Recent Developments in International Relations in the Light of the Syrian Crisis

2017 ◽  
pp. 198-223
Author(s):  
Alexia-Nefeli Douma
Keyword(s):  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Security Systems ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Syrian Crisis ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Present Case Study

Much ink has already been spilt on the unprecedented terrorist attack in Paris on November 13, 2015 in an atmosphere of endless despair. Many characterize it as the “new 9-11”. Nevertheless, they tend to defy the significant fact that that attack was launched by an acknowledged organization, Al-Qaeda, acting as a frontispiece of the Afghan state. In the present case study, the current threat is of a much larger extent and ambit, gradually conquering the globe. What one needs to conceive is that ISIS enjoys no single and specific nationality- on the contrary, it operates as an amorphous mass, a totality achieved as a result of illegal forms of collaboration and interstate crime in countless regions of the world, though serving a common purpose: the violation of security, democracy and freedom of expression. The ultimate goal of the organization is the breakdown of democratic regimes and the emergence of the Caliphate as a global superpower that will handle telecommunications, (inter) governmental, (inter) state security systems, and so on. One thing is for sure: Islam serves as the pretext for these modern bloody crusades. No religion that respects itself preaches and initiates a “holy war”; a war that is being constantly heretically interpreted- to say the least. Global co-operations frequently alter, as the international components are defined by ephemeral alliances, perhaps with classic conflicting interests, such as the US-Russia common goal opponent against ISIS. Parallel to that, other fronts hover vis-à-vis the question of military intervention of France and USA-UK in the disputed area of Raqqa, the struggle between Turkey and Russia around the management of natural resources not only on their behalf, but also in terms of ISIS, the implementation of geopolitical strategies over the area along with the future of millions of Syrians, who were accounted for either as refugees in neighboring countries, such as Lebanon, or Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). The recent EU-Turkey Ankara Summit on refugees ignited hot debate over the way in which the Schengen area should be further fostered via the creation of the so-called “refugee hot-spots” within the Turkish territory.

A Case Study of Psychopathology and Personality Processes in Twins of Indian Origin

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saranya Banerjee ◽  
Deepshikha Ray
Keyword(s):  
Twin Studies ◽  
Thematic Apperception Test ◽  
Psychometric Assessment ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Indian Origin ◽  
Thematic Apperception ◽  
Inkblot Test ◽  
Present Case Study

Twin studies have mostly focused on the pattern of maladaptive behaviour manifested by the twins and their biological basis but the findings have remained controversial till date. The present case study explores the psychopathology in 14 year old twins of Indian origin. They were referred for psychometric assessment and psychotherapy for their conduct problems. The tools administered on them during psychometric assessment are Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV (WISC-IV), Rorschach Inkblot Test (RIBT) and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Findings are discussed in terms of the personality processes and relationship quality of the twins.

A LOOK INTO THE EARTH: EVALUATING THE USE OF MAGNETIC SURVEY IN AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGY

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Magnavita ◽  
Norbert Schleifer
Keyword(s):  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Magnetic Survey ◽  
The Past ◽  
Common Technique ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Prehistoric Settlements ◽  
Present Case Study

In the last decades, geophysical methods such as magnetic survey have become a common technique for prospecting archaeological sites. At sub-Saharan archaeological sites, however, magnetic survey and correlated techniques never came into broad use and there are no signs for an immediate change of this situation. This paper examines the magnetic survey undertaken on the Nigerian site of Zilum, a settlement of the Gajiganna Culture (ca 1800-400 BC) located in the Chad Basin and dated to ca 600-400 BC. By means of the present case study, we demonstrate the significance of this particular type of investigation in yielding complementary data for understanding the character of prehistoric settlements. In conclusion, we point out that geophysical methods should play a more important role in modern archaeological field research, as they furnish a class of documentation not achievable by traditional survey and excavation methods, thus creating new perspectives for interpreting the past of African societies.

