SQL Built-In Functions And Stored Procedures

Historically, enterprises were an important delivery vehicle for the administration and financing of many programmes of social protection in the economies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In most cases this was through systems mandated by the state. When the Central and East European countries (CEECs) began their reforms many expected enterprises to quickly eliminate the benefits they had provided to workers once freed from the encumbrance of state control. This volume, originally published in 1997, investigates the size of these benefits and the forces producing changes in them. Each chapter covers a specific country, exploring the scope, scale and change of benefits in the respective countries,and investigates their determinants. Surprisingly, they find only modest declines and even some increases in aggregate benefits, rather than rapid change. Change is more visible in the details. This volume examines social functions, like early retirement, in both estab

This book addresses the problem of the underrepresentation of women in politics, by examining how language use constructs and maintains inequality in political institutions. Drawing on different political genres from televised debates to parliamentary question times, and fifty interviews with politicians between 1998 and 2018, the book identifies the barriers and obstacles women face by considering how gender stereotypes constrain women's participation, and give them additional burdens. By comparing the UK House of Commons with newer institutions such as the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, it asks: how successful have newer institutions been in encouraging equal participation? What are the interactional procedures that can be thought of as making an institution more egalitarian? It also explores the workings and effects of sexism, fraternal networks, high visibility in the media, and gendered discourses, through detailed case stu

This book addresses the problem of the underrepresentation of women in politics, by examining how language use constructs and maintains inequality in political institutions. Drawing on different political genres from televised debates to parliamentary question times, and fifty interviews with politicians between 1998 and 2018, the book identifies the barriers and obstacles women face by considering how gender stereotypes constrain women's participation, and give them additional burdens. By comparing the UK House of Commons with newer institutions such as the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, it asks: how successful have newer institutions been in encouraging equal participation? What are the interactional procedures that can be thought of as making an institution more egalitarian? It also explores the workings and effects of sexism, fraternal networks, high visibility in the media, and gendered discourses, through detailed case stu

Here is an introductory text on metric spaces that is the first to be written for students who are as interested in the applications as in the theory. Knowledge of metric spaces is fundamental to understanding numerical methods (for example for solving differential equations) as well as analysis, yet most books at this level emphasise just the abstraction and theory. Dr Bryant uses applications to provide motivation and to sustain the development and discusses numerical procedures where appropriate. The reader is expected to have had some exposure to elementary analysis, but the author provides examples throughout to refresh the student's memory and to test and extend understanding. In short, this is an introductory textbook that will appeal to students of mathematics and engineering and will give them the required background for more advanced courses in both analysis and numerical analysis.

About DK Super Readers Level 4 Knights and CastlesUse your reading superpowers to learn all about medieval knights and their castles - a high-quality, fun, non-fiction reader - carefully levelled to help children progress.Knights and Castles is a beautifully designed reader all about these incredible medieval fortresses.The engaging text has been carefully levelled using Lexiles so that children are set up to succeed.A motivating introduction to using essential non-fiction reading skills.Children will love to find out about why castles were built, some of the coolest castles, and medieval people's lives in and around them both in peace and wartime.

This open access book provides new methodological and theoretical insights into temporal reference and its linguistic expression, from a cross-linguistic experimental corpus pragmatics approach. Verbal tenses, in general, and more specifically the categories of tense, grammatical and lexical aspect are treated as cohesion ties contributing to the temporal coherence of a discourse, as well as to the cognitive temporal coherence of the mental representations built in the language comprehension process. As such, it investigates the phenomenon of temporal reference at the interface between corpus linguistics, theoretical linguistics and pragmatics, experimental pragmatics, psycholinguistics, natural language processing and machine translation.

Core Topics in Thoracic Surgery provides accessible and concise coverage of the topics most often encountered in thoracic surgery practice. This handbook will guide the reader through revision of the topics covered in the FRCS(CTh) examination, and also covers more specialist topics in detail. In-depth technical sections offer guidance for difficult procedures, with useful commentaries from leading surgeons. A broad range of thoracic surgery issues are examined, with the latest evidence and information relevant to the speciality presented in a clear fashion. Combining an easy-to-use revision guide for trainees and a comprehensive reference text for cardiothoracic surgeons and recently appointed consultants, this is a one-stop guide to thoracic surgery. Authored by leading experts in the field, this resource will be invaluable to cardiothoracic surgeons, respiratory physicians and specialist nurses seeking to refresh or expand their knowledge of this field.

