text:
\section{Introduction}

The idea that our universe is an element in a vast set of universes, the multiverse, has been argued to be an interesting way to address the cosmological constant problem in the context of string theory \cite{Susskind, Bousso, Weinberg}. Of course, this scenario raises many questions. How is the vacuum of our world chosen? Through anthropic arguments \cite{Polchinski}? Through quantum cosmology arguments \cite{Holman}? Is the string landscape scenario compatible with predictability \cite{Ellis}? Do the universes of the multiverse interact \cite{Bertolami2008} (see also Ref. \cite{Linde})? Does the multiverse exhibit collective behavior \cite{Alonso2012}?
The multiverse also arises in the context of the so-called Many World Interpretation of quantum mechanics \cite{Everett} and in the eternal inflationary model \cite{Linde1986}.

Actually, it has been recently proposed that the multiverse of eternal inflation and the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics can be identified, yielding a new view on the measure and measurement problems \cite{Bousso&Susskind, Nomura}. However, it has been argued that a non-linear evolution of observables in the quantum multiverse would be an obstacle for such a description as these non-linearities are expected from quite general arguments \cite{Bertolami2013}.

In this paper we shall study the process of vacuum decay in the context of an interacting multiverse \cite{Bertolami2008, Alonso2012}. The consideration of an interacting multiverse entails a new and richer structure for the whole set of universes. The aim of this paper is to analize the influence of this enriched structure in the process of the vacuum decay of a single universe. First, we shall consider the Wheeler-De Witt equation for the wave function of the space-time. For many cases of interest the space-time is described by a homogeneous and isotropic geometry whose spatial section volumes scale as $a^3(t)$, where the scale factor $a(t)$ is a function of the cosmic time $t$ of a given multiverse. In this case the wave function of the universe, $\phi$, simplifies and it only depends on the values of the scale factor and the matter fields, i.e. $\phi = \phi(a,\vec{\varphi})$, with $\vec{\varphi} \equiv (\varphi_1(t), \varphi_2(t),\ldots)$ being a set of scalar fields. The
 se can t
 hus be considered as a field that propagates in the space spanned by the variables $\{a,\vec{\varphi}\}$.

Following the usual prescriptions of quantum mechanics, a second quantization procedure can be applied to the field $\phi(a,\vec{\varphi})$, which can be described in terms of quantum oscillators with their corresponding creation and annihilation operators. These operators would represent, in an appropriate representation, the creation and annihilation of pieces of the space-time with a given geometry. This description allows for representing the fluctuations of the space-time in terms of baby universes \cite{Strominger1990}, i.e. small particle-like portions of space-time that pop up and branch off from the parent space-time and propagate therein. Similarly, for a super-observer the field $\phi(a,\vec{\varphi})$ can be described in terms of particle-like pieces of space-time that we call universes.

The aim of this work is to examine if a supra-universal structure can influence the properties of a single causally isolated region of the space-time.

Whatever the definition of a universe is, it can be associate to some notion of causal closure, i.e. a region of the space-time manifold where all causally related events are self-contained. In other words, something that may cause or may be caused by any effect on any observed part of the universe should be included as being part of the universe. Thus, although it seems meaningless to consider \emph{external} elements of the universe, we shall see that this is not the case.

The classical and local notion of causal closure does not exclude the possibility that  non-local interactions among different regions of the space-time may determine some of the global properties of single universes. In fact, it has already been shown \cite{Alonso2012} that the interaction between two or more universes could determine the effective values of the cosmological constant of the universes. Despite that, light ray cones and local causal relations and properties within each single universe still obey the usual relations and remain causal. However, the value of a global property like its the cosmological constant can be affected by the interaction among the universes.

This cosmological picture is then completely different than the one single universe picture. Interactions and collective behaviour might then occur among the universes of the multiverse. Actually, this collective behaviour is fairly general and is at the very heart of quantum theory, which is a non-local theory and within which all the physical elements are fundamentally coupled to their environment and individual properties arise out of a result of some decoherence process. Thus, the true quantum state of the space-time must account for the states of all the universes, if they exist. The aim of this paper is to examine whether some of these collective processes may have an observable influence on the properties of our universe.

Irrespective of the consideration of a multiverse and its implications, it seems therefore interesting to analyze the influence, if any, that different distant regions of the space-time may have on the properties of the observable part of our local universe (see also Ref. \cite{Alonso-Serrano:2014dsa}) with a two-fold aim: i) to analyze whether they might help to solve some of the open questions posed by the latest Planck data \cite{Ade2014, Ijjas2013}, and ii) to look for distinguishable imprints of other universes in, for instance, the properties of the cosmic microwave brackground (CMB) spectrum \cite{Aguirre:2007an}.

This paper is organized as follows: In section II, we discuss the Hamiltonian quantum cosmology model of an interacting multiverse. In section III, we consider the bubble formation, that is, the nucleation of universes in a parent space-time and specifically address this nucleation in a setting where the universes are interacting. Finally, in section IV, we present a discussion of our results.

\section{The interacting multiverse}

Let us consider a simply connected piece of a homogeneous and isotropic space-time manifold endowed with a scalar field $\varphi$ that represents the matter content. More general topologies can also be considered by splitting the whole manifold into simply connected pieces of space-time \cite{Hawking1988}, each of which is quantum mechanically described by a wave function $\phi = \phi(a,\varphi)$ that is the solution of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation \cite{Alonso2012}
\begin{equation}\label{WDW01}
\ddot{\phi} + \frac{1}{a} \dot{\phi} - \frac{1}{a^2} \phi'' + \omega^2(a,\varphi) \phi = 0 ,
\end{equation}
where the scalar field has been rescaled according to Ref. \cite{Garay2013}, $\varphi \rightarrow \frac{2}{M_P}\sqrt{\frac{\pi}{3}} \varphi$, where $M_P$ is the Planck mass. In Eq. (\ref{WDW01}) the dots represent derivatives with respect to the scale factor and the prime denotes derivative with respect to the scalar field. The function $\omega(a,\varphi)$ contains the potential terms of the Wheeler-De Witt equation. In the case of a closed  space-time it is given by
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ01}
 \omega^2(a,\varphi) \equiv \sigma^2 (H^2 a^4 - a^2 ) ,
\end{equation}
where $\sigma \equiv \frac{3 \pi M_P^2}{2}$ and $H\equiv H(\varphi)$ is the Hubble function. The frequency $\omega$ has units of mass or, equivalently, units of the inverse of time or length. We shall consider two contributions to the Hubble function, i.e., $H^2 = H_0^2 + H_1^2$. The first one is due to the existence of a cosmological constant, $H_0^2={\Lambda_0 \over {3 M_P^2}}$, which is assumed to be very small. The second contribution is due to the potential of the scalar field, $H_1^2 = \frac{8 \pi}{3 M_P^2} V(\varphi)$.

Let us now develop a quantum field theory for the wave function $\phi$ in the curved minisuperspace spanned by $(a, \varphi)$ with a minisuperspace metric given by
\begin{equation}\label{MSM}
 G_{M N} = \left( \begin{array}{cc}
-a & 0  \\
0 & a^3 \end{array} \right) ,
\end{equation}
where $M, N$ stands for $\{a,\varphi\}$. The \emph{line} element of the minisuperspace metric is therefore
\begin{equation}\label{LE}
  d\mathfrak{s}^2 = - a d a^2 + a^3 d\varphi^2 .
\end{equation}
The scale factor, $a$, formally plays the role of the time variable  and the matter field the role of the spatial variable in the two dimensional Lorentzian minisuperspace metric (\ref{MSM})  ($a(t)$ can actually be seen as  a time reparametrization). We can now follow the usual procedure of a quantum field theory for the scalar field\footnote{Spinorial and vector fields could also been considered.} $\phi(a,\varphi)$ by considering the following action
\begin{equation}\label{S01}
 S = \int da d\varphi \, \, \mathcal{L}(\phi, \dot{\phi}, \phi') ,
\end{equation}
where the Lagrangian density is given, as usual, by
\begin{eqnarray}\label{L01}
  \mathcal{L} &=& \frac{1}{2} \sqrt{-G} \left\{ G^{M N} \partial_M \phi \partial_N \phi - \mathcal{V}(\phi)\right\} \\
   &=& \frac{1}{2} \left( - a \dot{\phi}^2 + \frac{1}{a} \phi'^2 \right) + \frac{a \, \omega^2}{2}  \phi^2 ,
\end{eqnarray}
where $G = {\rm det}(G_{M N})$. Then, the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equation \cite{Birrell1982}
\begin{equation}\label{EL01}
\frac{1}{\sqrt{-G}} \partial_M\left( \sqrt{-G} G^{M N} \partial_N \right) \phi + \frac{1}{2} \frac{\delta \mathcal{V}}{\delta \phi} = 0 ,
\end{equation}
turns out to be the Wheeler-De Witt equation, Eq. (\ref{WDW01}).

The Hamiltonian density that corresponds to the Lagrangian density, Eq. (\ref{L01}), is given by
\begin{equation}\label{H01}
 \mathcal{H} = -\frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{1}{a} P_\phi^2 + \frac{1}{a} \phi'^2 + a \omega^2 \phi^2 \right) ,
\end{equation}
where
\begin{equation}\label{MO01}
  P_\phi \equiv \frac{\delta \mathcal{L}}{\delta \dot{\phi}} = - a \dot{\phi}~,
\end{equation}
is the momentum conjugated to the field $\phi$.

We can now  pose an interaction scheme \cite{Bertolami2008, Alonso2012} among a set of $N$ universes by considering a total Hamiltonian density given by \cite{Alonso2012}
\begin{equation}\label{H02}
  \mathcal{H} = \sum_{n=1}^{N} \mathcal{H}_n^{(0)} + \mathcal{H}_n^{(i)} ,
\end{equation}
where $\mathcal{H}_n^{(0)}$ is the unperturbed Hamiltonian density of the $n$-universe, given by Eq. (\ref{H01}), and $\mathcal{H}_n^{(i)}$ is the Hamiltonian density of the interaction for the $n$-universe, that here we consider as the simple quadratic interaction between next neighbour universes,
\begin{equation}\label{H03}
 \mathcal{H}_n^{(i)} =  \frac{a \lambda^2(a)}{8} (\phi_{n+1} - \phi_n)^2 ,
\end{equation}
where $\lambda(a)$ is a coupling function that can depend on the value of the scale factor and we use periodic boundary conditions so that, $\phi_{N+1} \equiv \phi_1$.

