92 research outputs found
Peacekeeping - an act of neo-imperialism?: An analysis of UNMIT and Operation Astute in Timor-Leste
No full textThis project sets out to contribute to the academic field of peacekeeping literature by criti-cally examining the discourses expressed in relation to the two cases of peacekeeping opera-tions - UNMIT (United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste) and Operation Astute - in Timor-Leste. The aim of this project is to examine to what extent the two peacekeeping operations contain traits of neo-imperialism. In order to conduct this examination, this pro-ject draws on a theoretical framework rooted in postcolonialism, which links liberal peace-building to neo-imperialism. The analysis of this project is constituted by a Thematic Quali-tative Text Analysis as well as a discourse analysis inspired by the work of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. This project, ultimately, concludes that there - to a noteworthy extent - can be identified traits of neo-imperialism in both UNMIT and Operation Astute. In both cases, these traits of neo-imperialism are largely constituted by an emphasis on the liberal peacekeeping approach and a lack of focus on the importance of Timorese self-determination and local ownership. Additionally, these traits are equally identifiable through an explicit focus on the interests of the peacekeeping provider and mutual interests rather than solely the interests of Timor-Leste
Publisher Correction: Genome-wide association meta-analysis of individuals of European ancestry identifies new loci explaining a substantial fraction of hair color variation and heritability
No full textIn the HTML version of this article initially published, the author groups ‘23andMe Research Team’ and ‘Social Science Genetic Association Consortium’ appeared at the end of the author list but should have appeared earlier in the list, after author Nicholas A. Furlotte. The errors have been corrected in the HTML version of the article
Culture or Commerce: Framing Heritage in the Context of Municipal Subvention. The Case of the Annual St Nicholas Parade in the Netherlands
No full textThis article focuses on the practical effects of ethnology’s framing of ritual. It examines the attitude of Dutch municipalities towards subsidizing the annual St. Nicholas parade. Some are in favor, considering the parade an element of tradition. Others are opposed, arguing that the parade is a commercial activity. Because the parade, and much other ritual, has both cultural and commercial facets, the author encourages ethnology to design a more fitting, encompassing concept.
Provenance-based trust for grid computing: Position Paper
No full textCurrent evolutions of Internet technology such as Web Services, ebXML, peer-to-peer and Grid computing all point to the development of large-scale open networks of diverse computing systems interacting with one another to perform tasks. Grid systems (and Web Services) are exemplary in this respect and are perhaps some of the first large-scale open computing systems to see widespread use - making them an important testing ground for problems in trust management which are likely to arise. From this perspective, today's grid architectures suffer from limitations, such as lack of a mechanism to trace results and lack of infrastructure to build up trust networks. These are important concerns in open grids, in which "community resources" are owned and managed by multiple stakeholders, and are dynamically organised in virtual organisations. Provenance enables users to trace how a particular result has been arrived at by identifying the individual services and the aggregation of services that produced such a particular output. Against this background, we present a research agenda to design, conceive and implement an industrial-strength open provenance architecture for grid systems. We motivate its use with three complex grid applications, namely aerospace engineering, organ transplant management and bioinformatics. Industrial-strength provenance support includes a scalable and secure architecture, an open proposal for standardising the protocols and data structures, a set of tools for configuring and using the provenance architecture, an open source reference implementation, and a deployment and validation in industrial context. The provision of such facilities will enrich grid capabilities by including new functionalities required for solving complex problems such as provenance data to provide complete audit trails of process execution and third-party analysis and auditing. As a result, we anticipate that a larger uptake of grid technology is likely to occur, since unprecedented possibilities will be offered to users and will give them a competitive edge
Narrative Coherence in Games: An analysis of narrative interactive emergence in videogames
No full textExploring the Action Adventure game Cantrip created in part by the author several narrative/interactive theories are explained and the subject of narrative coherence is developed as a theory. This theory is then applied to a test using the Emotiv Epoc EEG reader in order to further understand reactions to nondiegetic narration and the relations of interactive affordance and narrative intelligibility within the game. The test had several limitations and the results are inconclusive. The findings otherwise indicate that the possibility for biometric observation of a player using EEG wave reading is a viable source of biometric data that may be applied to a better understanding of user experience in games. The narrative coherence of a game is analysed through pivotal narrative events throughout. An assessment is made in regard to the user options. Suggestions as to what elements can provide a sufficient methodology for evaluating a videogame user experience are put forth. Further testing is deemed necessary before such a methodology can be deemed definitively useful to game developers. <br/
