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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

New Book – Citations Out of the Box Copyright

Citations Out of the Box Copyright by Frank G. Bennett, 2013 – PDF version of the book with a Forward by Lawrence Lessig: “This book is a coming-of-age celebration for Multilingual Zotero (MLZ), software that offers an alternative to the time-honoured practice of hand-crafting citations in legal and multilingual publishing. The long-term aim of the project is to improve the quality of… Continue Reading

Wal-Mart Pleads Guilty to Federal Environmental Crimes, Admits Civil Violations and Will Pay More Than $81 Million

DOJ News Release: “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pleaded guilty today in cases filed by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Francisco to six counts of violating the Clean Water Act by illegally handling and disposing of hazardous materials at its retail stores across the United States. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company also pleaded guilty today in… Continue Reading

Digital by Default or by Detour?’ Assessing User Centric eGovernment performance in Europe

Digital by Default or by Detour? Assessing User Centric eGovernment performance in Europe – eGovernment Benchmark 2012:  “Software is an essential tool of production in every sector of the modern economy. Enterprises of all sorts rely on it to design products, provide services, communicate with customers, and manage operations. But software contributes considerably more value to… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Coast Guard, Defense Health Care, Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Coast Guard – Clarifying the Application of Guidance for Common Operational Picture Development Would Strengthen Program, GAO-13-321, Apr 25, 2013 Defense Health Care: Department of Defense Needs a Strategic Approach to Contracting for Health Care Professionals, GAO-13-322, May 28, 2013 President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief: Drug Supply Chains Are Stronger, but More Steps Are Needed to Reduce Risks, GAO-13-483,… Continue Reading

Competitive Advantage: The Economic Impact of Properly Licensed Software

Competitive Advantage: The Economic Impact of Properly Licensed Software – Global Study Conducted for BSA by INSEAD eLab: “Public Services Online: Digital by Default or by Detour? The 2012 eGovernment benchmark provide insight in three broad areas: A demand-side citizen view of public services – based on a representative sample, of 28,000 European internet-using citizens. Three life-events are assessed: starting a business,… Continue Reading

Plants that were frozen during the “Little Ice Age” centuries ago have been observed sprouting new growth, scientists say

Via BBC: “Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions. Researchers say this back-from-the-dead  trick has implications for how ecosystems recover from the planet’s cyclic long periods of ice coverage. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They come from a group from the University of Alberta, who were exploring an area around… Continue Reading

Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy

“Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy, a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, cuts through the noise and identifies 12 technologies that could drive truly massive economic transformations and disruptions in the coming years. The report also looks at exactly how these technologies could change our world, as well… Continue Reading

Capturing the beauty and wonder of the Galapagos on Google Maps

Google Official Blog: “The Galapagos Islands are some of the most biologically unique ecosystems in the world. Explorers and scientists alike have long studied and marveled at these islands—made famous by Charles Darwin. The Ecuadorean Government, local conservation groups and scientists are working to protect the Galapagos from threats posed by invasive species, climate change… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Defense Acquisitions, Defense Infrastructure, Emergency Alerting, Export-Import Bank

Defense Acquisitions – Continued Management Attention Needed to Enhance Use and Review of DOD’s Inventory of Contracted Services, GAO-13-491, May 23, 2013 Defense Infrastructure – Navy’s Analysis of Costs and Benefits Regarding Naval Station Mayport Demonstrated Some Best Practices and Minimally Addressed Other Requirements, GAO-13-501, May 23, 2013 Emergency Alerting – Capabilities Have Improved, but… Continue Reading

Bridging the Higher Education Divide: Strengthening Community Colleges and Restoring the American Dream

Bridging the Higher Education Divide: Strengthening Community – Colleges and Restoring the American Dream. By The Century Foundation Task Force on Preventing Community Colleges from Becoming Separate and Unequal, May 23, 2013 “Education has always been a key driver in our nation’s struggle to promote social mobility and widen the circle of people who can… Continue Reading