Böcker utgivna av Nova Science Publishers Inc

In this book, the different authors attempt to deal with some of the issues raised by plucking the gaps and addressing the paucity of critical engagement by vigorously reflecting in a robust manner the burning issues that bedevil teaching practices. The chapters of this book address various topics concerning teaching practices with the goal of placing before the reader a variety of the authors experiences, perceptions and insights into teaching and learning in general. Teaching practices is an important bedrock component in initial teacher training programmes designed deliberately to capacitate future teachers with the requisite skills of teaching the learner with passion and commitment. Children as constituting the bulk of learners, are the future hope of a nation, and they need teachers who are skilsful, competent, compassionate and understand how/what it is to be a child. This book offers a variety of views, theories, beliefs, policies, experiences and suggestions that together strive to make a significant contribution to teaching practices. Among others, the authors argue that it is incumbent for universities to continuously evaluate their teaching practice programmes and models so as to keep abreast with new developments, and to also search for new ways and approaches that could improve teaching practices. It is imperative for teachers to remain active in the pursuit of scientific enquiry as a means of discovering and/or inventing new theories and methods of improving their teaching practices, so that the learners could benefit maximally. Furthermore, the various authors exchange ideas and also emphasise the necessity of first assessing the needs of a situation before venturing to a solution. Without being aware of the needs of their student teachers and the learners they teach, the lecturers may not be able to meet the demands of the teaching practice.

Over the past several decades, the share of U.S. workers holding an occupational license has grown sharply. When designed and implemented carefully, licensing can offer important health and safety protections to consumers, as well as benefits to workers. However, the current licensing regime in the United States also creates substantial costs, and often the requirements for obtaining a license are not in sync with the skills needed for the job. There is evidence that licensing requirements raise the price of goods and services, restrict employment opportunities, and make it more difficult for workers to take their skills across State lines. Too often, policymakers do not carefully weigh these costs and benefits when making decisions about whether or how to regulate a profession through licensing. In some cases, alternative forms of occupational regulation, such as State certification, may offer a better balance between consumer protections and flexibility for workers. This book outlines the growth of licensing over the past several decades, its costs and benefits, and its impacts on workers and work arrangements. The book recommends several best practices to ensure that licensing protects consumers without placing unnecessary restrictions on employment, innovation, or access to important goods and services.

In 2014, the federal government provided about $50 billion in housing assistance specifically designated for low-income households. That assistance -- which is made available both through spending programs and preferential tax treatment -- increased by about 15 percent in real (inflation-adjusted) terms between 2000 and 2003. Since that time, such assistance has remained relatively stable at about $50 billion annually (measured in 2014 dollars), with the exception of a temporary boost, mostly in 2010 and 2011, associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Congressional Budget Office report, provided in this book, discusses the ways in which the federal government provides housing assistance to low-income households, examines how that assistance has changed since 2000, and provides information about the households that receive assistance. In addition, the book assesses policy options for altering that assistance. The book also identifies the federal, state, and local government funded programs that provide rental assistance to low-income households and identifies indications of program fragmentation and overlap; assesses the extent of intergovernmental collaboration for rental assistance; and determines what is known about performance at the federal level, at selected state and local jurisdictions and for the collective performance of the levels of government providing rental assistance.

The insurance sector is a significant part of the U.S. economy (with one estimate putting it at 7 percent of GDP) and an essential asset protection tool for American families and businesses. This book details strengths and weaknesses of current insurance regulatory systems (prudential and marketplace), providing considerations for determining where and how to modernize, and offering a way forward to increase the effectiveness of insurance oversight in the United States. Insurers operating in the United States rely on reinsurers, both foreign and domestic, to support the issuance of new policies, to minimize fluctuations in loss experience, and to limit and diversify individual and portfolio risks, particularly in the case of catastrophes and natural disasters. This book also summarizes the history of reinsurance as a product and an industry, and outlines the various important functions of reinsurance. The book emphasizes that global reinsurers are vital to U.S. insurers and thus important for the general economic prosperity of the United States, including through enhanced availability and affordability of insurance.

The gross federal debt, which represents the federal government''s total outstanding debt, consists of debt held by the public and debt held in government accounts, also known as intragovernmental debt. Federal government borrowing increases for two primary reasons: (1) budget deficits and (2) investments of any federal government account surpluses in Treasury securities, as required by law. Nearly all of this debt is subject to the statutory limit. Treasury has yet to face a situation in which it was unable to pay its obligations as a result of reaching the debt limit. In the past, the debt limit has always been raised before the debt reached the limit. This book examines the possibility of the federal government reaching its statutory debt limit and not raising it, with a particular focus on government operations. First, the book explains the nature of the federal government''s debt, the processes associated with federal borrowing, and historical events that may influence prospective actions. It also includes an analysis of what could happen if the federal government may no longer issue debt, has exhausted alternative sources of cash, and, therefore, depends on incoming receipts or other sources of funds to provide any cash needed to liquidate federal obligations. A discussion of the effects that prior debt limit impasses have had on the economy is also included. Finally, this book lays out considerations for increasing the debt limit under current policy and what impact fiscal policy could have on the debt limit going forward.

Guided by the principle that all young Americans should be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to make smart decisions about their finances, this book offers recommendations for government, individual commitments to action, and best practices for improving the financial capability of the nation''s youth. The book also addresses frequently asked questions that may arise as financial institutions collaborate with schools, local and state governments, non-profits, or corporate entities to facilitate youth savings and financial education programs.

