The Terrorist Act as Communicator

Propaganda of the Deed has shifted its center of gravity since its emergence in the anarchist repertoire of the late 19th century. The act of terror as an act of communications faltered when anarchists failed to dominate the means of distributing their messages to a mass population. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the dynamism of mass media and prevalence of digitally connected consumers of historical media technologies and newer social media platforms have allowed state challengers to find support more easily and more rapidly at the grass roots. Chapter 1 draws on late 19th century anarchism, World War 1 propaganda, post-colonial struggles, Afghanistan’s Taliban, and al-Qaeda to chart changes in political communications in diverse conflict theatres.

El Banco Asiático de Inversión en Infraestructura apuntando al camino del medio: uniéndose a las filas de los Bancos Multilaterales de Desarrollo, pero con características chinas

En junio del 2016 fue aprobado el primer proyecto del Banco Asiático de Inversión en Infraestructura y una de las preocupaciones de los expertos es que esta nueva institución puede ser flexible con respecto a las condiciones de los préstamos y salvaguardas, argumentando que los creadores de este banco carecen de experiencia suficiente para mantener altos estándares establecidos por los otros bancos multilaterales. En contraste, otros especialistas destacan que la participación de China en el financiamiento a nivel internacional no es nada nuevo. Durante la última década, China ha permitido que los bancos de desarrollo estatales otorguen créditos no concesionales. Este artículo analiza ambos enfoques y los contrasta con un análisis comparativo del diseño de los bancos de desarrollo regionales y el nuevo banco multilateral liderado por China. Además, analiza la orientación de las políticas de crédito y salvaguardas de los 21 primeros proyectos aprobados por AIIB hasta el 2017. El nuevo banco esta apuntando al camino del medio: por un lado, uniéndose a las filas de los principales bancos multilaterales, pero al mismo tiempo, tratando de ser una institución con una visión sur a sur: ágil, respetando las políticas internas de cada país y enfocada en el nicho de los proyectos de infraestructura. In June 2016 the first project of the AIIB was approved and some experts' concern is if this new institution can be flexible with respect to the conditions of the loans and safeguards, arguing that the creators of this bank lack enough experience to maintain high standards established by the other multilateral banks. In contrast, other specialists point out that China's participation in financing at an international level is nothing new. Over the past decade, China has allowed state development banks to grant non-concessional loans. This article analyzes both approaches and contrasts them with a comparative analysis of the design of the regional development banks and the new multilateral bank led by China. In addition, it analyzes the orientation of the credit policies and safeguards of the first 21 projects approved by AIIB until 2017. The new bank is treading the middle path: on the one hand, joining the ranks of the main multilateral banks, but at the same time, trying to be an institution with a south-south vision: agile, respecting the internal policies of each country and focused on the niche of infrastructure projects.

Unearthing money laundering at Brazilian oil giant Petrobras

Purpose This paper aims to provide an overview of key points pertaining to financial crimes taking place during the single largest fraud scandal in Brazilian history. The authors provide details on how the historic fraud was carried out at Petrobras, as well as an overview of recent anti-money laundering regulation in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an analysis of the scandal and on legal ramifications enacted by the prevailing Public Ministry taking place through the “Lava Jato” operation. Findings Fraud perpetrators continue to find new ways to move laundered money into campaign finance. The authors provide details on how the scheme was perpetrated at the placement, layering and integration stages. Research limitations/implications This study comprehends the first stage of the Federal Police’s operation, comprising 14 allegations of financial crimes. Practical implications A disconnect between regulations in effect and the reality of money laundering in Brazil over several years has failed to impede numerous cases of fraud. However, changes in legislation have allowed state agents to discover cases of fraud, with more and more wrongdoings being investigated. Originality/value The Petrobras fraud, individual experiences of organized financial crime and a widespread lack of understanding of how to detect and prevent fraud on this scale.