Complexity theory aims to understand and classify computational problems, especially decision problems, according to their inherent complexity. This book uses new techniques to expand the theory for use with counting problems. The authors present dichotomy classifications for broad classes of counting problems in the realm of P and NP. Classifications are proved for partition functions of spin systems, graph homomorphisms, constraint satisfaction problems, and Holant problems. The book assumes minimal prior knowledge of computational complexity theory, developing proof techniques as needed and gradually increasing the generality and abstraction of the theory. This volume presents the theory on the Boolean domain, and includes a thorough presentation of holographic algorithms, culminating in classifications of computational problems studied in exactly solvable models from statistical mechanics.

In 1920–1924 Jacob Wackernagel (1853–1938), Professor of Comparative Philology at the University of Basel, published two volumes of lectures on Greek, Latin and German syntax based on his 1918–1919 courses for beginning undergraduates (who would already have studied all three languages at school). Wackernagel introduces the principles of grammatical functions and cross-linguistic work, and provides a foundation for the understanding of comparative syntax. The book remained in print for many decades thanks to its lively style and well-chosen examples from classical texts. The Sanskritist Louis Renou (1896–1966), writing on Wackernagel in 1938, asserted that 'no linguist could possibly afford to ignore this book', and it remains of interest to historical linguists and scholars of classical languages today.

The correct functioning of the mammalian brain depends on the integrated activity of myriad neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Discrete areas serve discrete functions, and dispersed or distributed communities of cells serve others. Throughout, these networks of activity are under the control of neuromodulatory systems. One goal of current neuroscientific research is to elucidate the precise methods by which these systems operate, especially during normal conscious behaviours and processes. Mircea Steriade and Denis Paré describe the neuronal properties and networks that exist within and between the cortex and two important sub-cortical structures: the thalamus and amygdala. The authors explore the changes in these properties, covering topics including morphology, electrophysiology, architecture and gating; and comparing regions and systems in both normal and diseased states. Aimed at graduates and postdoctoral researchers in neuroscience.

In this book Professor Kempf gives an introduction to the theory of algebraic functions on varieties from a sheaf theoretic standpoint. By taking this view he is able to give a clean and lucid account of the subject which will be easily accessible to all newcomers to algebraic varieties, graduate students or experts from other fields alike. Anyone who goes on to study schemes will find that this book is an ideal preparatory text.

Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists is a horror fantasy comic book series set in the Pacific Northwest written by Eric Palicki and illustrated by Wendell Cavalcanti and Mark Dale, published by Scout Comics.Lucas Lewis drifts into Atlantis County, Oregon wanting nothing more than a hot meal and soft bed for the night. What he finds instead is a small town in thrall to eldritch creatures lurking in the surrounding wilderness, possibly guided by an even more sinister force. Lucas becomes determined to eradicate all of Atlantis's demons, but these monsters are not what they seem. Unfortunately for the monsters, neither is Lucas.

Uterine fibroids are very common in women of reproductive age and are mostly benign. However, they are often a cause of abnormal bleeding and, in severe cases, can cause infertility. This comprehensive guide reviews the clinical management of uterine fibroids, with a particular focus on practical surgical techniques. Engage with topics such as the anatomy of the pelvis, key theatre equipment and surgical treatments including hysteroscopic and laparoscopic techniques. Features also include debates around morcellation, and less invasive treatments such as uterine artery embolisation are also covered. An online video library of surgical procedures reinforces the practical techniques taught in the book and detailed colour images supplement the book's thorough coverage of fibroid management. This makes Modern Management of Uterine Fibroids an essential resource for practicing gynaecologists and IVF specialists, as well as students.

Monitoring Ecological Impacts provides the tools needed by professional ecologists, scientists, engineers, planners and managers to design assessment programs that can reliably monitor, detect and allow management of human impacts on the natural environment. The procedures described are well grounded in inferential logic, and the statistical models needed to analyse complex data are given. Step-by-step guidelines and flow diagrams provide the reader with clear and useable protocols, which can be applied in any region of the world and to a wide range of human impacts. In addition, real examples are used to show how the theory can be put into practice. Although the context of this book is flowing water environments, especially rivers and streams, the advice for designing assessment programs can be applied to any ecosystem.

