609 research outputs found
CHANGING US WAR POLITICS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA AND REGIONAL COOPERATION THROUGH CPEC
Full text linkThe changing dynamics of international politics with US military withdrawal from Afghanistan have affected the Southwest Asian geopolitical landscape. While international players have their interests, they involve regional and neighbouring states in their actions frequently; thus, regional complexities arise. Pakistan was engaged in peaceful execution of the US exit strategy from Afghanistan; however, it demanded an overall shift in policy in a changing regional environment. Besides, Pakistan\u27s strategic and economic cooperation with China through CPEC has further enforced its prospects to be a significant player in regional politics. Pakistan\u27s challenges are countering India\u27s regional hegemonic designs and aggressiveness in Indian illegally occupied Kashmir, maintaining a neutral stance over the Iranian front vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia, and addressing the TTP factor. Despite international players\u27 competition, Pakistan has multiple options for attaining balance through CPEC and shifting from competition to cooperation. This paper, therefore, analyses international players\u27 security interests in the region and suggests openings for Pakistan through CPEC considering Regional Security Complex theory.
Bibliography Entry
Gul, Saima, and Shamaila Farooq. 2021. "Changing US War Politics in Southwest Asia and Regional Cooperation through CPEC." Margalla Papers 25 (2): 91-97
Women leaders in trade unions of Pakistan : stories of struggle and leadership
No full textFriedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Pakistan Office ; author: Saba Gul Khattak ; illustrators Abdullah Shahid, Aiman Saleem, Areeban Shaukat Qureshi [und weitere
Masters of red terror (Felix Dzerzyhinsky and Vyacheslav Menzhinsky) in literary drafts of emigrant Roman Gul)
No full textIn the article, works of Roman Gul - a writer, a literary critic, a historian and memuaristof the first wave of the Russian emigration are examined. His literary work in Poland is littleknownand examined. As the research material there are two drafts about F. Dzerzyhinsky and V.Menzhinsky, Poles, noblemen. Gul, showing main stages of the life and revolutionary activityof Dzerzhinsky (“red executioner”, “father of terror”) is focusing his attention on portrait andpsychological characteristics this fanatic, author of Bolshevik terror. The author of sketches iscomparing “the lion of the revolution” with the Tomas de Torquemada Inquisitor and with activistsof the Great French Revolution Isidore de Robespierre and Antoine Quentin Fouquier deTinville. Convincingly and accurately he is reconstructing the portrait of Menzhinsky. He is alsocreating characteristics of intellectual and spiritual mediocrity
The avoidance of statutory benefits to employees by Hong Kong employers
No full textAuthor name used in this publication: Gul, Reza Jashen.Author name used in this publication: Sun, Sunny.2012-2013 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishedPublisher permissio
Degradation of antibiotic tetracycline by various processes in saline medium
No full textA degradação de antibiótico tetraciclina (TeC) foi avaliada por vários processos a saber, eletroquímico, eletroquímico foto-assistido, Fenton e foto-Fenton. Uma vez que este tipo de antibiótico é excretado principalmente pelo sistema urinário, o meio selecionado foi uma mistura de sais predominantes na composição de urina, a qual apresenta alta concentração de diferentes íons, especialmente íons cloretos. As degradações eletroquímica e eletroquímica foto-assistida foram realizadas em uma célula de fluxo do tipo filtro-prensa, usando um ânodo dimensionalmente estável comercial com composição nominal Ti/Ru0,3Ti0,7O2. O decaimento da concentração do TeC foi determinado por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) e a remoção da carga orgânica por análise de carbono orgânico total (COT). Os processos de degradação eletroquímica e eletroquímica foto-assistido utilizaram densidades de correntes de 20 a 40 mA cm-2 e concentração inicial de TeC de 200 mg L-1. Aplicando 30 mA cm-2, após duas horas a remoção de TeC foi de 91% e 98%, utilizando processo eletroquímico sem e com foto- assistência, respectivamente. A remoção de COT foi incompleta com um máximo de 17%. A fim de comparar o efeito da mistura salina sobre a degradação de TeC, as eletrólises também foram realizadas em NaCl 0,1 mol L-1, onde foi obtida degradação rápida e completa (100%) em ambos os processos, a remoção de COT também foi melhorada (~29%). A degradação de TeC obedeceu uma cinética de pseudo-primeira ordem. A degradação também foi avaliada utilizando os processos Fenton e foto-Fenton na mesma mistura salina variando a concentração inicial de H2O2 (50-150 