Nature Of Issues Research Articles

Advanced bottom-up modelling for national and regional energy planning in response to climate change

This paper describes an advanced bottom-up approach for modelling the energy-environment sector to study greenhouse gas abatement. Three new features are described that give significant new capabilities to this class of models. These are endogenisation of end-use demands, which allows computation of partial equilibria in energy markets; modelling future uncertainties using multi-stage stochastic programming; and combining several bottom-up models as a multi-region model to explore issues of cooperation and burden-sharing. Each of these new features is illustrated by results taken from large-scale extended MARKAL models of Quebec and Ontario. The focus of the paper is on the nature of issues that can be addressed by this methodology, rather than on specific conclusions drawn from the discussed examples. We believe that a very promising avenue of research lies in exploring the role of multiple advanced bottom-up models in the integrated assessment of climate change.

Young Ages for Australian Rock Art

Two years ago, archaeologists dated a remote rock shelter called Jinmium in the Northern Territory of Australia at 116,000 to 176,000 years old, which would have made it by far the earliest trace of humans in Australia and its circular carvings the oldest known rock art in the world. But now the results are in from a painstaking effort to redate Jinmium, and in this week9s issue of Nature , a research team reports that Jinmium9s age is a completely unremarkable 10,000 years. The new dates are said to nail the coffin shut on the claim that humans have been in Australia two to three times longer than previously thought.

Genes put mammals in age of dinosaurs.

The long-standing view from the fossil record is that mammals first appeared 225 million years ago as small, shrewlike creatures and that only after a mass extinction 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period killed off the dinosaurs were mammals able to evolve into everything from primates to rodents to carnivores. But in this week9s issue of Nature, a pair of researchers compared genes from hundreds of vertebrate species and used the differences as a molecular clock to date when animal lineages originated. The molecules show, they say, that the modern orders of mammals go back well into the Cretaceous period, in some cases to more than 100 million years ago.

Ozone Loss, Greenhouse Gases Linked

For the first time, a single model has combined greenhouse warming and ozone depletion in a long-term simulation, and the results are sobering: Greenhouse gases and chlorofluorocarbons together may be ganging up to destroy ozone. In the wake of global controls on ozone-destroying compounds, most observers expected that the annual Antarctic ozone hole would fade, and the more modest Arctic ozone losses diminish, as atmospheric chlorine declines. But in this week9s issue of Nature , a group from NASA9s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City reports that their model indicates that during the next few decades, greenhouse gases will trigger a springtime ozone hole over the Arctic, much like the one now over the Antarctic.

Ancient Island Tools Suggest Homo erectus Was a Seafarer

Most researchers have believed that Homo erectus lacked the social and linguistic skills to pilot the deep, fast-moving waters that separate most Asian and Australian faunas, but in this week9s issue of Nature , an international team presents new dates for stone tools from the Indonesian island of Flores that confirm H. erectus 9s presence there 800,000 years ago. Although most researchers accept the new dates for the artifacts, questions linger about whether they are really tools, and researchers are sharply divided over the team9s proposition that H. erectus used rafts and may have had language. But if H. erectus did indeed arrive on Flores by boat, it would mean that their cognitive abilities would be up for reappraisal and that the species was more adaptable than is commonly believed.

Virus from 1959 sample marks early years of HIV.

In the current issue of Nature, researchers report the first solid evidence to support the theory that HIV was lurking in the human population by the 1950s: They have fished out and sequenced fragments of an early HIV-1 genome from a 1959 blood plasma sample. The results, if correct, would make this the earliest confirmed case of HIV infection. Now a comparison of the virus9s genome with that of modern HIV strains is providing information on how much the virus has evolved--information that might help researchers design drugs and vaccines. And it may hold clues to how and when HIV jumped the species barrier from monkeys or chimpanzees to humans.

Product costing continuum for managerial decisions

Develops a continuum of product costing systems (PCSs) and demonstrates its application to making managerial decisions. Explains the relevance of this structure to managerial issues including inventory control, pricing, special decisions and product design. Synthesizes various PCSs into a coherent structure and introduces new PCSs such as direct costing and super direct costing (which are different from the classic variable costing and super variable costing) systems. Explains how the continuous nature of issues facing management needs a matching continuum of an endless number of PCSs.

Is First Extrasolar Planet a Lost World?