We consider that the Hamiltonian density, Eq. (\ref{H02}), represents the evolution of a set of universes that are interacting to each other, where each internal observer do not see any interaction but only its own Hamiltonian density. We can take into account,  for the sake of simplicity, a new representation given in terms of the normal modes by means of the Fourier transformation of $\phi$ and $P_\phi$
\begin{eqnarray}
  \tilde{\phi}_k &=& \frac{1}{\sqrt{N}} \sum_{n=1}^{N} e^{-(2\pi i k n/N)} \phi_n , \\
  \tilde{P}_k &=& \frac{1}{\sqrt{N}} \sum_{n=1}^{N} e^{(2\pi i k n /N)} P_n ,
\end{eqnarray}
the Hamiltonian density, Eq. (\ref{H02}), becomes
\begin{equation}\label{H03}
  \mathcal{H} = -\frac{1}{2} \sum_{k=1}^{N}  \left( \frac{1}{a} \tilde{P}_k^2 + \frac{1}{a} \tilde{\phi}'^2_k + a \omega_k^2 \tilde{\phi}_k^2 \right) .
\end{equation}
The new quantum states oscillate now with a frequency given by
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ02}
  \omega_k^2(a,\varphi) = \omega^2(a,\varphi) +  \lambda^2(a) \sin^2\left( \frac{\pi k}{N}\right) .
\end{equation}
This is formally the typical quantum description of a collective system in terms of normal modes. These represent a collective behaviour in which the wave function can oscillate. For a single mode $k$ the oscillation of the wave function $\tilde{\phi}_k$ is given by the equation
\begin{equation}\label{WDW02}
  \ddot{\tilde{\phi}}_k + \frac{1}{a} \dot{\tilde{\phi}}_k - \frac{1}{a^2} \tilde{\phi}''_k + \omega_r^2(a,\varphi) \tilde{\phi}_k = 0 ,
\end{equation}
which is the effective Wheeler-De Witt equation of the wave function of the $k$-universe in the $\tilde{\phi}$ representation that appears as an isolated, non-interacting universe. We shall assume that, although we work in this single multiverse wave function formalism, all the results can be decomposed in terms of the previous formalism of individual universes.

The effective value of the potential term of the scalar field in the $r$-universe has been modified as a result of the interaction with other universes. Let us notice that Eq. (\ref{FRQ02}) can be written as
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ03}
\omega_k^2(a,\varphi) = \sigma^2 (\tilde{H}_{1,k}^2 a^4 + H_0^2 a^4 - a^2) ,
\end{equation}
where $H_0 = 3 \Lambda_0$ and $\tilde{H}_{1,k}^2 = \frac{8\pi}{3 M_P^2} \tilde{V}_k(\varphi, a)$, with
\begin{equation}\label{NP}
\tilde{V}_k(\varphi, a) = V(\varphi)  +  \frac{\lambda^2(a)}{4 \pi^2 a^4} \sin^2\left( \frac{\pi k}{N}\right) .
\end{equation}
Let us now analyse the influence of the last term in Eq. (\ref{NP}) in the terms of the $k$-universe. We restrict our interest to the regime where the wave function of the $k$-universe can be approximately described by the semiclassical wave funtion
\begin{equation}\label{WFSC01}
 \phi_k \approx e^{\pm \frac{i}{\hbar} S_0(a)} \Delta_k(a,\varphi) ,
\end{equation}
where $S_0$ is the action of the gravitational part alone with no interaction, that is:
\begin{equation}\label{CA01}
  S_0(a) = \sigma \int da \, a \sqrt{H_0^2 a^2 - 1} = \frac{\sigma}{3 H_0^2} ( H_0^2 a^2 - 1)^\frac{3}{2} ,
\end{equation}
where the positive and negative signs in Eq. (\ref{WFSC01}) correspond to the contracting and the expanding branches of $\phi_k$, respectively. The wave function $\Delta_k(a,\varphi)$ satisfies then, at first order in $\hbar$, the following wave equation \cite{Hartle1990}
\begin{equation}\label{SCEQ01}
  -i \hbar \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \Delta_k = \frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{1}{a} \frac{\partial^2}{\partial \varphi^2} + a \tilde{V}_k(\varphi,a) \right) \Delta_k .
\end{equation}
Let us notice that in the absence of any interaction scheme Eq. (\ref{SCEQ01}) is the Schr\"odinger equation for the scalar field $\varphi$ with a Hamiltonian given by
\begin{equation}\label{H04}
  h = \frac{1}{2} p_\varphi^2 + V(\varphi) .
\end{equation}
The field equation for the scalar field is given by
\begin{equation}\label{SF01}
  \ddot{\varphi} + 3\frac{\dot{a}}{a} \dot{\varphi} + \frac{d\tilde{V}_k}{d\varphi} = \ddot{\varphi} + 3\frac{\dot{a}}{a} \dot{\varphi} + \frac{dV}{d\varphi} = 0 ,
\end{equation}
where the dots stands for derivative with respect to the Friedmann time $t$, i.e. $\dot{\varphi} \equiv \frac{d \varphi}{d t}$. The last term in the potential $\tilde{V}_k$, given by Eq. (\ref{NP}), has no influence upon Eq. (\ref{SF01}), so the classical behaviour of the scalar field remains unaltered with respect the usual description. Quantum mechanically, however, the extra term in the potential introduces a modification in the vacuum state that has to be accounted for any vacuum decay process of the universe. This has a major influence in the process of bubble formation and in the global structure of the space-time.

\section{Bubble formation}

The quantum interactions among distant regions of the whole space-time manifold can modify the vacuum state of the matter fields. We have seen that for a chain of interacting universes, where the potential of the scalar field for a normal mode of the wave function of the universe depends on the value $r$ of the mode. Different universes may remain in different mode states and observers therein feel their universes to be filled with a scalar field whose vacuum state is different for each mode state. The universes may then suffer a process of vacuum decay between two different values of their vacua.
The key point for the vacuum decay is the existence of different local minima in the potential of the matter fields. The minimum of those local minima is called the true vacuum and the remaining are the false vacua. In the late 1970s Coleman has generalized the quantum mechanical tunnelling effect of transition from the ``false" vacuum (excited state) into the ``true" vacuum (ground state) in field theory \cite{Coleman1}. Subsequently, quantum radiative corrections were introduced \cite{Coleman2} and finally the effect of gravity was considered \cite{Coleman1980}. The issue of adopting a set of consistent boundary conditions for the decay process was examined in Ref. \cite{Mottola}. In the framework developed by Coleman and collaborators, a field in a false vacuum state can then decay to the state of true vacuum with a probability of occurrence per unit time per unit volume, $\Gamma/V$, given in the semiclassical approximation by
\begin{equation}\label{P01}
 \Gamma/V = A e^{-B/\hbar} ,
\end{equation}
where $A$ and $B$ are two quantities to be determined. The result is the materialization of a bubble of true vacuum separated by a thin wall from the surrounding false vacuum. The global  picture is then a vast space-time in the false vacuum splattered by bubbles of true vacuum that are continuously forming and expanding until they finally collide, merge and fill the whole space-time.

Let us now consider the process of vacuum decay in the context of a theory \cite{Coleman1980} with a potential $V(\varphi)$ that has two minima, $\varphi_+$ and $\varphi_-$, with  values of their vacuum energy given by $\Lambda_+ \equiv V(\varphi_+)$ and $\Lambda_- \equiv V(\varphi_-)$, respectively (see Fig. \ref{fig1}). The thin wall approximation, that is going to be applied, it is satisfied when
\begin{equation}\label{TW01}
  \Lambda_+ - \Lambda_- = \varepsilon \hspace{0.2cm}, \hspace{0.2cm} {\varepsilon\over \Lambda_{\pm}}\ll1 .
\end{equation}
Hence, a region of the space-time in the false vacuum may decay into the true vacuum by nucleating a bubble of true vacuum within the surrounding false vacuum that rapidly grows and expands when it is energetically favourable.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{figure01}
\caption{Potential in Ref. \cite{Coleman1980}.}
\label{fig1}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{figure02}
\caption{a) Global picture of the potential (C-DL like potential); b) Quartic potential. Vacuum decay can now occur between two different minima of the same mode (C-DL) or between the minima of two different modes (interacting multiverse).}
\label{fig2}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

Let us now analyse the same process in the context of the interacting multiverse described in Sect. II. For a given value of the scale factor, the extra term of the potential of the $k$-universe is a constant that depends on the value $k$ of the normal mode of a given universe. The global effective value of the potential is then given by a set of curves separated by $k$ units (see Fig. \ref{fig2}), with $k = 0, \ldots, N/2$. The global picture presents then a landscape structure with $N$ different vacua: $N-1$ false vacua states and a true vacuum state $V(\varphi_+, k=0)$. We can consider, on one hand, the vacuum decay in a universe as a consequence of the multiverse interaction. On the other hand, we can also consider a global picture of vacuum in the multiverse and study the vacuum decay into a real vacuum that corresponds to a single universe.