mg L-1) e de Fe2+ (2,5-15 mg L-1). A concentração inicial de Fe2+ e H2O2 tem uma influência maior sobre a degradação durante ambos os processos. Durante o processo Fenton, sob condições otimizadas, a TeC foi degradada >96%, sendo 57% a redução de COT correspondente, enquanto em meio de NaCl ocorreu a remoção de 99% e redução de COT de 41%. Um ligeiro decaimento foi observado utilizando o processo foto-Fenton devido à influência de íons presentes no meio. Os intermediários de degradação também foram identificados por CLAE acoplado a espectrometria de massa durante os processos Fenton e foto-Fenton, sendo então proposta uma sequência reacional de degradação da TeC .The degradation of antibiotics tetracycline (TeC) was evaluated by various processes such as electrochemical, photo-assisted electrochemical, Fenton and photo-Fenton. Since this type of antibiotic is excreted mainly by urinary system, the selected medium was a mixture of salts prevailing in composition of urine, which has high concentration of different ions, especially chloride ions. The electrochemical and photo-assisted electrochemical degradations were performed in a filter press type flow cell using a dimensionally stable anode with nominal composition of Ti/Ru0.3Ti0.7O2. The decrease in TeC concentration was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography and total organic carbon analysis. The electrochemical and photo-assisted electrochemical degradation was performed at current densities of 20 to 40 mA cm-2 and initial TeC concentration of 200 mg L-1. At a current density of 30 mA cm-2,91% and 98% TeC was removed after 2 hours, during electrochemical and photo-assisted electrochemical processes respectively. The TOC removal was incomplete with maximum of 17%. In order to compare the TeC degradation in saline medium, electrolysis was also carried out in 0.1 mol L-1 NaCl, where fast and complete (100%) degradation was observed in both processes and TOC removal was also improved (~29 %). The degradation of TeC followed pseudo-first order kinetics. Fenton and Photo-Fenton process was also evaluated for the degradation of TeC in similar saline medium varying the initial concentration of H2O2 (50_150 mg L-1) and Fe2+ (2.5-15 mg L-1). The initial concentration of Fe2+ and H2O2 has a high influence upon TeC degradation during both processes. During Fenton process under optimized conditions, >96% of TeC was degraded and 57% TOC was removed. However in NaCl medium, 99% degradation 41% TOC was obtained. The degradation was slightly decreased during photo-Fenton process due to the influence of ions in the medium. The degradation Intermediates were also identified by HPLC coupled with mass spectrometer and proposed a reaction sequence for the degradation of TeC
Language Features of the Epic "BULBUL VA GUL"(Nightingale and Flower)
No full textIn this article the linguistic features of the epic "Bulbul va Gul" (Nightingale and Flower) written by Salahiddin Salahi, who lived in the 18th century, are discussed, in particular, the image tools used in the work, monologue, dialogue, proverb, antonym, synonym, repetition, and the language of the author and character. This shows the poet's ability to use the lexical layers of the language. In addition, with the help of this article, we can get information about the state of the literary language of the 18th century
The role of conflict & negotiation in the complexity of projects
No full textProjects are pervasive and disparate spanning a plethora of domains. Most projects are unified by certain characteristics regardless of the sector or industry to which they belong i.e. time & budget limitedness, a concern for quality, and a goal orientation. Although, projects have been around for a longtime, the phenomenon of conflict in projects gained interest around the 1960s with the introduction of the matrix form of organization. However, out of all the research papers on project centric conflict between 1960 to 1980 time period, only one is empirically grounded and that too focused on IT projects. Surprisingly, the findings put forward during this time period are to date considered valid and propagated by most project literature as universally true. Several other studies have contributed peripheral contributions to the project conflict literature, however, no study has focused on building an understanding of why and how conflicts arise on projects, how they are managed, and affects they create within projects.Recent concerns pertaining to project failures, despite the existence of well-defined problems and toolsets, gave birth to an ESRC funded research network named `Rethinking Project Management'. Whose members in examining the ontological groundings of project management identified several areas of interest for future research in project management; one of which is complexity. The present study therefore focuses on integrating the