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The empirical evidence of Kondratieff cycles is highly controversial. In this paper, the question is analysed how far World War I and II are responsible for this situation. It is shown that after estimating the effects of the Wars and other exogenous shocks the long-term economic development is characterized not by Kondratieff - but rather by Kuznets cycles. The long-term growth rate for the US economy seems constant, for the European economies there are significant changes in speed of the growth process. These growth phases seem to be in significant inverse correlation with the innovation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about e-policies in an information society setting in Europe, from a section of the book "Convergence and Fragmentation" is presented. It addresses the need for a human-centered approach towards the development of an information society. It discusses the National Information Infrastructure Agenda for Action program established by the U.S. government considering the vital role of the information and communication infrastructure.

The article discusses the evolution of printing and imaging technology, which led to the exploration of new design strategies for the development of publication content. It says that the industrial revolution in the latter parts of the 1700s brought about positive changes in printing, which include an improvement in the standard of living. According to the author, the digital revolution made the printed publication more necessary and relevant for people. The democratizing effect of print and the early signs of printing in Europe are also discussed.

Europe has to face new problems. Since the WWII catastrophe, it has renounced to internal wars. And, under the American umbrella, it can provide for such an ambition. It stands for the voice of Kant's vision of international relations. However, as it is protected by USA, the European position as regard to risks of war arising may seem ambiguous. If it wants to be credible, it has to give good example at its borders. But, two cases, in Caucasia and in Africa, show that it is not so. This paper aims at recalling how the ‘geographic-induced’ war pressures, during the European history, above all since 1800 (the Napoleonic wars) and even more since 1914 (the first world war) were. This first enables to look at the way the situation has essentially evolved, and secondly how that very situation can modify the verdict of the Modelski-Goldstein's theory about risks of war in the world for the coming fifty years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe the Neutrec ® process, a flue gas cleaning technique, consisting in the addition of dry Sodium Bicarbonate and active carbon in the gas flow to be treated. As this technique complies with the most stringent requirements in the new European Waste Legislation (2000/76/EC) with low cost, its development has been very high in the last ten years. Attached is a table showing the evolution of the emission limit values from 1989 up to the new Directive 2000/76/EC. With the aim to show the simplicity of this technology, reference is made to the chemical and physical principies and reactions which allow acids to be neutralized and dioxins and heavy metals present in the flow to be adsorbed. A typical Neutrec ® installation is then described and its main advantages are also explained. Finally, mention is made of techniques for recycling and purification for Sodium Salts obtained from the fume treatment. As an example the SOLVAL facility in Italy is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas multi-stage flue gas cleaning concepts were first primarily applied after the implementation of strict emission thresholds in the 17. BImSchV in Germany and in similar regulations in the Netherlands and Austria at the beginning of the nineties, which contained several selective separating stages for the individual pollutants, a trend has now been noticed, in Germany as well, towards less expensive, integrated flue gas cleaning plants processes applied to Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs) and other waste incineration technologies. Simplification of process chains normally means doing without the recycling of treated products into the economic circuit. There are a kind of mixed products generated instead which serve as packing material in old mines or, after adequate chemico-physical treatment, are used for landfill without any impact on the environment. Not only the plant components required for proper flue gas cleaning are reduced as a result thereof, but also the number of plant components for residue treatment, part of which are often rather sophisticated and expensive. The very low and stringent emission limits are met with the use of improved or new additives and control technologies. The introduction of an EC regulation comparable to the German BImSchV for the incineration of municipal solid waste, and also the increased requirements on pollutant control measures in some Asian countries, have meant that development of cost-effective flue gas cleaning solutions is mandatory. In some countries, the importance of high thermal or electrical efficiency of a waste-to-energy facility will lead to enhanced heat recovery processes in the flue gas cleaning plant as well. In this paper suitable flue gas cleaning concepts shall be presented, depending on site-specific cost limits and emission thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 7 of the book "Everyday Life: Middle Ages" is presented. It describes recreational activities during the Middle Ages in Europe, including tournaments, melees, jousts and tilting. It discusses the popularity of falcory among nobles, men and women, alike. A description of medieval fairs is presented.