The vacuum decay process follows the description of Ref. \cite{Coleman1980}. However, the process of bubble formation and the global structure of a single universe is now much richer. It can be envisaged as follows: small baby universes are created from quantum fluctuations of the space-time. At small values of the scale factor (i.e. values close to the Planck scale) the fluctuations of the scalar field and the effects of the interaction among the universes are dominant, so the newborn universes are expected to remain in normal modes with a high value of $k$. In some universes, the effective value of the potential would be high enough to trigger inflation even if we assume the new limit that is suggested by the most recent Planck data \cite{Ijjas2013}. As the universe expands in the $k$-false vacuum, different processes of vacuum decay are expected to occur generating new bubbles of smaller and smaller false vacua until the bubbles are created in the true vacuum $\Lambda_{+,k
 =0}$. Ho
 wever, the process does not stop there. The quantum fluctuations of the space-time of large regions with false or true vacuum state would supply new baby universes where the process of vacuum decay and bubble formation would take place continuously in a self-contained eternal process.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{figure04}
\caption{Plateau-like potentials in the interacting multiverse. Even though the classical energy density of the plateau can be very small for a particular mode, i.e. $V_k(0) - V_k(\varphi_\pm) \ll M_P^4$, which is suggested by the most recent Planck data \cite{Ijjas2013}, the energy supplied by the quantum vacuum state could be large enough to trigger inflation in universes with a high mode state, i.e. $V_k(\varphi_\pm) - V_{k=0}(\varphi_\pm) \sim M_P^4$, for high values of $k$. A process of vacuum decay could then occur afterwards.}
\label{fig3}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\subsection{Quartic potential}

For the sake of concreteness, let us consider the scalar field with a quartic potential
\begin{equation}\label{QV}
  V(\varphi) = \frac{m^4}{4 \lambda_{\varphi}^2}  - \frac{1}{2} m^2 \varphi^2 + \frac{\lambda_{\varphi}^2}{4} \varphi^4  ,
\end{equation}
where $m$ is the mass and $\lambda_{\varphi}$ is the self-coupling of the scalar field. It has two minima located at $\varphi_\pm = \pm \frac{m}{\lambda_{\varphi}}$, both with the same value of the potential given by $V(\varphi_\pm) = 0$. Let us notice that in the case studied by Coleman and De Luccia the value of the potential at the two different minima differs by a small amount of energy $\varepsilon$, otherwise the process of vacuum decay would not be possible. In the case under consideration, this condition is not necessary because the process of vacuum decay will take place between the vacuum states of different modes that could correspond to different universes or to a single universe whose vacuums had been modified by the interaction with other universes. This is schematically represented in Fig. \ref{fig2}b. Thus, instead of having Eq. (\ref{TW01}) defining the thin wall approximation, here we have
\begin{equation}\label{TWint01}
\tilde{V}_k(\varphi_+)-\tilde{V}_{k-1}(\varphi_+)=\varepsilon_k~.
\end{equation}
That is
\begin{equation}\label{TWint02}
\varepsilon_k= {\lambda^2(a)\over 4\pi^2 a^4} \left[\sin^2\left( \frac{\pi k}{N}\right)- \sin^2\left( \frac{\pi (k-1)}{N}\right)\right]~.
\end{equation}
The probability for a vacuum decay from the mode $k$ to the mode $k-1$ is given by \cite{Coleman1980}
\begin{equation}\label{B}
B = 2\pi^2 \bar{\rho}^3 S_1-{1\over 2} \pi^2 \bar{\rho}^4 \varepsilon_k~,
\end{equation}
where $\bar{\rho}=3S_1/\varepsilon_k$ and $S_1=2\int{d\rho [\tilde{V}_0(\varphi)-\tilde{V}_0(\varphi_+)]}$. $\tilde{V}_0(\varphi)$ is a function chosen such that $\tilde{V}_0(\varphi_+)=\tilde{V}_0(\varphi_{-})$ and that
\begin{equation}\label{potential1}
{{d\tilde{V}_0}\over d\varphi}(\varphi_{\pm})=0~.
\end{equation}
Thus, $\tilde{V}_0(\varphi)=V(\varphi)$ given in Eq. (\ref{QV}). We choose $\bar{\rho}$ as the point at which $\varphi$ is the average of its two extreme values,
\begin{eqnarray}\label{phi12}
\phi_{1/2}&=&{1\over2}\left(\tilde{V}(\varphi_+, k)+\tilde{V}(\varphi_+, k-1)\right)\nonumber\\
&=&{\lambda^2(a)\over 4\pi^2 a^4} \left[\sin^2\left( \frac{\pi k}{N}\right)+ \sin^2\left( \frac{\pi (k-1)}{N}\right)\right].
\end{eqnarray}
Furhermore, $\bar{\rho}$ is assumed to be large compared to the length scale on which $\varphi$ varies significantly.
Then, it is possible to write $\varphi$ in terms of $\rho$ \cite{Coleman1980}:
\begin{eqnarray}\label{rho}
\rho-\bar{\rho}&=&\int_{\phi_{1/2}}^{\phi}{d\varphi [2 (\tilde{V}_0(\varphi)-\tilde{V}_0(\varphi_{\pm}))^2]^{-1/2}}\Leftrightarrow\nonumber\\
\Leftrightarrow \phi(\rho)&\!\!\!=\!\!\!&{m\over \lambda_{\varphi}} + \tanh\left[{{m\over 2\sqrt{2}}(\rho-\bar{\rho})+\tanh^{-1}{{\lambda_{\varphi}\over m}\phi_{1/2}}}\right]~.\nonumber \\
\end{eqnarray}
Hence, following Ref. \cite{Coleman1980} we now can evaluate $S_1$ in the thin wall approximation,
\begin{equation}\label{S}
S_1=2\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}{d\rho [\tilde{V}_0(\varphi)-\tilde{V}_0(\varphi_+)]}={2\sqrt{2}\over3}{m^3\over \lambda_{\varphi}^2}~,
\end{equation}
and consequently the probability factor $B$ for a vacuum decay from the mode $k$ to the mode $k-1$ is
\begin{equation}\label{B2}
B = {10\over3}\pi^2 {m^{12}\over\lambda_{\varphi}^8}\left({{4\pi^2 a^4}\over \lambda^2(a)}\right)^3{1\over{ \left[ \sin^2\left( \frac{\pi k}{N}\right)- \sin^2\left( \frac{\pi (k-1)}{N}\right)\right]^3}}~.
\end{equation}

It is worth noticing that  Eq. (\ref{B2}) restricts the values of coupling function $\lambda(a)$ that suppress the vacuum decay at large values of the scale factor. For instance, with a polynomial value $\lambda(a) \propto a^n$, $n$ must satisfy $n \leq 2$ in order to fulfill the condition that the vacuum decay cannot grow with the scale factor. We can thus analyze some plausible cases.

\subsubsection{Case 1: $\lambda(a) \propto a^2$}

Let us first consider the value
\begin{equation}
	\lambda^2(a) = \frac{9 \pi M_P^2}{2} \Lambda a^4 ,
\end{equation}
where the constants has been chosen for later convenience. Then, Eq. (\ref{FRQ03}) can be re-written as
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ04}
	\omega_k^2(a,\varphi) = \sigma^2 (H_{0,k}^2  a^4  - a^2) + \sigma^2 H_1^2  a^4,
\end{equation}
where $H_1 = \frac{8 \pi}{3 M_P^2} V(\varphi)$, and
\begin{equation}
	H_{0,k}^2 =  3 \Lambda_k^{\rm eff} ,
\end{equation}
with
\begin{equation}\label{EFFL}
	\Lambda_k^{\rm eff} =  \Lambda_0 +  \Lambda \sin^2\frac{\pi k}{N} .
\end{equation}
Thus, Eq. (\ref{WDW02}) would represent the quantum state of a universe with an effective value of the cosmological constant of the background space-time given by Eq. (\ref{EFFL}). For a positive value of $\Lambda$,  $\Lambda^{\rm eff}_k \in [\Lambda_0, \Lambda_0 + \Lambda]$. If we assume a small value of $\Lambda_0$ (included the value $\Lambda_0=0$) and a value $\Lambda \sim M_P^4$, then, at the onset of the universe where it is supposed to remain at a large value for the $r$ mode, the effective value of the cosmological constant would be large enough to trigger inflation. Afterwards, as the universe decays into lower modes, the effective value of the cosmological constant would be getting smaller and smaller until it would reach the value $\Lambda_0$ that would be the currently observed value of the cosmological constant.

Another way to obtain a small effective value of the cosmological constant is to suppose a negative value for $\Lambda$. Then, $\Lambda^{\rm eff}_k \in [0, \Lambda_0]$ provided that $\Lambda$ is of the same order of $\Lambda_0$. However, it implies a strong fine tuning and it would mean that our universe is now in a state with a high value $r$ of the mode. This does not seems to be consistent.

\subsubsection{Case 2: $\lambda(a) \propto a$}

Let us now consider the coupling function
\begin{equation}
	\lambda^2(a) = - \frac{3 \pi M_P^2}{2} \alpha^2 a^2~,
\end{equation}
where $\alpha$ is a constant parameter. Now
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ05}
	\omega_k^2(a,\varphi) = \sigma^2 (H_{0}^2 a^4  - \alpha_k^2 a^2) + \sigma^2 H_1^2 a^4,
\end{equation}
with
\begin{equation}
	\alpha_k^2 = 1 + \alpha^2 \sin^2\frac{\pi k}{N} .
\end{equation}
Because the factor $\alpha_k^2$ in Eq. (\ref{FRQ05}), Eq. (\ref{WDW02}) with Eq. (\ref{FRQ05}) would not actually represent the quantum state of a closed universe. However, we can perform a scale factor transformation
\begin{equation}
	\tilde{a}_k = \sqrt{\alpha_k} a ,
\end{equation}
in terms of which Eq. (\ref{WDW02}) turns out to be
\begin{equation}\label{WDW03}
	\ddot{\tilde{\phi}}_k + \frac{1}{\tilde{a}_k} \dot{\tilde{\phi}}_k - \frac{1}{\tilde{a}_k^2} \tilde{\phi}''_k + \omega_k^2(\tilde{a}_k,\varphi) \tilde{\phi}_k = 0 ,
\end{equation}
where now the dots stand for the derivative with respect to the transformed scale factor $\tilde{a}_k$, and
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ06}
	\omega_k^2(\tilde{a}_k,\varphi) = \sigma^2 (\tilde{H}_{0,k}^2 \tilde{a}_k^4  -  \tilde{a}_k^2) + \sigma^2 \tilde{H}_{1}^2 \tilde{a}_k^4,
\end{equation}
with
\begin{equation}
	\tilde{H}_{0,k}^2 = \frac{H_0^2}{\alpha_k^2} = 3 \frac{\Lambda_0}{(1+\alpha^2 \sin^2\frac{\pi k }{N})^2} = 3 \Lambda^{\rm eff}_k .
\end{equation}
Eq. (\ref{WDW02}) with Eq. (\ref{FRQ06}) does actually represent the quantum state of a closed universe with an effective value of the cosmological constant given by $\Lambda_k^{\rm eff}$.

