507 research outputs found
Victoria Samson
No full textVictoria Samson is the Washington Office Director for Secure World Foundation and has nearly twenty years of experience in military space and security issues.
Before joining SWF, Ms. Samson served as a Senior Analyst for the Center for Defense Information (CDI), where she leveraged her expertise in missile defense, nuclear reductions, and space security issues to conduct in-depth analysis and media commentary. Prior to her time at CDI, Ms. Samson was the Senior Policy Associate at the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers, a consortium of arms control groups in the Washington, D.C. area, where she worked with Congressional staffers, members of the media, embassy officials, citizens, and think-tanks on issues surrounding dealing with national missile defense and nuclear weapons reductions. Before that, she was a researcher at Riverside Research Institute, where she worked on war-gaming scenarios for the Missile Defense Agency\u27s Directorate of Intelligence.
Known throughout the space and security arena as a thought leader on policy and budgetary issues, Ms. Samson is often interviewed by multinational media outlets, including the New York Times, Space News, and NPR. She is also a prolific author of numerous op-eds, analytical pieces, journal articles, and updates on missile defense and space security matters. Read Ms. Samson\u27s publications.https://commons.erau.edu/stm-images/1096/thumbnail.jp
Austin also must be remembered. The Augustinian legacy in Milton's work
No full textWhen I started working on this project, with a limited knowledge of Augustine, but determined to spot his presence in Miltonâs poetry, I was little aware of the intricacy of the relationship between the two authors. At this stage of my research, I do subscribe to Savoyeâs opinion, that this relationship is pervasive. However, one could safely add, it is as pervasive as it is hidden, primarily because of changed cultural paradigms, so that Miltonâs references are no longer familiar to the reader.
As I have pointed out in my presentation of the state of the art, these articulations are hardly made explicit in Miltonâs Oeuvre and also in critical literature they are hardly brought to the surface. My objective has been to make them a little more visible.
I have started my own process of discovery from the works where Milton more openly (but not completely) acknowledges his Augustinian sources, although arguably mediated. As concerns Samson Agonistes, I have presented a reading through Augustinian lenses. I am by no means claiming that mine is the best of all possible readings, but through those lenses I have been able to see a coherence, in Miltonâs dramatic poem, that is not generally recognized.
On the other hand, I thoroughly agree that âone cannot simply take any English poet and turn the post-structuralist critical machine loose on him or her in good faithâ. In particular, I am aware that I have read Miltonâs works against the current critical grain which, with a powerful turn impressed by Empsonâs Miltonâs God, is continually surfacing Miltonâs idiosyncrasies in order to cancel the received picture of a Christian author. Rather, I agree with Cirillo that Miltonâs perspective is that of âa professed Christian poet whose Christian consciousness, no matter how heterodox, colored virtually everything he wrote.â.We may ask, echoing Febvre on Rabelais, âMais de quel christianisme? In accordance with very traditional, even traditionalist Milton Criticism, I think it can safely be stated that Milton is a post-Reformation religious author, and one whose endeavour to âjustify the ways of God to menâ had to come to terms with the difficult task to find signs of providential history in the aftermath of a civil war and in the adverse context of the Restoration. His last published poems deal with this problem in different terms. As readers, we can come to different conclusions as to the texts. Behind them there is the man, âest abyssus humanae conscientiae,â in front of which, after Augustine, I can only say: "nescio"
Evaluation of SAMSON for use in a South Platte decision support system