Chapter 4 of the book "Everyday Life: Middle Ages" is presented. It discusses the procedure of knighthood in Europe during the Middle Ages, including the duties and responsibilities of pages and squires. It describes the ceremony of knighthood and states the vows that a knight makes during the ceremony. A discussion on the knight's clothing, armor, weapons and code of chivalry is presented.

Chapter seven of the book "Essays on the Great Depression" is presented. It compares the U.S. during the Great Depression in the 1930s with Europe in the 1980s. It considers whether the American experience of the Great Depression of the 1930s can teach anything about the issues regarding the European unemployment problem. It examines the manufacturing sector, asserting both parallels and differences between the two episodes.

Discusses the emergence of information society in Europe. Information policies of the European Union in the 1990s; Liberalization of telecommunications; Convergence between telecommunications and broadcasting.

Chapter Two of the book "Civil Society in Southeast Europe: Ethical and Philosophical Perspectives," edited by David C. Durst and Dane R. Gordon is presented. It explores the ethical implications of use and misuse of Southeast European environment. It argues that the term civil society is inappropriate unless the societal members can assume people's right to secure and healthy physical conditions where they live.

Drawing on recent European research (a thirty-two-case project inquiring into the decision processes surrounding permits for major private European development projects--Czech Republic two, England eleven, France five, Germany two, Hungary two, Italy five, Netherlands five) this article confronts the values, choices, and conduct seen as being involved in land and resource development. Viewing progressive changes in government, business, and social mores as unwillingly encouraging an operating environment of unexpected and justified license, it prompts real estate professionals to consider how the emerging imperative of sustainability will affect ethical standards and, through them, development practices. Conceiving development processes as driven by accountancy economics, (an economics primarily concerned with profit and loss and balance sheet calculation rather than wider capital considerations), it argues that these are prone to overlook many other forms of capital. Often marked by the common pursuit of cash profits, jobs, and monetary wealth. these include social, welfare, community, cultural, and various forms of resource, capital. By definition, planning is concerned with futures. By default it appears lo have become little more than a cipher for short-term political goals. Regulatory regimes, designed to protect rights and freedoms, are regularly being overridden and (national) open local government replaced by covert, elitist decision-making practices. Placing democracy and due process under threat, a form of municipal entrepreneurialism may be emerging. This shows Yiftachel's (1996) dark side of development control lo facilitate not just social engineering but private profiteering. With no one to speak for the environment. Agenda 21 sustainability and subsidiarity (the principle adopted by the European Union that decision all should be taken at the lowest possible level) seen only of interest to cities if they serve the same ends. In the face of this, it is argued, real estate professionals have a moral obligation to protect land and resources for the benefit of countless future generations. To ignore this duty may prejudice the existence of both. Thus, with current ethics in the property industry seen as a sham, a means to replace or renew them is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the wide range of cave use from our earliest ancestor to the recent past and explores the archaeology of North American caves. Topics include caves in Africa provide information on our earliest non-human, or hominid, ancestors, the australopithecines and that caves in Europe are further bringing to light some of earliest migrants out of Africa.

A literary analysis is presented for several novels by American author Henry James including "The Portrait of a Lady," "Wings of a Dove," and "The Bostonians." It examines how his self-imposed exile to Europe translates into his work, suggesting that James should be considered an international and multicultural writer influenced by both American and European culture and national identity.

A literary analysis of the book "A Tour on the Prairies" by American author Washington Irving is presented. It examines Irving's return to the U.S. after a 17 year exile in Europe, suggesting his book reflects his attempts to confront his home country and reinvent his career as a an author of western adventure fiction.

Presents an update on the implementation of the European ESPRIT project EUROPORT2 which aimed to increase awareness and confidence in parallel high performance computing for commercial and industrial applications. Description of EUROPORT2; Details on computers used in the project; Activities on the dissemination of the results of the project.