For a value $-1 < \alpha^2 < 0$, the effective value of the cosmological constant satisfies, \mbox{$\Lambda_k^{\rm eff} \in [ \Lambda_0, \frac{\Lambda_0}{(1- |\alpha^2|)^2}] \rightarrow [\Lambda_0, \infty]$}, for  $|\alpha^2| \rightarrow 1$. It would imply that for large values of the mode $k$, at the onset of the universe, the effective value of the cosmological constant would be large enough to trigger inflation. However, as the state of the universe is decaying the effective value of the cosmological constant is decreasing. The current state of the universe would then correspond to a very small value of the mode~$k$.

\subsubsection{Case 3: constant value of $\lambda(a) \propto \sqrt{E_0}$}

In this case, Eq. (\ref{WDW02}) would represent the quantum state of a universe for which
\begin{equation}\label{FRQ07}
	\omega_k^2(a,\varphi) = \sigma^2 (H_{0}^2 a^4  -  a^2 + E_k) + \sigma^2 H_1^2 a^4,
\end{equation}
with
\begin{equation}
	E_k= E_0 \sin^2\frac{\pi k}{N} .
\end{equation}
Eq. (\ref{FRQ07}) is the frequency that arises in the third quantized model of a universe filled with a minimally coupled scalar field with mass $m$, like the field $\varphi$ considered in this paper, and another massless scalar field which is conformally coupled to the background space-time (see Refs. \cite{RP2013a, Gott&Li}). The conformally coupled masses scalar field can effectively mimic a radiation like field with an energy given by $E_k$ \cite{HH,OB&Mourao}. Therefore, the result of the interaction between universes would imply in the present case the appearance of a radiation like content of the universe that would be of order $E_0$ for large values of the mode $k$, and it would be decaying to the value $E_k \approx 0$ for small values of the mode ($E_k= 0$ for $k=0$). This effective content would imply the existence of a pre-inflationary stage of the universe that should have observable effects in the power spectrum of the CMB.

Let us us consider the flat branch of a De Sitter (or quasi-De Sitter, i.e. $\dot{H} \approx 0$) space-time. Then Eq. (\ref{FRQ07}) simplifies as,

\begin{equation}
 \omega_k^2(a,\varphi) = \sigma^2 (H^2 a^4  + E_k) ,
\end{equation}
with $H = 3 \Lambda$. The Friedmann equation turns out to be then
\begin{equation}
\dot{a} = \frac{\omega(a)}{a} = \frac{\sigma}{a} \sqrt{H^2 a^4 + E_k} ,
\end{equation}
with solutions given by
\begin{equation}\label{sf03}
a(t) = a_0 \sinh^\frac{1}{2} \theta ,
\end{equation}
where $\theta = 2 H\sigma t + \theta_0$, with $\theta_0 $ some constant to fit with the boundary conditions. At late times, the scale factor (\ref{sf03}) grows in an exponential way approaching to an exact De Sitter expansion. However, at the earliest epoch it shows a deviation from deSitter evolution that would have a strong influence in the lowest modes of the CMB power spectrum \cite{Bouhmadi2011, Scardigli2011, Bouhmadi2013}.

In Refs. \cite{Bouhmadi2013}, it is analyzed the effects that a preinflationary phase dominated by an energy density inspired by the generalized Chaplygin gas \cite{Bento2002} (see also Ref. \cite{OB-Duvvuri})
\begin{equation}\label{nfdw}
\rho = \left( \frac{B_1}{a^{\beta_1 (1+\alpha_1)}} + A_1 \right)^\frac{1}{1+\alpha_1}
\end{equation}
has in the power spectrum of the CMB. Let us notice that Eq. (\ref{nfdw}) can reproduce a radiation dominated preinflationary stage of the universe, like the one studied in this paper, with a suitable choice of parameters: $\alpha_1 = 0$, $\beta_1 = 4$, $A_1 = \sigma^2 H^2$, and $B_1 = \sigma^2 E_k$. Then, the same procedure used in Ref. \cite{Bouhmadi2011} can be applied here. The results (see also Ref. \cite{Scardigli2011}) indicate that a radiation dominated preinflationary stage of the universe may alleviate the quadrupole anomaly of the CMB in a better way than ia matter dominated preinflationary stage. However, it is concluded that a greater departure from De Sitter space-time is needed during the preinflationary stage in order to better fit with the observational data.

\subsubsection{Case 4: Value of $\lambda(a) \propto a^{-1}$}

Let us now analyze the case where $\lambda(a) \propto \frac{1}{a}$. This case is particularly interesting  for at least two reasons: i) it shows also a preinflationary stage whose effects on the power spectrum of the CMB are expected to be stronger that those caused by a radiation dominated preinflationary stage \cite{RP2015}, and ii) the quantum effect of the interacting multiverse have no classical analogue so it can be considered  a distinguishable imprint of the multiverse on the cosmic observational data.

Let us first point out that a term proportional to $a^{-2}$ in the frequency in Eq. (\ref{FRQ01}) arises also in the decomposition in partial waves of the wave function of a De Sitter space-time \cite{Garay2013}. Such a decomposition is equivalent to the interacting scheme presented here with a coupling function given by $\lambda(a) \propto a^{-1}$. It is therefore a pure quantum effect having no classical analogue. In both cases, it implies the appearance of a term proportional to $a^{-6}$ in the effective equation of the energy density. In contrast to the term $a^{-4}$ caused by the radiation dominated preinflationary stage, the departure from De Sitter space-time caused by the interacting multiverse is thus stronger. The effective Friedmann equation for the flat branch of the De Sitter universe turns out now to be given  by
\begin{equation}\label{sf04}
\dot{a} = \frac{\sigma}{a} \sqrt{H^2 a^4 + \frac{C_k}{a^2}} ,
\end{equation}
where $C_k$ is
\begin{equation}
	C_k= C_0 \sin^2\frac{\pi k}{N} .
\end{equation}
with $C_0$ is some constant parameter, and solutions
\begin{equation}
a(t) = a_0 \sinh^\frac{1}{3} \theta ,
\end{equation}
and $\theta = 3 H\sigma t + \theta_0$, being $a_0$ and $\theta_0$ constants of integration. The departure form the De Sitter evolution lead by the term proportional to $a^{-2}$ in the Friedmann equation (\ref{sf04}) is stronger than the one produced by a radiation term (proportional to $a^0$) (see Fig. \ref{fig5}). Therefore, it is expected that its effects on the lowest modes of the power spectrum of the CMB would provide a better fit with the observed data \cite{RP2015}. It would provide an observational support to the model presented in this paper and to the whole multiverse proposal. Thus, it provides with distinguishable predictions that can be compared with observational data, making therefore falseable the whole multiverse theory.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{figure05}
\caption{Time evolution of the scale factor: i) flat De Sitter (red), ii) matter-dominated pre-inflationary stage (blue), iii) radiation-dominated pre-inflationary stage (green), and iv) interacting multiverse pre-inflationary stage (black).}
\label{fig5}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\subsection{Double universe decay}

The interacting picture developed in Sec. II opens up the possibility of new and interesting processes of vacuum decay such as the one depicted in Fig. \ref{fig4}. The decay between the vacuum state of the mode $r$ and those of the mode $k-1$ might occur through an intermediate vacuum decay into a metastable state given by the value $V(\varphi=0)$ of the mode $k-1$. This state would rapidly decay into the vacuum states of modes in a process that parallels those occuring in quantum optics where a two-photon state is generated through a metastable state (see, for instance, Ref. \cite{Yuen1975}), where the radiation field turns out to be described in terms of pairs of entangled photons (see Fig. \ref{fig4}).

In the case of the vacuum decay of the space-time, it would result into the generation of two bubbles of true vacuum (of the lower false vacua) whose quantum states would be entangled,
\begin{equation}\label{ES}
  \phi = \phi^+(\varphi_-) \phi^+(\varphi_+) \pm \phi^-(\varphi_-)\phi^-(\varphi_+) ,
\end{equation}
where $\phi^\pm(\varphi_\pm)$ are the expanding and contracting branches of Eq. (\ref{WFSC01}), with $V(\varphi_\pm) \approx V(\varphi_\pm) + \frac{1}{2} V''(\varphi_\pm) \varphi^2$.

The properties of the space-time inside the two entangled bubbles would  be the same at large scales for observers inhabiting therein. For instance, the effective value of the cosmological constant would be the same, given by $\Lambda_0$  and the effective mass scale of the scalar field would be in both bubbles given by $V''(\varphi_\pm) = m^2 (\frac{1}{\lambda_{\varphi}}-1)$, so the inner part of the two bubbles would be very similar at large scales.

If the two entangled bubbles would come out from a double instanton, like the one studied in Ref. \cite{RP2013a}, then, the quantum state of one of the bubbles would be given by the reduced density matrix that is obtained by tracing out the degrees of freedom of the partner bubble of the entangled pair, with a probability given by \cite{RP2013a}
\begin{equation}\label{P01}
  \Gamma/V \propto e^{- 2 I} ,
\end{equation}
with
\begin{equation}\label{I}
  I = \frac{a_+ H}{3} \left[ (a_+^2 + a_-^2) E(q) - 2 a_-^2 K(q)\right] ,
\end{equation}
where $K(q)$ and $E(a)$ are the complete elliptic integrals of first and second kind. We could follow Ref. \cite{RP2013a} to obtain the probability for the double Euclidean instanton given by the Euclidean solutions of Eq. (\ref{WDW01}) with the quartic potential (\ref{QV}). In general (see also Ref. \cite{RP2011b}), the resulted state is a thermal state that is indistinguishable from a classical mixture  so that observers inhabiting the bubbles would see the scalar field of their universes in a thermal state, being completely unaware of the entanglement properties of their bubbles. There is also a time reversal symmetry between the time variables of the entangled bubbles  \cite{RP2013a} so the regions inside the bubbles would present opposite symmetry assignments such as, for instance, baryon asymmetry or other discrete symmetries (see also Ref. \cite{OB&Mourao}) that would be the consequence of the global  symmetries of the entangled pair of bubbles. For an  observer external to the bubbles, the symmetry assignments and
 asymmetries would disappear when he/she would consider the properties of the whole entangled pair. The question then is whether this would fix some of the apparent asymmetries of our universe.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{figure03}
\caption{The vacuum decay can occur in a two-bubble decay process through the metastable state at $V(\varphi_0)$.}
\label{fig4}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\section{Conclusions}

In this work we have examined the implications of an interacting multiverse and the issue of bubble nucleation of ``true" vacua in the universes filled by the ``false" vacuum at its genesis or later. The existence of a multiverse where the universes may interact opens up the door to a new scenario with important implications on the global structure of the universes. As a result of the interactions it appears a landscape structure where the universes are created with different effective values of the cosmological constant. Thus, there exist the possibility of quantum tunneling transitions between different universal states giving rise to new bubbles with the corresponding value of their vacuum states.