concerns of conflict & negotiation within the context of project complexity.Every research has its philosophical bearings. This study is ontologically objectivist and epistemologically subjectivist (consequently the axiology is subjectivist as well). This study accepts a Critical Realist view of the world and perceive the conceivable knowledge about this world to be subjective in nature. As the study is concerned about understanding the processes through which conflict & negotiation reify and interplay within a project the objective is not to find generalizations but rather to seek out patterns of occurrences and to build explanations. The methodology followed in the study is mixed, borrowing from both positivistic and constructivist ideologies. The survey methodology is used to, in loose terms, cast a net and capture the status quo. Results of the survey supplement the literature review driven a priori assumptions and seek out context embedded variables that the literature has not touched upon. Findings from the survey contribute to the succeeding case study methodology, which inquired into their detail through the use of interviews.Data for the study was collected between March through August 2010. During the first phase of the study 86 questionnaires were filled from 73 different projects. The survey data was analyzed using aggregate statistical techniques and a thesaurus based automated coding software named Leximancer. Results of the survey indicate that all projects surveyed had experienced some form of conflict and used at least one type of negotiation technique. A large number of projects faced conflicts related to land access, political pressures, time, interdepartmental relationships, and availability of resources. Project behavior when experiencing conflict exhibits a theme of delay, slowness, and work stoppages; there are also negative effects on group cohesion and productivity. The respondents described projects experiencing conflict as challenging, time consuming, delayed, and difficult. The data also revealed several useful patterns within projects experiencing conflicts. Additionally, baseline data for project complexity was captured using Shenhar and Dvir's Diamond Approach from all the projects surveyed. Findings, from the survey contributed to the study by providing preliminary answers to each of the research questions asked. Data gathered as a result of the survey contributed significantly to the design and orientation of the case study interviews.The second phase of the data collection involved implementation of the case study methodology. Personnel at various levels of nine projects, one government consultant, and a tribal elder were interviewed, for a total of thirty interviews. Additionally, six meetings on one of the projects, and two movie filming sequences were observed. Published and non-published reports on all the projects were examined. Interviews were captured using causal-maps (a cognitive mapping technique) and short notes. The causal-maps were captured using Banxia Decision Explorer and later refined using Cmap (an open-source mapping software). Each project's complexity measurements were taken and compared against the complexity baseline developed as a result of the survey.Results from the case study reveals certain patterns of behavior on the projects, specifically in the interactions taking place between a project and its principle organization, peers, and subordinates. Additionally, I find that quality plays the most active role in project conflict & negotiation and contributes significantly to project complexity because of its interconnection to other concepts and the recursive nature of the connections it spawns. Some factors that were reported by the survey as contributing significantly to project complexity and project conflict & negotiation were disqualified and a foundation laid for further inquiry into the role played by conflict & negotiation in project complexity.In concluding the study the data is first discussed through the lens of Jurgen Habermas' (1984) Theory of Communicative Action (TCA) and is followed by a general discussion on the data. The study concludes with a discussion on the possible future work that could result from this work
Rewriting the body in the novels of contemporary Syrian women writers
