Technology

Background: Vitis vinifera L. is one of society's most important agricultural crops with a broad genetic variability. The difficulty in recognizing grapevine genotypes based on ampelographic traits and secondary metabolites prompted the development of molecular markers suitable for achieving variety genetic identification.

The intermetallic La 2 MgNi 9 has been investigated as negative electrode material for NiMH battery by means of in situ neutron powder diffraction. This hydrideforming compound exhibits suitable plateau pressures ranging within the practical electrochemical window and leads to significant reversible electrochemical capacities. Charge and discharge of the composite electrode have been performed in beam following various current rates and galvanostatic intermittent titration. From the diffraction data analysis, phase amounts and cell volumes have been extracted, allowing the interpretation of the hydride formation and decomposition. From the evolution of the diffraction line widths, differences are observed between charge and discharge with the possible formation of an intermediate γ phase on charge. The electrode readily responds to current rate variations and does not show any kinetic limitation in the range C/10 and C/5 (C/n: full capacity C in n hours). This material shows excellent properties regarding electrochemical storage of energy.

Biogas and biohydrogen are compatible gaseous biofuels that can be blended with natural gas for reticulated fuel supply to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainably grown woody biomass is emerging as a potential feedstock in the production of biofuels. Woody biomass is widely available, uses non-arable land for plantation, does not require synthetic fertilisers to grow and acts as a carbon sink. The cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of wood are renewable sources of sugars that can be used for fermentative production of gaseous biofuels. However, widespread use of wood as a gaseous biofuel feedstock is constrained due to the recalcitrant nature of wood to enzymatic hydrolysis. Pretreatment makes cellulose and hemicellulose accessible to microbial enzymes to produce fermentable sugars. Here we review wood composition, its structure and different pretreatment techniques in the context of their effects on deconstruction of wood to improve hydrolysis and fermentative gaseous fuel ...

This paper describes the analysis of L-band radiometric measurement data gathered with the synthetic aperture radiometer HUT-2D during several ground-based and airborne measurement campaigns. The radiometric data are analyzed from the instrument's performance point of view, aiming to verify the theoretical performance of an instrument of this kind and to assess the performance of the HUT-2D radiometer system in particular. The data sets considered for the study consist of measurements of well-known natural targets, such as cosmic background radiation, and measurements of pure water scenes, the brightness temperature of which is possible to model based on in situ measurements. We define four figures of merit, which are applicable for synthetic aperture radiometers. These are radiometric resolution, image bias, pixel-to-pixel random error, and temporal stability. Then, we use the selected data sets to assess these in the case of HUT-2D. The experimental results are discussed and compared to the theoretical values, where applicable. Also, we discuss possibilities to improve the presented performance. The main results of this paper are the consolidated performance parameters of the HUT-2D instrument. We study and discuss the properties of the error components related to the technology in a general level, and study the scalability of the errors as a function of the measured targets. In particular, the stability of the direction-dependent error component is pointed out, and a mitigation guideline is proposed.

We investigated the role of foetal spine position in the first and second labour stages to determine the probability of OPP detection at birth and the related obstetrical implications. We conducted an observational-longitudinal cohort study on uncomplicated cephalic single foetus pregnant women at term. We evaluated the accuracy of ultrasound in predicting occiput position at birth, influence of fetal spine in occiput position during labour, labour trend, analgesia request, type of delivery, and indication to CS. The accuracy of the foetal spinal position to predict the occiput position at birth was high at the first labour stage. At the second labour stage, CS (40.3%) and operative vaginal deliveries (23.9%) occurred more frequently in OPP than in occiput anterior position (7% and 15.2%, resp.), especially in cases of the posterior spine. In concordant posterior positions labour length was greater than other ones, and analgesia request rate was 64.1% versus 14.7% for all the others. The assessment of spinal position could be useful in obstetrical management and counselling, both before and during labour. The detection of spinal position, more than OPP, is predictive of successful delivery. In concordant posterior positions, the labour length, analgesia request, operative delivery, and caesarean section rate are higher than in the other combination.