The interaction between universes and the generation of new bubbles is expected to be dominant only for small length scales of the parent space-time, where quantum effects of the space-time are significant. However, these newborn bubbles may expand and generate new bubbles in a self-reproducing process.

The vacuum decay between the quantum states of two or more universes is expected to be cut off for large values of their scale factors. This condition imposes a restriction on the possible values of the coupling function in the interaction scheme presented in this paper. The possible cases of interest have been analysed and they all would have observable consequences in the global properties of each single universe. They could explain the very small value of the cosmological constant of our universe. However, a fine-tunning is always required making the proposal, in this respect, no better than others cosmological scenarios \cite{Alonso2012}. In the case that the coupling function would be a constant, it would appear the existence of a pre-inflationary stage in the evolution of the single universes. A pre-inflationary stage would have observable implications in the power spectrum of the CMB of the universe \cite{Bouhmadi2011}. Furthermore, it has been claimed that it would fi
 t some o
 f the anomalies that most models of inflation present with respect to the latest observational data provided by Planck.

The interacting multiverse with a coupling function proportional to $a^{-1}$ provides us with a preinflationary stage of the universe whose departure from De Sitter expansion is stronger than the one caused by a radiation dominated preinflationary stage. This would be a pure quantum effect having no classical analogue so: i) it might hopefully alliviate the quadrupole anomaly of the CMB and, ii) it could provide distinguishable predictions of the multiverse that cannot be explained by any other known effect. Thus, the model of the multiverse presented in this paper entails distinguishable predictions that can be compared with current observational data being therefore falsifiable leading to implications that have not been considered so far.

\section*{Acknowledgments}

A. A-S. was partially supported by the Marsden grant {\it ``Topics in mathematical general relativity and theoretical cosmology"} administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand. The work of CB is supported by the FCT (Portugal) grant SFRH/BPD/62861/2009.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
The tattoo on Mike Meibaum's left shoulder is an image of his grandmother, Ilean Woodard. Five years after her death, Meibaum, 30, is still showing appreciation for his grandmother's life, and not just in the trubute on his arm.
For three years, Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth served Woodard, a Sandy Brae resident, before her eventual death at age 97 in 2012.
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READ MORE:Food and live music on the water: Paul Cullen to kick off Lewes cruise
New room will also be made for a new storage shed, which houses signs and insulated delivery bags, among other things. The program currently serves about 350 people, Wolfle said, and serves about 110,000 meals annually.
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text: perl -i editTeX.pl ../transTeX/*.tex

