from the analysis that a realisation entity should be used only to realise an asset when there are compelling reasons, other than for pure tax planning purposes, for its use. This conclusion is\ reached because current legislation ensures that the appreciation in the value of the asset up to the point of the change in use, from capital to revenue, remains capital in nature and will thus be taxed as a capital gain under the Eighth Schedule of the Income Tax Act. In practice therefore, the use of a realisation entity should be considered only in circumstances where the protection of the capital nature of an asset for purely tax reasons is not the main reason for the interposition of a realisation company or any other intermediary entity, but is set up, for example, to administer a deceased or insolvent estate, or to comply with legislation. Any tax advantage gained in these circumstances can be regarded as an inadvertent consequence and thus there is a possibility that the tax advantages gained will not be regarded as income of a revenue nature.

¿Para qué sirve la historia de la filosofía? A propósito de la teoría de la percepción de John R. Searle

John Searle defiende el «realismo directo», el cual sostiene que el objeto directo de la percepción es la realidad extra-mental. En conformidad con esta teoría, no hay ningún tipo de entidad intermediaria entre el acto perceptivo y la cosa percibida, como una «representación», «semejanza» o «especie». De hecho, Searle desarrolla sistemáticamente una teoría de la percepción que despliega las posibilidades explicativas de la tesis mencionada. En el presente artículo, se comentan ciertos aspectos de esta con el propósito de compararlos con teorías del conocimiento propuestas por pensadores medievales. Se intenta poner de manifiesto que la teoría de Searle no ofrece nada radicalmente nuevo y que cae en ciertos errores que pudo evitar de haber conocido los trabajos de la historiografía medieval que se ocupan de estos temas. Así, se reivindica la importancia de la historia de la filosofía.

An Investigation of Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging Impact on Power Systems Scheduling and Energy Costs

This paper investigates the impact of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) integration on the power systems scheduling and energy cost. An intermediary entity, the EV aggregator, participates in the market on behalf of the EV owners by optimally self-scheduling under the price-taking approach. Through detailed rolling simulations for a year and different EVs' penetration scenarios at a large insular power system, this work highlights the different impact of direct and smart charging on power system scheduling and energy costs, the limitations of the price-taking approach, which is widely used in self-scheduling models, and the difference in system value and market value that smart charging adoption creates in restructured markets under the marginal pricing rule.

RÉGIMEN DE RESPONSABILIDAD DE COMPAÑÍAS DE DESCUENTO POR INTERNET: ¿PROVEEDORES INTERMEDIARIOS?

The increased use of the Internet has led to the development of new business models. One of the models that has had the fastest growing is the business of online discount service. When considering the appropriate liability regime of the manner in which they operate, the intermediary supplier entity should be implemented, which is established in article 43 of the 19.496 law. These e-commerce entities have had imprecise usage in court and scarce critical reflections in national doctrine. In this study, both the model of the dis-count companies and the distribution intermediaries' liability are analyzed, in order to determine whether both should match or should have distinctions to avoid mistakes in their application.

Strategic Treaty Shopping

Treaty shopping refers to a situation in which an individual or a company that is not eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty uses an intermediary entity that is eligible for such benefits to obtain these benefits indirectly. This paper examines treaty shopping with a game-theoretic model in a network of tax treaties. An investor can choose an investment route across national borders to minimize tax while a tax agency can choose to audit the investor to find out the route. The audit is costly but it can give additional revenue to the tax agency if it reveals that the investor chose an indirect route for tax avoidance. I analyze the equilibrium of this model, calculate tax revenue loss due to treaty shopping, and show the payoff dominance of a random audit strategy to the always-audit strategy. I also examine the structure of tax-minimizing investment routes in a real-world network of tax treaties between selected countries. While about 76 percent of tax-minimizing indirect routes pass through countries with no withholding tax, about 21 percent of tax-minimizing indirect routes pass through countries with tax treaty networks favorable to certain residence countries. Network centrality measures are introduced to assess the role of pass-through countries. To prevent treaty shopping countries may amend tax treaties with possible pass-through countries.