The article focuses on Muslim Albanian ruler Ali Pasha of Ioannina. It offers a historiography of Ali Pasha, along with historical context, sources, and a brief biography. It looks at his life between two social worlds of tribal, as bandit Albania and in formal Ottoman politics, as well as its representation of the convergence of the lands of Christian Europe and Muslim East.

Chapter 4 of the book "Women Write Back: Strategies of Response and the Dynamics of European Literary Culture, 1790-1805," is presented. It discusses how the biographical interest on Julie de Krüdener's connections to important people influenced the reception of her literary work. It cites how her novel "Valérie ou Lettres de Gustave de Linarà Ernest de G," was successful since readers focused more on expected celebrity revelations.

An essay is presented on an exile as a tourist in his previous home. It examines the identities that have actualized and come into conflict upon returning to visit a once familiar place. The author focuses on how the returning exiles' experiences and identities are represented in photographs and films made and kept by their family members to explore how these are used in identity construction and to gain insight into the complexity of cultural identities being created in contemporary Europe.

An essay is presented on the boundaries, nation and otherness in European films of voyage. It offers a history of the European film of voyage which reportedly includes any fiction film in which the journey, thematically and as a narrative structuring device, shapes a tale of social knowledge and self-discovery in contact with otherness set across European contexts. The author mentions the European films of voyage including "The Suspended Step of the Stork," and "Five Days, Five Nights.

An essay is presented on media and cultural diversity in Europe. It offers a history of broadcasting in Europe including BBC and focuses on Turkish migrants in Europe and their relation to media cultures. The author discusses how powerful the national imagination or the paradigm of imagined community is when it comes to thinking about audio-visual spaces.

An essay is presented on self-inflicted imperialism and the Americanizations of television in Europe. It offers a history of American and British models of broadcasting and advertising which includes the advent of the anchorman and the deregulation of the Eighties which reportedly gave a chance for American exporters to add Europe to their list of territories. The author discusses the different notions of Americanization such as popularization, commercialization, professionalization and policy.

A chapter from the book "We Europeans? Media, Representations, Identities" is presented. It explores the media and identity's relationship, particularly European identity. It highlights the various essays found within the book including Rob Kroes' essay on the current map of collective identifications and Roger Odin's essay on the processes by which the various cities attempted to build their identities inside the new context created by the construction of Europe.

Chapter Eleven of the book "The European Economy Since 1945: Coordinated Capitalism and Beyond," by Barry Eichengreen is presented. It explores the decade of the 1980s which started the emergence of Europe from deep recession triggered by intense inflationary pressures and harsh measures to contain them. It emphasizes the need for deeper economic integration which resulted to the creation of the Economic Commission, the Court of Justice, the Parliament, and the Single Market Program of 1986.

Chapter Nine of the book "The European Economy Since 1945: Coordinated Capitalism and Beyond," by Barry Eichengreen is presented. It details the decline in European economic growth in 1970s which was pushed further by the collapse of the Smithsonian Agreement and backlash against international trade due to fluctuations in exchange rate. It narrates the slowdown in productivity growth that affected the entire industrial world between the periods 1962-1973 and 1973-1982.

Chapter Four of the book "The European Economy Since 1945: Coordinated Capitalism and Beyond," by Barry Eichengreen is presented. It details the various efficiencies among European countries in driving their capital investments, new technology, and government programs. It reveals that trade and investments were the engines of the economic growth in Europe in the 1950s.

Chapter Two of the book "The European Economy Since 1945: Coordinated Capitalism and Beyond," by Barry Eichengreen is presented. It explores the facts surrounding the economic growth in Europe from 1820 to 2000 with focus on the aggregate gross domestic product (GDP). It explains the exceptional nature of the golden age that reflect the broad patterns of the poor countries in Peripheral Europe including Greece, Ireland, and Portugal.