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He blinked once, and then again. He was tired. Having had no sleep in twenty-four hours was taking its toll. He blinked yet another time, and then rolled down the car window, allowing the cool air to hit his face. It was just a few more miles to the hotel, and he could hear the bed calling his name. When he got there, he promised himself, he would sleep for ten hours straight.
He looked over at his companion. She had reclined her seat and was already asleep. He wiped his eyes and forced them open again, willing himself to stay awake. He needed to get to the hotel, and he needed to get there fast. So he accelerated, bringing the car up to seventy, even though he knew that the speed limit was only forty-five.
He reached over and turned on the radio. Earth, Wind and Fire's Reasons was playing, and the song made him think of his wife. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
He had to admit it, the woman sitting next to him was nothing compared to his wife. His wife was equipped with brains and beauty, neither of which this woman possessed in any remarkable way. So why was he running around disrespecting Ivy? The only answer he could come up with was, because I can.
He wiped his eyes, blinked, and by the time he opened them – Oh my God! – two giant lights were coming right at him. He twisted the steering wheel savagely in an attempt to avoid contact with the vehicle in front of him, but the lights just followed his move.
Someone was screaming his name. He slammed on the brakes, making the tires squeal, and suddenly the car was spinning completely out of control, spinning for what seemed like forever, in a slow-motion arc, time spinning out along with the car. Finally it flipped, creating sparks as it slid on its side across the asphalt.
When the vehicles collided, there was nothing that could be done to stop the metal from crushing the dashboard and making contact with the occupants inside.
He heard the sirens, as well as the crying and screaming. "Get him out, please get him out," said a familiar voice. "Hold on, baby." Why couldn't he move? He opened his eyes and tried to focus on what was in front of him.
He needed to free himself from the mangled car. When he tried to move his hands, he could see why he was immobile. There was crushed metal pressed to his chest, pinning him to the seat of the car. He was trying to tell them to get the stuff off of him, but he couldn't speak. He felt excruciating pain all over his body each time someone tried to pull him from the wreckage. Don't. Stop. Nothing was coming from his lips. He needed them to stop trying to move him. If everyone would just calm down, he could get his bearings and let them know what was needed to be done to get him out of this mess.
Smoke. He could feel heat. Oh no, the car is about to explode, he thought. Water was drenching his face and there was a bunch of people out there doing only God knows what. Something wasn't right. He was gasping for breath. He needed to tell them the metal on his chest was making it hard to take in air. He wanted to move himself, but his legs wouldn't cooperate.
He opened his mouth to speak and blood poured out instead of words.
Ivy Jones-Miller sat on the side of her bed. In one hand she held a picture of her husband of eleven years; in the other, a copy of the documents filing for a divorce from him.
She had to admit the reality: she still loved Raymond Terrell Miller. He had been part of her life since she was ten years old. For sixteen years, their families lived next door to each other. Both families had been members of the Cathedral Of Faith Christian Center in Camden, New Jersey, where Ivy's grandfather was founder and pastor. They had grown up together. And she honestly couldn't imagine what her life was going to be like without him in it.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, she released the documents and watched as they slipped down to land near her feet on the plush carpeted floor. Hugging the photograph to her breast, she willed herself to accept that this was the end of her life with Ray.
The feeling had to be worse than death itself.
What she was realizing was that all the material possessions she and Ray had accumulated meant nothing if he was not here to share them with her. She had been willing to give up this tremendous house with its breathtaking view of the lake, a view she had enjoyed for many years from the bay window in the morning kitchen. The Bentley, the Mercedes, and every piece of jewelry she owned – she would have relinquished it all, gladly, just to have him with her again.
Yes, just to have Ray in her arms and back in her life the way it used to be, she would be willing to live like a vagabond.
And here was the ultimate irony, even though she was willing to give up everything, he still didn't want her anymore. He had told her, his voice flat and distant, to file for a divorce; and since that day he hadn't slept in their home.
Ivy looked over at numerous pictures of Ray and herself that were sitting on her dresser. She walked over to them and stared at each, one by one. "I hate that I ever met you," she said out loud as she looked intently at his image. She picked up the heavy gold-framed photograph and after staring at it a few moments more, she pitched it against the wall on the opposite side of the room. She watched as the glass shattered against the wall, falling onto the carpet.
She turned her attention back to the other photos. "I hate you," she repeated. The three words came from her lips; but in her heart, that was far from the truth. "Oh, God, what am I going to do?" She crumpled to the floor. The truth was she wanted to hate him. She needed to hate him. It was too hard to accept, otherwise.
She cried until she was spent. Then as the tears began to subside, Ivy stood and swung her arm over the dresser, flinging everything on it to the floor.
She hadn't told a soul that Ray had left her. Perhaps telling someone would make her face the fact that it was truly over. Her guess was that everyone would be shocked, especially when they found out that she and Ray were divorcing. She came from a Christian family that did not divorce.
How was she going to explain this to her family? She was a minister's daughter. Her family believed in until death do you part – and so did she: it would have been that way, too, if she had her way.
But the choice was out of her hands. It's in God's hands now, she thought. She would have to stop all this crying and be strong and face the fact that she had done all she could to save this marriage. The final papers were signed and had been delivered to the attorney; it was time to inform the people closest to her. Maybe after she opened up and shared her grief with the people who really cared about her, she could begin the healing process, begin to become whole again.
First she needed to tell their children. Ray Jr. the oldest, was nine, Solomon, was five, and the twin girls, Tamara and Terra, were three. Ivy wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, took a deep breath and commanded herself to get it together.
It was time that she accepted that Ray had left her and his entire family a long time ago, long before he voiced his desire for a divorce. Filing the paperwork only made it official.
Ivy knew that she didn't need to blame herself, at least not entirely: there was enough blame to go around. Other women. Drugs. It has been nearly two years since Ray's last attempt to rid his life of the drugs. After failing to complete three different programs at three different facilities, her father, the Reverend James Jones, had recommended the Faith and Hope Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center. Reverend Jones was now the pastor of Cathedral Of Faith Christian Center and he knew people who had attended the Center; he had suggested this facility because of the highly successful completion rate of their clients. Through his work with the inner-city youth at the Ray Miller Youth Center, he had sent many others through the drug program offered at Faith and Hope.
Nevertheless, Ray had yet again failed to finish the program.
How could all this have happened right under Ivy's nose? How could she not have recognized the warnings? All the signs had been there, right in front of her. Had she been in denial? Or had she simply been deaf to anything that threatened her marriage, her happiness? When they had first started out, she would never have thought in a million years that Ray would be stupid enough to get himself hooked on any drug, especially one as addictive and harmful as heroin.
She put her head back on her pillow, closing her eyes. She was torturing herself, she knew, but she couldn't help but think back, to remember a time when life had been wonderful. Yes, there had been a lot of good times with Ray. They had had the leading roles in their sixth-grade play at Morgan Village Middle School. She remembered their first real slow dance at the seventh-grade spring festival, the sophomore cotillion where they shared their first real kiss, and the junior and senior proms where they first confessed their love for each other.
The fondest memory of all was the senior class trip to Florida. That was when Ray had told her he would not go away to college without her.
Ray had come to the room that she shared with three other girls, telling her he needed to talk. It was early Sunday morning, and in the blistering heat of the Florida sun, Ivy and Ray walked hand in hand toward the banana tree located on the side of the hotel where the seniors were staying. It was the first time they were alone since they arrived two days before. Ray had with him a large beach towel and he spread it on the ground under the tree.
Ivy leaned her head against Ray's arm. "You are a real romantic, you know that," she said to him.
"I love you, Ivy," he said softly.
"I know, and I love you too," she answered, still a little puzzled.
"Oh, so it's about that again," Ivy said teasingly. The eternal issue with all young men, she thought.
"Not if you're gonna tell me no," He was pouting like a child.
Ray brightened immediately. "You mean that?" There was excitement in his voice.
Ray wanted them to marry before the semester began. Both families were against the idea, though, and he knew it. He let Ivy persuade him to wait.
A few weeks later, with the families gathered together for the traditional Fourth of July barbeque, Ray and Ivy announced their plan to be married.
Their wedding was that August, one week before Ray entered Delaware State University on a full football scholarship – with Ivy attending the same school too. They were only eighteen and nineteen years old.
It was a beautiful memory. It said everything about what they had been to each other. Or maybe it just said that they had been very, very young.
Now Ivy looked at the third finger on her left hand. Her wedding and engagement rings were gone. She had pawned them last week to pay the water and sewer bills, and to put some food in the refrigerator. The owner of the pawnshop told her she had thirty days to redeem them; but as she walked away, she knew the rings were lost forever.
"I was with my attorney." Just thinking about why she was with her attorney made her eyes fill with water. I won't cry, she told herself; I won't break down.
"Oh, Ivy, sweetie, I'm so sorry it's come to that." Patricia Jones was sympathy itself. No condemnation there, Ivy thought gratefully. Thank you, God. Thank you, Mama.
"I am, too. But I'm okay, Mama," Ivy said. It was a lie, but what else could she do? Her mother knew her well, and would know that she was lying, and neither of them had to talk about it.
Ivy's mother was wise beyond her fifty years. She was small in size but huge at heart, meek and humble. Her inner beauty radiated clear through to her personality.
She was too restless to stay still, sitting there. She stood up again, carrying the cordless phone with her, idly picking up the papers she had scattered earlier, straightening them, putting them in the nightstand drawer. Better to do something aimless than to do nothing at all.
Both women were laughing as they hung up the phone.
Ray had wanted Ivy to donate as much time as she could to the center that had been named for him. It was at his insistence that she had had a housekeeper for eight years. As of three months ago, though, she'd become reacquainted with cleaning her own house.
She changed into a jogging suit, pulled her waist-length hair into a ponytail, and spent the next few hours doing just that. She finished changing the last set of linens in the bedroom and was disconnecting the central vacuum cleaner hose from the wall when she heard the doorbell ring. As she went to answer the door, it hit her that she was actually looking forward to this weekend. She and her friends hadn't all been together in more than two years.
Squinting through the peephole, she saw Jade standing on the porch, holding what could only be her son. Ivy flung open the door, stood back, and looked at this woman who had been her friend for over fifteen years. "Jade, girl, I'm so glad you changed your mind and came! Get inside, you're letting the heat out." Ivy's smile shone across her face. She hugged Jade and the baby at the same time.
"I came here to hide out for a few days," Jade admitted honestly, following her friend into the house.
Jade and Ivy had met when Jade's family moved from North Carolina to New Jersey, into the house on the corner of the street where Ivy lived. The girls were both fifteen years old, yet Jade was two grades behind students her age. Ivy soon found out that being two grades behind had nothing to do with her new friend's intelligence. Jade was extremely smart, so smart that she tutored other kids in the neighborhood who were much older than she. She even helped Ray pass the math portion of the SATs.
She was street-wise, too. Jade hardly ever smiled when they first met. She put up a good front, always acting hard and tough; but her kind-heartedness shone through her tough-girl act in spite of herself. She claimed that she tutored for the income, but Ivy had seen how hard her friend worked with other kids, how much she wanted them to succeed.
"Eighteen months. He'll be two in April." Jade took off her coat and laid it on a chair.
Jade placed her hand over the bruised area. "Oh, it's nothing. It'll be gone by tomorrow." She sat down, put her hands together, and began twisting the ring on her finger, a sure sign that she was nervous about something.
Ivy almost pursued the issue, but she stayed quiet, telling herself that she had all weekend to find out what was going on with her friend and Jade usually needed to bring things up in her own way, in her own time. That tough-girl act again, left over from her childhood. There was no sense in pushing her.
Ivy turned her attention back to the baby. "You have gotten so big, Boo-Boo," she cooed as she sat him on the loveseat next to her and began to remove his snowsuit. Once that task was done, Ivy sat the boy up to take a good look at him and, when she did, he looked up, smiling, showing beautiful dark gray eyes and a head full of jet black curly hair. Ivy couldn't help but be mesmerized by the child's face. As a matter of fact, he was drop-dead gorgeous. "Oh my God," Ivy murmured as the revelation sank in.
She heard Jade say something, but her mind was totally blank as she assessed the child's resemblance to Darrell Parker. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The boy's eyes were just like Darrell's. His mouth was just like Darrell's. Everything, Ivy thought with sudden understanding, was just like Darrell's.
Jade was saying something else, and she took her son from a stunned Ivy and cradled him to her chest. But Ivy was still lost in her own thoughts.
It was Ivy who had introduced Jade to Darrell when they were only juniors in high school. Darrell was a year ahead of Jade, and the son of Ivy's father's assistant pastor. Darrell was tall and lanky when he was in the eleventh grade. His lightly tanned skin, dark gray eyes, and jet black hair made him stand out from all the other guys, and Jade was smitten. They became lovers during Jade's freshman year at Temple University. He was a sophomore at Rutgers in Camden. After Darrell graduated from college, he began working for an engineering firm in Philadelphia. A year later, Jade too graduated and began working on her Juris Doctor degree at Rutgers in Camden.
Near the end of the second term of her first year of law school, Jade found out she was pregnant. After completing that term, she dropped out of school and abruptly moved to Maryland with the excuse that she couldn't stay because the child was not Darrell's.
Ivy closed her mouth. She couldn't form a word to save her life.
"Now that's just ridiculous," Ivy said, coming back to life and embarrassed at having made her friend uncomfortable. "Will you please give a woman a chance to recover? Dang." Ivy took the child from Jade's arms. After looking at him again, Ivy said, "You told us that you weren't pregnant by Darrell, that's all. What am I supposed to think? You had this whole line about that was the reason you lied to Darrell and told him that you lost the baby so he wouldn't know you were pregnant with another man's baby. Why did you do that?
"I have my reasons. And right now I'd rather not talk about it," Jade wasn't meeting Ivy's eyes.
"I know he does, so much so that I should have named him Darrell, but I didn't. His named is Desmond," Jade sighed.
"You don't have to tell me what his name is. I know his name is Desmond, I'm his godmother, remember? I was there when you gave birth to him." Ivy examined his little hand. The resemblance was astonishing. "He looks just like him." Ivy looked over at Jade.


Getting your child to recognise when his bladder is ready to be emptied can be a challenging part of toilet training. You can use this activity to teach your child about a full bladder with the help of your bathtub and a sponge.
During a bath, introduce a sponge to your child. Start like this: "Let's pretend this is your bladder. Right now, it's empty. Feel it?" Let your child touch the dry and thin sponge.
Now, dip the corner of the sponge into the bath water and proceed: "Oops. You just drank some milk. Your bladder is starting to fill up. Can you feel that?" Let your child feel how the sponge is now wet. Point out how the wet corner has grown bigger now that it's filling up with water.
Next, dip the sponge into the water even more. As the sponge gets heavier, ask your child if it's time for the sponge to "use the toilet." When you child agrees, hold the sponge high in the air and release the water by squeezing. If you repeat until the sponge is saturated, make sure to let your child know that the sponge is too full, and a too-full bladder creates a lot of discomfort for a child. Once you've gotten your point across to the best of your ability, let your child enjoy some free play with the sponge.


Artist Mark Dean Veca Returns to the Crocker!
The Crocker Art Museum is pleased to award the John S. Knudsen Prize to Mark Dean Veca, a Los Angeles-based artist known for creating paintings, drawings and installations that incorporate surreal cartoons and pop culture iconography to form psychedelic landscapes.
One of those landscapes, Maddest Hatter, was installed by Veca at the Crocker in June 2017 as part of the hit exhibition Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose. As the Knudsen award recipient, Veca has returned to Sacramento this summer to create a new installation at the Museum.
Pictured: The beginnings to Veca's latest installment, here at the Crocker.
Born in Louisiana to musician parents, Veca received his BFA in 1985 from Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design (now, Otis College of Art and Design) in Los Angeles. After then spending 17 years in New York City, he returned to L.A., where he continues his work. Veca's art has been shown in galleries and public spaces throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Veca attributes the improvisational element of his free-hand linework to the influence of jazz music on his upbringing. The thick, black lines and graphic quality of his compositions are inspired by a range of interests, including the work of Dutch artist M.C. Escher, underground comics and graphic novels, and 18th-century wall treatments like French Toile (Toile du Jouy). Veca combines these with pop culture iconography, such as the Kool-Aid mascot featured in his painting Oh Yeah, to create large-scale, immersive, and psychedelic environments.
In the summer of 2017, the Crocker Art Museum brought to Sacramento the exhibition Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose, a one-of-a-kind show with works by 51 New Contemporary artists including Veca — artists who have been prominently featured in the best-selling art magazine Hi-Fructose.
Prior to the exhibition's opening, Crocker visitors were able to watch Veca create his immersive, temporary installation Maddest Hatter. The installation delighted thousands of visitors during the exhibition's four-month run, surprising them as they stepped off the elevator into a pink room filled with dizzying, hand-painted linework.
Pictured: The artist enjoying his work, "Maddest Hatter", in the summer of 2017 at the Crocker. Image from Mark Dean Veca on Instagram.
In April 2018, the Crocker Art Museum announced Mark Dean Veca as the second recipient of the John S. Knudsen Endowment Fund's $25,000 prize. The fund was established at the Crocker in late 2012 by a gift from the estate of art collector John Knudsen. Its purpose is to support an emerging or mid-career California artist while also funding programs, exhibitions, acquisitions, and other endeavors related to the artist's work at the Museum.
Awarded by a committee of review, the prize is open to all artists in California, with priority given to painters, and may be awarded only to artists who have not yet had a solo exhibition at a major art museum. Artists may use the award to work in the studio, to travel, to purchase materials for a specific body of work, and to pursue other creative projects.
As the Knudsen prize recipient, Veca will create a new, site-specific installation inside a corridor gallery that links Friedman Court to the Museum's first-floor education center. He aims to honor the existing architecture of the space while transforming it into an all-encompassing experience, and to establish the corridor as a destination unto itself. The installation will officially open to the public later this July.
In addition to the installation, the prize will fund the Crocker's acquisition of Veca's painting Oh Yeah.
Pictured (on left): Mark Dean Veca, Oh Yeah, 2011. India ink and acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist.