Law vs. Ethics

This article discusses the legal landscape of copyright (and contract, i.e., licensing), privacy, and free speech laws in the United States and assesses this landscape on a continuum, contrasting what is legal with what might be thought to be right, formed from a sense of ethical or professional responsibility. Of course, what is in the mind of one is not so in the mind of another. The purpose of this article is not to suggest what is right or wrong for all, in terms of professional responsibility or the proper ethical response, as differing positions can be articulated, if not also defended. Rather the point is to demonstrate that the present law contains numerous examples of variation. At times the law perhaps goes too far, offering the potential for infringing use of copyrighted material, imposing excessive privacy restrictions that can impact access rights to government activity or allowing speech that some might view as harmful. At other times the law may extend too far in the other direction, curtailing access and use of copyrighted content, failing to protect privacy, or to allow for robust comment. There may, however, be times when the law though far from perfect comes much closer to the mark, with the law and a sense of responsibility, professional or otherwise, more closely aligned.Further, this discussion brings into focus the intermediary entity as arbiter of access within the information landscape. Of most interest to the readership of this publication is the focus on libraries and educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities. Such intermediaries are often in the best position to facilitate access, to educate, and to make fluent its constituents with respect to knowledge: knowledge that is often protected by copyright, knowledge that is the subject of debate, knowledge that necessitates the rights of free inquiry regarding it, and knowledge that may require rights of privacy extended to a record of its access or use. The intermediary may then be in a position to alert the patron, student, et al. to the points of friction between what our laws aspire to be and what a given law is at a given moment or in a given situation.Finally, the examples provided here may also enhance discussion among teachers and students of law, ethics, and policy, presenting the position that the law is neither all-bad or all-good but offering points of conflict or contrast along such a continuum. In general, it is found that when the law does not go far enough, the opportunity for a learning encounter or so-called teaching moment is created. A response to which the intermediary may find is consistent with its goals of educating or enhancing the information experience. A characteristic of examples where the law does not go far enough is often the conflict of rights created by the law that may impact other rights such as free speech, self- responsibility, or self- restraint for the benefit of others.The first examples below are drawn from the copyright law. Again, the point here is not to say that law should be changed but to suggest that choice exists. Is it not disingenuous to in one breath decry the rights of copyright owners and call for the end of copyright law and in the next breath to hide behind it? In some examples, the law may not go far enough; it allows but does not require and the simple point is that in some circumstances a sense of professional responsibility might require more than the law does. In other examples the copyright law requires too much, challenging traditional norms of interaction with users, patrons, students, subscribers, et al. Finally the law might be just about right, promoting through passive means the goals of knowledge creation incentives, dissemination and access, and reasonable respect for the property of others.Copyright Scenario I: Allowing Infringing Patron ConductThe law does not at times encourage or support the best overall behavior. …

Intermediaries: bridges across the digital divide

The challenge of bringing developing countries into the “information society” has been traditionally framed as bridging the digital divide. Meeting this challenge has predominantly been through technical solutions aimed at providing physical access to the Internet. Yet, other aspects of the divide such as low literacy rates, gender and religious issues arguably pose bigger hurdles in getting the benefits of the Internet to the vast majority of the population of developing countries. They are seldom aware of the information available on the net and even when they are, they have difficulty using it. To facilitate access and use of the Internet by the population, an intermediary is often needed. While case studies in the literature have shown several examples of such intermediaries, the role of this entity has not been conceptually examined. In this paper, we attempt to meet this knowledge gap by conceptualizing the characteristics, types and roles of the Intermediary entity. We present a view from practice through three vignettes of intermediaries from our own studies to illustrate our conceptualizations. Based on this, we discuss some implications for practice and offer directions for research.