No full textIn the present essay I explore the different representations of the body in a selection of Arabic novels, published by Syrian contemporary women writers: Ḥurrās al-hawā’ by Rosa Yāsīn Ḥasan, Rāʼiḥat al-qirfa by Samar Yazbik and Imrāʼa min haḏā al-ʽaṣr by Hayfāʼ Bīṭār. I rely on a plural methodology able to integrate the tools of comparative literature with the theoretical framework of gender and feminist criticism, in the attempt to analyze the role that the body plays in representing and questioning the key issues of contemporary Syrian society. I specifically refer to the theme of political repression, minorities, the gap between social classes, the division between the two sexes and the broader relationship between tradition and modernity. Each of these novels examines a different aspect of Syrian society that is represented through the body. I incorporated in my methodology the interviews I have conducted with the authors, to establish a dialogue between the voice of the literary text and that of the author herself. These two agents interact with each other by providing a complete picture of the society in which they co-exist. In Ḥurrās al-hawāʼ, Rosa Yāsīn Ḥasan deals with the themes of political repression and of minorities, represented through the love story between a young Alawite woman and her Druze partner, detained in prison for having participated in illegal political activities against the repressive regime. The author puts in the foreground sexuality, in that it represents the characters' evolution, through the dimensions of pleasure and violence. The erotic body is not only the place of the encounter with the other, but also the space of the search for self-assertion. The body is the medium through which the character reveals himself to the other, and, in addition to that, it is the space in which he discovers himself. The separation of the two lovers, due to his detention, is told through the stories of their bodies, which, after years of distance, no longer recognize each other. Identity, rooted in memory, disintegrates in the present, therefore becoming unrecognizable. Thus, in a community-oriented society, the body is no longer the place of the relationship with the other, but it becomes the place of a self-seeking process. On the other hand, memory loses its function of connection between the individual and the community. In Rāʼiḥat al-qirfa, Samar Yazbik deals with the division between sexes and the gap between social classes in contemporary Syria, through the homosexual relationship between the two female protagonists. As Samar Yazbik says: “Actually I wanted to talk about the change of Syrian society, the disappearance of the middle class and the great difference between the world of upper classes and that of lower classes [...]. I wanted to make a comparison between the world of the rich and the poor through the lives of two women, even to say that woman is oppressed everywhere.” (Interview with Samar Yazbik). One of the central aspects of Rāʼiḥat al-qirfa is the representation of the body in the dimension of sexuality that becomes violence in heterosexual relationships, while it acquires an erotic appearance in the homosexual ones. Women shelter in homosexual relationships whenever they cannot find satisfaction in the relationships with men. The author uses sexuality in her novel in a bid to express the crisis of a society that does not allow freedom for the individual. Women suffer such a repression twice, although men are victims as well. In Imrāʼa min haḏā al-ʽaṣr, the body is represented in the dimension of illness and suffering. The chemotherapy of the main character, suffering from breast cancer, generates a memory process that becomes part of the treatment. The protagonist begins seeking for her femininity through the exploration of her past experiences with men. The relationship between sexes is problematic, clamped between the community logic tied to tradition and the claim for individual liberation. Through the choice of this female troubled character, the author aims at criticizing her society, divided between the desire to conform to a stereotypical idea of modernity and the commitment to tradition. In a nutshell, the body is the place where the tension between these two aspects appears. Through a comparative analysis of these three novels, I noticed how they dialogue with each other, contributing to the representation of a society in the throes of the dialectical tension between the drive for collective control and individual claims. The body is used to represent human relationships ‒ heterosexual and homosexual ‒ and their changes. The body is the point of contact between individuals and, as such, it ends up being the place of negotiation between individual and collective dimensions. Besides, it becomes a metaphor of the individual as a “desiring subject”, in opposition to the concept of “subdued”. The fact that women writers deal with the male body shows that they prioritise the matter of the individual rather than women's emancipation. The emphasis on the body symbolizes the need to affirm the individual beyond the distinctions of sex and gender. Through a twofold process of liberation ‒ both from the pressures of the patriarchal system and from political censorship ‒ Syrian women writers, by narrating female and male bodies, do not merely advocate for their own liberation, yet for the liberation of the whole society
Norberg-Schulz’ elements of space in Dark City