Thomas Pape was one of the team of sound recordists on set recording this impressive debut film. The film was shot on location in Fyn, Denmark.
The newly married couple, Lisa and Jacob, leave town to spend their honeymoon in the Danish countryside. Shortly after they arrive to the farm, Lisa loses her wedding ring. While searching for it, Jacob runs into an older couple that warns him about the dangers in the woods. What begins as an acrid marriage drama soon develops into a complex, psychological nightmare that in a few scenes depicts an entire life of withering love, which through magical narration captures decades in the blink of an eye.


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Home » ASHLAND TO ACQUIRE HERCULES (7/11/08)
ASHLAND TO ACQUIRE HERCULES (7/11/08)
Ashland Inc. and Hercules Inc. have announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Ashland would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Hercules for $18.60 per share in cash and 0.093 of a share of Ashland common stock for each share of Hercules common stock. The total transaction value comes to approximately $3.3 billion, or $23.01 per Hercules share based on Ashland's July 10 closing stock price and including $0.7 billion of net assumed debt. The transaction, which would create a major global specialty chemicals company, is expected to close by the end of calendar 2008.
With sales in more than 100 countries, Ashland is a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, a leading distributor of chemicals and plastics, and a provider of automotive lubricants, car-care products and quick-lube services. Hercules is a leader in specialty additives and ingredients that modify the physical properties of water-based systems, and is one of the world's leading suppliers of specialty chemicals to the pulp and paper industry.
Upon closing the transaction, Ashland will havepro formacombined revenue for the 12 months ended March 31, 2008, of more than $10 billion, including approximately $3.5 billion generated outside North America. For the same period, Ashland generated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $365 million excluding certain items, while Hercules reported ongoing EBITDA of $392 million excluding certain items. Specialty chemicals, which on a pro forma basis represent approximately 75 percent of total EBITDA, will serve as Ashland's primary platform for future growth.
Ashland Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James J. O'Brien said, "The acquisition of Hercules fulfills our objective to become a leading specialty chemicals company. It creates a defined core for Ashland composed of three specialty chemical businesses with strong market positions and promising global growth potential: specialty additives and ingredients, paper and water technologies, and specialty resins. In addition, we expect our financial profile to be enhanced significantly through reduced earnings volatility, improved profitability and stronger cash flow generation."
Hercules President and Chief Executive Officer Craig A. Rogerson said, "We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to combine Hercules with Ashland. Our companies share proud and similar histories of nearly 100 years of innovation, dedication and service. Hercules shareholders will receive a significant premium over the current trading price for their shares and, through their ownership of Ashland shares, the opportunity to participate in the upside potential of the combined company. We look forward to working with Ashland to bring these two great companies together."
For more information, visitwww.ashland.comorwww.herc.com.
ASHLAND COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF HERCULES (11/14/08)
3M TO ACQUIRE EMFI S.A. AND SAPO S.A. (7/22/08)
SKion GmbH Offers to Acquire ALTANA Shares (11/6/08)
ASHLAND CLOSES ADHESIVES DEAL WITH AIR PRODUCTS (7-1-08)


Love what you do and do what you love! We are looking for qualified and energetic candidates to perform at national and international levels. If you believe you are the perfect fit for us, please fill in your details here.


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Home / Astarium – Wyrm of Melancholy (2012)
Astarium – Wyrm of Melancholy (2012)
Rounding up Astarium's promo package, today we have "Wyrm of Melancholy", the band's 2012 full-length release originally self-released and then released by Metallic Media, which is the version we are reviewing. In this 55-minute epic, we get to hear SiN fully develop a full-length release that is quite cohesive and very effective. Having only reviewed short EP's from the band, it is quite clear now that Astarium has more than enough depth to keep somebody engaged for almost an hour with this release.
Instead of taking the traditional instrumental intro, "Unrelieved Solitude" opens up with some very creepy whispers and screams accompanied by distorted guitars. The atmospheric synths are again overpowering and very nicely set a creepy vibe. Having more 'time limit' freedom, the songs in this release are slower to develop, but always having very interesting and melancholic passages, like on "Kingdom of White Madness" and the minimalistic instrumental "Voices from the Night Sky".
"Farewell (Last Winter)" is one of our favorite tracks in this release thanks to its very dramatic atmosphere and emotional tempo changes. This track has a very intense Doom/Suicidal BM vibe that is very easily achieved by Astarium's skills. After the interlude "Velleity About Aeonian Rain" we get another excellent song that starts with eerie wind sounds. The harsh vocals are quite fitting in the band's sound and they greatly enhance the creepiness of the band's music.
The album's original closing track is the cavernous "When Humanity will Die…" a very bleak song that starts with some intense droning sounds. This song evolves very slowly and allows the agony to be extended. This version of the album has a bonus track titled "Permafrost", which is a very upbeat and enjoyable cover of Krah(?). Overall, "Wyrm of Melancholy" is one hell of a release that will please any fan of this very engaging genre. If you like your music to be highly atmospheric and have some BM-shrieks in it, look no further and get yourself a copy of this album.
Band: Astarium Album: Wyrm of Melancholy
Label: Metalic Media
Release: November 2nd, 2012
Oficial Site
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal


Traveling on a budget is not the easiest of tasks, especially when there are so many tempting treats to be eaten, resisting the urge can sometimes be an ask that's just too much. We are human after all and need a bit of grub every now and then. Visiting China is not cheap, like most traveling experiences the cost of your flight wipes out most of your budget. One city that will accommodate a modest budget is Chengdu. Serving as the capital of the Sichuan region, it is one of the most densely populated cities in China.
We recommend visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, because with such a catchy name, who wouldn't want to visit? You probably noticed that we just mentioned the word panda, so there's that too. China is not famed for treating its animals well, but the animals do seem to be healthy, and, importantly, happy here. Costing 58 yuan, there is no excuse not to check this place out – that converts to less than $10. Amazingly they have a nursery, where the baby pandas live, so you just have to go and feast your eyes on the little guys. Chengdu is often overlooked by backpackers for more famous locations such as Beijing and Shanghai despite it having a vibrant culture with a rich history. There are numerous temples and museums, even boasting a classic car museum for any driving enthusiasts. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle and need a break, then check out one of the many parks, which are used as places for contemplation and relaxation. Something a little unusual is on offer in the parks, ear cleaning. Yeah, people wander around the parks offering to clean your ears, maybe to allow you to hear the sound of silence more clearly in the tranquil parks.
Traveling around the city is not a problem as they have a clean and well-organized subway network, the high-speed trains zoom you underneath the streets with military timing. Usually, a single trip will cost you less than a dollar, so there will not be a huge expense racked up when getting around. You can grab a taxi with ease, but because it is not overcrowded, it can be pleasant just to stroll around the city, soaking it all in at your own pace.
Chengdu has amazing food to offer tourists and locals alike. Head to the tourist area of Jinli Street, which provides a vast array of edible treats, including squid skewers and rice cakes. Don't restrict yourself to the tourist attractions though, head to some of Chengdu's markets to experience the local street food. The city is known for its spicy food, so be warned that you may face some discomfort after eating the dishes on offer, best to take it slow and not eat everything in sight until you know you can handle it.
The hotels in Chengdu are reasonably priced, and the airport is close enough to the center that you can get off the plane and head straight into the city if you're feeling energetic. Prices per night average between $40 – $70 so you may need to shop around to find a cheap deal. Ultimately Chengdu is cheap to get around and eat in, with many walks and temples to keep you busy for the duration of your stay.


LLamasoft Planning by Design is a brand-new paradigm in a world of rigid, cost-prohibitive, time-intensive planning solutions. Now you can rapidly configure tailor-made apps that complement existing enterprise systems, are easy to use and maintain, and can more realistically incorporate unique business constraints and operational policies, utilizing state-of-the-art solving techniques.
Watch to hear stories of how LLamasoft customers have used Planning by Design apps to save time, money, and expedite complex decision-making.