In the paper there is presented a dynamic model of the articulated shaft. The model is used for the analysis of critical angular velocities. This model can be rewritten into a computer program to handle rotating parts of gear pumps. Using the knowledge of the custom frequencies of the rotating parts one can prevent operational malfunctions of the pumps. The problems described in the contribution will serve as a basis for the formulation of critical speed of the gear pumps within the Program for Support of Applied Research and Experimental Development ALFA TA04010579 of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. Key words: articulated shaft, critical angular speed, geer pump

V článku je prezentován dynamický model kloubového hřídele, který je využíván pro analýzu kritických úhlových rychlostí. Tento model může být přepsán do počítačového programu, pro řešení rotujících částí zubových čerpadel. Využití znalosti vlastních frekvencí rotujících částí může zabránit provozním poruchám čerpadel.
Problematika popsaná v příspěvku bude sloužit jako východisko při formulaci modelu kritických otáček zubových čerpadel v rámci Programu na podporu aplikovaného výzkumu a experimentálního vývoje ALFA TA04010579 Technologické agentury České republiky.
Klíčová slova: kloubový hřídel, kritická úhlová rychlost, zubové čerpadlo

O presente trabalho teve por objetivos avaliar a composição de rizomas do lírio-do-bejo (Hedychium coronarium) e isolar e caracterizar seu amido, por meio de análises físicas e físico-químicas. A composição química dos grânulos de amido isolados dos rizomas também foi determinada, bem como o formato, tamanho, distribuição de tamanho de partícula por difração a laser, viscosidade de pasta em analisador rápido de viscosidade, poder de inchamento, índice de solubilidade em água, propriedade térmica por calorimetria diferencial de varredura e cristalinidade por difração de raios X. Observou-se que os rizomas apresentaram elevado teor de água e baixos teores de matéria graxa, carboidratos, cinzas, proteínas e fibras. Os rizomas de lírio-do-brejo apresentam-se inadequados para produção de amido, devido ao baixo teor de matéria seca (17,3%), com 21,97% de amido, bem como fibras longas e látex, que dificultam a extração do amido. O amido extraído apresentou pureza de 99,2%, com 37,2% de ami...

Evolutionary pressure has selected antibodies as key immune molecules acting against foreign pathogens. The development of monoclonal antibody technology has allowed their widespread use in research, real-time diagnosis and treatment of multiple diseases, including cancer. However, compared with hematologic malignancies, solid tumors have often proven to be relatively resistant to antibody-based therapies. In an attempt to improve the tumor-targeting efficacy of antibodies, new formats with modified, multivalent properties have been generated. Initially, these formats imitated the structure of native IgG, creating mostly monospecific, bivalent antibodies. Recently, novel trivalent antibodies have been developed to maximize tumor targeting capabilities through enhanced biodistribution and functional affinity. We review recent advances in the engineering of multivalent antibodies and further discuss their promise as agents for in vivo diagnostics and therapy.

The paper examines the nexus among the concepts of democracy, globalisation and technology, arguably the three most interdependent notions affecting the way and speed in which global dynamics and diplomatic practises were transformed. It analyses the evolution of non-state actors' engagement in multilateral processes between the Stockholm Conference in 1972 and the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. The experience of the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) at the Rio+20 Conference is introduced as a case study to illustrate the practical application of the nexus and its impact on stakeholder engagement. The analysis recognises that the nexus offers a real opportunity to improve diplomacy means and practices and encourage further exploration into the nexus’ full potential.

Solid-phase techniques have facilitated the handling of biochemical analytes. This has stimulated the development of systems by which large sample panels can be analyzed with high levels of security and quality. We describe a sample transfer device based on the principle of vacuum filtration, which enables parallel handling of 96 samples of analytes bound to Sepharose beads. The tool was employed for strand separation of DNA samples, by attracting the beads to filter probes while passing them between the reagent solutions. The samples were analyzed using Pyrosequencing technology and proved to yield genotyping results of high quality. The presented sample preparation procedure provides an important link in the development of integrated systems for rapid genetic analysis at a low cost. In addition, the same filter could be reused extensively with very low risk for detectable cross-contamination between assays and without any reduction in processing capacity, thus further reducing the cost per analyzed sample.