Provides a detailed exposition of violations of international law authorized and abetted by secret memos, authorizations and orders of the Bush administration. It describes why several executive claims were in error, what illegal authorizations were given, what illegal interrogation tactics were approved, and what illegal transfers and secret detentions occurred. It offers the most thorough documentation of cases demonstrating that the President is bound by the laws of war; that decisions to detain persons, decide their status, and mistreat them are subject to judicial review during the war; and that the commander-in-chief power is subject to restraints by Congress. Special military commissions contemplated by President Bush are analyzed along with the Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan concerning their illegal structure and procedures, as well as problems created by the 2006 Military Commission Act.

Provides a detailed exposition of violations of international law authorized and abetted by secret memos, authorizations and orders of the Bush administration. It describes why several executive claims were in error, what illegal authorizations were given, what illegal interrogation tactics were approved, and what illegal transfers and secret detentions occurred. It offers the most thorough documentation of cases demonstrating that the President is bound by the laws of war; that decisions to detain persons, decide their status, and mistreat them are subject to judicial review during the war; and that the commander-in-chief power is subject to restraints by Congress. Special military commissions contemplated by President Bush are analyzed along with the Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan concerning their illegal structure and procedures, as well as problems created by the 2006 Military Commission Act.

Monitoring Ecological Impacts provides the tools needed by professional ecologists, scientists, engineers, planners and managers to design assessment programs that can reliably monitor, detect and allow management of human impacts on the natural environment. The procedures described are well grounded in inferential logic, and the statistical models needed to analyse complex data are given. Step-by-step guidelines and flow diagrams provide the reader with clear and useable protocols, which can be applied in any region of the world and to a wide range of human impacts. In addition, real examples are used to show how the theory can be put into practice. Although the context of this book is flowing water environments, especially rivers and streams, the advice for designing assessment programs can be applied to any ecosystem.

This book is a self-contained account of knowledge of the theory of nonlinear superposition operators: a generalization of the notion of functions. The theory developed here is applicable to operators in a wide variety of function spaces, and it is here that the modern theory diverges from classical nonlinear analysis. The purpose of this book is to collect the basic facts about the superposition operator, to present the main ideas which are useful in studying its properties and to provide a comparison of its behaviour in different function spaces. Some applications are also considered, for example to control theory and optimization. Much of the work here has only appeared before in research literature, which itself is catalogued in detail here.

Over the past seven decades, since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was established in 1947, there has been a phenomenal increase in international trade in goods, largely due to sustained efforts by the world's main trading nations to reduce and eliminate tariff barriers in a multilaterally orchestrated manner. This publication reviews how the procedures and practices relating to tariff negotiations and renegotiations have evolved over this time. In particular, this new edition recounts how negotiations to expand the duty-free coverage of the Information Technology Agreement were concluded and provides an account of tariff renegotiations regarding successive enlargements of the European Union. It also covers tariff negotiations for the accession of a number of new members to the WTO, such as China and Russia. This book will be of particular interest to negotiators, members of government, trade ministries, economists and academics specialized in trade policy.

The majority of empirical research in economics ignores the potential benefits of nonparametric methods, while the majority of advances in nonparametric theory ignore the problems faced in applied econometrics. This book helps bridge this gap between applied economists and theoretical nonparametric econometricians. It discusses in depth, and in terms that someone with only one year of graduate econometrics can understand, basic to advanced nonparametric methods. The analysis starts with density estimation and motivates the procedures through methods that should be familiar to the reader. It then moves on to kernel regression, estimation with discrete data, and advanced methods such as estimation with panel data and instrumental variables models. The book pays close attention to the issues that arise with programming, computing speed, and application. In each chapter, the methods discussed are applied to actual data, paying attention to presentation of results and potential pitfalls.

The majority of empirical research in economics ignores the potential benefits of nonparametric methods, while the majority of advances in nonparametric theory ignore the problems faced in applied econometrics. This book helps bridge this gap between applied economists and theoretical nonparametric econometricians. It discusses in depth, and in terms that someone with only one year of graduate econometrics can understand, basic to advanced nonparametric methods. The analysis starts with density estimation and motivates the procedures through methods that should be familiar to the reader. It then moves on to kernel regression, estimation with discrete data, and advanced methods such as estimation with panel data and instrumental variables models. The book pays close attention to the issues that arise with programming, computing speed, and application. In each chapter, the methods discussed are applied to actual data, paying attention to presentation of results and potential pitfalls.

