As Nola is about to leave Pandorient to enjoy a well-deserved rest in her own world, she is terrified to discover that the door back to the Hexaworld is locked! Has the music box’s key fallen out of its lock? Has someone stolen it? Either way, Nola, Anton, Igor and Andrea are determined to make a one-of-a-kind magic potion to solve the problem. Unfortunately, they are missing a vital ingredient... Can they find the feathers from an endangered silken eagle to complete the potion and send Nola safely home? Find out in the fifth volume of this enchanting graphic novel series that will leave fantasy fans spellbound.

Action movie starring former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista as a disgraced ex-cop trying to get to the bottom of a murder he is the prime suspect for. Ray (Bautista)'s career has followed an unusual trajectory. Both an ex-cop and now, having been released from prison, an ex-con, Ray struggles to find work and finally takes a job as a bouncer for a strip club called The House of the Rising Sun. When the son of the club's owner, Vinnie (Lyle Kanouse), is found murdered, Ray's boss, Tony (Dominic Purcell), suggests that Ray use his policing skills to track down the killer. However, the police themselves are on the case and already have a killer firmly in mind: Ray.

When Nola turns eight, her father gives her a wonderful present: a music box that belonged to her late mother. As the young girl studies her new gift, she is shocked to find someone living inside it! That’s when Nola shrinks down and enters the music box too. There she discovers the magical world of Pandorient and a pair of siblings named Andrea and Igor. But time is short: Andrea and Igor’s mother, Mathilda, has fallen seriously ill. What’s wrong with her? Could she have been poisoned? Find out in the first volume of this enchanting graphic novel series that will leave fantasy fans spellbound.

Having recently discovered the world of Pandorient, Nola can’t resist the temptation to go back. When she does, she finds the streets packed for a grand celebration, and it’s not easy for Nola to blend in. Luckily, Anton the great Merlinian is there to give her camouflage powder. But there’s no time for festivities! Nola, Igor and Andrea have mysteries to solve... like revealing the secret of Cyprian, Anton’s son. On top of that, will they be able to thwart the terrible plot brewing in the shadows? Find out in the second volume of this enchanting graphic novel series that will leave fantasy fans spellbound.

After Siloé and her half-brothers unexpectedly entered the Hexaworld, Nola learned a lot about her mother and the history of Pandorient. But the unanswered questions multiply when she discovers a strange key at home. What could it possibly open? To find out, Nola returns to Pandorient, only to learn of a disturbing disappearance. Are Nola, Igor and Andrea ready for an investigation that could turn life in Pandorient upside down? Will the secrets behind the strange key open a door to adventure or disaster? Find out in the fourth volume of this enchanting graphic novel series that will leave fantasy fans spellbound.

When she gets home from school, Nola senses a strange presence. What’s happening? Has someone from Pandorient crossed into her Hexaworld? With help from Igor and Andrea, the mysterious trespasser is unmasked. What a reckless breach! Anton and Mathilda were very clear: no one should pass through the gates of Pandorient and into the Hexaworld! So when a group of Pandorientians appears in Nola’s room on a quest to find Pandoccident, she and her friends fear the worst. Are both worlds now in danger? Find out in the third volume of this enchanting graphic novel series that will leave fantasy fans spellbound.

An all-new Step 3 Step into Reading leveled Reader that is based on Nickelodeon's Rugrats! Susie, Chuckie, and Tommy are ready for a fun day at a sci-fi convention with their dads. But when they think they find a famous space villain, they end up having an out-of-this-world adventure. Both girls and boys, 5 to 7 years old, who are fans Nickelodeon's animated series will love this hilarious Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader. Step 3 Readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

In 2015, Matteo Renzi's government continued to elicit contrasting reactions while dealing with both internal and external constraints. Some say it passed crucial reforms for economic development in fields such as the labor market, the banking system, education, and public administration, in addition to passing a new electoral law. However, others criticize the substance and, even more, the way reforms were passed by constructing variable parliamentary majorities according to the vote at hand, thus avoiding the need to build consensual decision-making relationships with interest groups and further centralizing power in the office of the prime minister. Be that as it may, the government was able to impose its own agenda in domestic affairs. Although the success of the 2015 Universal Exposition in Milan helped to bolster the image of the country, Italy continued to play a marginal role in key international areas, such as migration, European austerity policies, and the fight against terrorism.