Secure multiparty payment with an intermediary entity

During the last years, many secure electronic payment solutions have been proposed but most of them are focused on the traditional two-party business models with a customer and just one provider. In this paper we propose a new secure multiparty payment model with an intermediary, who helps the customer to make purchases and payments with many providers simultaneously. In our secure infrastructure it is assumed that the intermediary does not need to be a trusted entity (it does not need to be a TTP). One of the most important issues of this contribution is the Intermediary-3D: we propose a simple adaptation of the 3D Secure™ payment protocol in order to maintain the 3D Secure™ working modes but offering the possibility of making multiple secure payments through an intermediary. By means of this slight adaptation, our model avoids the provider's enrolment process in a centralized system (e.g. Visa Domain) and it makes more robust and secure the multipayment scenarios, as well as, it favors its deployment in global networks like Internet.

Rethinking Civil Society: Toward Democratic Consolidation

Rethinking Civil SocietyToward Democratic Consolidation Larry Diamond (bio) In this third wave of global democratization, no phenomenon has more vividly captured the imagination of democratic scholars, observers, and activists alike than "civil society." What could be more moving than the stories of brave bands of students, writers, artists, pastors, teachers, laborers, and mothers challenging the duplicity, corruption, and brutal domination of authoritarian states? Could any sight be more awe-inspiring to democrats than the one they saw in Manila in 1986, when hundreds of thousands of organized and peaceful citizens surged into the streets to reclaim their stolen election and force Ferdinand Marcos out through nonviolent "people power"? In fact, however, the overthrow of authoritarian regimes through popularly based and massively mobilized democratic opposition has not been the norm. Most democratic transitions have been protracted and negotiated (if not largely controlled from above by the exiting authoritarians). Yet even in such negotiated and controlled transitions, the stimulus for democratization, and particularly the pressure to complete the process, have typically come from the "resurrection of civil society," the restructuring of public space, and the mobilization of all manner of independent groups and grassroots movements.1 If the renewed interest in civil society can trace its theoretical origins to Alexis de Tocqueville, it seems emotionally and spiritually indebted to Jean-Jacques Rousseau for its romanticization of "the people" as a force for collective good, rising up to assert the democratic will against a narrow and evil autocracy. Such images of popular [End Page 4] mobilization suffuse contemporary thinking about democratic change throughout Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa—and not without reason. In South Korea, Taiwan, Chile, Poland, China, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Benin (to give only a partial list), extensive mobilization of civil society was a crucial source of pressure for democratic change. Citizens pressed their challenge to autocracy not merely as individuals, but as members of student movements, churches, professional associations, women's groups, trade unions, human rights organizations, producer groups, the press, civic associations, and the like. It is now clear that to comprehend democratic change around the world, one must study civil society. Yet such study often provides a one-dimensional and dangerously misleading view. Understanding civil society's role in the construction of democracy requires more complex conceptualization and nuanced theory. The simplistic antinomy between state and civil society, locked in a zero-sum struggle, will not do. We need to specify more precisely what civil society is and is not, and to identify its wide variations in form and character. We need to comprehend not only the multiple ways it can serve democracy, but also the tensions and contradictions it generates and may encompass. We need to think about the features of civil society that are most likely to serve the development and consolidation of democracy. And, not least, we need to form a more realistic picture of the limits of civil society's potential contributions to democracy, and thus of the relative emphasis that democrats should place on building civil society among the various challenges of democratic consolidation. What Civil Society Is and Is Not Civil society is conceived here as the realm of organized social life that is voluntary, self-generating, (largely) self-supporting, autonomous from the state, and bound by a legal order or set of shared rules. It is distinct from "society" in general in that it involves citizens acting collectively in a public sphere to express their interests, passions, and ideas, exchange information, achieve mutual goals, make demands on the state, and hold state officials accountable. Civil society is an intermediary entity, standing between the private sphere and the state. Thus it excludes individual and family life, inward-looking group activity (e.g., for recreation, entertainment, or spirituality), the profit-making enterprise of individual business firms, and political efforts to take control of the state. Actors in civil society need the protection of an institutionalized legal order to guard their autonomy and freedom of action. Thus civil society not only restricts state power but legitimates state authority when that authority is based on the rule of law. When the state itself is lawless and contemptuous of individual and...