No full textDecember 1996.The South Platte River basin is a tributary of the Missouri River. Three states share the basin (Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming), with most of the basin in Colorado (79 percent). Colorado's population has been growing rapidly, especially in Front-Range cities, increasing the demand on water resources in the basin. Highly productive plains agriculture is also a substantial user of water resources and new uses also can be expected for wildlife and recreation. A decision support system (DSS) is being planned by the State of Colorado for water management in South Platte River Basin. Anticipated needs of the system include data development and some model development specific to the South Platte. Due to the unique characteristics of the South Platte River Basin, the implementation of this framework is expected to be slightly different from other basins in Colorado. The SAMSON (Stream-Aquifer Model for Management by SimulatiON) Model, developed in the 1980s specifically for the South Platte River Basin, has been recommended by past studies for use in a South Platte DSS. This report provides and analysis of the current SAMSON model. The conclusions of this report recommend that SAMSON in its present form not be used as part of a DSS, largely due to recent developments in modeling philosophy, application, and use. SAMSON proved the entire South Platte River Basin system could be effectively modeled, and pointed to the priorities for data collection and development. Components of SAMSON could be part of future DSS systems, but they should be separated into individual modules and evaluated individually against existing models. In summary, the analysis of SAMSON clearly show the need for a modular and data-centered approach for a South Platte DSS.Grant no. 14-08-0001-G2008/5 Project no. 09; financed in part by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, through the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute
Project: Children and youth center "SAMSON"
No full textMaģistra darba mērķis ir SIA „SAMSON” - bērnu un jauniešu centra - dibināšana. Bērnu centrs sniegs tādus sporta pakalpojumus kā karatē un vispārattīstoša vingrošana. Latvijā ir daudz sporta uzņēmumu, kas darbojas šajā jomā, tomēr autore nolēma dibināt sporta klubu Imantas rajonā, kur šobrīd jau eksistē vairāki sporta klubi, bet tie piedāvā tikai vienu sporta pakalpojuma veidu. Līdz ar to jaunam, topošam uzņēmumam SIA „SAMSON” - bērnu un jauniešu centram- būs mazāka konkurence un vairāk iespēju popularizēt un attīstīt sporta jomu noteiktā rajonā. Mūsdienās sabiedrība sāk vairāk pievērst uzmanību savam fiziskajam stāvoklim, rūpējas par veselības uzlabošanu. Vecāki arī domā par bērnu veselību un ved bērnus uz sporta nodarbībām. Līdz ar to autorei radās ideja izveidot bērnu un jauniešu sporta centru.The aim goal of the project is Ltd. Children and Youth Centre „SAMSON” foundation. The children center will give such sport services, as karate and gymnastics. Latvia has many sports companies operating in this field, however, the author has decided to establish a sports club in Imanta district, where there are sports clubs, but they offer only one type of sports service. Consequently, Ltd. Children and Youth Centre „SAMSON” will have less competition and more opportunities to promote and develop the sport in a given area. Today, people pay more attention to their physical condition, taking care of health. Parents also think about children's health and brought children to sports activities. Thus, the author have children and youth sports center creation idea
Absolute values only show part of the whole : evidence of P limitation in legumes in the CFR from N:P ratios
No full textThe influence of nutrient limitation in legumes and non-legumes was studied in the field, on nutrient poor and nutrient rich sites in the CFR in the western Cape of South Africa. 6 species of legume and 11 species of non-legume, along with their corresponding soils were taken for macro and micronutrient analysis. Results indicate that legume soils were more nutrient rich than non-legume soils, with Na, K, Mg, Ca and C being higher in at least one of the legume soils. pH was significantly lower in 2 of the legume soils. Resultantly, this enhancing nutrient availability. Legume plants were more nutrient rich than non-legumes, with significantly higher Zn, Fe, P, C and N concentrations, and lower C:N and C:P ratios. Legumes appeared to have a more efficient nutrient uptake strategy. However, the higher N:P ratio of legumes suggests that despite higher absolute nutrient concentrations, legumes were P limited. This study confirms that legumes are more P stressed than non-legumes in the CFR
Relationship between Aspalathus linearis (Burm. F.) R. Dahlgren (rooibos) growth and soil moisture in a glasshouse and in the DSSAT-CSM crop model