Information about the relationship between computer games and cultural policy in Europe from a chapter of the book "Convergence and Fragmentation" is presented. It looks at historical and aesthetic reasons for why computer games are now being considered of cultural and political importance. It discusses the widespread tendency among cultural experts as well as decision-makers to value games mainly as narrative. An overview and a brief evaluation of some overlooked values offered by different computer games and practices are presented.

Information about media governance as a valuable instrument of risk discourse for media ownership concentration from a chapter of the book "Convergence and Fragmentation" is presented. It identifies a number of economic advantages deriving from the increasing interpenetration within the media sector and the growing concentration. Some facts and figures concerning leading media companies in Europe are presented.

Information about how the general tendency toward globalization has created considerable convergence in the domain of European information society, from a section of the book "Convergence and Fragmentation." It explores the overall tendencies of convergence in the spread of new information and communication technologies. The problems covered by the term divergence are discussed, including the deepening digital divide, and public fragmentation. It examines the main modifications in the different domains of social life in an information society.

Lists publications of the European Group of Public Administration in Europe. Books; Occasional papers.

The centrality of well-trained innovating doctorates to the future of the world's cultural and economical well-being cannot be underestimated. To meet with the challenge, Europe has much invested in providing unifying guidelines of common graduate studies' goals and practices. Nonetheless, a significant heterogeneity in their implementation, largely due to the difficulties in adapting and changing of existing frameworks, are evident. In addition, the interdisciplinary character of future research dictates cooperation of players hitherto isolated within current research and educational structures. As actors, we take a concrete approach of identifying the essential components of an ideal interdisciplinary graduate school, built upon ingredients of successful international examples, to set a pilot interdisciplinary graduate program. The basis of our recommended Graduate Center is the creation of common language between students and researchers from different backgrounds. It encompasses the following key ingredients: a quality-assuring international governing scientific council; a physical centre including seminar rooms and well-equipped working space for students and visiting professors; individualised flexible curriculum, motivating students, reinforced in their primary discipline, to interchange their knowledge; an international network of high-level researchers splitting workshops between their established curriculum and students' choice of seminars and an active thesis tutoring committee encompassing hosting-lab-independent specialists in related disciplines. In order to reach the critical mass of expertise needed to meet these ends, a concerted action is necessary between establishments within a coherent geographical setting (city (e.g.,), region (e.g.,) or country (e.g., Finland)). In order to assure proper financial support, we suggest that Graduate Centres will be autonomous bodies capable of attracting funding not only through their 'mother' establishments but also independently from EC, research foundations and the private sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the successful branding strategy of Fresh, a business that has grown from a small soap shop into a popular cosmetics brand favored by celebrities. Particular focus is given to the packaging design of its products. Co-founder Alina Roytberg says their line was created to functionally fit into the life of the consumer with consideration for value, quality and reason. There is a plan by Fresh to expand to Europe and the U.S. West Coast.

References for the articles published in the book "Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought & Historical Difference" are presented.

Chapter 1 of the book "Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought & Historical Difference," edited by Sherry B. Ortner, Nicholas B. Dirks and Geoff Eley is presented. It explores on the idea of Indians who represent themseleves in the history and putting aside the problems of identity that underlie in a transnational enterprise. It highlights the discussions of history concerning Europe that remained independent and became a theoretical topic of all histories.

An essay is presented on the relations between the U.S. and Western Europe. It indicates that the international relations experts believe that the change in the relations between the two countries starts in the end of the Cold war, in which the American security policies are no longer focused on Europe. It claims that the U.S. strategies for the Iraqi war is considered by the Europeans as alien, destabilizing, and potentially hurtful for their country.

The section discusses various topics published within the issue including an analysis of the preparation of public broadcasting for digital applications, the study of media regulation and policy within the framework of governance and the diverse actors involved in media governance in Europe.

Chapter 9 of the book "Media Between Culture and Commerce" is presented. It deals with the key actors influencing the media governance in Europe. Intergovernmental bodies and organisations approach media issues from different perspectives and the European Union (EU) is known for its economic and technological approach. EU is the key organisation in terms of media policy. EU policies influence the development of regulatory framework for television and electronic communications and the development of mechanisms promoting the audiovisual industry.