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namespace Microsoft.Azure.Management.Elastic.Models
{

    /// <summary>
    /// Defines values for MonitoringStatus.
    /// </summary>
    public static class MonitoringStatus
    {
        public const string Enabled = "Enabled";
        public const string Disabled = "Disabled";
    }
}


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Global Governance Institute
International Corporate Social Responsibility: What Role for Governments?
Julia Kreienkamp (GGI Research Assistant) on a GGI keynote lecture with Professor Jette Steen Knudsen.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now a mainstream concern for most businesses and large organisations. Traditionally, CSR has been understood as a strictly voluntary, business-led practice and relatively little attention has been paid to how public policies interact with CSR. However, government action is far from irrelevant for CSR. In fact, governments around the world are promoting, facilitating and shaping CSR, and increasingly do so on the international level.
Government-CSR Relations: Towards a 'Related' Perspective
At a recent GGI keynote lecture, Jette Steen Knudsen, Professor of Policy and International Business at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, called for a more systematic analysis of the various ways in which government policies interact with CSR initiatives. Drawing on insights from her latest book Visible Hands: National Government and International Corporate Social Responsibility (published with Jeremy Moon), she argued that the significance of government action for CSR is often underestimated. This is especially true for management scholarship, which tends to treat regulation and CSR - either explicitly or implicitly - as dichotomous. From this perspective, CSR encompasses strictly those social and/or environmental business initiatives that exist in addition to or go beyond legal requirements. If governments move to regulate these initiatives, they are no longer considered CSR. In contrast, Knudsen suggested moving towards a 'related' perspective that appreciates governments' (limited) agency in shaping domestic and international CSR activities. Acknowledging that CSR does not take place in a regulatory vacuum, this perspective refocuses attention on the interactions between different types of public policies for CSR.
Direct and Indirect Public Policies for CSR
Increasingly, governments formulate policies that directly address specific CSR initiatives. Research by Knudsen and others suggests that government regulation of businesses' social and/or environmental activities is on the rise as well as shifting in focus, from the domestic to the international level and from softer to harder forms of regulation.
On the 'softer' end of the spectrum, governments can endorse or facilitate CSR by providing general political support and creating incentives for companies to adopt certain CSR initiatives, for example through subsidy schemes or tax incentives. Increasingly, governments also partner with businesses to develop and/or maintain CSR standards and disseminate knowledge. Finally, governments can adopt 'harder' policies to mandate business behaviour, although these policies usually do not establish detailed requirements for compliance or penalties for non-compliance.
In addition, governments can make policies that support CSR initiatives indirectly because they address the same issues and/or regulate the wider institutional context of these initiatives. As Knudsen argued, governments often make such policies with awareness of and the intention to support relevant CSR initiatives in the same issue area.
Case Study: Increasing Tax Transparency in the Extractive Industries
To illustrate how these different types of policies for CSR interact on the domestic and the international level, Knudsen used the example of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global standard for good governance in the oil, gas and mining sectors. EITI's key aim is to increase transparency of payments made by the extractive industries to host governments in order to expose corruption and hold governments accountable for the management of tax revenues. The standard is implemented on the national level by accredited EITI member countries. Once a country endorses EITI, compliance with the initiative's principles is mandatory for all oil, gas and mining companies operating within that country.
Direct support for EITI has come from various governments, notably the UK, which, through the Department for International Development (DfID), first initiated EITI in 2002/2003 and administered the initiative in its early years. Since then, EITI has developed into a global multi-stakeholder initiative based in Oslo and supported by the Norwegian government. National governments have thus been key actors in initialising and maintaining EITI.
In addition, EITI has been indirectly supported by two regulatory initiatives: Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in the US and the revised EU Accounting Directive. The Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law in 2010, as a response to the 2008 financial crisis, and aims to improve accountability and transparency in the financial system. Section 1504 focuses specifically on 'Payments to Governments by Resource Extraction Issuers' and requires all extractive industry firms listed on US stock markets to disclose project-level payments to host governments. In the EU, new disclosure requirements for the extractive and forestry industries have been incorporated into the existing Accounting Directive in 2013. These amendments were made in direct response to the inclusion of Section 1504 in the Dodd-Frank Act and are in alignment with EITI guidelines.
In short, EITI has received both direct support from national governments as well as indirect support through regulatory initiatives which address the wider issue of transparency in these sectors. EITI has informed the framing of Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act as well as the amendments of the EU Accounting Directive. At the same time, both regulatory initiatives have informed the strengthening of EITI and promoted further adoption of the standard. These interactions and the 'dual agential' role of national governments are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Public policy for transparency in extractive industries
Adapted from: Knudsen, J. S. and Moon, J. (2017). Visible Hands: Government Regulation and International Business Responsibility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 179.
Shaping International CSR: A Jazz Performance
Knudsen's research challenges the wide-spread view that governments play only a limited role in CSR. It also calls into question arguments that globalisation has stifled policy makers' capacity with regard to regulating transnational businesses. However, this does not mean that governments 'orchestrate' international CSR. Rather, Knudsen suggested, the process through which international CSR is shaped can best be understood as a 'jazz' performance, where different players build on each other's contribution and take turns in taking the lead or supporting the rest of the ensemble.
While this provides a useful framework for studying the role of governments in international CSR, a number of questions remain: Why do governments make public policies for CSR? When do they choose to move from 'softer' towards 'harder' forms of regulation? What explains national variation? Do different types of public policies for CSR necessarily reinforce each other or are there also examples of conflict, tension and incompatibility?
Finally, the framework introduced by Knudsen does not (claim or intend to) tell us much about the actual outcomes of CSR initiatives and public policies for CSR. For example, will EITI and regulatory initiatives for tax transparency in the extractive industries actually deliver accountability and fiscal responsibility? Can non-financial disclosure obligations - such as the UK Modern Slavery Act - increase societal trust and drive corporations to invest more in CSR? Determining whether, when and how CSR can make a real difference and how government policies can support this goal will remain a major challenge for CSR research more broadly.
Jette Steen Knudsen is Shelby Collum Davis Professor of International Business at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Her research centers on the interface between government regulation and business actions.
This event was co-hosted by the UCL Global Governance Institute (GGI) and the UCL Centre for Ethics and Law.
Watch a video of Professor Knudsen's keynote lecture and explore recordings from other GGI events.
Sign up for GGI Event Alerts
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Hergenrother (asteróide 3099) é um asteróide da cintura principal, a 2,2900484 UA. Possui uma excentricidade de 0,2043262 e um período orbital de 1 783,42 dias (4,88 anos).

Hergenrother tem uma velocidade orbital média de 17,55649996 km/s e uma inclinação de 15,46813º.

Este asteróide foi descoberto em 3 de Abril de 1940 por Yrjö Väisälä.

Ver também
 Lista de asteróides
 Asteroide da cintura principal

Ligações externas

Asteroides da cintura principal
Objetos astronômicos descobertos em 1940

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Because the warning signs are pretty damn clear.
We all go into long-term relationships hoping they're "forever." Now researchers have determined that contempt will make or break it — and it usually becomes evident in the first year.
University of California at Berkeley psychologist Robert Levenson and John Gottman, a psychologist at the University of Washington and founder of the Gottman Institute, found they could predict divorce with 93% accuracy based on one key relationship behaviour: contempt.
This behaviour alone — along with the negative behaviors of criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling — was extrapolated from a 14-year study of 79 couples living across the US Midwest (21 of whom divorced during the study period) published in 2002.
But an even more recent study, titled "Marital Conflict Behaviours and Implications for Divorce over 16 Years" furthered the original findings. Looking at 373 newly married couples, the study found that conflict behaviors such as the above in year one alone predicted higher divorce rates 16 years later.
Interestingly, according to the study, wives' destructive and withdrawal behaviors decreased over time, whereas husbands' conflict behaviors remained stable — and husbands reported more constructive and less destructive behaviors than wives.
An easy way to control against splitting up? Empathy.
Make sure you're when you express your frustration over something your partner does, you adopt some self-awareness. Instead of thinking what an idiot they are, or how could they forget to pick up the laundry detergent AGAIN, think what you could have done to to help them remember to do it in the first place. Maybe you'd said you'd remind them and you forgot. Instead of feeling superior, show some understanding. It could go a long way to save your relationship.
So... it's not my fault?
But seriously. Laundry detergent is a mega issue in my house.
Being aware that you're doing something that could negatively affect your partner is the first step to actively combating it.


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Jeägelvärri är en kulle i Finland.   Den ligger i den ekonomiska regionen Norra Lappland och landskapet Lappland, i den norra delen av landet,  km norr om huvudstaden Helsingfors. Toppen på Jeägelvärri är  meter över havet.

Terrängen runt Jeägelvärri är huvudsakligen lite kuperad. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km söder om Jeägelvärri.  Trakten runt Jeägelvärri är nära nog obefolkad, med mindre än två invånare per kvadratkilometer. Närmaste större samhälle är Karigasniemi,  km nordväst om Jeägelvärri. Omgivningarna runt Jeägelvärri är i huvudsak ett öppet busklandskap.

Trakten ingår i den boreala klimatzonen. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är juli, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C.

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Källor

Kullar i Lappland, Finland
Berg i Finland 200 meter över havet eller högre

Artiklar med robotjusterad position


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Q: Uploaded file is unable to read after downloading in PHP I wrote php script to upload file from admin panel and to download for user.
Uploading was done successfully but after downloading the file, it is unable to read. if it is a image file or pdf file. The uploaded files are copied to xamp/htdocs/myproject/admin/documents.  and the path is stored to mysql database. When i tried to download it the file size is different for uploaded file and downloaded file and it is unable to read.
The uploading script
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){
 $name = $_FILES['myfile']['name'];
 $tmp_name = $_FILES['myfile']['tmp_name'];

if ($name) {
  $location = "documents/$name";
  move_uploaded_file($tmp_name, $location);
  $query = mysqli_query($con,"INSERT INTO posts (name,path) VALUES ('$location')");
}

A: Thanks everybody for helping me. i made changes for my script yesterday and it is working but the problem is that when i tried to add it to my project it is not working.
my uploads script(it is writen in myproject/admin/application.php)
if (isset($_POST['submit'])){
   $name = $_FILES['myfile']['name'];
    $tmp_name = $_FILES['myfile']['tmp_name'];

if ($name) {
  $location = "documents/$name";
  move_uploaded_file($tmp_name, $location);
  $query = mysqli_query($con,"INSERT INTO posts (name,path) VALUES ('$location')");
}

download.php (Written in myproject/download.php)
<?php
 include('includes/connect.php');
  if (isset($_GET['dow']))  {
     $path = $_GET['dow'];
      $res = mysqli_query("SELECT * FROM posts WHERE path = '$path'");

header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
header('Content-Type: application/force-download');
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"" . basename($path) . "\";");
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
header('Expires: 0');
header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate');
header('Pragma: public');
header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($path));
ob_clean();
flush();
readfile($path); //showing the path to the server where the file is to be download
exit;
   }

 ?>

The linking script to download.php b (written in myproject/viewprofile.php)
<?php
  include('includes/connect.php');

  $sql = "SELECT * FROM posts";
  $res = mysqli_query($con, $sql);

    $path   = $row['post_path'];

     echo " DOWNLOAD RESUME
";

 ?>

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