No full textClimate change and drought pose a major threat to agriculture and water resources globally and for rooibos (Aspalathus linearis (Burm. F.) R. Dahlgren) production in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Rooibos is adapted to the coarse, nutrient poor, acidic, well-drained, deep sandy soil of the Fynbos biome. The region has a Mediterranean climate, which is characterised by wet cold winters, with an average annual rainfall of about 375 mm, and dry summers. The growth of rooibos peaks in the summer months, implying a reliance on soil moisture. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between rooibos growth and soil moisture. The objectives of the study were: 1) to determine the effect of soil moisture on growth and evapotranspiration in rooibos under glasshouse conditions, 2) to adapt the CROPGRO model in DSSAT to simulate the shoot biomass yield of rooibos, using the rooibos CROPGRO model, 3) to investigate the effect of rooibos growth on soil moisture, and 4) to determine the effect of different levels of mulching and irrigation on rooibos yield and soil moisture. Some of the results obtained in the glasshouse study in Objective 1 and observational field data from the literature were used in the adaptation of the CROPGRO model. The glasshouse study was carried out at the University of Cape Town, using soils from Clanwilliam and Citrusdal sites to grow rooibos seedling for 16 weeks in pots before exposing them to drought treatments. The pots were arranged on trays in the glasshouse using a completely randomized design. Two drought treatments were used: moderate drought stress (MDS), set at 20% FC, and severe drought stress (SDS), during which watering was completely withdrawn, were applied to 10 pots per treatment per site. Data on plant growth, root morphology, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, chlorophyll fluorescence and leaves to determine chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration were collected from the plants in the glasshouse after 10 days of these drought treatments. The SDS plants were re-watered for 8 weeks for recovery, and together with the MDS and control plants were transferred into a growth chamber for measurement of gas exchange parameters and biomass. The CROPGRO model in DSSAT was adapted for rooibos by changing some parameters in a pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millspaugh) CROPGRO model. The adapted rooibos model was used to set up an experiment that compared the cumulative evapotranspiration and soil moisture from the rooibos field and bare soil under rainfed conditions. Also, in a simulation experiments, the model was used to determine the effect of three levels of mulching by means of wheat residue at 8000 kg/ha, 4000 kg/ ha and 2000 kg/ha and drip irrigation at 25.4mm and at 12.5mm once a week from December to March, both separately and in combination, on rooibos shoot biomass and soil moisture. The results from the glasshouse study showed a 40% decrease in biomass under MDS conditions for 12 weeks, while SDS plants could not survive beyond 10 days in the glasshouse. Root morphological features changed under severe drought stress, resulting in longer and thinner roots relative to the control plants. The reduced biomass accumulation under drought conditions was followed by reduced photosynthesis, stomata conductance, transpiration, and concentration of chlorophyll and carotenoids. Changes in both maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and fluorescence quantum yield (Fq'/Fm') were observed in the later stages of the SDS plants (days 9 and 10) compared to the control plants but were unaltered in the MDS plants. The soil moisture correlated negatively with evapotranspiration and stomata conductance in control plants, while these relationships were absent in MDS plants. Changes in temperature in the glasshouse correlated positively with stomata conductance and transpiration in the control plants, but these correlations were also absent in MDS plants. However, changes in temperature correlated negatively with soil moisture in both the control plants and the MDS treated plants. The CROPGRO model in DSSAT was successfully adapted to simulate shoot biomass in rooibos under field conditions and the rooibos model had an agreement of 94% with observational shoot biomass under field conditions. Furthermore, the model simulated cumulative evapotranspiration in rooibos plants in the field, with an agreement of 56%. The simulated experiments showed that cumulative evapotranspiration from the rooibos field was 33% higher than that of bare soil, and showed that rooibos plants extract moisture from deep soil layers to a depth of about 2 m. Furthermore, rooibos growth in deep soil, and in mulched or irrigated treatments, produced higher shoot biomass than control plants. In deep soil, the simulated irrigated rooibos plants, which received 25.4 mm water weekly from December to March, produced a higher biomass yield than only rainfed or mulched plants. However, the combined treatments of mulching at 8000 or 4000 kg/ha and irrigation at 12.5 mm was similar to irrigation at 25.4mm. The average extractable soil moisture was greater in deep soil for all the treatments and control plants