The current remediation technique of heavy metal from contaminated soil-water are expensive, time consuming and environmentally destructive. Unlike organic compounds, metals cannot degrade, and therefore effective cleanup requires their immobilization to reduce or remove toxicity. In recent years, scientists and engineers have started to generate cost effective technologies that include use of microorganisms/biomass or live plants to clean polluted areas. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for cleaning up contaminated sites, which is cost effective, and has aesthetic advantages and long term applicability. It is best applied at sites with shallow contamination of organic, nutrient or metal pollutants that are amenable to one of the five applications; phytotransformation, rhizosphere bioremediation, phytostabilization, phytoextraction and rhizofiltration. The technology involves efficient use of plants to remove, detoxify or immobilize environmental contaminants in a growth matrix (soil, water or sediments) through the natural, biological, chemical or physical activities or processes of the plants. A brief review on phytoremediation of heavy metals and its effect on plants have been compiled to provide a wide applicability of phytoremediation.

A growing number of people use social networking sites to foster social relationships among each other. While the advantages of the provided services are obvious, drawbacks on a users' privacy and arising implications are often neglected. In this paper we introduce a novel attack called automated social engineering which illustrates how social networking sites can be used for social engineering. Our approach takes classical social engineering one step further by automating tasks which formerly were very time-intensive. In order to evaluate our proposed attack cycle and our prototypical implementation (ASE bot), we conducted two experiments. Within the first experiment we examine the information gathering capabilities of our bot. The second evaluation of our prototype performs a Turing test. The promising results of the evaluation highlight the possibility to efficiently and effectively perform social engineering attacks by applying automated social engineering bots.

In the present work, the current status of the hydrodynamic cavitation reactors has been reviewed discussing the bubble dynamics analysis, optimum design considerations, design correlations for cavitational intensity (in terms of collapse pressure)/cavitational yield and different successful chemical synthesis applications clearly illustrating the utility of these types of reactors. The theoretical discussion based on the modeling of the bubble dynamics equations aims at understanding the design information related to the dependency of the cavitational intensity on the operating parameters and recommendations have been made for the choice of the optimized conditions of operating parameters. The design information based on the theoretical analysis has also been supported with some experimental illustrations concentrating on the chemical synthesis applications. Assessment of the hydrodynamic cavitation reactors and comparison with the sonochemical reactors has been done by citing the different industrially important reactions (oxidation of toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, mesitylene, o-nitrotoluene, p-nitrotoluene, m-nitrotoluene, o-chlorotoluene and p-chlorotoulene, and trans-esterification reaction i.e., synthesis of bio-diesel). Some recommendations have also been made for the future work to be carried out as well as the choice of the operating conditions for realizing the dream of industrial scale applications of the cavitational reactors.

Understanding communication in collaborative design is helpful for development and selection of communication software and technology in design project. The aim of this article attempts to explore the differences between the influences of synchronous and asynchronous modes on collaborative design learning projects. Two experiment projects were conducted, and the participation record and the content of communication were collected. Both quantitative and content analysis methods used in order to indicate the attributions of different communication mode. Results of this study showed that there have differences in participation and communication pattern between the synchronous and asynchronous modes on collaborative learning project. It should be noted that this study is restricted to the size of sample and uncertain variables. The future research is obviously required.

A growing and widely held assumption is that digital communication technologies enable average citizens to participate in politics more easily, actively and directly than in traditional ways. The Internet in this framework, from blogs and video post to social media and mobile apps, breaks down barriers for political participation. The idea is that the Internet is a non-hierarchical democratic space where people can access, create and act on political information in a broader range of activities, whether as part of election campaigns, online petitions, digital activism or even revolutionary change. In this thinking, it is increasingly the individual who participates in digital politics without the involvement of a civic group or political party. Put together, this creates a more democratic scenario in which individuals exercise freedom of expression in a networked, horizontal and participatory digital network without bureaucratic, organizational or state intervention. I call this philosophy around the Internet ‘Silicon Valley Ideology’, which has proliferated along with the mass diffusion of social media technologies. The contradiction in this ideology, however, is that these institutionalized beliefs in egalitarian political participation mask the realities of structural inequalities. Silicon Valley Ideology builds on theories that challenge the folly of free markets, Internet utopianism, and egalitarian citizenship. The rise of the Internet has not only coincided with the rise of technological advancements, but it has also run parallel with the rise of neoliberal, market-based politics and economies in which individual rights are at the core of neoliberal ideology. However, class-based capitalist societies are not based on the individual but on hegemonic forces linking the market, the state and civil society. Yet part of the Silicon Valley Ideology is to keep the state’s hands off the Internet and not to intervene, censor or monitor personal Internet activities. Yet this philosophy is in conflict with any state support for full social citizenship, Internet or otherwise. Citizenship in a neoliberal age of digital politics often marginalizes the poor and working class, resulting in a digital politics gap.

