Wireless local area networks now offer high-speed Internet access at numerous locations in both public and private environments. Associated with this rapid growth, numerous social implications come to the fore, especially relating to practices, such as the free use and sharing of bandwidth. Using case-based comparative analysis, we examine three primary strategies involved in providing wireless...

This dissertation examines the connection between local government policy and changes in absolute rural poverty. Understanding this insufficiently studied relationship will help us to clarify theoretical questions on the role of the state, market and other factors in reducing poverty, as well as to identify effective policy responses to poverty. Absolute rural poverty varies throughout China, a...

A general conceptual framework for large-scale neocortical dynamics based on data from many laboratories is applied to a variety of experimental designs, spatial scales, and brain states. Partly distinct, but interacting local processes (e.g., neural networks) arise from functional segregation. Global processes arise from functional integration and can facilitate (top down) synchronous activity...

in recent decades, the theory of sustainable development has been introduced to several strands of science. this theory and its special view to communities (sustainable community development) as the cell of urban life, demonstrates the solution to urban problems by highlighting the meaning of city neighborhoods. in the local scale, it is essential to use a collaborative process of development, ...

We develop a qualitative theory of Markov Decision Processes (mdps) and Partially Observable mdps that can be used to model sequential decision making tasks when only qualitative information is available. Our approach is based upon an order-of-magnitude approximation of both probabilities and utilities, similar to 2-semantics. The result is a qualitative theory that has close ties with the stan...

Multiple model approaches to the control of complex dynamical systems are attractive because the local models can be simple and intuitive, and global behavior can be analyzed in terms of transitions among local operating regions. In this paper, we argue that the use of qualitative models further improves the strengths of the multiple model approach by allowing each local model to describe a lar...

We explore the impact of a growing presence of transnational organizations upon civil and political liberties. Building upon previous world-polity research we evaluate qualitative and quantitative evidence from Southeast Asia between 1978 and 2002. We extend world-polity research by statistically evaluating the hypothesized influence of transnational organizations upon civil and political life,...

The use of qualitative research in higher education has long been underutilized, specifically when examining community colleges. purpose this article is to demonstrate the need for more focusing on lives and work college faculty introduce reader Judge et al. (1997) Core Self-Evaluation Theory (CSE). describes rationale process utilizing CSE as a viable theoretical framework research. author dis...

background: the population of elderly in iran and in the world is increasing. it is predicted that the population of elderly reaches to 10 millions in iran by the year 2019. elderly more than other age groups are at risk of chronic diseases and health problems; and it affects their self-management and makes them feel disabled. since the knowledge of self-management for iranian elderly is not we...