compared to shallow soil. Overall, the rooibos crop model shows that an increased supply of soil moisture enhances the production of biomass yield in rooibos in the field. Also, rooibos extracts moisture from a deeper soil layer, which enables it to hydrate its leaves and to transpire during the summer period for better growth and biomass production. Water loss through evapotranspiration was high in rooibos fields, and thus mulching of the plants would be beneficial for increased biomass production. However, even better rooibos yields were obtained when mulching was combined with irrigation. The glasshouse experiments showed a yield decrease of rooibos biomass by about 40% when the moisture supply was reduced by about 50% of the adequate conditions. The thinner and longer roots of rooibos, among other drought tolerance traits, most likely enable it to cope with low rainfall and drought conditions, which are prevalent in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape. The production of rooibos in the farms is prone to water loss through evapotranspiration, and thus soil moisture conservation technologies such as mulching would greatly enhance its biomass yield
Phosphorous uptake and utilization efficiency in cluster root and non-cluster root forming species of the Core Cape Subregion, South Africa
No full textThe Core Cape Subregion (CCR) is made up of a mosaic of highly weathered and nutrient leached soil substrates in the Western Cape. Plant available phosphorus (P) in these soils is very low, generally ranging from 0.4-3.7 µg P g-1 soil and as a result plants have evolved a number of traits to enhance P-acquisition, such as increased root surface area (SA) and specific root length (SRL), cluster root and root hair proliferation and exudation of organic acids and acid phosphatases (APase) from the roots. Crop yield is limited worldwide due to the unavailability of P and P-fertilization is showing limited success due to soil retention. Sustainable management of this would include exploiting plants with natural adaptations for enhanced P acquisition and utilization. The aim of this study was to discover whether cluster root forming species are more efficient at P acquisition than non-cluster root species. This was achieved by focusing on two objectives: (1) to characterize root traits for increased P acquisition in different soils of the CCR and (2) comparing P-uptake and utilization efficiencies of cluster root species to non-cluster root species under glasshouse and natural conditions. Plants from Fabaceae, Polygalaceae, Proteaceae, Cyperaceae, and Juncaceae were grown in two different glasshouse experiments and observed in a field study
En celebración de la extraordinaria vida de Elisabeth Samson Title: Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Elisabeth Samson
No full textCynthia McLeod (1936-), decorated Surinamese author of the best-selling The High Price of Sugar and Farewell Merodia, specialist in 18th century Suriname.Culture & Arts, Cultural Center Encuentros Nro. 27 Cynthia McLeod Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Elisabeth Samson
The strange biography of Samson
No full textThe biblical story of the life of Samson hides much from the reader&&the Book of Judges has deleted from the story elements that were deemed improper for the book’s placement among the Holy Scriptures. In this article, the author shows how the Bible transforms Samson from a mythological hero, the son of a god, to a mere mortal whose extraordinary strength came through the spirit of God that rested with him so long as he kept his Nazirite vows. The biblical storyteller could not prevent the story of Samson from entering into the biblical corpus since it was a tale of tremendous popularity. He thus told it in such a way as to bring it closer to his monotheistic beliefs and world-view. In its ‘biblical’ form the story does not bring honor to the figure of Samson, and so his placement as the last of the judges in the Book of Judges prepares the reader for the establishment of the institution of kingship, in the Book of Samuel.</jats:p
The Behavioral Economics Guide 2014 (with a foreword by George Loewenstein and Rory Sutherland)
No full textCONTENTS Foreword by George Loewenstein and Rory Sutherland Part 1 - The Basics - An Introduction to Behavioral Economics - Selected Behavioral Economics Concepts - References Part 2 - Resources - Books Read by 'Behavioral Economics Group' Members - Scholarly Journals with Behavioral Economics Content - Postgraduate Programs in Behavioral Economics and Behavioral/Decision Science Part 3 - Applied Perspectives Psychology and Behavioral Economics in Practice Appendix - Author and Contributing Organization Profile
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