There are n number of researchers who focused on the topic work-life balance strategies and its influences on the employees. Even the successful strategies had be discussed enough but not the implementations of these strategies as much as needed. I would like to focus more on the implementation of successful strategies. The clause ‘Successful’ means that the strategies which fit the organization’s requirements and satisfy the employees as well. The concept of the implementations of the strategies will be based on the theorizing “Make hay while the sun shines”. In order to implement the Work-Life Balance strategy successfully these are the different stages to be followed; Identifying the right strategies, right time to implement the strategy,beneficiary of the strategy, and evaluation of the strategy.

Coupling of localized surface plasmon resonances results in singular effects at the void space between noble metal nanoparticles. However, implementation of practical applications based on plasmon coupling calls for the high yield production of metal nanoparticle clusters (dimers, trimers, tetramers,.) with small gaps. Therefore, controlled assembly using colloid chemistry methods is an emerging and promising field. We present a brief overview over the controlled assembly of plasmonic nanoparticle clusters by colloid chemistry methods, together with a description of their plasmonic properties and some applications, with an emphasis in sensing through surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy for bio-detection purposes. We point out the important role of separation methods to obtain colloidal clusters in high yield. A special encouragement to explore assembly of anisotropic building blocks is pursued.

Los diferentes retos de la sociedad de la información y del conocimiento se han tratado de resolver por la Inspección Educativa de Andalucía a través del Sistema de información Séneca y otras aplicaciones institucionales de mensajería e intercambio de información y documentación.
Estos desafíos, y especialmente las oportunidades del sistema reseñado, dan paso al proceso de digitalización de la Inspección Educativa de Andalucía, que comienza en el curso 2003-2004, implementando progresivamente los diferentes módulos para funcionalidades generales, que forjan su arquitectura propia en el Sistema de información Séneca, y de ámbito de centros y servicios educativos para acceder a la información de estos.
El Plan General de Actuación de la Inspección Educativa de Andalucía, para el período 2019-2023, recoge este legado para, de manera estratégica, continuar impulsando el proceso de digitalización del trabajo de la Inspección Educativa, con el objetivo de agilizar y optimizar su planificación, el seguimiento de sus procesos y el control de los resultados de sus actuaciones. Una vez se desarrolle lo anterior, existirían condiciones más idóneas para implantar el enfoque de gestión basado en procesos, con el fin de responder de manera adecuada a las nuevas necesidades y realidades de los destinatarios de las actuaciones de la Inspección Educativa, al disponer de un soporte donde asentar al mismo en línea con la sociedad digital.

The different challenges of the information and knowledge society have been tried by the Educational Inspectorate of Andalusia to take advantage of the Seneca Information System and other institutional applications of messaging and exchange of information and documentation.
These challenges, and especially the opportunities of the system outlined, give way to the digitization process of the Educational Inspectorate of Andalusia, which begins in the academic year 2003-2004, progressively implementing the different modules for general functionalities, which forge its own architecture in the System of Seneca information, and the scope of the center and educational service to access their information.
The General Action Plan of the Educational Inspectorate of Andalusia, for the period 2019-2023, includes this legacy to, strategically, continue promoting the process of digitizing the work of the Educational Inspectorate, with the aim of streamlining and optimizing its planning , monitoring their processes and controlling the results of their actions. Once the above is developed, there would be more suitable conditions to implement the process-based management approach, in order to adequately respond to the new needs and realities of the recipients of the actions of the Educational Inspection, by having a support where to settle it in line with the digital society.

