Existing models are based on indirect measures of how infectious an animal is a cow with high levels of the virus in its blood, for instance, is assumed to be able to infect other animals.

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Much of its success in recent years has been due to exports, and Beijing's initial response to shrinking consumer demand around the world has been to boost this critical sector, which now accounts for about 38% of the Chinese economy, by direct and indirect measures.

FORBES: The second in a four-part series. See Part One.

"German resistance to direct and indirect policy measures on the part of the ECB to lower Spanish and Italian bond yields has risen over the past several months, " he said.

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They state that there are limitations to this data in that the study did not define how these levels were determined or how inter-rater agreement was determined, besides the fact that these tasks are indirect academic measures.

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At a time when the middle and working classes are subjected to rigorous austerity measures including higher direct and indirect taxes, delayed retirement and increased costs for public services, the government of Prime Minister Mario Monti wants to prove that the traditional exceptions for the rich are over.

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Twenty-four states allow direct initiatives (citizens putting measures directly on the ballot), indirect initiatives (first going through a state's legislature before being put onto the ballot), or both.

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