The principle of policy coherence has been the object of a contentious debate in the European Union's external relations, though discussions have been mainly limited to its foreign policy and its ability to speak with one voice in the international arena. Despite being institutionalised in the Treaty of Maastricht, policy coherence for development (PCD), which implies taking into account the needs and interests of developing countries in non-aid policies, failed to make headway in the European Union, remaining the unheeded concern of some NGOs and a small group of Member States. A change of direction occurred in the early 2000s when the European Commission, taking advantage of a number of favourable conditions and using an astute strategy, managed to set an ambitious agenda for the European Union. This volume analyses the linkages between aid and various non-aid policies, namely trade, agriculture, fisheries, security, migration, and the social dimension of globalisation. Its aim is to shed new light on the EU's policy-making process, by looking at the nexus between various policy sub-systems, and on the role that the EU wants to play in the international arena, by looking at the impact of its policies on international development.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

This book discusses the domestic politics of treaty reform in the European Union, from the failed referendums on the Constitutional Treaty held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 to the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in December 2009. The chapters, written by some of the finest scholars in the field of EU/European politics, show how European integration has increasingly become a contested issue in a majority of Member States. Going beyond the view that national governments are the main, if not the sole, driving force in the process of European integration, this book shows that other actors and factors have played a central role in preference formation and inter-state bargaining. These include: political parties, public opinion, the media, presidents, constitutional courts and, more broadly, political systems, ratification hurdles and the general negotiation context.National Politics and European Integration combines empirical analysis and theoretical explanations for one of the most controversial periods in the history of the European Union. This important book will be of great interest for advanced students in EU studies, comparative politics and public policy.

A board book based on The Lorax for Dr. Seuss's youngest fans-perfect for encouraging a love of nature! The Lorax shares his love of animals and plants and need to "speak for the trees" in this simple, sturdy board book about caring for the environment. Printed on recycled board and written in rhymed verse, it's an ideal introduction to the story for toddlers and preschoolers too young for the classic picture book. Now everyone in the family-even pre-readers-can take pleasure in the frolics of the Brown Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, and Humming-Fish and embrace Dr. Seuss's timely message about protecting the planet!

Gender considerations and civil society are both major issues in the current debate about the implementation of EU development policy. This volume provides a new perspective and focus on the increasingly important issues of gender equality, democracy and participation to explain how they impact on policy. This book will appeal to those interested in the European Union, in EU external relations, gender issues, civil society, and development.

Carbon materials pervade many aspects of modern life, from fuels and building materials to consumer goods and commodity chemicals. Reaching net-zero emissions will require replacing existing fossil-carbon-based systems with circular-carbon economies that transform wastes like CO2 into useful materials. This report evaluates market opportunities and infrastructure needs to help decision makers better understand how carbon dioxide utilization can contribute to a net-zero emissions future. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction and Scope 2 Existing Infrastructure for CO2 Utilization 3 Potential Uses of CO2 in Commercial Products 4 Infrastructure Considerations for CO2 Utilization 5 Policy, Regulatory, and Societal Considerations for CO2 Utilization Systems 6 Priority Infrastructure Opportunities for CO2 Utilization Appendixes Appendix A: Committee Member Biographies Appendix B: Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Appendix C: Information-Gathering Activities Appendix D: Acronyms and Abbreviations