A general practice provider federation in a mixed health economy in England: a case study investigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X696929
Author(s):  
Jill Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Health Economy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The North ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Collaborative Working ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThere is an emerging debate that general practice in its current format is out-dated and there is a requirement to move to a federated model of provision where groups of Practices come together. The emergence of federations has developed over the past 5 years but the factors that influence how federations develop and the impact of this new model is an under researched area.AimThe study explored the rationale around why a group of independent GP practices opted to pursue an alternative business venture and the benefits that this strategy offered.MethodA single organisational case study of a federation in the North of England was conducted between 2011–2016. Mixed methods data collection included individual and group semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys.ResultsFederations promote collaborative working, relying on strategic coherence of multiple individual GP practices through a shared vision and common purpose. Findings revealed many complexities in implementing a common strategy across multiple independent businesses. The ability of the federation to gain legitimacy was two dimensional – externally and internally. The venture had mixed successes, but their approach to quality improvement proved innovative and demonstrated outcomes on a population basis. The study identified significant pressures that practices were experiencing and the need to seek alternative ways of working but there was no shared vision or inclination to relinquish individual practice autonomy.ConclusionOrganisational development support is critical to reform General Practice. Whether central funding through the GP Five Year Forward View will achieve the scale of change required is yet to be evidenced.

PROCESSING AND IMAGING OF MARINE SEISMIC DATA FROM THE JEQUITINHONHA BASIN (BAHIA, BRAZIL)

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourenildo W.B. Leite ◽  
J. Mann ◽  
Wildney W.S. Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Marine Seismic ◽  
Present Case Study

ABSTRACT. The present case study results from a consistent processing and imaging of marine seismic data from a set collected over sedimentary basins of the East Brazilian Atlantic. Our general aim is... RESUMO. O presente artigo resulta de um processamento e imageamento consistentes de dados sísmicos marinhos de levantamento realizado em bacias sedimentares do Atlântico do Nordeste...

scholarly journals A Business Model Framework to Characterize Digital Multisided Platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Ardolino ◽  
Nicola Saccani ◽  
Federico Adrodegari ◽  
Marco Perona
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The One

Businesses grounded upon multisided platforms (MSPs) are found in a growing number of industries, thanks to the recent developments in Internet and digital technologies. Digital MSPs enable multiple interactions among users of different sides through information and communication technologies. The understanding of the characteristics and constituents of MSPs is fragmented along different literature streams. Moreover, very few empirical studies have been carried out to date. In order to fill this gap, this paper presents a three-level framework that describes a digital MSP. The proposed framework is based on literature analysis and multiple case study. On the one hand, the framework can be used to describe MSP as it provides an operationalization of the concept through the identification of specific dimensions, variables and items; on the other hand, it can be used as an assessment tool by practitioners, as exemplified by the three empirical applications presented in this paper.

Municipal solid waste management in refugee hosting communities: Analysis of a case study in northern Jordan

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2199465
Author(s):  
Silvia Gibellini ◽  
Hani Abu Qdais ◽  
Mentore Vaccari
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste Management ◽  
Syrian Crisis ◽  
Syrian Civil War ◽  
Great Pressure ◽  
Citizen Perceptions

The Syrian civil war, which broke out in 2011, caused the displacement of more than one million refugees to Jordan. Most of them settled in the Northern Govenorates of Jordan. Due to this, the local services and infrastructures of the hosting communities, in particular the solid waste management (SWM), were put under great pressure. The aim of this study is to evaluate how the off-camp refugees impacted the SWM in the Greater Irbid Municipality (GIM; in the Irbid Governorate), both quantitatively and qualitatively. Data and results obtained from the studies carried out before the Syrian crisis are compared with data collected by the authors in 2016 using similar or comparable methodologies. Moreover, local citizen perceptions of and satisfaction with the solid waste (SW) service level were assessed. A deterioration of the SWM in GIM between 2011 and 2016 was observed in terms of service performance indicators (e.g., an increase of SW collection and transportation costs by 2.5 times and of fines for improper SW disposal by 2.2 times) and of citizens’ views (a decline in SWM quality was felt by 59% of the respondents). An attempt to cope with this situation has been made in recent years with international donors mobilizing efforts and resources to enable municipalities to meet the growing demand in basic SW services. There is however, still much to be done.