No full textThe chapter analyses the future noir environment of Alex Proyas' Dark City (1998) from a spatial perspective. This science fiction film puts forth questions about the construction process of a city. The aliens in the film constantly alter each street, building and room to create the right environment for humans to dwell. These ‘strangers’ believe that they need to study humans in their authentic spaces to understand human nature. Using bits and pieces of people's memories, they reconstruct a worldless city. On another note, Christian Norberg-Schulz identifies four elements of space: physical, perceptual, existential and conceptual. Physical space is physical existence as it is. Perceptual space is the temporary space the user perceives. Existential space, for instance, the meaning of the concept of home, is abstract and permanent; it does not change with changing conditions. Finally, conceptual space, in his spatial philosophy, is the space concept of specialists like architects, economists and mathematicians. In the context of Dark City, the notion of building is studied as to physical, perceptual, existential and conceptual spaces of Norberg-Schulz through concepts of home, identity, belonging, and alienation with reference to the architecture of the city and the concept of worldlessness. As a spatial and temporal art, cinema includes representational space. With a critical gaze at the existing norms of architecture, science fiction films create new horizons. They extend the borders of the concept of space by creating the space of the future or of the non-existent. In this chapter, the author brings forth the imagined architectural designs of Dark City. Analysing this film in which space performs like an actor, she shows how sci-fi set designs add to the narration of a film and help question the concept of space
Automatic construction of concept maps from unstructured text
Full text linkAcquiring knowledge about a topic is a complex process that requires an individual to gradually understand all concepts related to this topic. The learning experience for individuals can be enhanced by visualizing the key characteristics that serve as a guide for learning. Equipping learners with a concept map that orders concepts, represented as nodes, to be studied according to their prerequisite order, indicated by direct edges, helps them stay on track. However, existing algorithms for automatic prerequisite detection are too inaccurate, which reduces learners’ trust in such maps as one assumes the prerequisite relation to be completely reliable. In this work we propose to replace prerequisite relations with less authoritative coverage relations, as they indicate only that one concept is broader and related to another one. Since most of the prerequisites of a given concept are less difficult than the concept itself, we argue that combining the coverage relation with concept’s difficulty scores encodes similar semantics as the prerequisite relation. However, due to the coverage relation being less authoritative, potentially inaccurately detected coverage relations may be ignored by learners.Such relations are considered more like recommendations instead of facts. In turn, this change in perception about the reliability of the edges in the resulting concept map creates less frustration for learners. Further, two additional aspects, the unstructured nature and the abundance of the learning materials should also be considered for devising a salable method for concept map’s construction. With this in mind, this thesis aims to automatically construct from unstructured textual learning materials a concept map that encodes concept difficulty as node color and vi connects concepts through coverage edges. To that end, we divide the problem into two subtasks: extracting concepts from unstructured text and constructing the concept map by estimating the difficulty of each extracted concept before inserting coverage edges among them. Specifically, we first develop an unsupervised method to extract concepts from unstructured textual learning materials and then compute a difficulty score for each of the identified concepts in the second subtask with a novel unsupervised method. We find that our concept extraction method is more accurate than existing state-of-the-art methods. To the best of our knowledge, we have proposed the first unsupervised method for finding the concept’s difficulty. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed difficulty prediction method.It also provides evidence for our core assumption that prerequisites of a given concept tend to be easier than the concept itself, which renders our methodology viable. These findings imply that our proposed methodology yields concept maps for courses that help individuals navigate concepts more successfully in practice
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