The low-dimensional-model-based electromagnetic imaging is an emerging member of the big family of computational imaging, by which the low-dimensional models of underlying signals are incorporated into both data acquisition systems and reconstruction algorithms for electromagnetic imaging, in order to improve the imaging performance and break the bottleneck of existing electromagnetic imaging methodologies. Over the past decade, we have witnessed profound impacts of the low-dimensional models on electromagnetic imaging. However, the low-dimensional-model-based electromagnetic imaging remains at its early stage, and many

This article explores space imagery in the music of George
Clinton and David Bowie and argues that different horizons of Black and
white terrestrial experience give rise to divergent astral imaginaries.
Analysis of song lyrics, liner notes, and statements by the artists in light
of their social contexts and the theoretical lens of Bakhtin’s grotesque
body shows that Bowie models white imaginations of evolutionary
transcendence in contrast to Clinton as provocateur of a Black
carnivalesque seeking liberation from lived inequality.

Masonry may be defined as the assemblage of building units joined with the help of cementitious material or any accepted joining material to perform required function. It has its own reputation and performs multi-functions in load bearing structures such as-supporting loads, dividing spaces, thermal and acoustic insulation, weather and fire protection etc, but it has to be provided separately in framed structures. In present scenario, there is a great demand for construction of Multi-storied residential buildings in urban area because of needful requirements. Most of such buildings are constructed using RC-framed structure. On the other hand RC-framed structures are expensive and relatively difficult to construct because of the need for formwork. Masonry has a great benefit since it does not need form work. If moderate to High strength Engineered hollow concrete blocks are available, one can think of providing reinforcement through the core of such Hollow blocks. In this project an attempt has been made to obtain the load carrying capacity of Reinforced Hollow Concrete Block Masonry through experimental investigation by considering two different percentages of steels-for this totally four number of Reinforced hollow concrete block masonry prisms (RHCBM) using 12 mm diameter bar and six number of Reinforced hollow concrete block masonry prisms (RHCBM) using 8 mm diameter bar were casted and tested. Further, an attempt has been made to compare the experimental load carrying capacity with the conventional mechanics based approach used for analyzing short columns. There was a fairly good co-relation between the analysis and experiments.

This paper examines transhuman technologies that seek to eradicate disability - primarily prostheses and implants. While most would agree that disability denies individuals the same quality of life as those deemed “abled,” this eradication ultimately relies upon secular humanist notions of the perfect human. Transhuman technologies hold obvious implications for the human body, however they also hold implications for what it means to be an acceptable body; ultimately these technologies aim to create the perfect human by eradicating the disabled Other. This paper uses these notions to question concepts of “hierarchies of life,” at which disabled individuals are most commonly moved towards the bottom, or at the very least considered nonhuman. This article seeks to provide alternative theory to the eradication of disability, which states that these individuals may not have the same mode of existence, but that their mode/s are just as valid as those lived by “abled” individuals through an examination of Braille

In recent years, the IEEE 802.16e standard, also known as mobile WiMAX, has begun to replace the existing wire-based infrastructure due to the high bandwidth, scalability, lower cost of deployment and lower maintenance requirements. In this work, we make two new contributions to this topic. First, a dynamic uplink subchannel allocation algorithm based on a Carrier to Interference Noise Ratio (CINR) value is proposed and evaluated. The proposed algorithm is then integrated with an established scheduling algorithm and the performance of this combination is evaluated within the WiMAX environment. Second, a subchannelisation mapping strategy that improves the throughput of the system by reducing the overhead for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is proposed and tested. Using an OPNET simulation, we demonstrate that our algorithm achieves better throughput and BER than the conventional algorithms used in IEEE 802.16e systems.

How was it that technology and writing came to inform each other so extensively that today there is only information? Technographies seeks to answer that question by putting the emphasis on writing as an answer to the large question of 'through what?' . Writing about technographies in history, our contributors will themselves write technographically.