How Red Tides Impact Manatees

One of Florida's keystone species, manatees help to maintain healthy coastal and riverine ecosystems and are economically important for many coastal communities. Effective protection measures implemented in Florida for many years allowed state and federal regulators to reclassify manatees from Endangered to Threatened in 2017. Red tides, especially persistent blooms during winter months, can be one of the largest killers of Florida manatees, and they may become endangered again if they are subjected to increased mortality and stress. Understanding how red tides affect manatees and how can you help is critical. This 5-page fact sheet written by Brittany Hall-Scharf and Armando Ubeda and published by the UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant College Program will explain what red tides are, how they harm manatees, and what you can do to help. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sg188

Invoking ultralong room temperature phosphorescence of purely organic compounds through H-aggregation engineering

Splitting energy (Δε)-controlled thermally activated reversed phase transformation from the low-lying dark state to the high-lying transition-allowed state of H-aggregation plays a key role in the organic ultralong room-temperature phosphorescence.

El enfermo venéreo, ¿víctima o criminal? El delito de contagio venéreo en México en la primera mitad del siglo xx

La lucha antivenérea en México evidenció ambivalencias frente a los enfermos, en ocasiones vistos como víctimas dignas de compasión y otras tantas como criminales merecedores de castigo. La legislación penal tipificó el delito de contagio venéreo (1929 y 1931) y permitió la intervención estatal sobre los cuerpos de los enfermos para determinar su inocencia o culpabilidad. El artículo analiza los debates médicos acerca de la penalización del contagio venéreo. Asimismo, presenta el estudio de cuatro juicios de amparo por este delito en los que quedaron de manifiesto ideas, valores y representaciones sobre la sexualidad masculina y femenina. The struggle against venereal disease in Mexico demonstrates ambivalence towards sick people, who are sometimes regarded as victims in need of compassion and at other times as criminals who deserve punishment. The penal code classified the crime of venereal contagion (1929 and 1931) and allowed state intervention in relation to the bodies of ill people in order to establish their innocence or culpability. This article analyzes medical debates around the criminalization of venereal contagion. As evidence, it presents a study of four cases of protection for this crime which demonstrate the ideas, values and representations of masculine and feminine sexuality.

Estudios de ignorancia, inteligencia y la guerra contra las drogas en Colombia/ Ignorance studies, intelligence and the war on drugs in Colombia

Resumen Los enormes recursos invertidos en la inteligencia en la guerra contra las drogas han permitido a las agencias estatales acumular un importante conocimiento sobre el actuar de las redes internacionales del narcotráfico. La inteligencia juega un papel central en la planeación y conducción de operaciones de interdicción marítima. La utilización de la inteligencia en este tipo de operaciones tiene, sin embargo, limitaciones; y no menos importante, la interpretación y reinterpretación que se hace de los resultados. Propongo que los estudios de ignorancia pueden servir para explicar estos resultados paradójicos, así como el rol y los límites de la inteligencia en la guerra contra las drogas. En este artículo se reflexiona sobre las posibilidades de los estudios de ignorancia para entender las diferentes interpretaciones del uso de la inteligencia y los resultados de esta. El presente análisis se basa en una serie de entrevistas realizadas a miembros de la Armada en diversas partes del país. Abstract The enormous resources invested in intelligence in the war on drugs have allowed state agencies to accumulate a valuable knowledge about the actions of international drug trafficking networks. Intelligence plays a central role in planning and conducting maritime interdiction operations. The use of intelligence in this type of operations, however, has limitations, not least the interpretation and reinterpretation of the results. I propose that studies of ignorance can serve to explain these paradoxical results, as well as the role and limits of intelligence in the war on drugs. In this article, we reflect on the possibilities of ignorance studies to understand the different interpretations of the use of intelligence and the results of this. The present analysis was based on a series of interviews with members of the Navy in various regions of the country.

DISORDER-INDUCED RELAXATION OF FRENKEL EXCITONS IN MOLECULAR AGGREGATES

A model, based on the intraband scattering of excitons in one-dimensional J-aggregates is proposed to describe the lengthening of the experimentally observed radiative lifetime with temperature. According to this mechanism, the exciton-phonon scattering transfers the oscillator strength fromt he lowest k≅0 optically allowed state to the other states within the excitonic band. A Pauli master equation, in which the hopping rates are calculated, is used to describe the thermalization of the excitonic band. Assuming a fast relaxation mechanism, the temperature dependence of the exciton radiative lifetime is simulated for various chain lengths.