Paul, Antioch, and Jerusalem: a study in relationships and authority in earliest Christianity
No full textPaul's life and work, including his relationship with the Jerusalem church, were dynamic, rather than having been predetermined in his conversion. The Antiochene church was crucial to Paul's development, to a degree not previously appreciated. Little is known of the years following Paul's conversion, other than it was unsettled, and included travels and sojourns in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Tarsus. The encounter with the Jerusalem church did not result in a stable relationship or social integration. It was at Antioch that Paul was first fully incorporated into a Christian community, from which he derived his dyadic identity, and later his apostolic commission. His relationship with the Jerusalem church consisted in corporate participation in the коιυυυία between the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch. In this context, Paul joined Barnabas in defending the Antiochene gospel of uncircumcision, and not his own theology or apostleship, at the Jerusalem conference. The Antioch incident resulted in Paul's separation from the Antiochene church, and exclusion from its коιυυυία with the Jerusalem church. His independent ministry followed, during which he developed his conception of apostleship independent of human authority, in which his self-identity is bound up with the gospel, in response to his isolation, and loss of dyadic identity and apostolic commission. Paul sought to end his isolation through reconciliation with the Antiochene church, and, through its коιυυυία, with the Jerusalem church. This was the object of the collection, but the crisis in Corinth delayed completion, requiring Paul to convey his offering separately. His implicit claim to коιυυυία accordingly became overt, and the collection became the basis, rather than a correlative obligation, of the relationship. This jeopardized the acceptability of Paul's overtures, and, while his reception is uncertain, the journey occasioned his arrest, and ended his missionary career
Author Correction: Priority list of biodiversity metrics to observe from space
No full textIn the version of this Perspective originally published, Claudia Roeoesli was missing from the author list. This has now been corrected
Endometrial thickness as a test for endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal vaginal bleeding.
No full textOBJECTIVE: To assess the value of endometrial thickness measurement as a test for endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding (symptomatic women). DATA SOURCES: We conducted a literature search using the MEDLINE database from 1991 to 1997, and the key words "vaginal ultrasonography" and "endometrial thickness measurement." The review was limited to original research reports written in English, concerning symptomatic women having vaginal ultrasonography before a diagnostic test and not receiving tamoxifen. STUDY SELECTION: A total of 48 studies were identified. A questionnaire was sent to the corresponding author of each paper requesting supplementary information. Data were included in our analysis if the corresponding author was able to supply information on the median endometrial thickness in unaffected symptomatic women and the endometrial thickness values in affected women. Nine studies were thus included in our meta-analysis, representing 3483 women without endometrial cancer and 330 women with endometrial cancer. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: The median endometrial thickness in women with endometrial cancer was 3.7 times that in unaffected women at the same center, and with the same menopausal status and same hormone replacement therapy use category. The detection rate was 63% (95% confidence interval 58, 69) for a 10% false-positive rate, or 96% (95% confidence interval 94, 98) for a 50% false-positive rate. CONCLUSION: Endometrial thickness measurement in symptomatic women does not reduce the need for invasive diagnostic testing because 4% of the endometrial cancers would still be missed with a false-positive rate as high as 50%
General Public's knowledge, awareness, and perception of Cardiometabolic diseases: data from a Singapore study population
No full text10.3389/fmed.2023.1193829FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE1
Observing Near-Earth Objects with the James Webb Space Telescope
No full textThe James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has the potential to enhance our understanding of near-Earth objects (NEOs). We present results of investigations into the observability of NEOs given the nominal observing requirements of JWST on elongation (85°–135°) and non-sidereal rates (<30 mas s−1). We find that approximately 75% of NEOs can be observed in a given year. However, observers will need to wait for appropriate observing windows. We find that JWST can easily execute photometric observations of meter-sized NEOs that will enhance our understanding of the small NEO population
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