The Bing-Borsuk and the Busemann Conjectures

We present two classical conjectures concerning the characterization of manifolds: the Bing Borsuk Conjecture asserts that every $n$-dimensional homogeneous ANR is a topological $n$-manifold, whereas the Busemann Conjecture asserts that every $n$-dimensional $G$-space is a topological $n$-manifold. The key object in both cases are so-called {\it generalized manifolds}, i.e. ENR homology manifolds. We look at the history, from the early beginnings to the present day. We also list several open problems and related conjectures.Comment: We have corrected three small typos on pages 8 and

Homo Sapiens: Are We a Monogamous Species?

In order for the process of hominization to continue, with its prolonged and extreme period of juvenile defencelessness, it was necessary, or at least convenient, for males to more actively participate in the care of females and offspring. This necessity, together with the abrupt loss of hominid sexual dimorphism starting with Homo ergaster (more than 1.5 million years ago) suggests to the authors that our ancestor’s sexuality might have evolved around the same time from an earlier state of polygamy to monogamy. Taking into consideration our meagre dimorphism, small relative testicular size, and interest for living in partnerships, monogamy may still persist in modern Homo sapiens. This theory would allow for new perspectives regarding the complex suite of enigmatic emotions have plagued modern humans since our beginnings

Greatness from Small Beginnings: Amy Hennig and the Women of the Uncharted Series

“Greatness from Small Beginnings: Amy Hennig and the Women of the Uncharted series,” Rachel Wood, Faculty Mentor Andy Black, English & Philosophy Department Amy Hennig, creative director and writer for the Uncharted video game series, has had a great impact on the world of interactive storytelling, namely with her portrayal of female characters in the action-adventure genre. During her time at Sony-owned developer Naughty Dog, Hennig encouraged gamers and developers alike to redefine the genre through in-depth storytelling and well-rounded characters. This paper explored how these female characters, while unique in their backgrounds and roles within the games’ plots, represent well-developed and unique character archetypes within the realm of video games, a rare trait for female characters the action genre before the first game’s release in 2007. These characters are also an example of how video games can be approached and critiqued from a more literary standpoint. Hennig’s writing style and literary background enable an analysis of her characters as mirrors, foils, and antagonists, all while still forming characters that have personal motivations other than to service the series’ rugged protagonist. Likewise, this paper, through use of feminist criticism, analyzed the ways in which Hennig’s growth as a female game writer mirrors the plight of the nineteenth century female novelist, especially in relation to writing for a particular audience. No longer filled with oversexualized action heroines or merely damsels in distress, the Uncharted universe brings the action-adventure genre strong women, directed by a woman, yet applauded by gamers and critics alike

Exploring Organizational Communication (Micro) History Through Network Connections

In light of the 100th anniversary of the National Communication Association, the following essay offers an initial look at the communication subdiscipline of organizational communication and its development over the past seven-plus decades. As part of this review, we advocate the use of network methods as a microhistory analytic tool to explore the vast number of connections, both between people and research interests, generated as the discipline developed from its humble beginnings. This work represents a small sample of the greater Organizational Communication Genealogy Project. This larger effort seeks to create a detailed review of the discipline as it explores the relationships between advisors and advisees, the development of dissertation and current research topics, the collaborative network of coauthorship, and the contributions of individual scholars through the analysis of interview data, narratives, and historical documents

The Pervasive Power of Leaven

Even from the most humble, weak, and small beginnings, God can accomplish his purposes. In fact, he promises that he will. Posting about ­­­­­­­­God\u27s power through our weakness from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation. http://inallthings.org/the-pervasive-power-of-leaven

Can 'quality marking' be used to provide effective feedback within higher education?

Providing written feedback to learners within Higher Education can be a time-consuming and frequently ineffective process, with comments often undervalued or not acted upon. The same concerns exist within the primary sector; marking systems do not always effectively support the principles of Assessment for Learning. This frustration resulted in the development of the 'Quality Marking' model for primary schools (Clarke 1998) which follows an explicit process within which the type of comments, or prompts, used are key. This small scale study has investigated whether 'quality marking' – and in particular the use of scaffold prompts – can be applied to the Higher Education context. A group of final year student teachers within initial teacher training received and acted upon the feedback, as well as completing a series of questionnaires to record their perceptions of the process and its formative value. It is clear from the data gathered that 'quality marking' was viewed as an effective approach. Key identified reasons for this were the likelihood of the feedback to feed forward into future learning, the level of engagement from the learner, the clarity of how to bridge the learning gap, and the beginnings of self-monitoring

Upgrading indigenous microfinance institutions in Nigeria: Trials and errors

Microfinance is thus not a recent development, and it is not just a temporary solution for poor countries. Every now developed country has its own history of microfinance. It is important to recognize this because it presents a view different from that of many in the microfinance community who associate microfinance with credit NGOs and believe that microfinance was invented in Bangladesh some thirty years ago. Attributing the origin of microfinance to recent initiatives misses not only the historical depth and scale of microfinance, but also centuries of experience, which means: learning from trial and error, failure and success. The beginnings in Europe and Africa, notably in Nigeria, were all informal and small-scale. What distinguishes a country like Germany from many developing countries is not the prevalence of self-help and informal finance at an earlier time. Community- and member-based as well as other informal financial institutions are exceedingly widespread throughout the word. The major difference seems to be the legal recognition given to informal finance in Germany and the protection of the institutions through prudential regulation and effective supervision: an issue which is still controversial in the microfinance community. --