Convex optimization problems arise frequently in many different fields. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, and shows in detail how such problems can be solved numerically with great efficiency. The book begins with the basic elements of convex sets and functions, and then describes various classes of convex optimization problems. Duality and approximation techniques are then covered, as are statistical estimation techniques. Various geometrical problems are then presented, and there is detailed discussion of unconstrained and constrained minimization problems, and interior-point methods. The focus of the book is on recognizing convex optimization problems and then finding the most appropriate technique for solving them. It contains many worked examples and homework exercises and will appeal to students, researchers and practitioners in fields such as engineering, computer science, mathematics, statistics, finance and economics.

Conventions are fundamental to the constitutional systems of parliamentary democracies. Unlike the United States which adopted a republican form of government, with a full separation of powers, codified constitutional structures and limitations for executive and legislative institutions and actors, Britain and subsequently Canada, Australia and New Zealand have relied on conventions to perform similar functions. The rise of new political actors has disrupted the stability of the two-party system, and in seeking power the new players are challenging existing practices. Conventions that govern constitutional arrangements in Britain and New Zealand, and the executive in Canada and Australia, are changing to accommodate these and other challenges of modern governance. In Westminster democracies, constitutional conventions provide the rules for forming government; they precede law and make law-making possible. This prior and more fundamental realm of government formation and law making is s

This book examines the nature and operation of social thought and language as used in everyday life, and looks at social thinking through the complex patternings and functions of discourse. It is based on extensive empirical evidence about the language of contemporary racism and nationalism, drawn from the vast corpus of the discourse of Swiss racism gathered by the author from a variety of written and spoken sources. Three principal investigations, of sociocentrism, causality and the perception of time, are used to sinuate and define the nature and working of everyday speech and reasoning. First published in English in 1990, Speech and Reasoning in Everyday Life is a major contribution to the analysis of the discourse of contemporary ideology and politics. Its theoretical contribution makes this work richly deserving of an introduction to an English-speaking audience of sociologists, social psychologists and anthropologists.

This textbook is a comprehensive introduction to the key disciplines of mathematics - linear algebra, calculus, and geometry - needed in the undergraduate physics curriculum. Its leitmotiv is that success in learning these subjects depends on a good balance between theory and practice. Reflecting this belief, mathematical foundations are explained in pedagogical depth, and computational methods are introduced from a physicist's perspective and in a timely manner. This original approach presents concepts and methods as inseparable entities, facilitating in-depth understanding and making even advanced mathematics tangible. The book guides the reader from high-school level to advanced subjects such as tensor algebra, complex functions, and differential geometry. It contains numerous worked examples, info sections providing context, biographical boxes, several detailed case studies, over 300 problems, and fully worked solutions for all odd-numbered problems. An online solutions manual for

Research on learning and cognition in geoscience education research and other discipline-based education communities suggests that effective instruction should include three key components: a) activation of students' prior knowledge on the subject, b) an active learning pedagogy that allows students to address any existing misconceptions and then build a new understanding of the concept, and c) metacognitive reflections that require students to evaluate their own learning processes during the lesson. This Element provides an overview of the research on student-centered pedagogy in introductory geoscience and paleontology courses and gives examples of these instructional approaches. Student-centered learning shifts the power and attention in a classroom from the instructor to the students. In a student-centered classroom, students are in control of their learning experience and the instructor functions primarily as a guide. Student-centered classrooms trade traditional lecture for conce

Casting is the process by which directors assign parts to actors, creating the idea of the character for the audience. Casting is how we rehearse change, as we come to see an expanded repertoire of the kinds of bodies that are selected to play the lead, the hero, and the villain. This Element focuses on the casting in productions of Shakespeare from 2017–2020 to demonstrate how casting functions affectively and cognitively to reimagine who can be what. The central argument is that directors are using casting as the central mode of meaning-making in productions of Shakespeare.