In a paper in yesterday's issue of Nature, a respected Canadian astronomer labels the first apparent discovery of a planet orbiting a sunlike star outside our solar system a case of mistaken identity. He argues that a subtle, periodic signal in the spectrum of the star 51 Pegasi, originally attributed to the gravitational tug of a roughly Jupiter-sized planet, was actually generated by a complex sloshing on the star's surface. The researchers who made the original claim are not conceding, however.

Understanding the Nature of Issues

Understanding the Nature of Issues

Illusion Reveals Pain Locus in Brain

Washington, D.C.—A century-old illusion, in which alternating warm and cool bars on a grill produce a sensation of burning cold, has helped scientists pinpoint the part of the brain that responds to pain from extreme temperatures. The findings, presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting here and in this week's issue of Nature , also help scientists understand the phantom pain endured by many stroke and spinal cord injury victims.

Winning and Losing in Federal Sector Dispute Resolution

This paper examines the binding decisions of the Federal Service Impasses Panel. (Panel) The Panel has the authority to mediate and ultimately decide the terms of a labor agreement should the federal agencies and labor unions be unable to do so bilaterally. This paper presents descriptive data on who wins and who loses with the Federal Service Impasses Panel. Background information on the history of dispute resolution machinery in the federal government is outlined. The data was collected from a content analysis of 307 of 311 binding cases decided by the Panel from 1/79 through 7/87. The paper chronicles the types of procedures used by the Panel, the nature of issues at impasse and who wins. Also, the number and types of arguments used by the parties in support of their respective positions with the Panel are examined. A number of conclusions are drawn from the analysis. (1) The Panel uses a number of different types of dispute machinery including conventional and final offer procedures. (2) Management won almost sixty percent of all issues brought before the Panel (3) Labor and management tend to use a variety of different arguments to support their positions. (4) Neither labor nor management appeared very interested in the impact of their proposals on the general public. Future research may wish to investigate the specific reasons for management success.

Balancing the Perspective On Pac Contributions

Researchers have generally stressed the limited influence of PAC contributions on roll calls. The author contends that an important reason for the failure to confirm an impact stems from the nature of issues and PACs studied. To demonstrate the point, this research is targeted at circumstances of particular promise for PAC influence involving issues of low visibility with little competition among organized groups and featuring PACs with strong potential for centralized decision making. Results of the analysis indicate an impressive impact and imply that the potential for PAC influence on roll calls may be greater than is commonly perceived. Still open is the question of how much impact PAC contributions have in legislative roll calls generally.

Beyond the college walls.

The author outlines historical and current reasons that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and academic medicine are inherently political and are now facing expanding political exposure. She emphasizes especially the power of modern discoveries in biology; this power stems from the many practical benefits that these discoveries can bring and their economic implications, and the growing public awareness of these benefits and implications. She then discusses the political realities of the biomedical enterprise, illustrating them by describing the nature of issues surrounding (1) the NIH budget and (2) technology transfer. Discussion of the latter topic includes a detailed description of controversies about patents (which revolve around the issue of who owns and controls the distribution and use of scientific information) and several important policy issues that are raised by these controversies (e.g., should there be uniform international policies regarding intellectual property rights associated with discoveries of novel biologically expressed genes of uncertain in-vivo function, and if so, how is that achieved?). The author concludes by stating that these examples of the politics of knowledge and of the NIH are among many vital biomedical issues of American life (which she lists) that require the academic medicine community to look beyond its own walls and participate in the complex world of politics and public policy.

The Scientific State: A Theory with Hypotheses

Our purpose in this article is to advance a theory to explain changes in the governance of modern industrial states. We believe that the traditional mode of government-what we term the administrative state-is being gradually replaced by a newer mode based on science-the scientific state.' In this article we also present some hypotheses derivable from the theory which can guide research aimed at testing the theory. Science and technology change all facets of society-including the functions, organization, and procedures of government. Scholars and practitioners of public policy and administration acknowledge that science and technology have changed, and continue to change, our system of governance, the nature of issues policymakers deal with, the role of government in society, the responsibilities of the citizen, and the meaning of such central concepts as liberty, political accountability, and democracy. There is less agreement about whether these changes add up to minor modifications or major transformations in the modem industrialized state's governance. More-

1984 and beyond: Divergent Directions and Extra Depth*

It is time family therapy looked wider than the therapy session. Problems presenting also need to be viewed within a societal context. The complexity and fluid nature of issues affecting the family today needs to be recognised. To highlight this, 3 divergent areas are discussed; family structure, culture, and the nuclear threat. The myth of homogeneity is exposed and the pluralistic nature of Australian society is discussed. It is argued that family therapists have a responsibility to be aware of, and to comment on, family policy issues if the approach is to continue to develop divergent directions and extra depths.