This paper describes a coupling between a real NC control unit and a virtual machine and its application potentials for vocational training. First the Hardware-in-the-Loop coupling, including the setup of the machine model, the connection itself and the realized material removal process, is described. Based on that, possible application scenarios for vocational training are discussed. In addition expert opinions about the usability of the NC-VR setup and possible obstacles are presented.

Door and window openings are unavoidable components in RC masonry in-filled frames because of functional and ventilation requirements. The presence of openings in RC masonry in-filled frames reduces the lateral stiffness and strength of the wall, which modifies the actual behavior of structure. If these openings are located in the restricted zones like areas within middle two thirds of a wall panel, then the wall needs to be strengthened by providing necessary structural elements such as lintel or lintel bands (i.e., horizontal/vertical bands) around them. Lack of such strengthening techniques may cause the structure to undergo severe damage during the seismic excitations. In this paper, the change in response of RC masonry infilled frames due to the presence of lintels and lintel bands above the openings is studied. For studying the behavior of the frames, static non-linear pushover analysis using Applied Element Method (AEM) based analysis tool has been used.

Growing competition in automotive market makes it more and more necessary to reduce the development time and cost of the product development process. One of the most costly phases in the vehicle development process is the field durability test and high expenses for this phase can be attributed to the number of prototypes used and time needed for its execution. Also, multiple iterations of designing, building and testing prototypes are no longer affordable against the time and cost constraints for developing a competitive product. It became necessary to come up with innovative solutions which are cost effective and effective and at the same time which will meet the performance requirement, to sustain in growing market. A step towards frugal engineering, engineering is to replace number of subassemblies in the vehicle with a single multifunctional invention. Today, analytical tools in the form of computer simulation have been developed to such a level that they reliably predict performance. Hardware prototypes cannot be made in early design phase, however, today with the use of Computer Aided Engineering tools virtual models can be created to accurately represent physical models and to take right decisions at the right time. Design of integrated multifunctional module for Heavy commercial vehicle will replace various subsystem including Towing device mountings, Suspension mounting systems, cabinet mounting systems with single design. This dissertation work involves evaluation of various loads coming on the tow hook model during different working conditions. Based on these loadings and space available the model will be designed which will meet the structural performance criteria. The main objective of the project is to lower the weight and cost of component, and provide more robust design to customer.

Thanks to technology, culture and society are becoming more integrated to the rest of the world, generating an alternative way to develop countries, society and communities. Based on the potential idea of being all connected.

The 13th International Fab Lab meeting offers us a chance to understand the embedded implications of these ideas and question the systemic approach that fab labs propose.

Any design of Water Tanks is subjected to Dead Load + Live Load and Wind Load or Seismic Load as per IS codes of Practices. Most of the times tanks are designed for Wind Forces and not even checked for Earthquake Load assuming that the tanks will be safe under seismic forces once designed for wind forces. In this study Wind Forces and Seismic Forces acting on an Intze Type Water tank for Indian conditions are studied. The effect of wind on the elevated structures is of prime importance as Wind flows relative to the surface of ground and generates loads on the structures standing on ground. Most of the designers consider the wind effect and neglect the seismic effect on the structure. The Indian Standard Code IS 875(Part-3) 2003 and IS 1893-2000 for Wind & Seismic effect is used in this study. The Elevated Structure is designed for various Wind forces i.e. 39 m/s, 44 m/s, 47 m/s & 50 m/s and the same is cross checked with different Seismic Zones i.e. Zone-II, Zone-III, Zone-IV, & Zone-V by 'Response Spectrum Method' and the maximum governing condition from both the forces is further used for design & analysis of staging. It is found from the analysis that the Total load, Total moments and Reinforcement in staging i.e. Columns, Braces & also for Raft foundation varies for Case-1, Case-2, Case-3 & Case-4.

Current theorists on the psychology of possession highlight control as an important route in the development of feelings of ownership. In the present article, the authors hypothesized that the extent to which individuals experience control over their job and work environment is positively associated with feelings of ownership for their job and the organization. The authors used supervisory report data on work environment structure and self-reports on experienced control and psychological ownership to test for the mediating effects of experienced control in the relationship between the work environment structure and psychological ownership. The authors found that experienced control mediates the relationship between 3 sources of work environment structure-technology, autonomy, and participative decision making-and psychological ownership of the job and (to a lesser extent) the organization. The authors proposed implications of the findings and directions of further research.