These notes treat in full detail the theory of representations of the group of automorphisms of a homogeneous tree. The unitary irreducible representations are classified in three types: a continuous series of spherical representations; two special representations; and a countable series of cuspidal representations as defined by G.I. Ol'shiankii. Several notable subgroups of the full automorphism group are also considered. The theory of spherical functions as eigenvalues of a Laplace (or Hecke) operator on the tree is used to introduce spherical representations and their restrictions to discrete subgroups. This will be an excellent companion for all researchers into harmonic analysis or representation theory.

In Monasteries and the Care of Souls in Late Antique Christianity, Paul C. Dilley explores the personal practices and group rituals through which the thoughts of monastic disciples were monitored and trained to purify the mind and help them achieve salvation. Dilley draws widely on the interdisciplinary field of cognitive studies, especially anthropology, in his analysis of key monastic 'cognitive disciplines', such as meditation on scripture, the fear of God, and prayer. In addition, various rituals distinctive to communal monasticism, including entrance procedures, the commemoration of founders, and collective repentance, are given their first extended analysis. Participants engaged in 'heart-work' on their thoughts and emotions, which were understood to reflect the community's spiritual state. This book will be of interest to scholars of early Christianity and the ancient world more generally for its detailed description of communal monastic culture and its innovative methodology.

In Monasteries and the Care of Souls in Late Antique Christianity, Paul C. Dilley explores the personal practices and group rituals through which the thoughts of monastic disciples were monitored and trained to purify the mind and help them achieve salvation. Dilley draws widely on the interdisciplinary field of cognitive studies, especially anthropology, in his analysis of key monastic 'cognitive disciplines', such as meditation on scripture, the fear of God, and prayer. In addition, various rituals distinctive to communal monasticism, including entrance procedures, the commemoration of founders, and collective repentance, are given their first extended analysis. Participants engaged in 'heart-work' on their thoughts and emotions, which were understood to reflect the community's spiritual state. This book will be of interest to scholars of early Christianity and the ancient world more generally for its detailed description of communal monastic culture and its innovative methodology.

Intrauterine insemination and ovulation induction is effective first-line treatment for infertility in many straightforward cases and is preferred by many clinicians because they are less invasive than in-vitro fertilization and its variants. This is a comprehensive account of how to set up and run a successful IUI program. The book addresses the practical aspects of treatments that will produce optimum results in terms of pregnancy outcome and safety, as well as the pharmacological and physiological reasons for their use. Chapters on how to prevent complications of ovulation induction such as multiple births and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome are included, as well as how to diagnose infertility in both sexes. Laboratory procedures for sperm preparation are described in detail. Worldwide resources for obtaining donor sperm and legal issues that surround the management of patients are included. This manual is of interest to reproductive medicine specialists, general practitioners and

This 1993 book gives a comprehensive account of both experimental and theoretical aspects of electron microprobe analysis, and is an extensively updated version of the seminal first edition, published in 1975. The design and operation of the instrument, including the electron column and both wavelength- and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometers, are covered in the first part of the book. Experimental procedures for qualitative and quantitative analysis, using both types of spectrometer, are then discussed. Matrix ('ZAF') corrections, as required for quantitative analysis, are treated in some detail from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Special considerations applying to the analysis of 'light' elements (atomic number below 10) are covered in a separate chapter. The emphasis throughout is on a sound understanding of principles and the treatment is applicable equally to the electron microprobe in its 'classical' form and to scanning electron microscopes fitted with X-ray spectr

In Aristotle's teleological view of the world, natural things come to be and are present for the sake of some function or end (for example, wings are present in birds for the sake of flying). Whereas much of recent scholarship has focused on uncovering the (meta-)physical underpinnings of Aristotle's teleology and its contrasts with his notions of chance and necessity, this book examines Aristotle's use of the theory of natural teleology in producing explanations of natural phenomena. Close analyses of Aristotle's natural treatises and his Posterior Analytics show what methods are used for the discovery of functions or ends that figure in teleological explanations, how these explanations are structured, and how well they work in making sense of phenomena. The book will be valuable for all who are interested in Aristotle's natural science, his philosophy of science, and his biology.

In Aristotle's teleological view of the world, natural things come to be and are present for the sake of some function or end (for example, wings are present in birds for the sake of flying). Whereas much of recent scholarship has focused on uncovering the (meta-)physical underpinnings of Aristotle's teleology and its contrasts with his notions of chance and necessity, this book examines Aristotle's use of the theory of natural teleology in producing explanations of natural phenomena. Close analyses of Aristotle's natural treatises and his Posterior Analytics show what methods are used for the discovery of functions or ends that figure in teleological explanations, how these explanations are structured, and how well they work in making sense of phenomena. The book will be valuable for all who are interested in Aristotle's natural science, his philosophy of science, and his biology.

