This paper presents an independent evaluation of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) carried out in 2015. IFAC was set up as an independent fiscal institution in 2011 to monitor the fiscal policy of the Irish government. Similar fiscal “watchdogs” have emerged across Europe following the crisis in the euro area. This report presents conclusions and recommendations concerning the performance o

Today, most studies of genetic variation utilise molecular markers, making it possible to detect variation at the DNA level. This has greatly facilitated studies of genetic variation in population and evolutionary genetics, systematics and transmission genetics. By studying the inheritance of molecular markers in crosses, it is possible to map the markers, i.e. to determine their genomic positions

The research within the Product-Service Systems (PSS) field aims to support manufacturing industries’ ability to provide value in terms of a service offer to its customers, simultaneously taking a more holistic approach to eco-sustainability. The industrial idea of providing customer benefits in parallel with robust products is not new, yet equipping engineers to conduct innovation and applying a

Popular Abstract in Swedish Genom att utsätta ett material för elektromagnetisk strålning med tillräckligt hög frekvens kan man "slå ut" elektroner. Denna mekanism, som förklarades av Albert Einstein redan 1905, går under namnet den fotoelektriska effekten och utnyttjas idag bl.a. i fotoemissionsexperiment. I dessa experiment analyserar man energin hos de utsända elektronerna och kan dra slutsatseThe present thesis is concerned with the theoretical study of x-ray photoemission spectra from clean and adsorbate-covered metal surfaces. The main tool is ab initio density functional (DFT) total energy calculations. The first part gives an overview of the theoretical treatment of x-ray photoemission with our present contributions highlighted, and an introduction to DFT theory and computational t

The theme of this monograph of Informing Science is a dialectic we perceive to exist between meaningful use and reflection upon use. This dialectic between use and reflection on use (or thinking, and thinking about thinking) may be considered in the following way. Each of these elements is subject to change. As reflection triggers change in use, and such change triggers further reflection, a spira

While small leucine rich proteins/proteoglycans (SLRPs) are present in very low concentrations in the extracellular matrix (ECM), they have been shown to be critical determinants of the proper ECM assembly and function in connective tissues [1] including bone [2], cornea [3], and cartilage [4]. However, their direct and indirect roles in matrix biomechanics and the potential for osteoarthritis-rel

This paper presents methodologies that could be used for characterizing subscriber telephone loops that carry DSL services (ADSL and ADSL2+), by determination and analysis of frequency response, time domain reflectometry, and impulse response of the line. From this analysis, the subscriber loop length, identification and location of impairments such as bridged taps, gauge changes, and open ended t

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Popular Abstract in Swedish Typ 2 diabetes, eller icke insulinberoende diabetes, ibland också kallad åldersdiabetes, är en sjukdom vars förekomst ökar runt om i världen. Orsakerna till att typ 2 diabetes utvecklas är fortfarande inte helt klarlagda. Vissa faktorer är dock kända för att ge ökad risk att utveckla diabetes, till exempel diabetes hos en nära släkting, övervikt, bukfetma och låg fysiskThis thesis presents a three-year prospective study on metabolic characteristics of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and the regulation of insulin sensitivity versus islet function in relation to changes in glucose tolerance. 108 non-diabetic women aged 57-58 years were randomly selected from a population of women born in 1935 with a high prevalence of IGT. At baseline and follow-up, glucose toler

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We present a method for the estimation of the distribution of the quasi-static hogging-bending moment for a floating body. Starting points of this study are temporal characteristics of the sea state. The approximation is deduced from the estimation of the joint distribution of crest amplitude and crest length. The quality of the model is investigated by comparing computed distributions with empiri