396 research outputs found
Exploring the spatio-temporal processes of communal rangeland grabbing in Sudan
No full textThe persistent policy of successive Sudanese governments in favouring large-scale agricultural investments at the expense of traditional land use is creating material differences among significant groups of the population. A significant share of this type of investment falls within the territories of the communal rangelands of the country. The aim of this paper is to provide analytical insights of the geographical allocation and the temporal evolution of land grabbing on the expanses of communal land utilized by local inhabitants in Butana area in eastern Sudan. The study relies on multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery (2000, 2005, 2009, and 2014), ground surveys, and key informant interviews. The results show that large-scale mechanized agriculture (LSMA) in Butana communal rangeland increased incrementally from 2.5% in 2000 to 17.6% in 2014. The starting location of the expansion of LSMA was in surrounding valleys. From the images, it is clear that land grabbing is converting the natural vegetation cover of Butana communal rangeland into spatially fragmented patches. Large-scale farmers (LSFs) involved in the process included wealthy pastoralists who own large numbers of livestock and absentee farmers who rely on hired representatives to manage their agricultural operations. Without a fundamental change in governmental policy, which currently turns a blind eye to the illegal activities of LSFs on communal rangeland, the gloomy scenario of land-based conflict may erupt in the eastern part of the country
Exploring Drivers of Forest Degradation and Fragmentation in Sudan: The Case of Erawashda Forest and its Surrounding Community
No full textCoverage of crime news: content analysis of Al-Yaum Saudi online newspaper
No full textThis study aims to answer the question of how Saudi’s Al-Yaum online newspaper covers the crime news, from Jan - Dec 2018. The descriptive method is used, and data is collected through a structured content analysis sheet. 24 versions represent a systematic random sample was analyzed. The results were: Saudi newspapers cover mere internal crime news, the most types of the crime news were cover was the murder, assault, sale of illegal beverages and drugs, and the least published was news dealing with topics of felonious assault, interfering with an officer, contempt of court, and criminal libel
The core mammalian pluripotency network in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) formation : models for genetic and epigenetic reprogramming
No full textThis electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2018Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. "February 2018."Includes bibliographical references (pages 23-37).In 2006, history was made in a seminal experiment that converted mouse fibroblasts to a pluripotent phenotype coined the 'induced pluripotent stem cell' (iPSC) state. Unhindered by ethical or immunogenic constraints, iPSCs potentially hold the keys to tremendous applications in therapeutic and regenerative medicine. Furthermore, on-demand iPSC generation has the capacity to revolutionize basic research in disease modeling and drug discovery. These promises notwithstanding, the economics of iPSC formation--which remains a slow, inefficient, expensive, and laborious process--still stand in the way of fully making use of this extraordinary technology. In this thesis, I present mathematical models aimed at understanding the theoretical reprogrammability of the core pluripotency gene regulatory network being awakened in iPSC reprogramming. Using these modeling insights, I discuss the merits of current reprogramming strategies, which can be viewed as open-loop perturbations in control theoretic terms. I then discuss an alternative paradigm of closed-loop reprogramming, which is theoretically shown to be far superior when it comes to the reprogrammability of the pluripotency network. Finally, I propose a reprogramming model that incorporates the eæect of DNA demethylation on the activation of the network, with attention given to the relationship between this epigenetic transformation and the cell proliferation barrier that somatic cells seemingly face on the road to pluripotency.by Hussein Abdallah.M. Eng.M.Eng. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Scienc
Agricultural land use change and its drivers in the Sudanese Ethiopian borderland: the case of Al-Fashaga region
No full textThe Al-Fashaga region, situated along the Sudanese-Ethiopian border, has experienced significant land use and land cover (LULC) changes over the past three decades due to large-scale mechanized agriculture and conflict-related dynamics. This study examines LULC transitions from 1990 to 2020 using multi-temporal Landsat data, Google Earth imagery, field surveys, and key informant interviews. Findings reveal a substantial increase in agricultural land, now covering over 75% of the region, predominantly at the expense of natural vegetation, which has declined to 13.7%. The 2020 Tigray conflict in Ethiopia triggered shifts in land control, enabling Sudanese farmers to reclaim abandoned lands, and illustrating the complex interrelations between conflict, land tenure, and resource use. This dynamic has exacerbated environmental degradation and heightened socio-political tensions over fertile borderlands. The study emphasizes the urgency of conflict-sensitive land management strategies to balance agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. Recommendations include strengthening land tenure security, adopting sustainable farming practices, and fostering cross-border collaboration to address resource-based conflicts. These findings offer critical insights into how geopolitical tensions influence land use in border regions, contributing to policies aimed at sustainable land management, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding in similarly affected areas
The Case Against Saddam Hussein--The Case for World Order
No full textThe following Article is an excerpt from a paper written in the Fall of 1990. The author submitted the paper in December 1990 as partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Laws program at the University of Virginia. The opinions and conclusions expressed are those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the United States Army or other governmental agency.
The United Nations\u27 Charter gives the Security Council enforcement authority for breaches of world peace. To be meaningful, rights must have remedies, and the Security Council should now pursue remedies to enforce the rights provided in the Charter. The bipolar politics that have precluded effective sanctions for the last forty years have now subsided, and the world stands at a precipice anticipating new action. This Article advocates the United Nations Security Council use the current Crisis in the Gulf to establish a Grievous Offender Tribunal to try individuals for violations of international law. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein\u27s invasion of Kuwait presents the Security Council with a paradigm case on which to initiate such a Tribunal
Tyranny on Trial: Personality and Courtroom Conduct of Defendants Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein
No full textIn this essay in the Symposium on Milosevic & Hussein on Trial, the author explores the impacts of personality & courtroom conduct in trial outcome to argue that the likenesses between the two defendants will result in Saddam\u27s projection of grand defiance. Biographical narratives of the two leaders trace the psychological development of each personality through childhood to their political careers characterized by defiant resistance & compensatory grandiosity that may be the source of the similarities of behaviors in the courtroom. Asserting that Saddam is following the Milosevic model of courtroom behavior by derailment of the proceeding, exploitation of the victimization theme, & distortion of history to present his political platform, the author concludes that, defiant & unrepentant, both defendants have returned to the international stage to restate their heroic legacies. J. Harwel
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The Case Against Saddam Hussein--The Case for World Order
No full textThe following Article is an excerpt from a paper written in the Fall of 1990. The author submitted the paper in December 1990 as partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Laws program at the University of Virginia. The opinions and conclusions expressed are those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the United States Army or other governmental agency.
The United Nations\u27 Charter gives the Security Council enforcement authority for breaches of world peace. To be meaningful, rights must have remedies, and the Security Council should now pursue remedies to enforce the rights provided in the Charter. The bipolar politics that have precluded effective sanctions for the last forty years have now subsided, and the world stands at a precipice anticipating new action. This Article advocates the United Nations Security Council use the current Crisis in the Gulf to establish a Grievous Offender Tribunal to try individuals for violations of international law. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein\u27s invasion of Kuwait presents the Security Council with a paradigm case on which to initiate such a Tribunal
Erring Modernization : The Dilemma Of Developing Societies.
No full textThe old and the vanquished does not immediately descend into the grave. The resistance and' longevity of that which is at the point of vanishing are based on the instinct of 'self-preservation inherent to all that exists
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