How does mood affect non-verbal communication, the gazes, gestures and facial expressions which accompany dialogue? This important monograph, based on a longitudinal study of five hundred interviews with depressed patients and normal subjects, systematically examines the ways in which mental illness may affect non-verbal interaction patterns. A number of specific patterns of non-verbal behaviour are identified which relate directly to psychological state and also depend on the interaction of the participants in a dialogue. Non-verbal Communication in Depression is not only rich in much-needed empirical data, but it also offers a fresh theoretical and methodological perspective on communicative behaviour in general. Most importantly, perhaps, it represents a real advance in our understanding of the functions of various non-verbal mechanisms and thus provides the clinical psychologist and psychiatrist with an important diagnostic tool.

How does mood affect non-verbal communication, the gazes, gestures and facial expressions which accompany dialogue? This important monograph, based on a longitudinal study of five hundred interviews with depressed patients and normal subjects, systematically examines the ways in which mental illness may affect non-verbal interaction patterns. A number of specific patterns of non-verbal behaviour are identified which relate directly to psychological state and also depend on the interaction of the participants in a dialogue. Non-verbal Communication in Depression is not only rich in much-needed empirical data, but it also offers a fresh theoretical and methodological perspective on communicative behaviour in general. Most importantly, perhaps, it represents a real advance in our understanding of the functions of various non-verbal mechanisms and thus provides the clinical psychologist and psychiatrist with an important diagnostic tool.

It was through Staël's best-seller De l'Allemagne that the term 'Romanticism', coined in Germany, reached Europe and America. Around this term, Staël built a new and universal agenda: her manifesto offered Napoleon's Europe an alternative to everything he stood for. The new universe she revealed helped to bury the neo-Classical world and to shape the nineteenth century. In this important work, Dr Isbell reasserts Staël's place in history and analyses her vast agenda, which covers every Classical and Romantic divide in art, philosophy, religion, and society from 1789 to 1815. This investigation sheds light upon the two different revolutions that created modern Europe, seen here by a leader of both.

Xiaoqun Xu makes a compelling and original contribution to the study of China's modernization with this book on the rise of professional associations in Republican China in their birthplace of Shanghai, and of their political and socio-cultural milieu. This 2001 book is rich in detail about the key professional and political figures and organizations in Shanghai, filling an important gap in its social history. The professional associations were, as the author writes, 'unambiguously urban and modern in their origins and functions … representing a new breed of educated Chinese' and they pioneered a new type of relationship with the state. Xu addresses a central issue in China studies, the relationship between state and society, and proposes an alternative to the Western-derived concept of civil society. This book illuminates the complexity of modernization and nationalism in twentieth-century China, and provides a concrete case for comparative studies of professionalization and class for

International courts and tribunals now operate globally and in several world regions, playing significant roles in international law and global governance. However, these courts vary significantly in terms of their practices, procedures, and the outcomes they produce. Why do some international courts perform better than others? Which factors affect the outcome of these courts and tribunals? The Performance of International Courts and Tribunals is an interdisciplinary study featuring approaches, methods and authorship from law and political science, which proposes the concept of performance to describe the processes and outcomes of international courts. It develops a framework for evaluating and explaining performance by offering a broad comparative analysis of international courts, covering several world regions and the areas of trade, investment, the environment, human rights and criminal law, and offers interdisciplinary accounts to explain how and why international court performance

International courts and tribunals now operate globally and in several world regions, playing significant roles in international law and global governance. However, these courts vary significantly in terms of their practices, procedures, and the outcomes they produce. Why do some international courts perform better than others? Which factors affect the outcome of these courts and tribunals? The Performance of International Courts and Tribunals is an interdisciplinary study featuring approaches, methods and authorship from law and political science, which proposes the concept of performance to describe the processes and outcomes of international courts. It develops a framework for evaluating and explaining performance by offering a broad comparative analysis of international courts, covering several world regions and the areas of trade, investment, the environment, human rights and criminal law, and offers interdisciplinary accounts to explain how and why international court performance