Over the last few decades, research in elastic-plastic torsion theory, electrostatic screening, and rubber-like nonlinear elastomers has pointed the way to some interesting new classes of minimum problems for energy functionals of the calculus of variations. This advanced-level monograph addresses these issues by developing the framework of a general theory of integral representation, relaxation, and homogenization for unbounded functionals. The first part of the book builds the foundation for the general theory with concepts and tools from convex analysis, measure theory, and the theory of variational convergences. The authors then introduce some function spaces and explore some lower semicontinuity and minimization problems for energy functionals. Next, they survey some specific aspects the theory of standard functionals. The second half of the book carefully develops a theory of unbounded, translation invariant functionals that leads to results deeper than those already known, including unique extension properties, representation as integrals of the calculus of variations, relaxation theory, and homogenization processes. In this study, some new phenomena are pointed out. The authors' approach is unified and elegant, the text well written, and the results intriguing and useful, not just in various fields of mathematics, but also in a range of applied mathematics, physics, and material science disciplines.

The International Society of Family Law is an independent, international, and non-political scholarly association dedicated to the study, research and discussion of family law and related disciplines. The Society’s membership currently includes professors, lecturers, scholars, teachers, and researchers from more than 50 different countries, offering a unique opportunity for networking within a truly international family law community. The International Survey of Family Law is the annual review of the International Society of Family Law. It brings together reliable and clearly structured insights into the latest and most notable developments in family law from all around the globe. Chapters are prepared by an international team of selected experts in the field, usually covering 20 or more jurisdictions in each edition. The 2022 edition of the International Survey includes an extraordinarily broad review of developments from around the world. It examines the incorporation of international treaties and European law into national adjudications, the impact of COVID-19 on custody and other family law developments, the changing demographic pressures that influence family organisation, the ability of different legal systems to manage the parallel religious and secular concerns underlying family governance, the challenges of immigration and cross-border disputes for family law, and a review of different countries’ approaches to family recognition, child and spousal support, custody, inheritance and other traditional family law topics.

The European Union in Africa: Incoherent policies, asymmetrical partnership, declining relevance? provides a comprehensive analysis of EU-Africa relations since the beginning of the twenty-first century and includes contributions from leading experts in the field of EU external relations. It seeks to explain how the relationship evolved through discussion of a number of different policies and agreements, ranging from established areas such as aid, agriculture, trade and security, to new areas such as migration, climate change, energy and social policies. This book successfully challenges a number of widely-held assumptions on the role of the EU in Africa, and at the same time sheds light on the role and identity of the EU in the international arena. It will be of great interest to students and scholars in the field of EU external relations as well as practitioners of international development. -- .

There are little doubts that Italy has attempted to play a more assertive role in the international arena since the end of the Cold War. During the first forty years of its Republican history, conditioned by both the polarized international context and an antagonistic domestic political system, Italy delegated its main choices in international affairs to external actors, most notably NATO and the European Union. The transition from a bipolar to a unipolar/multipolar world order provided Italy with new opportunities to pursue its political and commercial interests more autonomously, as well as new responsibilities, to actively contribute to solving conflicts and addressing new global threats. At the same time, the collapse of the traditional parties (linked to the fall of the Berlin wall and the Clean Hands enquiries) and the changes of the electoral law (from a proportional representation into a quasi-majoritarian system) generated two heterogeneous coalitions which have regularly alternated in power, but do not always share the same views and approaches-with differences at times of form, and more often of substance. Against this background, Italy in the Post-Cold War Order: Adaptation, Bipartisanship, Visibility, edited by Maurizio Carbone, seeks to explain the evolution of Italy's international action over a twenty-year span (1989 2009). Three central questions are addressed. First, how does Italy adapt to transformations of the international system? Second, how does its ever-changing political system influence Italy's choices in foreign relations? Third, how do domestic structures constrain (or enable) Italy's place on the world stage? To answer these questions, this book consists of two broad parts. The first part sets the context and discusses issues 'horizontally, ' focusing on foreign policy, security and defense policy, development cooperation, and multilateral action. The second part, which takes a 'vertical' approach, discusses Italy's relations with key countries and regions of the world