Assessing Bypassed Hydrocarbons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Oifoghe ◽  
Nora Alarcon ◽  
Lucrecia Grigoletto
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Reservoir Characterization ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
West African ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The West ◽  
Present Case Study ◽  
Novel Model

Abstract Hydrocarbons are bypassed in known fields. This is due to reservoir heterogeneities, complex lithology, and limitations of existing technology. This paper seeks to identify the scenarios of bypassed hydrocarbons, and to highlight how advances in reservoir characterization techniques have improved assessment of bypassed hydrocarbons. The present case study is an evaluation well drilled on the continental shelf, off the West African Coastline. The targeted thin-bedded reservoir sands are of Cenomanian age. Some technologies for assessing bypassed hydrocarbon include Gamma Ray Spectralog and Thin Bed Analysis. NMR is important for accurate reservoir characterization of thinly bedded reservoirs. The measured NMR porosity was 15pu, which is 42% of the actual porosity. Using the measured values gave a permeability of 5.3mD as against the actual permeability of 234mD. The novel model presented in this paper increased the porosity by 58% and the permeability by 4315%.

scholarly journals Physical Evolution of Solutions in Response to the Contact of Water with Beans: Case Study of Soaking and Boiling

2021 ◽  
pp. 76-95
Author(s):  
J. C. Fopoussi Tuebue ◽  
I. N. Tchinda
Keyword(s):  
Human Urine ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Phaseolus Vulgaris L ◽  
Specific Behavior ◽  
Cooking Process ◽  
Infiltration Tests ◽  
Present Case Study ◽  
Shed Light

The present paper aims to highlight the physical evolution of solutions from soaking and beans cooking process. This is motivated by the desire to shed light on the particular behavior of the bean end-of-cooking solutions when they are incorporated into the soil. For that purpose, solutions from soaking were produced by putting in contact 2kg of sorted and quickly washed beans seed with 8kg of water with known physical characteristics. Concerning the solutions from cooked beans, they were produced by putting on fire the pot containing the mixture of the water from soaking and bean seeds. The beans were a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris L.,known as “Meringue”. The cooking process was done without salts. The samples of solutions were collected as follow: 30 and 60 minutes respectively after the beginning of the soaking, 30, 60, and 90 minutes after the beginning of the cooking process of the beans soaked during 60 minutes. After each sampling, the equal volume of the solution collected was replaced with the water used for the cooking process. The color of the water used for the cooking process is translucent. Concerning solutions from soaking, their coloration are gradually reddish. Solutions from soaking and cooking process became abruptly dark red. From 60 minutes of the cooking process after soaking, the dark red coloration turn to strong brown. The solution handled in the case of the present study, from soaking and cooking the beans are gradually enriched in flakes compared to the situation noticed in the water used for the cooking process. But, the enrichment becomes abruptly high with the beginning of the cooking process after the process of soaking. In terms of consequence, their physical parameters studied in the present case study all increase in the same manner, notably the mass, the volumetric mass, and the density of the different solutions. The infiltration tests made including the water used for the different processes, solutions form the end of cooking the beans, and human urine show that the infiltration rate of the water from cooked beans is very low compared to that of the water used for the processes and human urine. The total infiltration of solution of the end of cooking the bean reveals on the infiltration surface the presence of a film of a matter bearing molds, generated by the progressive settling of this solution. The correlations established between the different parameters followed up here are highly positive. But in detail, the influence of an under laid parameter, known here as temperature, has been identified as being the responsible of the questioned behavior of the parameters taken in pairs in the case of correlation studies made. Finally, from this work, it emerges that the specific behavior of the bean end-of-cooking solution when it is introduced into the soil is justified by its progressive enrichment in organic matter during the cooking process.

scholarly journals A conceptual simulation workflow to guide design decisions regarding the effects of daylight on occupants’ alertness

2021 ◽  
Vol 2042 (1) ◽  
pp. 012116
Author(s):  
Pierson Clotilde ◽  
Soto Magán Victoria Eugenia ◽  
Aarts Mariëlle ◽  
Andersen Marilyne
Keyword(s):  
Light Exposure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Spectral Simulation ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Recent developments in the lighting research field have demonstrated the importance of a proper exposure to light to mediate several of our behavioral and physiological responses. However, we spend nowadays around 90% of our time indoors with an often quite limited access to bright daylight. To be able to anticipate how much the built environment actually influences our light exposure, and how much it may ultimately impact our health, well-being, and productivity, new computational tools are needed. In this paper, we present a first attempt at a simulation workflow that integrates a spectral simulation tool with a light-driven prediction model of alertness. The goal is to optimize the effects of light on building occupants, by informing the decision makers about the impact of different design choices. The workflow is applied to a case study to provide an example of what learnings can be expected from it.

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