A catalyst is a material of constant composition, which accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction by providing a suitable reaction pathway with the lowest activation energy. As the activation energy is lower, more reaction products are formed in the same period of time. Most catalytic reactions encountered in hydrocarbon processing are carried out with porous catalysts to provide a sufficient surface area for the metal dispersion and the ensuing reaction. These catalysts gradually lose their catalytic activity, usually through structural changes, poisoning, or the deposit of extraneous material. A catalyst which can no longer exhibit the necessary activity and/or is specificity required by the user is referred to as a "spent catalyst". Catalysts are critical to the chemical industry and are now used in most industrial chemical processes. Along with the rapid development and wide application of catalysis technology, the amounts of different spent catalysts are increased from year to year. The physical properties of spent catalysts, as well as their composition, are generally different from those of fresh catalysts. For example, spent hydrotreating catalysts contain metal sulfides and coke, and may have additional contaminants that were not present in the fresh catalyst. Catalyst regeneration involves the processing of spent catalysts in order to make them reusable. This is done by restoring the initial properties of spent catalysts and thus restoring their efficiency through a process called regeneration of catalysts. Traditional methods of vapor-air regeneration are energy-consuming and severely limit the number of regeneration cycles. Using supercritical fluid CO2-extraction process, according to some estimates, provides a two-fold energy savings and an increasing number of regeneration cycles possible. This book gathers a series of studies describing new methods for the regeneration of heterogeneous catalysts for important industrial chemical processes. In this book we propose new extraction techniques using supercritical fluid extraction (SFC), which seems to be one of the most promising as a green reaction medium. The feasibility of using supercritical fluid СО2 extraction process was investigated in particular for spent catalyst regeneration. The low regeneration temperature of supercritical carbon dioxide eliminates the risk of thermal deterioration of the catalyst (namely the collapse of the pores), prevents the reduction of the surface area and the sintering, and allows regeneration of catalysts with an activity close to that of fresh catalysts. The results of the implementation of the supercritical fluid СО2 extraction process with respect to samples of industrial deactivated catalysts are provided. A comparison of the characteristics of the regenerated catalyst samples by traditional approaches and the SC-CO2 extraction process is carried out. The possibility of using a supercritical fluid CO2 impregnation technique in the synthesis of a palladium catalyst is also studied.

The Supreme Court in its last term by a vote of 6-3 invalidated a statute passed by Congress touching on the status of Jerusalem, affirming the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit decision in Zivotofsky v. Secretary of State that the President''s power to recognise foreign sovereigns is exclusive and trumps Congress''s authority to regulate passports. The Court''s decision in Zivotofsky v. Kerry (Zivotofsky II) represents the first time the Court has struck down a congressionally enacted law on the basis of a separation-of-powers infringement involving a matter of foreign affairs. At the same time, the Court rejected the executive branch assertion that it has exclusive authority to conduct international diplomacy, while endorsing Congress''s ample authority to influence the nation''s foreign affairs. The implications the decision will have on Congress''s foreign affairs authority will likely depend on its interpretation by lower courts, as well as the two political branches. This book briefly describes legislative efforts to modify U.S. policy with respect to Jerusalem, in particular multiple enactments of the passport provision. The book next summarises the appellate court''s opinion finding the passport measure at issue unconstitutional. Turning to the Supreme Court decision, it presents brief synopses of the petitioner''s argument, the Secretary of State''s brief in response, and briefs of amici curiae submitted by the Senate and by some Members of the House of Representatives. The book then summarises the Supreme Court decision, including concurrences and dissents. Finally, the book concludes by suggesting possible implications of the decision with respect to Congress''s authority to influence foreign affairs.

Green infrastructure reduces stormwater pollution by infiltrating, evapotranspiring, capturing, and using rainwater, and can be used to replace or augment traditional or gray stormwater infrastructure. The use of green infrastructure as a stormwater management strategy can help communities and other stakeholders effectively address some of our nation''s most pressing water quality concerns. This book is intended to provide information for communities and funders to help ensure that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded green infrastructure projects are operated and maintained to optimise long-term performance and effectively assist communities in reducing stormwater runoff and improving water quality. This book also provides research needs for coastal green infrastructure.

Windstorms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe and fast-moving thunderstorm complexes are among the most destructive and economically damaging hazards that affect the United States on an annual basis. Each year, windstorms claim lives, cause injuries, and result in billions of dollars in property damage. In recent decades, rapid development and population growth in areas at high risk of windstorm hazards have increased the Nation''s vulnerability. In 2004, as part of a Government-wide effort to counteract that trend, Congress called for the establishment a National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP), a coordinated approach to achieve major reductions in windstorm-related losses of life and property. In 2006, the SDR Windstorm Working Group delivered to Congress an initial Windstorm Impact Reduction Implementation Plan, which identified research activities needed to improve windstorm hazard mitigation and served as a guide for Federal agencies to coordinate new and existing research to fill knowledge gaps in understanding and forecasting windstorms. This book includes a new report for 2013-2014, which continues to fulfill the NSTC''s congressionally mandated responsibility to provide biennial reports on the NWIRP. Overall, it finds that the Program has successfully facilitated improvements in windstorm forecast models, warning systems, evacuation planning, structural-design technology, and community preparedness. This book discusses the Windstorm Impact Reduction Implementation Plan.

Orphan works (whose owners are difficult or impossible to identify and/or locate) and mass digitisation offer considerable opportunities for the diffusion of creativity and learning in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, in too many instances the public is deprived of the full benefit of their use, not because rightsholders and users cannot agree to terms, but because a lack of information or inefficiencies in the licensing process prevent such negotiations from occurring in the first place. As countries around the world are increasingly recognising, these obstacles to clearance are highly detrimental to a well-functioning copyright system. This book provides in-depth analyses and proposals for the separate but related issues of orphan works and mass digitisation.