A chapter from the book "Myths of Europe" is presented. It discusses the reinvention of Saint Nicholas, popularly known as Santa Claus, as an attempt to subvert the commercial globalization. It explains how the reinvention move can affect the understandings about a regional legend that passed, or returned, into pan-European mythology. It details the effort of some organized groups in promoting interest in Saint Nicholas.

A chapter from the book "Myths of Europe" is presented. It provides information on several theatrical plays written in Great Britain after 1989, which focused on the myths and narratives that have come to surround the notion of a new Europe. An analysis of the three representative plays written by Peter Whelan, David Greig, and Sarah Kane is also provided. A tentative interpretation is explained about the structural homology between ancient myth-making and present-day myth-blasting.

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses various reports published within the issue including one which deals with myths in Europe, another which describes observations on the nature and scope of myth in the region, and essays which determine the ways in which myths arise and transform.

Chapter 3 of the book "Everyday Life: World War I" is presented. It mentions many of the leaders in Europe at the time of World War I. This chapter also looks at the personalities and peculiarities of these leaders. It describes the lack of leadership of Nicholas II in ruling Russia. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was the direct opposite of Nicholas II. Whereas Nicholas was shy and gentle, Wilhelm was a bully and a braggart.

Chapter 2 of the book "Sites of Exchange: European Crossroads and Faultlines" is presented. It discusses the role and significance of water and memory in European culture. It talks about varied cultural presences of the watery features of geography such as the ancient rivers of Rome, Italy and the rivers that unite Budapest, Hungary. The way sea coasts become instrumental in creating a meeting place of cultures is also explored.

Chapter 6 of the book "Irish Race in the Past and the Present," by Augustus J. Thebaud is presented. It explores the feudal system that conquered Europe wherein the manners of the people had been left unchanged with the convulsions of the modern history. It likewise highlights the struggle of the Irish people against the feudal system implemented by the Scandinavians.

Chapter 2 of the book "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783," by Alfred Thayer Mahan is presented. It explores the political and economic conditions of the European States in 1660. It also examines the naval policy in the states and the policy implemented by the King of France, Louis XIV and discusses the Anglo-Dutch war in 1665-1667.

The article focuses on stories of various individuals who had undergone a sanguinary proceeding against witchcraft in Europe including Jerome Savonarola, John Trithemius, and Henry Cornelius Agrippa. Also included are various witchcraft tales from different European countries as well as the prosecutions received by persons who are charged guilty of performing necromancy.

This article explains that the key to answering the question of how the developments in political communication in Europe cane be considered as part of a process of professionalisation rests in analyses of the changing nature of political parties. It observes that over the 20th century political parties have been transformed from parties with mass members to parties with small and declining memberships. Advances in communication technologies also played a role in the professionalisation process.

Chapter 5 of the book "Cultures Merging: A Historical and Economic Critique of Culture," by Eric L. Jones is presented. It explores the cryptical potential of a number of early institutions in Europe and on how they were able to outgrow their origins and reveal an expansible utility. It discusses the overlaps of culture and institutions by identifying the significant methods for such. The difficulty in changing culture in its formal guise and the effects of value and institution are also noted.

A chapter from the book "Cutting Edges: Postmodern Critical Essays on 18th Century Satire," edited by James E. Gill is presented. It discusses how the contradiction in physical entities is resolved within early modern Europe and how the grotesque body represented in literature lost its potency during the early modern period as official culture cut its organic connections with popular culture. It cites the role of Sterne in body-politics that recuperated the body as a site of productive excess.

Chapter 9 of the book "Everyday Life: Middle Ages" is presented. It describes town life during the Middle Ages in Europe. It discusses the formation, layout and inhabitants of towns as well as the emergence of merchant and craft guilds. The prevalence of epidemics, such as the bubonic plague, and fires during the Middle Ages is also discussed.