The principles and recent progress in the research and development of photobiological hydrogen production are reviewed. Cyanobacteria produce hydrogen gas using nitrogenase and/or hydrogenase. Hydrogen production mediated by native hydrogenases in cyanobacteria occurs under in the dark under anaerobic conditions by degradation of intracellular glycogen. In vitro and in vivo coupling of the cyanobacterial photosynthetic system with a clostridial hydrogenase

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits to promoting development in a balanced way – economically, socially and environmentally – in all countries of the world, leaving no one behind, and paying special attention to those people who are poorest or most excluded.

While the future is impossible to predict, there are clear directions on several economic and social aspects that will influence our ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This joint UNDP-UNRISD report reviews recent trends in six areas that are fundamentally important to achieving the 2030 Agenda. These six 'mega-trends' relate to (i) poverty and inequalities, (ii) demography, (iii) environmental degradation and climate change, (iv) shocks and crises, (v) development cooperation and financing for development, and (vi) technological innovation. Some of the trends are positive, including on the reduction of absolute poverty and several technological innovations. Yet negative trends in several of the others pose a significant risk to the realization of the SDGs. The report explores this in more detail and discusses policy implications for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Accelerationism, in its Landian formulation, has always mobilised a diachronic coupling of techonomic velocity and occult methodology as its propulsive dynamo. Land's declaration that 'poetry is invasion and not expression' invites the examination of occultation at the level of poetic form and the concurrent identification of an aesthetic sensibility by which a peculiar set of technologically embedded twenty-first century literary practices might be grasped as an accelerationist poetics. Hyperstition, camouflage, ( )hole complex, cryptography, cybertextuality and algorithmic processing are indicative of an arsenal of occult formal technologies that have acquired new possibilities in the context of ubiquitous digital communication. If you rub semantics hard enough, the data begins shows through. In its reckless adherence to the modernist dictum that novelty is to be generated at all costs, accelerationist poetics privileges formal experimentation over human preservation, locking technique onto an inhuman vector of runaway automatisation that, for better or worse, charts the decline of human values as modernity hands the latter over to its machinic successor in final, fatal phase shift. This text proposes a dark celebration of twenty-first century poetics as it rides the digital death drive into terminal data night.

Full text online: https://www.urbanomic.com/document/poememenon/

Video: https://vimeo.com/139684251

Study of recorded history shows that Information Warfare (IW) has been employed by opposing nations in some form or the other. The use or inability to use IW has at times determined the success or failure in a particular operation. IW will emerge as the dominant factor in future conflicts. It can support overall government strategy, policy during peacetime, crisis, conflict and post conflict. This paper focuses on the IW concepts and capabilities of USA, Russia, China and Pakistan. This study is essential in order to carry out an appraisal of our own capability development in this field. US Information Operations Organizations IO by definition is normally broken down into offensive and defensive disciplines in order to better understand the relationship between different capabilities and their related activities. One can view the organizational structure of IO in the same manner. In the USA, most of the offensive capabilities of IO are retained and used by the Department of Defence (DOD), Department of State (DOS), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the White House. While these organizations do not control all offensive IO capabilities of the United States government, in general they tend to be responsible for the vast majority of such operations. The same, however, cannot be said of the defensive IO architecture, because these capabilities tend to be distributed out much further among the agencies. In fact it can truthfully be said that every organization is ultimately responsible for maximizing its own defensive posture whether it comes in the form of information assurance, force protection or operations security 1. Therefore the overall U.S. Government IO architecture is neither simple nor easy to understand. Relationships have evolved over a number of years, for a variety of circumstances including political, budgetary and perhaps even arbitrary reasons. Many organizations originally designed to conduct certain missions are currently being asked to change in this new era of interagency cooperation. In fact, the US IO organizational structure is still evolving. The Secretary of Defense initiated an effort to take control of the somewhat chaotic DOD IO relationships to develop in concert with other agencies a more coherent organizational architecture.