Models for Analyzing Environmental Issues in the Classroom

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE frequent topics for discussion in the classroom at all levels of the educational system and in many disciplines, especially the sciences. Historically, however, issues have not been emphasized in the sciences (Aldrich and Kormondy 1972). The lack of this emphasis can be a disadvantage in analyzing current environmental issues in the science classroom. Much more than an understanding of the sciences and the scientific method is required to deal with these issues for a variety of ethical, social, religious, economic, political, and other factors come into play. Both students and teachers may find the interplay of many disciplines somewhat overwhelming. To help students grasp the complex nature of issues, I have developed the conceptual models presented in this article. These models are intended to help students analyze and comprehend complex environmental issues. They also provide a framework for presenting and discussing such issues in the classroom.

The nature of issues: A constructive approach to situational rhetoric

The nature of issues: A constructive approach to situational rhetoric

Labor Unions and Organizational Change: a New Frontier for OD.

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings includes abstracts of all papers and symposia presented at the annual conference, plus 6-page abridged versions of the “Best Papers” accepted for inclusion in the program (approximately 10%). Papers published in the Proceedings are abridged because presenting papers at their full length could preclude subsequent journal publication. Please contact the author(s) directly for the full papers. ArticlesLabor Unions and Organizational Change: a New Frontier for OD.Lee Dyer and Thomas A. KochanLee Dyer and Thomas A. KochanPublished Online:30 Nov 2017https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.1974.17531378AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsDownload CitationsAdd to favoritesTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail AbstractPressures to improve the "quality of work" in the U.S. are opening up a new frontier for the OD field. The field, however, seems unprepared to cross this frontier, especially where labor unions are involved. In this paper, the authors explore some of the essential differences between organizational change situations involving only one organization and those in which labor unions play a major role. These differences revolve around four basic concepts: goal incompatibility, shared power, structurally-based conflict, and the multiple objectives and concerns of union leaders. Using these concepts as a base, implications for consulting strategy in unionized situations are drawn. These include the need to: (1) learn more about the nature of issues that are salient to management and union leaders; (2) adapt an instrumental, as opposed to an affective or interpersonal, style; (3) encourage and facilitate bargaining and compromise behavior as legitimate means of conflict resolution; and (4) coordinate and integrate programs of organizational change with the more traditional collective bargaining process.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 1974, No. 1 Permissions Metrics in the past 12 months History Published online 30 November 2017 Published in print 1 August 1974 InformationCopyright of Academy of Management Journal is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.KeywordsQUALITY of work lifeINDUSTRIAL organization -- ManagementORGANIZATIONAL change -- ManagementORGANIZATIONAL behaviorLABOR unionsORGANIZATIONAL structureINTERORGANIZATIONAL relations -- ManagementINDUSTRIAL relations -- Psychological aspectsCONFLICT managementCOLLECTIVE bargainingDownload PDF

International Control of Atomic Energy

THE Atomic Energy Commission of the United Nations Organisation met for the first time on June 14. Some idea of the problems and suggestions which the Commission will have under its consideration are dealt with in the leading article in this issue ofNature (p. 817) ; while elsewhere (p. 826), Sir George Thomson discusses the views put forward some time ago at a meeting of the American Philosophical Society, when political, social and moral issues, as well as the more purely physical aspects, were dealt with. Up to the time of writing, the most noteworthy event of the Atomic Energy Commission's meeting had been the presentation by Mr. Bernard Baruch of American proposals for the control of nuclear energy. These were largely based on the report of the Lilienthal Board, the central feature of which is the division of activities in the field of nuclear research into two categories, 'dangerous', as leading to the production of atomic bombs, and 'safe', which includes work concerned with the development of peace-time applications of atomic energy. The suggested Atomic Development Authority, which would conduct research on 'dangerous' developments and provide material for the use of those concerned with academic research and civilian utilization, is accepted by Mr. Baruch, and its significance enhanced by the proposal that its decisions should not be subject to the need for a unanimous vote. The Authority should be the world's leader in all that pertains to atomic knowledge and development. The United States, he said, is prepared to yield to such an international body, step by step as successive stages of control are reached, the present national control of atomic activities which it exerts. In Great Britain, the first annual general meeting of the Atomic Scientists' Association was held on June 15, and at its conclusion it was stated that the Association regards the American proposals with much satisfaction.